ntsqd
technerd
It is rather clever!
Builds 86 Xtra Cab Build (4Wheelunderground 3 link front, 4 link rear and 3.4 swap) (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter aztoyman
- Start date
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- Thread starter
- #1,042
It's a 4WU idea and product they sell. Making my own saves me $200 plus tax and shipping. If I had to figure in labor, I would be ahead buying them.
- Thread starter
- #1,043
Appointments all day today, so no real work done. I did get home to find my new AISIN clutch master and slave cylinders arrived.
Here's the new and old slaves compared. The original is noticeably heavier. The casting is thicker but the guts are the same. Well, the old piston is steel and the new is aluminum. This was only $19.13 from Walmart.
Here's the new and old slaves compared. The original is noticeably heavier. The casting is thicker but the guts are the same. Well, the old piston is steel and the new is aluminum. This was only $19.13 from Walmart.
- Thread starter
- #1,044
The original is a much thicker casting.
The old one had some crud inside but the seals are fine and it still works. I'm going to clean it up and keep it.
The new one will give me .150" more clearance from the upper link if I run it.
The old one had some crud inside but the seals are fine and it still works. I'm going to clean it up and keep it.
The new one will give me .150" more clearance from the upper link if I run it.
- Thread starter
- #1,045
Lots of appointments so I pick away on this when I can.
I never finished my heat shield so I got that knocked out.
First I stuck on some reflective heat barrier.
I don't want the thin aluminum to fatigue and crack at the bolt holes and I wanted to stiffen it up. So I cut and formed a sheet metal (steel) piece to stiffen it and reinforce around the bolt holes. It's bent around the aluminum and pop riveted together.
I never finished my heat shield so I got that knocked out.
First I stuck on some reflective heat barrier.
I don't want the thin aluminum to fatigue and crack at the bolt holes and I wanted to stiffen it up. So I cut and formed a sheet metal (steel) piece to stiffen it and reinforce around the bolt holes. It's bent around the aluminum and pop riveted together.
- Thread starter
- #1,046
It's a lot more rigid and hopefully it won't vibrate or make any annoying sounds.
Looks like a good way to prevent my O2 sensor wiring from melting again.
Looks like a good way to prevent my O2 sensor wiring from melting again.
- Thread starter
- #1,047
I stacked washers on my wheel studs to see how thick of a spacer is required to clear the brake calipers.
I need 3/8" spacers (steel) and longer studs.
Or grind the caliper like I already did on the driver side.
I need 3/8" spacers (steel) and longer studs.
Or grind the caliper like I already did on the driver side.
- Thread starter
- #1,048
I actually had all afternoon today to work on my truck. It took me way longer than I thought it should have to get my front limit straps set up.
The 4WU straps were too long so I thought I should see if I could make the 16" straps I bought for the rear work. If I ever have a front strap fail out on the trail, I could then just swap one from the rear. The front keeps my front drive shaft from extreme angles and binding up.
There's a lot going on up front and every time I thought I had it figured out something hit, rubbed or got in the way somehow once I cycled the suspension and steered it.
Here's where I finally ended up. It's done and even painted. Now I need to order another set of 16" straps to put back on the rear.
The usual tubes to mount the adjustable clevises weren't going to work so I made these out of 1/4" angle. Used a C- clamp to try different positions until EVERYTHING cleared.
The 4WU straps were too long so I thought I should see if I could make the 16" straps I bought for the rear work. If I ever have a front strap fail out on the trail, I could then just swap one from the rear. The front keeps my front drive shaft from extreme angles and binding up.
There's a lot going on up front and every time I thought I had it figured out something hit, rubbed or got in the way somehow once I cycled the suspension and steered it.
Here's where I finally ended up. It's done and even painted. Now I need to order another set of 16" straps to put back on the rear.
The usual tubes to mount the adjustable clevises weren't going to work so I made these out of 1/4" angle. Used a C- clamp to try different positions until EVERYTHING cleared.
- Thread starter
- #1,049
The shock moves in an arc forward and rearward as well as toward and away from the frame rail. The tire turning and articulating had to be avoided. The lower strap mounts almost come up to the bottom of the frame and the limit straps need to bend away from the tire and can't get under the bump stops so I didn't have a lot of space to work with.
Anyway, after taking most of the day I think this will work.
Anyway, after taking most of the day I think this will work.
- Thread starter
- #1,050
I just noticed that the clevis angle looks horrible in these pics. Like it's gonna snap off horrible.
I went back out in the garage and it doesn't look like this. I even put a TIG rod from the top center to the bottom bolt center and the upper bolt is damn near center. I took the pics up close in macro mode on my phone so maybe that's why??? It's basically parallel to the slope of the tower.
I may elongate the hole in the top bracket front to rear slightly and put the spring back under the bottom and the double nuts on top as shipped. This should allow the clevis to self align as it gets tensioned in full droop.
TO ADD, I just looked closer and these pics are when the jack dropped and pulled the bracket down. Look at my bent C-clamp in the pic. I'll do a double check on my alignment tomorrow. Looks like I can move the bottom clamp slightly rearward too. I KNEW it didn't look this bad when I was finishing up.
I went back out in the garage and it doesn't look like this. I even put a TIG rod from the top center to the bottom bolt center and the upper bolt is damn near center. I took the pics up close in macro mode on my phone so maybe that's why??? It's basically parallel to the slope of the tower.
I may elongate the hole in the top bracket front to rear slightly and put the spring back under the bottom and the double nuts on top as shipped. This should allow the clevis to self align as it gets tensioned in full droop.
TO ADD, I just looked closer and these pics are when the jack dropped and pulled the bracket down. Look at my bent C-clamp in the pic. I'll do a double check on my alignment tomorrow. Looks like I can move the bottom clamp slightly rearward too. I KNEW it didn't look this bad when I was finishing up.
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- Thread starter
- #1,051
Leave it to me, Mr Picky to spend another afternoon fixing little $hit.
My limit straps weren't bad enough to cut the brackets off and start over but it bugged me a little.
So I elongated the hole and beveled it. I rounded off the bottom of the nut and it's now kinda like a rocker ball and rocker arm pivot. I put the spring back in and the locknut on top to hold adjustment. Works perfect. Straight line from top to bottom now.
At full droop the front drive shaft binds up. So I put jacks under each side of the axle and raised it evenly until I could turn the drive shaft again. I adjusted the straps to just barely lift it off the jacks.
My limit straps weren't bad enough to cut the brackets off and start over but it bugged me a little.
So I elongated the hole and beveled it. I rounded off the bottom of the nut and it's now kinda like a rocker ball and rocker arm pivot. I put the spring back in and the locknut on top to hold adjustment. Works perfect. Straight line from top to bottom now.
At full droop the front drive shaft binds up. So I put jacks under each side of the axle and raised it evenly until I could turn the drive shaft again. I adjusted the straps to just barely lift it off the jacks.
- Thread starter
- #1,052
The other thing I worked on was my triple shifters. I had already tightened up the sloppy levers and tucked the linkage in closer to clear the trans tunnel. I still had a lot of lever travel before it engaged the T-case.
The outer ends of the shafts have no support. Before they actually rotate to shift the case, it moves horizontally. Quite a bit.
It's actually two separate shafts and the levers on the ends just butt up against each other. It gets in a bind without support on the ends.
I thought about machining a saddle to add on but it doesn't come apart without cutting it up.
The outer ends of the shafts have no support. Before they actually rotate to shift the case, it moves horizontally. Quite a bit.
It's actually two separate shafts and the levers on the ends just butt up against each other. It gets in a bind without support on the ends.
I thought about machining a saddle to add on but it doesn't come apart without cutting it up.
- Thread starter
- #1,053
So this is what I came up with. It does the same thing as what I wanted to machine, but it is just two pieces of angle that I can slide under the shaft and bolt it down. Bottom one limits the shaft pushing to the rear.
- Thread starter
- #1,054
Front one goes over the top of the rear one and limits forward movement of the shaft and it no longer binds inside.
- Thread starter
- #1,055
I just need to get two longer socket head bolts and two original length ones.
- Thread starter
- #1,057
I originally did two back to back pieces of angle off each bolt hole but there was no support under the shaft and it flexed too much. This way is solid. I thought about welding a tab for the second bolt hole but it doesn't seem to need it. Still might though.
- Thread starter
- #1,058
Looks like Davez closed shop so that's the only other option. I vaguely remember that other one (RAdesigns) when I bought this. I don't think it was officially on the market yet.
ntsqd
technerd
My first thought needed disassembly, but you're saying that the Dave's part can't be disassembled? I had thought to press a dowel pin into one of the inner shaft ends, and make it locational slip-fit in the other inner end.
I have almost all of the parts, some of them completed, to do a dual case with one shift lever that works like normal. Lever shifts the front range box and the 2-4. An external air cyl shifts the rear range box. I sold the truck it was intended for some years ago and haven't worked on it since. The way that I made it easy to remove the pin that holds the inner shift finger on the shaft was to put an 1/8 NPT hole in the top of the housing that allowed the pin to be driven back out.
I have almost all of the parts, some of them completed, to do a dual case with one shift lever that works like normal. Lever shifts the front range box and the 2-4. An external air cyl shifts the rear range box. I sold the truck it was intended for some years ago and haven't worked on it since. The way that I made it easy to remove the pin that holds the inner shift finger on the shaft was to put an 1/8 NPT hole in the top of the housing that allowed the pin to be driven back out.
- Thread starter
- #1,060
I would think there has to be a way to get it apart. The outer lever is welded on. The two inner levers are tight against each other down inside the housing. There is a couple holes in the bottom that are filled with epoxy or something. Probably covering a pin??
It's been working for many years, just sloppy. It bugged me enough to "rig" a quick fix that will probably last a long time so I didn't want to risk ruining it trying to get it apart.
Before I went dual cases I had my twin stick setup as one lever with forward shift and the other with top shift.
It's been working for many years, just sloppy. It bugged me enough to "rig" a quick fix that will probably last a long time so I didn't want to risk ruining it trying to get it apart.
Before I went dual cases I had my twin stick setup as one lever with forward shift and the other with top shift.
