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Post by 87B2XLT on Jul 3, 2006 19:13:50 GMT -5
I forgot to take "before" shots on the exhaust , but I'll continue on smartly with the rest of the before shots soon. This is going to be an ongoing thing, piece by piece, goal by goal, etc. until I'm where I want things to be. First order of business will be fixing some safety-related issues, i.e. new "stock" rear leaf springs. I also plan on intermediately between phases of the project fabricating (or having fabricated by some helpful member on here...) some parts that I may not buy outright (to keep costs down)... i.e. axle pivot mounts, rear leaf drop rear mounts, shackles, etc. Intermediate end result is hopefully going to be a mostly Duff suspension lift of hopefully 4-5", 2" body lift, electric radiator fan, locked front and rear "stock" axles sitting on 32s or 33s with some fabricated replacement bumpers with all the goodies... recovery points, lights, winch, etc etc etc. Any help, advice, etc. will greatly be appreciated during the process.... ;D
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Post by 87B2XLT on Aug 1, 2006 19:26:13 GMT -5
Project currently OBE (overcome by events). I have been scouting and shopping around for things, though. I'd like to try and at least get started on getting parts in / on hand for when I have time to start work on this -- hopefully by early to mid Fall.
I don't think I mentioned specifics about my wife. Apparently, she had contracted a really nasty staph infection that was weighing REALLY close to being fatal. I got her to the ER in time, though. Had we waited much longer (at most 8 hours), it would have been fatal by what the doctors were saying. She is back home now and still on all sorts of fun medications, antibiotics, etc. My stepson has been taking the watch during the day and I take care of things during the evening until I'm so tired I pass out before my head hits the pillow. Gotta love 2-4 hours of sleep a night! Ah well, it's all good, though. More to follow....
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Post by ex-tbd85hilux on Aug 1, 2006 19:36:33 GMT -5
I hope she continues to get better.
Paul G.
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Post by 87B2XLT on Aug 11, 2006 13:58:50 GMT -5
Update:
Instead of going with a D30 SAS up front, I opted to go with a D44 front / 9" Ford rear swap combo -- the opportunity presented itself, and I took it (buying the axles). This will give me a more sturdy drivetrain and some stability / flexibility and options as far as powertrain upgrades. I'll probably incorporate a set of 3 1/2" lift EB Duff coils up front eventually, and a combo leaf / shackle flip-relocate lift in the rear along with some sort of long-arm radius arm mod up front for more flex. Hopefully, it'll fit some 32s/33s with minimal if not zero sheetmetal cutting.... would like to leave the body panels untouched, if possible... we'll see.
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Post by KarlVP on Aug 11, 2006 14:45:25 GMT -5
Rock on Dave, glad to hear you finally got your project off the ground.
When you get it done, you're going to have to come out here and do some real wheeling.
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Post by 87B2XLT on Oct 10, 2006 20:33:54 GMT -5
Before pictures are coming.... now, that being said:
Phase I of this project is going to include *cringe* Bushwacker cut-out flares (the smaller set?); radius arm extensions and frame mount relocation/replacement; Ranger superflex rear leafs with possible addition of Chevy lowering shackles or Ranger/BII/Exploder lifting shackles, if required; "new" fabricated transmission mount to accomodate "new" radius arm frame mounts; 15x7 or 15x8 wheels and 30x9.50s or 31x10.50s (used wheels and tires will do, if anyone has any -- wheels must be able to accomodate manual hubs!) That is all for now. No start date yet....
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Post by 87B2XLT on Nov 4, 2006 17:47:28 GMT -5
If all goes well, sometime shortly after the 2nd Mt. Clean-up run, I will start Phase I. I think during that trip, I am going to figure out how to make my sway bar links into quick disconnects. I will probably call around for quotes for material for the transmission cross-member and the radius arm modification(s). Actually, I am in the pre-planning and prep stages now. Today I relocated my cheapie fog lights to the top of the front bumper and removed the plastic junk that was bolted to the bottom of the bumper and removed the cheapie mud flaps from the rear wheel wells... mostly because I have a feeling all of that might get removed the hard way during the 2nd Mt. Clean-up ;D At least my approach angle looks a little better now.... I'll try and take come current pictures tomorrow..... also, topic changed ;D
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Post by CORE 4WD on Nov 4, 2006 22:52:08 GMT -5
You'll have your axles this winter...
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Post by 87B2XLT on Nov 21, 2006 18:58:15 GMT -5
Hoping to have either a set of stocker Wrangler steelies or white wagon wheel steelies and 30x9.50 MT/Rs and a set of Exploder coils and leafs, etc. in hand by the end of next week. Phase I Part 1 should be done soon. Fab mods (Part 2) will come later. Didn't get around to pics yet... been busy with other things here Part 1 will probably entail a trip to the Hobby Shop down @ Oceana in the next couple of weeks. Still looking at exactly how I'm going to modify the tranny crossmember and extend the stock radius arms and add mounts for them... may incorporate another piece of exhaust upgrade / modification ;D
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Post by 87B2XLT on Nov 24, 2006 16:33:44 GMT -5
Just got back earlier from P-n-P with a "new" set of 'xploder rear leafs out of a 96 or 97 model (for about $17 for the pair!). Someone had already pulled the rear axle housing (guessing for a Jeep mod?), so it was all of 2 bolts / keeper nuts and it was a done deal. Didn't take the time to grab coils or anything else I'm looking for for Phase I, but will probably go back Sunday after retrieving wheels and tires to get 'xploder front coils and hopefully find a u-joint style rear driveshaft and maybe a 2- or 3-row core radiator out of a BII or Ranger that will fit. "Before" pics, etc. to follow....
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Post by 87B2XLT on Nov 24, 2006 17:31:05 GMT -5
Some before pics in the driveway at the house: Passenger side, notice the slight rear-end sag. There's also a slight bent part of the rocker under the door from the 2nd Mt trip... I think from following up the trail to Dictum's Ridge just before the big rocks... or from when I got hung up in some dirt ( & rock? ) from following Tom just off the main 2nd Mt trail ;D Rear, gotta love IFS/Ford TTB uneven wear as seen on the rear tires that used to be on the front Driver's side shot from the rear quarter Off-side view of the front Rear leafs. You can sorta see how weak they've gotten over the years. You'll also note in some of the pics the slightly larger (2 1/2") diameter, non-stock exit exhaust pipe. On looking at things, my only complaint is that the turn down doesn't stop even with the fuel tank skid plate, but OH well. I'll fix that if it gets munched on the trails.
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Post by PaulC on Nov 24, 2006 18:31:36 GMT -5
Looks like your going to have to replace the rear driveshaft with a standard type CV shaft because that Can style won't last long with a lift and low pinion 9" rear diff.
PaulC
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Post by 87B2XLT on Nov 24, 2006 19:45:26 GMT -5
Paul, Yeah, actually when I go out to P-n-P Sunday after retrieving my in-between wheels and tires, I'm going to hopefully score some 'xploder front coils to level it out (I can already tell it'll sit nose-low with the leafs I picked up today) as well as looking for a 2- or 3-row radiator and a rear CV/u-joint style bolt-in replacement. Hopefully, I can find one that the u-joints just need a little re-lube so I don't have to put new u-joints in. If I end up doing that, I'll probably want to do 'em all, including the half-shafts up front I can get by on the 'xploder leaf/coil swap without a replacement drive shaft though. Most references say that anything over 2" of lift requires replacement... I would like to go ahead and do it now, though. Plus the front and rear drivelines can be modified or parts taken from them to facilitate the future axle swap if need be ;D I won't ask if you've been tinkering with your '78 FSB... I know Jen is probably not havin' it ;D I will say this, though, if you need help with that rig, lemme know and I'll see if I can squeeze some time in. At least I didn't end up having to get to the point on my rear leafs that that thing did! I can just see if I were rolling down the road and both gave way at the same time Anyhow... more to come soon!
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Post by 87B2XLT on Nov 26, 2006 18:51:43 GMT -5
Alrighteythen! A semi-productive day. Picked up the tires, the set of wheels I was hoping to get a few minutes away from the tire stop were already sold, just got through e-mailing about the other wheels I had been looking at After getting home from that, Chris & I went to P-n-P with the intention of retreiving coils and whatever else I could get my hands on. Got a "trail spare" replacement rear u-joint (not the 3-joint cv style though ) driveshaft out of a '90 BII that took all of taking the 4 bolts out of the rear flange and that was a done deal. That's pretty much where productivity ended as I didn't have large enough tools or WD-40 to unbolt the bottom cups on the coils, although we tried like hell to extricate some! Anyhow, probably going to go back Friday with proper tools in hand and some WD-40 and hopefully get what I need. I also should have picked up a radiator someone had already removed, even if it was for an AT model explorer. After the hopeful next successful trip, plans for this Saturday are to do the spring swap-out, have ready-to-go tires (will pick up wheels sometime during the week) on the sucker, and be a little more "trail-ready" ;D Also saw a couple of guys removing an 'xploder 8.8 to go in a Jeep... probably to replace a D35... I just heard them say something about "it's going to be a happy Jeep"... That's all for now.... more to follow....
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Post by Chuck on Nov 30, 2006 16:31:58 GMT -5
On your uneven tire wear -- are you doing an SAS? If not, a new set of radius arm bushings and an alignment should fix that ...
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