After putting things together did you readjust the steering stop bolts? Could the noise you're hearing be the tire(s) rubbing the steering linkage or frame?
Have you re-torqued your U-bolts several times?
All good questions and points - I had a tire rubbing early on the trip with the steering and was able to resolve that.
I think the military wraps are rubbing the frame - I may look and do some more checks -
As far as retorquing - I thought about it and then forgot to do it. I will check them on Monday. Yet....
Apologies - this is total stream of conscious and state of my head - i.e. questions I am researching.
What I am doing now is going down the rabbit hole with the frame stuff mentally. Really thinking if there needs to be some repair, how far do I go. I definitely want a split TC - they are much quieter than the pre 8/80 TC. Eric in Des Moines has one - I need to figure out when in 1983 (his year) they changed to add the oiler for H55. Not super critical. Sometimes I think I want a 5 speed then other times no - but a quieter split TC, definitely a yes.
To that end, I am thinking about if I'm doing frame stuff, do I tackle the cross member needed for h55 etc - Do I need the crossmember (8/80 and newer style) with the split TC and the 4 speed I have? Should I just do it and future proof a h55 if I decide to later? What cascades from that is the emergency brake - they moved that to the rear brakes vs off the TC. And the rear brakes changed from what I just did a few months ago. Karl
@sogncab posted earlier on this thread stuff CruiserMatt is doing/making to move the e-brake to the rear axle.
So my questions is if the H42 I have will bolt on with a 1983 split TC - if not, what are the right adjustment. Plus that TC was from a 60's so what do I need for linkages etc for a 40s. And if the split TC alone requires the updated crossmember on the frame.
I used my boroscope (thanks for the inspiration
@Green Bean) to look more into the frame than I could see with naked eye and flashlight. (picts look good on small phone screen - crappy when posted here = no pics).
@RevISK found some gussets for the rear pins to strength them - I ordered to take a look and see. That would be the simple fix and get me going... yet I'm thinking if I am going to do it, really do it. Buy once, cry once.
Oh yeah - also my TC has a slow leak too - I'm the kind of person who wants to know the condition of everything. I didn't have time to yank the tc and transmission for a rebuild - so that was on deck for 2025 - and with the leak in my TC, why not just jump to the split TC and move forward. That is a factor in all this.
Hence my struggle if this will come apart to really hit the frame once and not look back in my lifetime or just fix and enjoy today and for a long while into the future.
I'm definitely planning my Fall/2025 project(s). It is what to do and when/how to sequence.