New member... Hello there VI. Bit of an intro....
- Thread starter slowandsteady BJ
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good to hear that you made it back to civilization fine! ... so had you decided to put the dirty 30's into your truck before , during or after the trip ? 
- Thread starter
- #204
It was nice to meet you Karter, and the 77 is like a time capsule! Thanks for the chat in the rain!
good to hear that you made it back to civilization fine! ... so had you decided to put the dirty 30's into your truck before , during or after the trip ?
After. Time got tight and the 30's didn't make the cut. When I broke the birf I rebuilt thAt one side with all new stuff except for a used birf . The wheel bearing on the "old" side gave a bit of grief but it got us home!
I'll get the 30's in before whipsaw and adress the problems in the one side as well.
Yummy..... Grease grease grease.
No worries, its nice to place some faces on who I am talking to on here.
Your 60 is pretty sweet, can't wait to see the bumper you build up!
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- #206
With Whipsaw approaching fast I thought Id get some work done on the front end.
I threw in the Dirty 30's and fabbed up a 5th stud kit.
On my last outing I broke the dual front shock mount right off the frame so I had to repair and improve that side. The other side will get attention when time permits.
I threw in the Dirty 30's and fabbed up a 5th stud kit.
On my last outing I broke the dual front shock mount right off the frame so I had to repair and improve that side. The other side will get attention when time permits.
- Thread starter
- #208
Yep.. Plus a grade 8 m10 and loctite. Easy peezy.
Great reading and watching this build move along. Truck looks great and you have done a lot of cool work to it.
What are the plans for the rear axle after the Whipsaw trip? 80 series FF or 60? My brother has about the same built truck as yours and I'm worried about his rear axles.
What are the plans for the rear axle after the Whipsaw trip? 80 series FF or 60? My brother has about the same built truck as yours and I'm worried about his rear axles.
- Thread starter
- #210
Dunno yet. Im leaning to "Poly Performance" chromo rear axle shafts. The problem is that the seal races are known to wear quickly as the soft material has poor wear characteristics. Im thinking a "speedi sleave" on the seal race might be the answer.
FF is another option but one can purchase many chromo axle shafts for the cost of one FF. Also Im not sure the FF axle shafts are any stronger.
Yeah I have seen the same problems with the Poly Performance shafts wearing heavily on the bearing area.
What I like about a FF is if the shaft breaks it does not disable a locked truck. Pull the broken shaft and it still drives and moves. With the SF as you have found out if its breaks you are done.
A disc converserion on a sf rear can allow for "limp" mode. Stops the axle from walking out and you can go quite a ways at low speed to find a good spot to fix things.
reduces the potential of flopping when a wheel falls off, as the rotor/caliper holds it in.
not as good as a ff but better (safer) than stock with drums.
I've heard the theory that the ff axles are marginally stronger because they're the same diameter the whole way, and so don't have that hard spot where they neck down in size ( where the sf's always break) so they can twist more without popping.
but, then they have those gay little stud flanges which loosen and tear out a lot , which pretty much evens out axle strength advantage.
someone in the hardcore section drilled his out and went up a stud size, he has a morbidly obese wagon as well.
there's some nice convenience factors with ff's...not having to jack the truck up to get the diff out is a big one, and the old ones allowed nice disc brake swaps.
they also make good trailer axles.
reduces the potential of flopping when a wheel falls off, as the rotor/caliper holds it in.
not as good as a ff but better (safer) than stock with drums.
I've heard the theory that the ff axles are marginally stronger because they're the same diameter the whole way, and so don't have that hard spot where they neck down in size ( where the sf's always break) so they can twist more without popping.
but, then they have those gay little stud flanges which loosen and tear out a lot , which pretty much evens out axle strength advantage.
someone in the hardcore section drilled his out and went up a stud size, he has a morbidly obese wagon as well.
there's some nice convenience factors with ff's...not having to jack the truck up to get the diff out is a big one, and the old ones allowed nice disc brake swaps.
they also make good trailer axles.
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Ya its great when you do break and your wheel stays on to drive or winch to a nice flat spot to change it but but it still doesn't help the fact that you have a broken axle shaft and NONE were ever imported to Canada installed in a new vehicle... When your up in the Yukon you'll be hard pressed to find one and it won't cost $50 like a SF shaft.
A disc converserion on a sf rear can allow for "limp" mode. Stops the axle from walking out and you can go quite a ways at low speed to find a good spot to fix things.
reduces the potential of flopping when a wheel falls off, as the rotor/caliper holds it in.
not as good as a ff but better (safer) than stock with drums.
I've heard the theory that the ff axles are marginally stronger because they're the same diameter the whole way, and so don't have that hard spot where they neck down in size ( where the sf's always break) so they can twist more without popping.
but, then they have those gay little stud flanges which loosen and tear out a lot , which pretty much evens out axle strength advantage.
someone in the hardcore section drilled his out and went up a stud size, he has a morbidly obese wagon as well.
there's some nice convenience factors with ff's...not having to jack the truck up to get the diff out is a big one, and the old ones allowed nice disc brake swaps.
they also make good trailer axles.
Seapotatoe is bang on here, studs are a major pain. Get the Poly axles, you do have to pull them and check for twist once in a while. I've never heard of any problems with warrenty on twisted ones. I know thats a PITA but if its to much for you go Dana 60s.
The blackflag guys bust Poly shafts once in a while but they take way more abuse than the stockers. I don't think they put enough miles on them to worry about the seal surface though.
- Thread starter
- #214
Yeah Mark many seem to agree. Im worried about long term wear on the Poly shafts as this truck is my daily driver. I have read a lot on mud and all everyone talks about is their problems not their solutions. Poly had a bad batch of shafts that had the bearing race fail in under 5000 miles. I have yet to find anyone who sings their praises in a high milage DD.
Keep the opions comming as I have made it no where in the decesion making process.
Grunt..... dunno.
I know a few people have mentioned to me about how the disk brake swap in the rear makes it easier to limp a truck out with SF rear ...
also it stops great... at one point in our cross canada trip we where getting pull started by a cummins on a gravel road and needed to stop in a hurry to prevent running over a lawnmower and the 40 with 4 wheel disks stalled the cummins!
We had no troubles stopping in a hurry the few times we needed to and I am VERY happy I did the swap... also it was cheaper then replacing the drums, pads, and wheel cylinders
also it stops great... at one point in our cross canada trip we where getting pull started by a cummins on a gravel road and needed to stop in a hurry to prevent running over a lawnmower and the 40 with 4 wheel disks stalled the cummins!
We had no troubles stopping in a hurry the few times we needed to and I am VERY happy I did the swap... also it was cheaper then replacing the drums, pads, and wheel cylinders
- Thread starter
- #216
Axle ponderings...
I have a bald spot. Not from premature hair loss (not that its far away or anything) but, rather from head scratching. Axles.... axles, axles. Rear to be specific. As the old girl reaches menopause she seems to be packing on the pounds. She's only 26 but hey.... you can't predict
princess hormones.
Ive thought about:
- Mogies sprung under...
- GM 14 bolt (oh the injustice)
- FF 60 series
- 4340 chromo's (Poly performance)
- 4340 chromo's in a 60 FF
- Full custom unit
Then I came to the stark realization that I had a budget to deal with. The Gypsy lady said the $$ tree seeds would sprout by now but, "no dice".
So I took the road more traveled.....
I beefed up the rear spring pack with a couple more leafs + new escutcheon pads. They were "add-a-leafs" from another spring pack I had lying around. Then I made an axle gusset in prep for an "anti-wrap" bar. If I can get the wrap out Im one step ahead, gussets can't hurt and they make track bar mount fabrication much more straight forward.
The gusset is 3/16 near the "pot" and 1/8 from there on. This way the track bar will be in the meat and the rest is for moral support.
The added leafs mean the air assist bags aren't doing as much work as before and axle wrap has been reduced a lot. I can now run pressure in the bags on the highway to minamalize body roll and keep the sixty level as well as air them down on the trail to help with the rebound damping and maximize flex.
Not too shabby for an afternoon of labour and a pile of scrap.
I have a bald spot. Not from premature hair loss (not that its far away or anything) but, rather from head scratching. Axles.... axles, axles. Rear to be specific. As the old girl reaches menopause she seems to be packing on the pounds. She's only 26 but hey.... you can't predict
princess hormones.Ive thought about:
- Mogies sprung under...
- GM 14 bolt (oh the injustice)
- FF 60 series
- 4340 chromo's (Poly performance)
- 4340 chromo's in a 60 FF
- Full custom unit
Then I came to the stark realization that I had a budget to deal with. The Gypsy lady said the $$ tree seeds would sprout by now but, "no dice".
So I took the road more traveled.....
I beefed up the rear spring pack with a couple more leafs + new escutcheon pads. They were "add-a-leafs" from another spring pack I had lying around. Then I made an axle gusset in prep for an "anti-wrap" bar. If I can get the wrap out Im one step ahead, gussets can't hurt and they make track bar mount fabrication much more straight forward.
The gusset is 3/16 near the "pot" and 1/8 from there on. This way the track bar will be in the meat and the rest is for moral support.
The added leafs mean the air assist bags aren't doing as much work as before and axle wrap has been reduced a lot. I can now run pressure in the bags on the highway to minamalize body roll and keep the sixty level as well as air them down on the trail to help with the rebound damping and maximize flex.
Not too shabby for an afternoon of labour and a pile of scrap.
wow
nine leafs in it.... you need to get one of those thick overloads for the bottom leaf instead of those little ones in there.. it would also help with your axle wrap..
lookin good there buds.... do tell me what your going to use as joints for the track bar.... i am still kicking the idea around in my head of what to use for a track bar for the forty...
nine leafs in it.... you need to get one of those thick overloads for the bottom leaf instead of those little ones in there.. it would also help with your axle wrap..
lookin good there buds.... do tell me what your going to use as joints for the track bar.... i am still kicking the idea around in my head of what to use for a track bar for the forty...
Here is the reason for the new rack. Im very impressed with the quality of this tent. I'm glad I forked out a little more cash to get the ARB over some less expensive brands.
Tent is the ARB Simpson 3 (III)
Not the ARB Pilbara.
Don't ask me about $ because a good buddy of mine got it for wholesale price. (one time deal)
Should come in handy for the Potatoe Patch event!
Here is something that could assist you with an easy on/off setup for your tent in your garage! Would beat an engine hoist. On sale for only $50
2000 lb Multi Purpose Winch | Canadian Tire
- Thread starter
- #220
Woah..... had to dig deep to dust this thread off.
After 6 months of rest and relaxation the Sixty is back and I actually got around to doing some work to it. Our last outing up Kennedy main she threw an electrical temper tantrum. Pyro went dead, the compressors started working intermittently and the stereo was having power supply issues. The Pyro and compressors are wired to a sub fuse box so I was sure there problem was related. It turned out to be the nice shiny Phoenix Gold 50 amp fuse that supplies the entire sub circuit. Its end caps had come loose and it was arcing out. New fuse and a re torque on the end caps had that licked. I guess buying expensive stuff doesn't always insure reliability.
The stereo constant power was supplied from the brake light circuit via an awful "fuse buddy" stiffed into the factory fuse box.... yuck! I ripped all that out, busted out the solder iron and attacked every dubious connection I could find.
Last but not least I thought I'd attack the all to common "crazy gauges" syndrome that caused me to fill my shorts a time or two. Namely climbing the steep side of the Coq on my way to Whipsaw trying to keep up to 1HD-T's. From time to time the temp would spike out to melt down. Later I started to notice the fuel gauge would peg out at the same time so the problem must be related. Mud to the rescue, there was a DIY on how to clean the contacts..... so while it was all apart I did just that.
After 6 months of rest and relaxation the Sixty is back and I actually got around to doing some work to it. Our last outing up Kennedy main she threw an electrical temper tantrum. Pyro went dead, the compressors started working intermittently and the stereo was having power supply issues. The Pyro and compressors are wired to a sub fuse box so I was sure there problem was related. It turned out to be the nice shiny Phoenix Gold 50 amp fuse that supplies the entire sub circuit. Its end caps had come loose and it was arcing out. New fuse and a re torque on the end caps had that licked. I guess buying expensive stuff doesn't always insure reliability.
The stereo constant power was supplied from the brake light circuit via an awful "fuse buddy" stiffed into the factory fuse box.... yuck! I ripped all that out, busted out the solder iron and attacked every dubious connection I could find.
Last but not least I thought I'd attack the all to common "crazy gauges" syndrome that caused me to fill my shorts a time or two. Namely climbing the steep side of the Coq on my way to Whipsaw trying to keep up to 1HD-T's. From time to time the temp would spike out to melt down. Later I started to notice the fuel gauge would peg out at the same time so the problem must be related. Mud to the rescue, there was a DIY on how to clean the contacts..... so while it was all apart I did just that.