My strange box of toffee

[Doc]

A couple months back I ordered some toffee from some nut case in Colorado. When it arrived it was noticeably larger and heavier than it should have been.

I finally got around to putting its contents to use today. Just in time for CM08

I'll let you guys know what kind of milage I get- as everything seems to be mostly guesswork on this mod.

Check it out- cruiser pron.

And, in preparation for CM08- I finally got around to doing this:

 

[IdahoDoug]

You know, I read this thread and all I got was "blah blah blah...toffee..blah, blah, blah, Colorado.....blah, blah....".

I have also succumbed to that amazing toffee and you are a $%%&* for reminding me of it during early season training while I'm still fat...

DougM

 

[Doc]

I still have a few bags in the freezer I might bust out for CM08. I doubt it would make it past the road trip portion of the drive though.... I bet I could eat a lot of toffee in 1200 miles.

 

[chitown40]

Doc, it's hard to tell, but is that a clamp on CB antenna mount or drill-and-bolt to the body?

 

[Doc]

Drilled into the side of the body (behind the lift gate) The mount is shaped kind of like an L, pretty handy actually. Then I drilled a hole for the grommet into the body directly behind the mount and passed the coax into the rear quarter panel for running up to the front. I still need to wire the CB's power supply though.

You can't tell from the pics, but I also pulled the front driveshaft and am now fully 2WD. It sucks. The cruiser drives like A S S in 2WD, steering seems more labored and a LOT more vague. For whatever reason it also seems to roll more in corners.

 

[Ruadhrigh]

So....



with your '93 you had no need for Ali's C-clipping right? Just plug and play?


Also how sturdy does that mount feel? That doesn't look like a flexy anttenae so it might be the mount that flexes. Ali talked Onur and I into a bracket that mounts along the hood channel. He also talked us into some super flexible anttenae action. The anttenae I got can bend in half and it whips right back. Looks great though.


One more thing....

how do you like dem tires?

 

[IdahoDoug]

Doc,

Thanks for being straight up with your comments on the negative changes to the way the 80 feels when altered to 2WD. So frequently, people who have spent the time and money to do this seem to universally praise EVERYTHING about it when I fully expect them to notice the negative changes you posted. This vehicle's kingpin angle, caster angles and many other suspension and handling variables were specifically set up for the front wheels being powered and the vehicle should feel less stable and handle differently in rear drive only.

DougM

 

[Doc]

with your '93 you had no need for Ali's C-clipping right? Just plug and play?

What's the C-clipping thing? I had to remove the C-clip to both remove the stock drive plate and install the new hubs... is that what you meant?

Also how sturdy does that mount feel? That doesn't look like a flexy anttenae so it might be the mount that flexes.

The mount is SUPER sturdy. No wiggle at all, plus part of the mount rotates, so I can lay the antenna across the back of the cruiser hatch if I get into really low foliage. The Antenna is a FireStik, so it's somewhat flexiable, but not super super flexy.

how do you like dem tires?

Overall, they are a great tire. Absolutely kick @ss off road. Good in mud, good on dirt... not many rocks around here- so no input there. Crap in the snow. Not too loud on the freeway (not to my ears anyway).

blah, blah, blah....

It should, and it does... I don't know how anyone could think differently. I am seriously considering adding more castor to my front axle if I decide to stay 2WD (pending milage gains). The problem is, I'm not sure I'm going to like it on the freeway at ALL. I suppose if I really hate it I can just put the front driveshaft back in at some truck stop along the way. I'll be carrying the DS and all bolts in the cruiser anyway, so It'd only take a few minutes to go back to AWD

I'm also not a fan of the fact that I don't have ABS now.

 

[FJBen]

I just noticed when I pulled the front d-shaft just to have the front serviced that it drove kinda like that. I only had it off for a day and it just didn't feel as good at all.

 

[Nay]

It should, and it does... I don't know how anyone could think differently. I am seriously considering adding more castor to my front axle if I decide to stay 2WD (pending milage gains). The problem is, I'm not sure I'm going to like it on the freeway at ALL. I suppose if I really hate it I can just put the front driveshaft back in at some truck stop along the way. I'll be carrying the DS and all bolts in the cruiser anyway, so It'd only take a few minutes to go back to AWD

I'm also not a fan of the fact that I don't have ABS now.

Going 2wd sucks on a AWD truck, I've done it before (and on an XJ where the base package is not AWD), which basically meant that I kept my fancy Warn hubs locked full time.

What were you after with this swap? Strength?

 

[Doc]

What were you after with this swap? Strength?

Milage.

The only cost to me was my time in taking the front driveshaft out. I've heard lots of numbers tossed around on here about gaining 1 MPG, 2-3 MPG... etc- I wanted to know from my own usage what the gain (if any) would be. The trip from Iowa to Utah will be the perfect opportunity to settle the debate once and for all.

 

[IdahoDoug]

There has to be a gain in MPG, but I cannot see it being larger than the error % of measuring fuel economy on a sample of 1 vehicle under different conditions than prior data. That's the best accuracy anyone not using a fuel flow meter and a specific track condition could obtain. We're still moving a 5500lb truck, dealing with the same engine and drive train friction, same tire friction, etc etc. All that comes out is the turbulence friction from the front diff gears and their physical inertia and friction - probably about half the energy to spin the A/C compressor.

I think on a long trip like this, you might burn 3-5% less fuel which would amount to some $50 in fuel. Against that you'd have to weigh the poor handling, loss of ABS, possible front tire wear pattern, and the time spent laying under the truck and groping around with a greasy drive shaft.

DougM

 

[Doc]

, and the time spent laying under the truck and groping around with a greasy shaft.

Oh...... man.

 

[reffug]

and the time spent laying under the truck and groping around with a greasy drive shaft.

DougM

Oh...... man.

yaa that sorta didn't sound right did it?

 

[Ruadhrigh]

What's the C-clipping thing? I had to remove the C-clip to both remove the stock drive plate and install the new hubs... is that what you meant?

For Ali's install he had to create a new C clip gorve because of spacing. I believe that his '96 has the longer birfield and thus required the spacing.

This vehicle's kingpin angle, caster angles and many other suspension and handling variables were specifically set up for the front wheels being powered and the vehicle should feel less stable and handle differently in rear drive only.

DougM

Doug,
In some markets the 80 was offered as a part-time. Could they have also added design features to alleviate some of the negative characteristics Doc has given us?

 

[alia176]

Those 80's in South America (and in other countries) must be crashing left and right due to bad handling, no ABS, 2wd, blah, blah, blah... . Those 80 front suspensions are identical to ours unless someone tells me otherwise.

 

[Doc]

I see you got hired on as an Ork. When did you start 'orking'? (see your sig....) I'm not sure you're scary enough to be an ork. More like Mork. As in Mork and Mindy.

I don't imagine that an ork like yourself would be able to discern the subtle neuances in handling of such a fine tuned rig as mine. You should stick to fighting for the forces of Mordor.

I'm thinking that the cruisers in S. America drive better because the earth rotates in the opposite direction down there.

 

[Ruadhrigh]

hahaha


wait....

where did the thread go

 

[Doc]

Milage report:

Heading West to CM08 I was running 45 lbs air in all tires, no front drive shaft, hubs unlocked. Milage per tank: ( not corrected for 33" tires ) 12.5.

Heading East back to Iowa, running 40 PSI in tires, hubs locked, front driveshaft in. Average milage per tank: (again, not corrected) 13.0.

Go ahead and try and figure that one out.

 

[Lugboot]

Tailwind from prevailing Westerlies?