Lifting 6" is there a Monster Front Suspension

[KurtfromLaQuinta]

Wow. Am I the oldest poster here at the Exchange?
My daughter is 30 and my son is 27.
Add those two ages together and you almost have my age.
Almost. 

[hilton8r]

I just turned 40. It sucked big time!!! I've finally accepted it, and beginning to dread 50! However, I plan to have a lot more fun this decade than I did the last decade!

[Sten]

Me too but I'm heading for the 50 next year. But the years are going to be shorter and shorter for some reason  .

/Sten

I just turned 40. It sucked big time!!! I've finally accepted it, and beginning to dread 50! However, I plan to have a lot more fun this decade than I did the last decade!

[Clubbs]

Yeah I've been around the sun 28 years now, sure am old...

I got my old self moving a bit on the RC again and cut all the spring perches and shock mounts off the 14-bolt.  Managed to get it bolted up while the kids where napping yesterday and its even sitting on the tires in the back. I need to weld the perches, and shock mounts on, get the brakes connected, and make a drive shaft and the back will be done.  Then I'll tackle the front 60 project, which requires me to put it back together first.  I have to drill the studs out that got torched off flush on the passenger side spring perch.  I'm going to make a 2 foot drilling bed out of 5/8" steel and use the spring plate for a template.  I'll hold the thing in position with the u-bolt and a clamp then set a mag drill on the plate and let her eat.  That way I know its straight or atleast better than I could do by hand.  The tricky part is going to be finding a cheap bottom tap that won't break off in the hole... I may even try to easy out it after I get past the melted stuff... any thoughts on this??

Dave

[hilton8r]

http://www.mcmaster.com/# 

[Clubbs]

I ended up getting a flat piece of 1/2" bar stock bolted it to the axle with the u-bolt, and put the other end on a floor jack to help with deflection issues, and borrowed the mag drill from work and drilled it out.  Well sort of since all the nastiness associated with torching werbled out the hole I didn't find center and was right on the edge of the threads so I'm going to drill and tap it out to 3/4 and get this project rolling again.

I was putting my new to me hub on the driver's side since it was missing originally and pulled the spindle off to check it over and clean and grease the spindle bearing.  Well the threads are boogered up so bad that even if I could find a die for that thread there isn't enough thread left to bolt to.  So I think I finally found a used spindle (all my stuff is used or I like to say "its tested and validated") for $50 although it was tempting to fork over some US cash to the Indian company DURASOLID who wanted $70 for a new one .  Pay the $18 to ship and viola that was easy.  But I've read they used to build Yukon parts and are still using their prints to build parts and sell them without dealers so its a bit shady and didn't want to contribute to the shadyness. 

Once I get the spindle I can put the hubs on and toss it under the truck and get the front end on wheels too.  I got a set of warn hubs for $10 and they are worn slam out so I'm going to try and rig them back together and see if I can make them work.

The rear 14-bolt looks like it took a 22 shell out the diff cover from the inside.  I've heard that can be some preload shim hold down bolt that backs out so I need to take the cover off and see if that thing is lunched too.  If it is I think I'm going to just bight the bullet and go rocks.  I'm working on a set for $500 and have another lead I'm following up on.  I may never wheel this thing again at this rate but when my son inherits it, he'll have a pile of nicely chosen "tested and validated" parts to stick together...

Oh and I got a Home Owner Association letter the other day, but I think its one of those group letters and not aimed directly at me... I hope not anyway, afterall this is America and you can't see my collection from the street unless the garage door is open or your trespassing in my privacy fence enclosed back yard... just something else to think about next time I see another one of those gem "deals" at the recycle yard or the side of the road.

Hope ya'll are all doing good.

Dave

Dave

[hilton8r]

I specifically chose the location of my house based on associations. A block the other way, and I couldn't get away with a fraction of what I currently do!

You'll get it done. I'm irritated that my bumpers/sliders/winch haven't gotten here yet. I'll cross my fingers that it's tomorrow or Friday, but not going to hold my breath. Keep pluggin' away...

John

[Clubbs]

I haven't had time to wrench much on the RC lately, but I've been collecting more parts.  I think I have deal on a lokar kickdown cable, just waiting to paypal the guy when I get his address.  A guy at work has a 4bt that we have worked a hand shake deal for $400.  Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet for sure but I have a few ideas (none of them involve the RC).  And I just picked up a holley projection for free !!!  Its a little rough, but I should be able to get it spraying fuel again.  I've heard bad things about them but after reading through the instructions it just seems like it takes some patience and brains to get it dialed in.  Albiet that may be a stretch for me but we'll see.  I was contemplating propane but don't really have the compression ratios to burn the pane, and really wanted / want to end up with a 12V 6BT under the hood when its all said and done.  But in the mean time I've got everything to put the 60 back together and slide it under the truck.  I need to open up the 14bolt and see what blew in there, and then the whole brake mess.  I did discover that my front driveshaft has the same size yoke as the 60 so thats a bonus, maybe all I'll have to do is shorten it a bit and be in business. 

SO the current plan ( I say current because I have commitment issues with my projects) is to get the CUCV axles under it, buy or make an ORD gen 2 doubler adapter and put my current 203 in front of the 32 spline 205 I bought earlier, and get the projection on the truck.  This also includes raising the fuel tank so its flush with the frame rails and protruding somewhat into the cargo area and then fabbing a new cargo area floor, a new rear driveshaft, fix some leaks, etc... at my rate I'll be wheeling by 2015.  That is unless the previously mentioned $500 set of rocks deal comes to fruition and then maybe by 2017, of course I'll probably score a 93 W200 cummins by then and be delayed further.  See my problem is the truck is totally self funded so to change direction I have to sell or trade parts which incapacitates the truck for an undisclosed amount of time because no deal is ever as peachy as it first seems, I mean the $500 set of rocks (2 rears and 1 front) will likely be the exception (so I tell myself about every deal I get into) but inevitably every seal will be wasted, and all the bearings should be replaced, and then there are brakes, drive shafts, wheels, issues man issues.  I need to stay focused on the 1-tons, but a cummins swap now thats a bolt in right.

Dave

[hilton8r]

You might be right by 2015! I'm in the same boat. And all of the wheelin' places will be closed by then!

John

[Clubbs]

hello there again from the eastern edge of the USA.  Not much to update with on the RC other than the front 60 is in and painted hemi orange, and the truck is sitting on four tires.  I've recently encountered some CNC contacts and hence have plans to make my own doubler, but really just want to go wheelin so I'm trying to put the thing on the trail which means leaving well enough along and just getting it together and work on teh doubler on the side. 

The CJ5 has been completely taken apart, the frame fixed and painted and the 4BT turned out to be free 99 as long as I help him put the little CAT in his YJ...

The big news in Dave's mopar reality show is that I just bought an 05 cummins 2500 quad cab long bed 4x4 (of course) 6speed with 73k on the clock with a fair amount of options for what I think is a song at $17000.  But as usual there is just one catch... its at a Dodge dealership in South Dakota.  Which according to every transporter is in the middle of NOWHERE.  More to come on this adventure for sure.

Hope you all are well.

Dave

[hilton8r]

Good to hear from you Dave. Alot has been done on my ZJ, but still need to do drive shaft (maybe both) and my friend is still fiddling with the fuel pump assembly.

I agree, get that bad boy on the road, and upgrade later. You'll probably break a few more things that you can upgrade later too!

Congrats on the Cummins. I have a spreadsheet of 10 or 12 auto transporters with pros/cons/rates about each. The rates have probably gone up since it was compiled in January or so. I can send it to you if you want to see if any of them can provide a better rate.

John

[Clubbs]

yeah that would be great if you could send it to my e-mail. I signed up with a broker who replied to one of my request for quotes and he pretty much came out and told me how the system worked with him getting a brokers fee off the top and he list the truck on an online board  of sorts with whatever price I choose... and no garantees it ships.  

Its a long shot I figured anyway because its going to take up the space of two hondas and he has to pick it up in the middle of nowhere and drop it off at the edge of the earth... not the ideal route to take for an over the road transporter.  Worst case I'll fly out there and pick it up the first weekend in June..

Dave

[hilton8r]

Dave,

I just emailed the xls to you. I also removed your email addy from your post to prevent excess spam in your inbox. Good luck, and let me know if any of them work out for you.

John

[Clubbs]

thanks for the list and the e-mail delete service...

I'm flying out in the morning to go get it.  Just couldn't see paying a huge premium to ship it...  What better way to get to know a new truck by starting a 1700 miles right after the first time you start it up.  Its not an adventure if you know your going to make it.

I'll let you guys know how it went when I get back

Dave

[hilton8r]

It will definitely be an adventure! Have fun, and create lots of memories to share with the little ones in your golden years...

John

[Clubbs]

It was an adventure all right.  I met my freind in minneapolis that I haven't seen in a couple years or so, and we boarded the plane to Aberdeen.  As we flew over what has to be the flatest land in the country I looked out and said "dude there's not the first paved road down there and the whole state is under some sort of flood warning... what could be better than this we're going to have to wheel and wrench our way the whole way home "  Anyway we get into the huge town on Aberdeen (about 2 miles wide I think) and pick up the truck.  I paid the dealer to do there massive inspection and put on a new fuel filter.  First thing I do is climb under the truck to inspect.  Its covered with mud (mind you hardly any paved roads) and the front drive shaft joints are so bad it looks like the shaft might just fall out.  Open the hood and tighten some loose injector line hold downs and then fire it off.  Seems to idle pretty rough but no smoke and started fine.  Well nothing the dealer is going to do for me now (not sure I want them to after seeing the drive shaft that apparently checked out ok to them??)  So we hit the road.  First stop NAPA after about 2 miles or the other side of town whichever you like.  Pull in there and get a can of r134 and some gauges because the ac is cool but not cold, and we picked up some hose clamps and lucas fuel injector cleaner stuff.  Head off to get some diesel and charge the ac.  Well the ac won't take the can because the low pressure side is high pressure... weird.  On the road again to see how the ac does and to feel out the drive shaft for vibes.  We drive to about 3:30 am and stop at some rest stop in illinois.  We're on the road again at 5:00 am and find a cracker barrel at 6:00.  Get a good breakfast and then decide to drop the front driveshaft before it launches through the oil pan and who knows what else.  Get it out and realize we should have taken it out before but its all good.  We drive a few more hours and stop for fuel and pop the hood to see if the ac line is frozen and sure enough it is.  With 14 hours to go no ac is not an option so we gps search our way to an autozone that supposedly has the orifice tube and a dryer.  We get there take the front of the truck apart to get the orifice line out to see which one we have and sure enough we have the one that they don't have.  Tape all the hose up, put the truck back together and head off to cincinatti where an advance is holding the part for us.  Roll in there at about 2:30 pm take the truck apart again put the line and dryer in, reasemble the truck and go around town tying to get one of the shops to pull a vacuum and charge it for us.  Well I never thought it was true but there is a difference between the folks up north and the southern good ol boys I'm used to.  It was 3:30 and noone wanted to give us the time (call it an hour on the wide end) to do the charge because it was saturday and they where going home in 30 minutes.  We offered to tip, buy dinner, whatever, they all said nope.  I can understand if you have plans and all but 4 (maybe 5 ) shops all said no even after we explained we had a 14 hour drive ahead of us.  So we blew coal in their face as we left and found an oriellys bought a couple cans and shot it in, which works surprisingly well actually.  We made it home Sunday at 2:00 instead of Saturday night like the plan was but the ac opportunity cost us about 5 hours... 

Anyway the truck is in pretty good shape overall, i have the rest of the cummins warranty (about 25k miles left) which is good, but the dual mass fly wheel is coming apart best I can tell and thats my vibration so I'll be putting in a new clutch probably next weekend.  That will be another adventure I'm sure.  Mean while there are tears out the headlights of my faithful 97 ram since its forsale as of last night on craigs:

http://eastnc.craigslist.org/cto/2431414906.html

Not that anyone here is close enough to buy it but if you interested I'll make you a better deal than the craigslist price. 
Overall it was a fun trip, I still think I did good at $17000 with the 4x4 cummins 6 sp quad cab with 73,600 miles on it.  It needs tires and the clutch so that will probably be another $2k.

Dave

[Bill Cooke]

Wow, what an adventure. You think they were bad in Ohio, try Cali. You didn't have an appointment? Well, leave the truck here and we'll try to get to it by next week.
Glad you made it safe. It's always a lot more fun when you don't know for sure it will make it. I guess now you do.....

Bill C