Front end rebuild - Calender and other ramblings

[Walking Eagle]

Well, finally got warm enough weather to do the front end rebuild that I bought the parts for back before Christmas, and have needed to do for probably two years. A person could do this job in one day, if they didn’t have to run to the parts store for new brake pads, and more grease, and they were determined and organized. I took two days It really wasn’t that hard, just really greasy. Truck drives much better now, I get a little vibration at 75 ish (65 indicated, stock gears, and 37’s) – it feels like it’s in the rear, which those two tires aren’t balanced at all, so it seems I’ve killed a good portion of my vibes. It was over due anyway- one side had a leaking inner seal, and one side really needed the wheel bearing repacked. I’ll have to take it part way apart again for the gears – but oh well. That tax refund becoming a tax bill really sucked, but I may be able to squeeze some gears out next month.

Now it’s just putting the interior back together – which I tore apart to fix the hatch handle and replace one of the seat belts that the retractor went bad on. Fix an exhaust leak (again), panhard bar adjusters, ect. ect.

Thanks to Kelly (lx450 in Sand Springs – think he’s a club member now – he bought my LX rims – if he hasn’t joined yet, I’ll hit him up to do so, nice guy – plus always good to know a cop) and him starting a flex thread on mud, rather than just putting on new tie rod ends, I may be converting to having rods in the front.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/363943-front-flex.html

Steering Kit Chevy Tie Rod Ends

Always something isn’t there…..

Guess the plus side is I was right, there was no way in heck I was going to get all this done before Moab, so MOAB 2011 is on the Calendar.

Speaking of Calendar…

ATTOR has an event in Hot Springs April 9-11
Arkansas TTORA » Takeover Registration

Sam’s has and event same place end of month
4 X 4 Events

And some of the folks who were at GATOR are going to be at this event – the non-moab end of April event  Howiepalooza April 29 – May 1st.
http://smorr.net/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=2226.0;prev_next=next#new

Further out is TAC’s SMORR event – 9/24 -26 –
https://forum.ih8mud.com/ks-mo-tornado-alley-cruisers/323427-thoughts-tac-event-2010-a.html

Anyway – I’m thinking of hitting one of the April events – I’d like to do SMORR again when I could concentrate on wheel’n and not on leading groups.

 

[Marty Moose]

Heath,

What gears are you going to?

I'm running 37" with stock 4.10 gears and I want to step down to 5.29's. I noticed that Iron Pig had a sale on regearing sets this month plus free shipping.

 

[Walking Eagle]

Heath,

What gears are you going to?

I'm running 37" with stock 4.10 gears and I want to step down to 5.29's. I noticed that Iron Pig had a sale on regearing sets this month plus free shipping.

I'm gonna go to 5.29's. Zuk recomends Nitro Gear.

Here's what I found so far

IPOR has Sierra Gear for $750 - I can't rember if I had them quote an install.

Cruiser Outfitters has siera Gear for $857.90 and install is $187 a piece, and figgure $212 for shipping both ways (based on Zuk) $1405

Zuk recomends Nitro Gears, and getting them From Just Differentials - who will drop ship them to him. The gears plus the mater install kits are $956.99. Zuk charges $250 a piece for install and $43 a piece for shipping them back - which is where I got the $212 estimate from. $1630

Sam's off road here in Tulsa, is $909.90 fo rthe gears and install kits - Yukon Gear - $175 a piece for the install if I bring in the 3rds. $1375 (with 9% tax)

There is anther guy locally, that I think will do them for 200 a piece, so I suppose I could buy they Sierra Gear ones from IPOR and have those done by him - around $1200 with tax.



Zuk has a reputation for being the best. Crusier Outfitters definately should know how to do cruiser e-lockers, and I've heard good things about them. Shipping stuff back and forth sucks though. Wish I had the dough to just run in and say "Do it, I'll pick it up tomorrow". But the money saved on putting the 3rds myself is worth the effort. The weather is starting to turn too so that I can ride the bike to work for a week if the truck is down. I'm just too much of a chicken to do it myself. Screw it up and it gets real expensive.

I was really counting on tax refund to pay for it, but that became a tax pay in, so pinching penny's is gonna be needed to swing the gear change, but with the 37's it's really needed badly. I'm thinking some time in April it'll get done.