| Author | Message | ||
     Thumper74 |
When I was way skinnier, I used to mountain bike and be pretty active at it. Part of our rides would involve leaving the trails with bags of trash. The state parks and such do NOT have to let us use it for mountain bikes, off-roading, etc. why not make sure you leave it cleaner than when you left it? | ||
| Ratbuell |
Personally, I can't wrap my brain around the idea of leaving crap behind in nature. Maybe it's because I grew up camping with the "pack it in, pack it out" mentality...or maybe it's because I have MANNERS...but I just can't see simply dropping trash and moving on - whether it be on Main Street or back in the woods. Just because nobody sees YOU drop it, doesn't mean IT won't still be an eyesore. I guess I'm just old... | ||
| Aesquire |
Manners. Not just old. Two different groups have a rally in a park on two different weekends. One leaves a mess of literally monumental proportions, the other leaves it cleaner than when they arrived. ( no need to name names, you can guess ) The people I like to camp and mountain bike with... "Leave only footprints, take only memories". | ||
| Thumper74 |
"And pictures" | ||
| Torquehd |
Does that mean you use wag bags? on a more serious note... Do any of you Jeep guys have any personal experience with compound shackles (revolver, terraflex, etc)? I've heard there are problems with them unloading rapidly when you don't want them to. I'm looking for 3 more inches on the rear of my Duramax, and am considering several options - adding leafs to the springpack, shackleflip, or building a seriously HD compound shackle kit. | ||
| Etennuly |
I frequently do these kind of suspension lifting things in my business and as a hobby. The problem is shackles only lift about half their extra length or so, unless you were to move the front mounts down also. A three inch longer shackle might net a one and a half inch lift. I have seen the double jointed variety on trails during extreme flex "flip the other way", meaning that the vehicle owner had to carry a long pry bar to get them back into position. I use longer shackles for lifts that use a higher arch in the springs. That is so that they have the extra length of movement in their arc that won't limit the spring's movement. With flatter springs they just don't do much and can become a weak spot in keeping things in alignment. A curved helper spring leaf will be an easy lift but probably will stiffen the ride a bit. Have you considered lift blocks and longer U bolts if it is an axle under spring set up? If it is axle over spring, maybe move it under. If that makes it too high you can lower the rear shackles to bring it back. | ||
| Torquehd |
Wouldn't a set of limiting straps on the shackles keep them from flipping? Mine is an axle under design and has 4" lift blocks. I had some longer full-round U bolts made, and I made some new plates out of 1/2" steel so I can do a U bolt flip. I mentioned doing the Ubolt flip and relocating the lower shock mounts in the Duramax forum, and that drew a bunch of criticism - "why would you want more ground clearance? just drive around obstacles" kind of comments. Look at all of the anchors hanging down below the axle. I need to rectify this:  My shackles are reverse of what you usually see, meaning the shackle mounting point is lower than the leaf spring eyelet. That's why I'm thinking about making my own shackle flip mounts. I need to get my little diesel 6k generator running. Operating my welder on grid electricity makes my bill skyrocket. | ||
| Etennuly |
I have done what you are talking about. I cut the rear shackle mounts off from the frame in order to flip them. It puts them above the spring eye. Some I have done needed to be swapped to the other side to keep a frontal bracket clearance. Nothing wrong with that IMHO. Shock mounts can be put anywhere that the shock does not top out, bottom out, rub, or cause binding in their travel. The inverted U bolts will make the axle much cleaner for sliding over obstacles and such. You could simply use the existing bottom plates on top. When you do that the long U bolts will stretch easily and will need to be re-torqued a few times with use, more frequently with hard diesel torque/traction use. A lot of forum guys are "in the box" thinkers and many are engineer types who work within limiting parameters for many reasons(a lot of them good). I found most of what engineers are trying to do is make a user friendly set up where they know the owner will just get in it and drive, and bring a law suit if something can come loose or might fail in some way. When you go outside that box you must firstly make things safe and then be aware and maintain the modifications frequently to avoid failure. Is your welder a 110 unit? Must be if you see a jump in electric usage. | ||
| Etennuly |
Ya know, looking at what you have with that lift already in there I would consider getting springs with more arch to achieve the lift you are looking for. With your blocks already in place it would be the safest most secure way of obtaining another three inches. | ||
| Torquehd |
The welder is actually a miller 211 which can run 110 or 220. Which reminds me, I need to run a 220v circuit out to the barn where the welder is. New springs would be ideal (well, Coilovers with a 4-link and a trussed up 5-ton axle would be ideal), but my finances suck. So my options (for just about everything i want) are fab it myself, or not have it at all. | ||
| Torquehd |
Speaking of tools that I haven't been using to their potential... that plasma cutter that's been gathering dust needs 3 phase 220.... and I live in a mobile home that only has 2 phases/lines in the panel box... I need to do some hunting and try to figure out if there's a third service line somewhere I can put to use... It would be SO handy to be able to use the plasma cutter. | ||
| Torquehd |
 I won't be able to flip these shackle hangers, regardless of swapping sides. I'll have to fab new ones. I was thinking about what you were saying about 110 vs 220 welding in regards to electricity consumption. 110V x 16 or 18 amps is ~1.9 KW. I believe you're still pulling the same amperage when you weld with 220, which would double the wattage to ~3.9KW. (i know I'm exceeding 15 amps because I can't run the welder for a full minute without tripping the 20A circuit it's on) My power company works on several tiers, tier 2 starts north of 6KWH, at 11¢/KWH. Any time I use the welder on 110V (plus normal household utilities), I believe i'm breaking this threshold, so I'd definitely be breaking this threshold welding 220... Unless my math sucks even worse than I think it does. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
New axles installed on my Jeep and hope to sell my old axles.... Anybody got a guess what these two are worth? Dana 30 has 4.56 gears w/Aussie Locker, ARB cover and outer axle seals Dana 35 has 4.56 gears w/Eaton Trutrac and ARB cover | ||
| Etennuly |
Hey Torq, I have flipped those. You can R&I the bed in about three hours. Cut the rivet heads off with a chisel then drive them through with a punch. Flip the still attached brackets over, as in swing it over to make the shackle go above the spring eye. Jack the truck up until the top of the inverted bracket is at or near the top edge of the frame. At this point you should see the what was the bottom rivet hole is still lined up with the opposing bottom hole(front to back hole swap).Drill the necessary upper holes and bolt it back to the frame, you may need to space it out with washers, or tapered shim washers, a bit if it is formed at an angle. Proper size holes, grade 8 bolts, washers, locking nuts and torque them down. I trim the bottom edge off with a plasma cutter or cut off wheel. Walla! You now have the extended shackles you looked for without buying them or even removing a shackle bolt from them. | ||
| Torquehd |
That's amazing... I didn't think that would work. You have to remove the bed? | ||
| Etennuly |
Yeah, removing the bed makes it about 100% easier. If you have a couple people to help lift it off, or a cherry picker, it is not a big deal. Gas pocket will have a few screws and a ground wire. Unplug tail light wires. Six or eight bolts, remove spare tire, and you may have to drop the rear bumper. It is easier if you set it on low jack stands and take the rear tires off, that way you won't have to lift the bed too high. Before you take the bed off have some tires stacked high enough so that it does not sit on it's edges on the ground. This can bend the quarter panels. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I must give East Coast Gear Supply a big  I got a call today from the shop doing the work on my Jeep, stating the E brake on 8.8 wasn't compatible with the Jeeps E brake. I got on line and hit a couple of forums and figured out it wouldn't be that hard to come up with something in my garage. I called the shop and told them not to worry about it. (this all happened while I was at work) When I got home from work I messed around a little... took the dogs out... listened to how the wifes day was and so on. Then, just for fun... I decided to check East Coast Gear Supply. Wouldn't you know it they had E brake cable that went from the Jeep to the 8.8 already made up and ready to go. SO!! I ordered the cables, rotors, pads, hardware kit and hit send at about 4:45 with next day shipping expecting it wouldn't go out til Thursday and deliver Friday. About 5:15 I checked my email and there was a email from ECGS with a FedEx tracking number. Then I checked FedEx's website and my order had already been picked up! They must live on speed and make a game of pulling orders fast just to see if they can get it out the door at the last minute. I am AMAZED to say the least. | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
Wolfridgerider It's probably because they enjoying their work and want to have happy customers! You can count company's and businesses that take some effort for the customer on one hand these day's | ||
| Aesquire |
The day has come.... I snapped. Just bought a 2000 Cadillac Escalade. In desperate need of a laundry list of repairs, ranging from U-joints to trim, and assorted electrical & hinge/lock buggers.... As found.... totally shot drivers seat, 3 different tire sizes, mismatched front & rear plates, ( not even a matching pair of license plate screws ) various death knell vibratory modes and a firm, but steady, desire to turn into the ditch. Pretty sure this was a large person's car except the last couple of years while the clueless Son drove it through fields, or to school, hard to tell. OTOH. Steady is good, 80k miles and the 5.7 L, Gen 1+ L-31 truck engine seems to run like a top. It's exactly the same as a 1996-2000 GMC Denali, except for badges, seats & dash lighting. In the shop now to be checked for levels of imminent doom, and have fluids changed. We'll see what happens. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
pics or it didn't happen...  | ||
| Aesquire |
New old truck at shop so be a few days unless I post the Craigslist pics. Really an episode of Roadkill mixed with bad reality show. ( if that's not redundant for you ) Enthusiastic kid. Takes three days to arrange a look. Tells me other people are coming to look at the Escalade and he anticipates a bidding war.  I look at the messed up parts, door damage from prying, most locks buggered up, hinges need replacement on drivers door and tailgate. Engine runs nice though. Exhaust is a touch rich but not oily. No fluids leaking. Heater works. Right hand valve cover has a few years of dust bonded on, left the dust is oiled on. ( side with filler.... years of uncleaned capillary oil seepage. ) Put in gear, u-joint clunk. Loud. Rear. General conclusion. Mom's grocery getter. Son with zero mechanical skills has run into ground and accumulation of little things exceeds pocketbook and desire to learn how to fix himself. ( did not ask such directly. Could tell from car guy comments and knowledge holes. Kid loves Camaros admits unable to restore one. ) | ||
| Aesquire |
https://rochester.craigslist.org/cto/5417116332.ht ml I anticipate about $3k in drive line and tires, and probably another grand in assorted junkyard parts to fix doors & lights, plus a pro seat job, or it's back on the sales floor.... runs quite nice though. a pair of balding chinese ? 265/70-16 in back, a Goodyear 255/70-16 on drivers front, and a Fearstone 245/70-16 passenger side on spare rim. Although 4 wheel drive engages, decide not to test on road for obvious reasons. Drive home at night with "owners" plates ( nice of him ) and experience nice variety of buzzes and howls and bowel loosening vibes at certain speeds. Daytime running lights work, and are bright. turn signals and brake lights work, headlights & fogs do not. assorted take me apart and fix the ground electrical issues. I'm going to be great buddies with the bone yard and intimately familiar with GM dash area soon.... I doubt they've improved from the 80's to the end of the century. Since the intended purpose is hauling camping gear, lumber for home improvement, and Ikea bookshelf runs, hopefully the safety & mechanical stuff will be sortable. I'm getting new knees installed this year, and my beloved VW Sportwagen TDI just lacks the room to drive with a cast on the right leg. ( aha! the real reasoning revealed! ) A van, my first choice, is also problematic in that area. Also the philosophical aspect, that I would buy a Cadillac SUV, proves that Global Warming is going to be All My Fault. And I don't care. This is, for me, the car equiv. of buying a Goldwing. Not a chance. Here it is. So much for promises to self not to buy stupid things. I don't anticipate ever mud bogging, although I am tempted by the rear disk brake conversion for a grand... and don't plan to challenge any of the Jeep guys to a rock crawl, it might be a workable truck to haul the coolers to the scene of the party. Don't worry, I already know I'm a sucker. This is a Project Truck and the term "patina" would apply if I had an ego. I don't, it's a whale. I'm laughing now, skinned knuckles and cursing to follow... which is why I'm laughing. The amount I do myself in the driveway is currently a variable. Brakes, for example, I can get the Power Stop kit cheaper than OEM locally, and why not? Anyone have experience with the drum to disk conversion kits? | ||
| 86129squids |
Ummm- a frickin' 2000 "Cadillac" has rear DRUM brakes?!?!  I've always been fascinated with marketing. | ||
| Aesquire |
The 1996-2000 Escalade is just a GMC Denali with a few shiny bits & leather seats. They didn't get fancy until the second gen in 2002. The current versions are very nice road cruisers but at $75K and lots of up I'll pass, thanks. Drums. Had them on all my vans and never liked them. cheap thy name is light trucks. | ||
| Etennuly |
Unless you are going to be hotrodding it you will likely not see any difference with disc rears. You sound so happy with your choice.  . My current ride is a 99 Tahoe 2dr 4x4 with that Vortec 350. It will be a good idea to change the intake gaskets and antifreeze. Common problem gaskets dissolve where antifreeze flows through them. Eventually it lets water into the oil. 15-16 mpg. Comfy quiet ride. Those tires could be the cause of. vibes and noises with awd and rear posi. | ||
| Torquehd |
a pair of balding chinese ? 265/70-16 in back Once upon a time in Asia, I saw a crane with tires made by a Chinese company called "Double Happiness Tires". You might be interested in one of these: http://www.rockymountainsusp.com/lift-kits/suspens ion/cadillac-escalade.html Edit: I'm a bonafide GM loyalist, but I have to say - I've owned two recent-model Chevy's, and both had electrical issues in the cab. They must be outsourcing some "double happiness" connectors or something. (Message edited by torquehd on February 05, 2016) | ||
| Aesquire |
Buyers remorse? Sure! The full weight hasn't even kicked in. Wait until the bank account is lower and I'm fixing the door issues! But I figured that going in. The good part is mostly I shouldn't have to buy triple cost Caddy parts just double priced Chevy. Btw. The "bidding war" people arrived after cash was exchanged and paper work done. Young lady and boyfriend. Previous owner took one look apologized and ran. Folk drove an hour to see car. I told them to hop out and take a look. I'd be glad to talk. Perfectly willing to take the money and hand them the key. Sullen looks and muttering. Stood there with my buddy and moderately loudly announced my willingness to let them look and not make a profit. After five minutes they hadn't climbed out of the car and said a word to me so I climbed in and drove off. We were the only people left in parking lot. Yesterday I got insurance & plates and dropped off truck with local shop for inspection & estimates. Did the courtesy of dropping illegal plates at apartment door. I'll call later to offer to return the cd's in the changer. I'm not upset with the seller. I had my eyes open and knew I might be wasting the money, and I even have a worthy person to give the project to, or donate to charity. | ||
| Damnut |
A guy in my local jeep forum made a bunch of these bottle openers. Going to pick up a few today. $10 each or 3 for 25. Anyone interested?  | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Pretty cool looking bottle openers.... but I have no need. If only you needed a bottle opener for a mason jar My axles have sold! I am glad I don't have to bring them back home!  | ||
| Etennuly |
Nice shirt! I always liked the Rat Fink stuff. Oh, nice jar too! |
