Dave's 80 Rehab

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It's definitely higher then it needs to be for the 35's. That's not a bad idea.

It's a very bad idea, a dangerous one as well. OME yellow bushings will only correctly correct caster for a truck that is about 1.5" above stock height.

From the looks of things that truck is way over that which puts your caster in the negative. You might think it drives good but I can assure you it's nothing like it should be. Poor return to center, darty and loves to follow ruts is what I would suspect. And in adverse snow conditions it would likely be a handful to control.

What gives the 80 it's great ride and off road ability, coil springs, also isolates the driver from the road. It's not uncommon for guys who have rolled their truck on road to wonder what happened to cause it.

If you measure the distance from the center of the hub vertically to the under side of the flare, I can tell you what method of correction is needed to put that truck back in spec.
 
It's a very bad idea, a dangerous one as well. OME yellow bushings will only correctly correct caster for a truck that is about 1.5" above stock height.

From the looks of things that truck is way over that which puts your caster in the negative. You might think it drives good but I can assure you it's nothing like it should be. Poor return to center, darty and loves to follow ruts is what I would suspect. And in adverse snow conditions it would likely be a handful to control.

What gives the 80 it's great ride and off road ability, coil springs, also isolates the driver from the road. It's not uncommon for guys who have rolled their truck on road to wonder what happened to cause it.

If you measure the distance from the center of the hub vertically to the under side of the flare, I can tell you what method of correction is needed to put that truck back in spec.

This was the single biggest difference I was able to make to the 80. It was like night and day - driving with my caster in spec vs. out of spec. The scariest moment was when I had to panic stop on the highway :eek: . With it out of spec it was IMPOSSIBLE to keep the truck in a straight line. If there as some one next to me in the other lane I would have hit them.
 
Rick, you misunderstood, "not a bad idea" meaning I think taking the spacers out is a good idea, it's too high, higher then it needs to be. As low as possible to fit the tires is my plan.
 
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Rick, you misunderstood, "not a bad idea" meaning I think taking the spacers out is a good idea, it's too high, higher then it needs to be. As low as possible to fit the tires is my plan.

Ok, sorry about that. Good plan on the height. You only need about 3" with the proper spring rate to run 35" tires and that helps keep it's feet on the ground.
 
Dave
IIRC that truck has spacers in front for sure
not rears?
front spacer levels MAF 4 inch kit
front axle has bushings and also forward arm mounts have been changed for caster,
which is why it handles so well.
it is a tad tall tho....
just toss some 37 inchMTR's on and go
 
Good to know, I'm a complete newb on this type of suspension so I'm just feeling it out right now and gathering info. I've always been a "lower is better" guy as off camber freaks me out to no end. :P

Love, love, love this truck. Hitting the dealership today for coolant but probably won't do the PHH and flush until this weekend as I don't want to do it in the dark.

The short days are upon us.:) :)
 
dave make sure to pick up a tube of sil-glide to get that phh hose on it a major pita without it
 
ahhhhhhhhhhh, here come the bloody knuckles and scraped up for arm!
 
If Kina is correct on how caster has been dealt with you should bring it in for a caster sweep. Some places will discount their price if you only want the readings and not the work. You just need to call around first.

I'm betting your still less than zero.
 
well I am not on my way to the DMV.

My wife left a bit before me to day and sent Jack back in to tell me "something in your truck is clicking" so I go out and it's the horn relay, who knows how long that
s been going. I haven't been even near the truck in a couple of days.

I don't have a fob so my alarm is a conundrum. I thought I had it figured out that after I opened a door it would blink for a bit then just stop but maybe I don't understand it, or maybe some punk opened the door last night or whenever to look for valuables.... who knows?

Either way, the battery is dead so I put it on the charger and took, the other car in to work.

Hopefully, once I have the fog this won't be an issue but as of right now I can't even lock the truck as the key won't turn the locks. I suspect it's been a fob only truck most of it's life and things are just gummed up in there. I need to pick up some graphite tonight and see if I can get them loosened. Then I may just pull the alarm completely.
 
Battery is all charged up and back in. I noticed my horn doesn't work, I don't hear it with my alarm either (just the clicking relay). Makes me wonder if the horn itself is unplugged given the finicky alarm. Will check tomorrow, need to fix that as it is an inspection item.

Got the driver's door lock to work with the key today, lots of dry graphite and key wiggling. No luck yet on the passenger's side but I'm confident it will loosen up.

My ebrake seems to be working but it needs adjusting. I assumed I had rear disks since I have lockers but looking through the well it sure looks like drums. I'm going ot pull them apart, clean and adjust tomorrow.

I have a pair of these low profile drain plugs for the front and rear diffs but need to get a big enough allen wrench for them. These will replace the stripped ones currently in there.

If that goes quickly I may tackle the PHH.
 
Finally found my 10mm allan wrench and installed the new diff plugs.

Pulled apart my air filter housing and cleaned everything up. Emptied the "cup" underneath the filter housing... not sure it's every been done before, it was packed solid with dirt and crap. :)

Confirmed my horns are there and uplugged but couldn't find the wires anywhere, maybe tomorrow with more light I can find them. There is a pair of plugs that look like they should be it but they have completely different connectors. Perhaps I'm missing a part of the wire "chain?"

I have a bunch of other wires gathered up under the radiator, no idea what they went/go to. Aux lights maybe?

Took off the underfender skirts to look for my PHH and can't even put eyes on it so far. Probably need to take the wheel off just to see it. : I think I found the block drain plug. Prepping my brain for the PHH and flush.

Need to figure out how and where to pin-jump and get the codes to see why my CEL is on. Hoping that cleaning the ABS sensors will kill that warning light.

fun, fun, fun. :)
 
Both horns just have just the short pigtail hanging below them, no wires go to them from any power source or switch.

Code 28 is O2 sensors, right? Wouldn't be the worst thing. I've been reading about some of the codes that mean "replace the ECM" which sound far wor$e.
 
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