Builds Gerry's Build thread: "If it happens again I'm buying an Abrams" (5 Viewers)

[MongooseGA]

I'm glad to have done them, but if, say, money were a concern, I may not try to convince you it's a high priority. What year is your truck? My '05 had stock 4:30 gears, so it's not quite as drastic a difference as coming from an earlier 4-speed truck with 4:10s (or 4:11s?). Having said that, there is a noticeable increase in pep down at low speeds. The truck doesn't hunt for gear as much on inclines, which is nice because she would get all dramatic and noisy trying to make it up a bridge at 75MPH before. Occasionally the truck would go so far as to drop into 3rd to maintain a hill, now anything that requires a downshift manages it with 4th. Towed with it last week, ~20' camper weighing idk 2-3klbs. Just left it in 4th as usual, but felt comfortable to actually use cruise control (thank the Lord) whereas it really needed more throttle management before so manage the gears.

On trails, in 4-lo, it feels very nice. It's noticeably more torque-y, and feels like it crawls better. Four-wheel burn outs are sweet.

 

[MongooseGA]

I'd really like to have an exhaust installed, but the way this thing wails when it's downshifted for a hill, it'd be a ton of noise with no speed. Kind of embarrassing

 

[bencallaway]

You better save me a good spot.

When are you going up? I may or may not have a campsite.

 

[MongooseGA]

When are you going up? I may or may not have a campsite.

I've got a site reserved Thurs-Sunday. There were plenty of primitive sites available when I booked this afternoon.

 

[dinnertime]

Yeah, mines a 99 so I've got the 4 speed.

I thought about regearing the tcase, but have heard it's kinda noisy.

 

[Kabanstva]

How do you like your regear @MongooseGA? Mine feels like a dog ever since I lifted it and through on some heavy wheels/tires.

Hows it been in the highway?

I want to go with 4:88s to hopefully get some pep back in it. When going over the bighorn mountains in wyoming in June I had the thing floored just to maintain 35mph.

How big are your tires?

 

[abuck99]

I've got a site reserved Thurs-Sunday. There were plenty of primitive sites available when I booked this afternoon.

FWIW Primitive camping inside the event area is included with your registration.

 

[MongooseGA]

FWIW Primitive camping inside the event area is included with your registration.

I must have missed that in the registration paperwork. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[MongooseGA]

Called to clarify- the event registration gets you in the group campground space. I specifically wanted an individual space so I ended up OK with the separate reservation.

 

[MongooseGA]

Today I replaced the bent torsion bar adjusting bracket. It's been about 2 years since I'd done the TBs, so I needed to figure it out while I was under there. Ultimately, you'll need to mark the front of the bar relative to its place in that bracket, then slide (or pull, or beat, or curse at) the bar back so you can hang the front end freely. Then you can move the rear adjuster bracket back far enough to remove it. Did I end up indexing this correctly? Hell if I know, probably not, but I did manage to get the height perfect the first time without having to jack the truck back up again. Don't forget to take the truck for a spin before measuring, it'll settle down a hair. I think mine started at 22" driver's front corner and settled down to just a hair over 21.5", which is where my PS is.

While letting some PB Blaster soak on the front and rear ends up the bar, I went ahead and did my 5k mile oil change and chassis lube. Will have a 5-tire rotation, re-balance, and front end alignment done on Friday.

Then I installed the ASFIR skid plates. They're OK, not in love with them, but they'll keep her nuts safe I suppose.

Did my first long road trip (without towing) since the regear over the weekend so I got to actually feel them out. Mileage was hardly affected, and I was showing ~17MPG at the ScanGauge when holding ~60-65MPH, and about 15MPG when cruising ~80-85MPH. Passing power is noticeably better and was much appreciated. Still waiting on a new Yellowbox speedo calibration unit as my last one is somewhere on I75 between here and Tennessee...

Mileage is 265,270.

 

[ikarus]

Today I replaced the bent torsion bar adjusting bracket. It's been about 2 years since I'd done the TBs, so I needed to figure it out while I was under there. Ultimately, you'll need to mark the front of the bar relative to its place in that bracket, then slide (or pull, or beat, or curse at) the bar back so you can hang the front end freely. Then you can move the rear adjuster bracket back far enough to remove it. Did I end up indexing this correctly? Hell if I know, probably not, but I did manage to get the height perfect the first time without having to jack the truck back up again. Don't forget to take the truck for a spin before measuring, it'll settle down a hair. I think mine started at 22" driver's front corner and settled down to just a hair over 21.5", which is where my PS is.

View attachment 2464509
View attachment 2464510

While letting some PB Blaster soak on the front and rear ends up the bar, I went ahead and did my 5k mile oil change and chassis lube. Will have a 5-tire rotation, re-balance, and front end alignment done on Friday.

Then I installed the ASFIR skid plates. They're OK, not in love with them, but they'll keep her nuts safe I suppose.

View attachment 2464511
View attachment 2464512

Did my first long road trip (without towing) since the regear over the weekend so I got to actually feel them out. Mileage was hardly affected, and I was showing ~17MPG at the ScanGauge when holding ~60-65MPH, and about 15MPG when cruising ~80-85MPH. Passing power is noticeably better and was much appreciated. Still waiting on a new Yellowbox speedo calibration unit as my last one is somewhere on I75 between here and Tennessee...

Mileage is 265,270.

My regear magically corrected my speedometer - wasn’t expecting that. How off is yours?

 

[MongooseGA]

My regear magically corrected my speedometer - wasn’t expecting that. How off is yours?

9ish percent? I'm showing 90 when running 80-82 or so. Engine is spinning about 2900 RPM at this speed (in case anyone was wondering).

Can confirm the truck is fine at Mexico speeds as well. Though, if it's a rough section of highway, it won't feel awesome.

 

[MongooseGA]

Found out today that Fedex has misplaced my rear bumper. Was slated for delivery today but no such luck.

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Today I replaced the bent torsion bar adjusting bracket. It's been about 2 years since I'd done the TBs, so I needed to figure it out while I was under there. Ultimately, you'll need to mark the front of the bar relative to its place in that bracket, then slide (or pull, or beat, or curse at) the bar back so you can hang the front end freely. Then you can move the rear adjuster bracket back far enough to remove it. Did I end up indexing this correctly? Hell if I know, probably not, but I did manage to get the height perfect the first time without having to jack the truck back up again. Don't forget to take the truck for a spin before measuring, it'll settle down a hair. I think mine started at 22" driver's front corner and settled down to just a hair over 21.5", which is where my PS is.

View attachment 2464509
View attachment 2464510

While letting some PB Blaster soak on the front and rear ends up the bar, I went ahead and did my 5k mile oil change and chassis lube. Will have a 5-tire rotation, re-balance, and front end alignment done on Friday.

Then I installed the ASFIR skid plates. They're OK, not in love with them, but they'll keep her nuts safe I suppose.

View attachment 2464511
View attachment 2464512

Did my first long road trip (without towing) since the regear over the weekend so I got to actually feel them out. Mileage was hardly affected, and I was showing ~17MPG at the ScanGauge when holding ~60-65MPH, and about 15MPG when cruising ~80-85MPH. Passing power is noticeably better and was much appreciated. Still waiting on a new Yellowbox speedo calibration unit as my last one is somewhere on I75 between here and Tennessee...

Mileage is 265,270.

Like your ASS FIRe! I am hoping to get around to it this weekend but am dreading all those busted bolts in my frame

 

[abuck99]

Hmmm.. Fedex misplaced a 48" pallet with a 250lb hunk of steel on it. FWIW FedEx is having huge personnel issues these past several months which really affected package handling and delivery times. Trailers full of parcels are sitting waiting to be unloaded. People are waiting WEEKS to get their shipments processed through local hubs. I had a similar issue lately. Heavy item shipped from AZ, made it to Atlanta in a few days, and proceeded to sit for a week in a trailer until they had time to unload it. A pointed call to your local hub to track it might help, or go pick it up directly.

 

[MongooseGA]

Hmmm.. Fedex misplaced a 48" pallet with a 250lb hunk of steel on it. FWIW FedEx is having huge personnel issues these past several months which really affected package handling and delivery times. Trailers full of parcels are sitting waiting to be unloaded. People are waiting WEEKS to get their shipments processed through local hubs. I had a similar issue lately. Heavy item shipped from AZ, made it to Atlanta in a few days, and proceeded to sit for a week in a trailer until they had time to unload it. A pointed call to your local hub to track it might help, or go pick it up directly.

An 83", 320 lb package, to be precise. It's a fricken refrigerator box!

I spoke with each hub all across the country yesterday that would have/should have received it. Mira loma location swears they had it and have a camera footage screen shot of it going on to the specific trailer. The receiving location in Conley GA says they have nothing in their camera systems showing it was received or removed from the truck. So, wtf... In no other business does someone get to drop the ball so badly and get to give a Polish salute as penance. Completely unsat.

Fedex did the same thing you mentioned over the summer with my lockers and gears. They sat on a truck for about a week before they were gone through. I wish that were the scenario now, at least then I'd know where the package actually is.

 

[neckbone]

About 4 months ago, FedEx listed my winch as "Delivered". My cameras didn't pick up a FedEx truck any time +/- 1hr from the stated delivery time. I called them and they said they'd start an investigation. A week later, no word from them, so I call. They tell me "Yep, we don't show it was actually delivered. You'll have to go through the place you bought it for a refund." When asked why I wasn't called at the end of the investigation, they said "We don't do that". Worst shipping company out there. My theory is that Amazon will acquire them for their infastructure.

 

[MongooseGA]

I was in touch with two of the Fedex freight centers yesterday. Ultimately, it was advised that I open a claim. So, Jason opened one up. Miraculously, there was movement from the initial Atlanta location to the next reported in the tracking last night. I will be calling the more recent center shortly to comfirm they actually have it. I may just go pick it up myself today if that's an option. On kind of a tight schedule to have it installed and wired up by the end of the month so I can put camping gear in the truck instead of my spare tire.

 

[hotdiggitydamn]

Did you end up reinforcing these skids are all? I thought I read previous that was pretty common for these.

 

[MongooseGA]

Reinforce? No. I must have missed the posts about it. They're pretty stout, especially for aluminum. If anything it might be able to utilize some reinforcement at the furthest rear, PS fastener. It just kind of hangs off of the cross member.

I'm about to go correct one mistake I made during install. I'll snap a pic when I'm down under.