holdmypocket
nil
I feel less defeated now because at the time (and still) didn't have a press. It must be that weld seam in the DOM that just isn't very clean.
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Last Call Guest on these Group Buy Deal Items from Baja Designs
WiscoF100
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #242
The material I have is pretty clean but the I.D. is exactly the O.D. of the thin wall. Couldn’t tell ya how many hairs I removed, I just made passes until it was snug and then pressed it in.
.120 wall has .010” of clearance inside whereas the .250 is .000”
.120 wall has .010” of clearance inside whereas the .250 is .000”
WiscoF100
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #243
Rushed it together for a quick spin. Installed the front plastic wheel tubs before I left. Surprised they work with fender exit headers!
Carelessly I set the toe-in at about 1/16”. It’s okayish. Still not in love with things. The bump steer is noticeable. Not world ending but it sucks to go from none to something. New pitman arm in the works.
Temporary fix was to flip the tie rod. I’ll get all that old T link stuff chopped off tonight.
Carelessly I set the toe-in at about 1/16”. It’s okayish. Still not in love with things. The bump steer is noticeable. Not world ending but it sucks to go from none to something. New pitman arm in the works.
Temporary fix was to flip the tie rod. I’ll get all that old T link stuff chopped off tonight.
rattle_snake
****wits
What about moving axle end of drag link to the top of the steer arm, instead of pitman arm?
WiscoF100
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #245
rattle_snake that would make it worse. The DL came out flatter. 2.1* less than the panhard. Also if I moved it over the top it would basically kill all uptravel. The angle now has me bummed/concerned about clearances. I’m going to harvest the splines from the racecar pitman to make a new plate style.
Also I’m shopping coil springs. Need to drop the front 1”-1.5” to level this thing. That would add caster and reduce link angles.
This phase is actually kinda fun. It’s already banged up so now I just work on it instead of being afraid of nicking the paint off the parts.
Also I’m shopping coil springs. Need to drop the front 1”-1.5” to level this thing. That would add caster and reduce link angles.
This phase is actually kinda fun. It’s already banged up so now I just work on it instead of being afraid of nicking the paint off the parts.
WiscoF100
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #246
Steering chit chat continued
Took a break to roll some ideas around. Trying to plan this out where I can test concepts/work through the unpleasant steering but not back myself into a corner I can’t return from or continue to waste material/parts.
What I have settled on is tie rod under like OE. It’s a compromise that also yields benefits like not crashing into the panhard bracket.
Keeping the drag link in double shear and lowering it,
A) I don’t have to cut it up and extend it yet again
B) it brings the angles within .7* of each other. 1.7* improvement
Unfortunately it doesn’t leave much room between the tab and tie rod for a nut. I’ll weld a low profile insert for the time being. That new wing is set at a distance to allow me to stack the links again if I need to relocate the tie rod. It would require chopping off what’s left of the high steer arm so the drag link doesn’t bind. Also extending the drag link once again. That’s kinda last resort plan. It would also 100% require a new pitman arm to align the angles preventing bump steer.
Clearance is clearance
It may look like the travel is used up but it still has more travel than I’ve built this thing for left in it. New coils are on the way from skyjacker. Lowering the nose will benefit everything all around.
Ready to harvest the splines as a back up plan. I bought a sheet of 3/16” today to fab a new arm. I’ll weld that washer as a pilot for the holesaw. Cup saw for the snow Mexicans
Took a break to roll some ideas around. Trying to plan this out where I can test concepts/work through the unpleasant steering but not back myself into a corner I can’t return from or continue to waste material/parts.
What I have settled on is tie rod under like OE. It’s a compromise that also yields benefits like not crashing into the panhard bracket.
Keeping the drag link in double shear and lowering it,
A) I don’t have to cut it up and extend it yet again
B) it brings the angles within .7* of each other. 1.7* improvement
Unfortunately it doesn’t leave much room between the tab and tie rod for a nut. I’ll weld a low profile insert for the time being. That new wing is set at a distance to allow me to stack the links again if I need to relocate the tie rod. It would require chopping off what’s left of the high steer arm so the drag link doesn’t bind. Also extending the drag link once again. That’s kinda last resort plan. It would also 100% require a new pitman arm to align the angles preventing bump steer.
Clearance is clearance
It may look like the travel is used up but it still has more travel than I’ve built this thing for left in it. New coils are on the way from skyjacker. Lowering the nose will benefit everything all around.
Ready to harvest the splines as a back up plan. I bought a sheet of 3/16” today to fab a new arm. I’ll weld that washer as a pilot for the holesaw. Cup saw for the snow Mexicans
rattle_snake
****wits
Hard to tell without seeing in person how it all packages. I reworked my track bar mounts many times to get max uptravel with minimal angle. Everything ground/cut/turd polished to just fit. Diff, engine cross member, frame rails, bumps, straps. Hopefully your setup works, and you can test it out without completely committing.
WiscoF100
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #248
Here’s final welding full bump pictures from July.
This is it. 6+ uptravel. 5” lift over stock. Uncut frame rails. I’m fine with my angles. You just can’t package anything “upward” on the axle. There’d be no uptravel left. It was built at full bump, articulated, left, right. The tie rod crashes into the panhard left and right- that’s with the reverse Ackerman, moving the pivots forward and using 1” offset heims. You can tell by the spring bucket that a 23” coil will never compress that far. Gotta suck it up and focus on this truck being a safe daily driver not what’s trending in the crawler world.
If it were trail duty only, I wouldn’t have touched a thing. It’s fun on dirt
This is it. 6+ uptravel. 5” lift over stock. Uncut frame rails. I’m fine with my angles. You just can’t package anything “upward” on the axle. There’d be no uptravel left. It was built at full bump, articulated, left, right. The tie rod crashes into the panhard left and right- that’s with the reverse Ackerman, moving the pivots forward and using 1” offset heims. You can tell by the spring bucket that a 23” coil will never compress that far. Gotta suck it up and focus on this truck being a safe daily driver not what’s trending in the crawler world.
If it were trail duty only, I wouldn’t have touched a thing. It’s fun on dirt
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rattle_snake
****wits
Looks good. 5" of up is great. Is that before or after lowering with shorter springs? Do you need bump stops to prevent tire into fender?
Interesting to see how it all fits. different set of puzzles to solve.
Interesting to see how it all fits. different set of puzzles to solve.
Oh, last pics are old ones then, got it
WiscoF100
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #253
I’ll need to plan bumps eventually. Rear much easier than front. The reality is with these massive coils and radius arms it’ll never achieve the travel numbers it’s built with.
Shorter coils may finally get the tire into the front fender dogleg. Mall crawlin everything clears and I’ve only used 3” of shock uptravel so far indicated by zip ties while clipping along dirt roads.
Had to work last night. Posted when getting home. Now awake to get back after it.
WiscoF100
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #255
I wanted to post an update while I was in Canada for Christmas but the job was incomplete so I didn’t.
More successful-ish test drive tonight
This is where progress stopped before going up there a day earlier than planned.
Not my idea, credit goes to some dude on FTE. ‘96 F Series J hook arms that I’ll cut down. F those stupid ass bayonet wiper blades. Wish I would thought of this before buying 2 new bayonet style arms.
Ready for the test drive
Hard to tell but I used retired safety washer style high misalignment spacers from the race car. Eventually I’ll “triple” shear the tie rod for safety. I really hate the idea of the nut alone keeping the steering together. Don’t like single shear at all.
Found some new wheels to try lol
Ackerman was the trick. Wayyyyyyyyy more predictable off center and corner entry. 70+ feels safe now.
It’s still lacking caster. Return to center is the only thing missing now. Turns out I only have 2*. Gotta buy 7* wedge bushings which will net 5* caster.
More successful-ish test drive tonight
This is where progress stopped before going up there a day earlier than planned.
Not my idea, credit goes to some dude on FTE. ‘96 F Series J hook arms that I’ll cut down. F those stupid ass bayonet wiper blades. Wish I would thought of this before buying 2 new bayonet style arms.
Ready for the test drive
Hard to tell but I used retired safety washer style high misalignment spacers from the race car. Eventually I’ll “triple” shear the tie rod for safety. I really hate the idea of the nut alone keeping the steering together. Don’t like single shear at all.
Found some new wheels to try lol
Ackerman was the trick. Wayyyyyyyyy more predictable off center and corner entry. 70+ feels safe now.
It’s still lacking caster. Return to center is the only thing missing now. Turns out I only have 2*. Gotta buy 7* wedge bushings which will net 5* caster.
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Gravy
Red Skull
Nice build.
Working out the bugs and tuning, especially when it involves cutting up existing work, can be frustrating. Glad to see it explained and shown.
Working out the bugs and tuning, especially when it involves cutting up existing work, can be frustrating. Glad to see it explained and shown.
WiscoF100
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #257
Thank you
It has been frustrating and humbling. Building for street manners was an eye opener. It’s been fun though, experiencing the engineering and results in real time.
No pictures of the coil swap. It was a bust. Much lower than anticipated. What I’m thinking now is stepping down to 35s with those coils and removing the leaf spring blocks.
It has been frustrating and humbling. Building for street manners was an eye opener. It’s been fun though, experiencing the engineering and results in real time.
No pictures of the coil swap. It was a bust. Much lower than anticipated. What I’m thinking now is stepping down to 35s with those coils and removing the leaf spring blocks.
Opiebennett
XJ_Ranger
Lowering the ride height will change the castor too.
Levigarrett76
Glass Half Empty
How are you measuring your caster?I wanted to post an update while I was in Canada for Christmas but the job was incomplete so I didn’t.
More successful-ish test drive tonight
This is where progress stopped before going up there a day earlier than planned.
Not my idea, credit goes to some dude on FTE. ‘96 F Series J hook arms that I’ll cut down. F those stupid ass bayonet wiper blades. Wish I would thought of this before buying 2 new bayonet style arms.
Ready for the test drive
Hard to tell but I used retired safety washer style high misalignment spacers from the race car. Eventually I’ll “triple” shear the tie rod for safety. I really hate the idea of the nut alone keeping the steering together. Don’t like single shear at all.
Found some new wheels to try lol
Ackerman was the trick. Wayyyyyyyyy more predictable off center and corner entry. 70+ feels safe now.
It’s still lacking caster. Return to center is the only thing missing now. Turns out I only have 2*. Gotta buy 7* wedge bushings which will net 5* caster.
WiscoF100
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #264
This wiper arm mod went pretty easy
First I drilled the rivet with an 1/8” bit
With the rivet gone, I held the arm in the vise to peel open the folded sheet metal. Then simply slide the arm to slack the spring and remove. Real easy
Press the bend for the spring flat to slide arm away from sheet metal body
Messy mock-up to confirm 3.25” as per the info on FTE was correct. It comes out to 21.5”. Tape measure laid against the glass says it’ll work. I’ll confirm once the paint dries.
Little bend for the spring
I used these side cutters or whatever they’re called to open the pinch seam to lay the arm in place. Used a 6-32 stainless screw instead of a rivet. Made a pass with a tap since 1/8” is slightly undersized. Used the press to pinch the body back over the arm.
Had to rebuild my entire water system with pex. The water in our town kills copper.
Block heater trying to melt the snow off the truck for me
First I drilled the rivet with an 1/8” bit
With the rivet gone, I held the arm in the vise to peel open the folded sheet metal. Then simply slide the arm to slack the spring and remove. Real easy
Press the bend for the spring flat to slide arm away from sheet metal body
Messy mock-up to confirm 3.25” as per the info on FTE was correct. It comes out to 21.5”. Tape measure laid against the glass says it’ll work. I’ll confirm once the paint dries.
Little bend for the spring
I used these side cutters or whatever they’re called to open the pinch seam to lay the arm in place. Used a 6-32 stainless screw instead of a rivet. Made a pass with a tap since 1/8” is slightly undersized. Used the press to pinch the body back over the arm.
Had to rebuild my entire water system with pex. The water in our town kills copper.
Block heater trying to melt the snow off the truck for me
Levigarrett76
Glass Half Empty
Mint
WiscoF100
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #268
Lowered the rig today and drove it.
Caster is 4.6* without changing wedge bushings.
Caster was the missing piece. Still a little wander but immediately noticed the difference before the end of the block. So much nicer at speed.
35x12.50r17 tires arrive Wednesday
Caster is 4.6* without changing wedge bushings.
Caster was the missing piece. Still a little wander but immediately noticed the difference before the end of the block. So much nicer at speed.
35x12.50r17 tires arrive Wednesday
Levigarrett76
Glass Half Empty
What coil springs did you go with?
WiscoF100
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #270
Skyjacker 174VS 4” lift. Gave dentside_dave the sale.
Removed the rear blocks. Truck fits under the garage door now. Excited about that. Before, I had to run a 2” cargo strap under the front axle to suck it down and it still brushed the door gasket. Links are down to 4.8*
Truck rides a little nicer, too
-20* startup. Block heater plugged in of course
Removed the rear blocks. Truck fits under the garage door now. Excited about that. Before, I had to run a 2” cargo strap under the front axle to suck it down and it still brushed the door gasket. Links are down to 4.8*
Truck rides a little nicer, too
-20* startup. Block heater plugged in of course
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