Another Caster Question...

[DirtDonk]

A common part of that learning curve, is to NEVER powder coat anything until it's been all assembled, checked, mocked up, verified, inspected, injected, detected and rejected!
Then pull it all apart and THEN powder coat it.
Of course, very few have the option of mocking up an entire vehicle chassis before assembling it permanently. But it's a real thing and should at least be contemplated.
Too many times here, we've seen beautifully coated frames and axles need relocated shock mounts, different brackets welded, new this that or the other thing installed after the coating is done.
Very frustrating.

Speaking of coating, you said you had the radius arms coated. Including the threads? And then nuts run down on them? And they fit?
PC is usually so thick that you would never get a nut on the threads. And if you did, the coating in the mating surfaces can wear/tear off and leave the fasteners loose.
Are your arms equipped with castle nuts and cotter pins? Or locking nuts?

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

New or original driveshaft? Have you lubed the different grease points? Unless you have non-greasable u-joints, there should be at least five zerk fittings on a standard shaft. With at least one of them being a female type, on the centering ball in the CV yoke.

Plus, the u-joints do go bad over time. But the angles are a common source of trouble.
Can you post up a pic of the rear shaft/pinion angle like you did for the front? Might tell us something.

Paul

 

[jamesroney]

So yep, I'm gonna do another Bronco and will approach it very different.

Another Bronco??? Need details!

Also, can you please re-install your steps? They were so ugly that I couldn't look past them. Now I can't unsee the missing front marker lights.

Tee hee hee...

 

[Torkman66]

Speaking of coating, you said you had the radius arms coated. Including the threads?

Paul, no sir. The threads were all taped off.

All driveshafts, while original, were rebuilt completely. New seals, bearing, u-joints, etc. All greased. To me the pinon angle does not look bad but a carful measurement with digital angle finder found a 19* DS and a 14* pinon for a 5* pinon angle. Not terrible, but 4* shims would make it 1*.

 

[Torkman66]

@jamesroney I'll get those steps back on soon, right after I get the cow horns mounted to the grill...so much to do and so little time.

 

[serial car restorer]

While the "right" way is always the best way, it is not always the doable way.

Amen to that! I wish it wasn't so, but it frequently is. Sometimes I'm the one cleaning up after someone else's 'doable' fix, and sometimes I'm the one doing the 'doable' bit, whether I want to or not.

 

[nvrstuk]

Whooosh, whooosh??? Never heard a vibration that whooooshes! lol

So it's not a rubbing noise? Rubbing noises can be whooosh, whooosh...

Want to hear this one...

 

[DirtDonk]

All driveshafts, while original, were rebuilt completely. New seals, bearing, u-joints, etc. All greased. To me the pinon angle does not look bad but a carful measurement with digital angle finder found a 19* DS and a 14* pinon for a 5* pinon angle. Not terrible, but 4* shims would make it 1*.

Looks a little low to me from here.
Remember that the angle shims don’t change the pinion angle exactly the same. It’s because of the distance from the centerline and the distance not only vertically but horizontally I assume, the change of pinion is different than the degree rating of the shim.
Better ask the others how that works. My geometry – flu is weak today!
But that’s how we came up with 6° being the most common. Because after most spring lifts that was about the difference.

A strange sound can be two things. Something going on with the double cardan end of the driveshaft, or perhaps a wheel bearing. The sound you described can also be due to a tire, but that’s less common, especially with new tires.

 

[clarrance]

Lots of great advise from everyone about Caster and the drivability of these rigs. Before I cut and turned “C’s” or bought new radius arms I would install a new set of Energy Suspension 7degree C bushings. ( the best most accurate I’ve found) It has been my experience that not all C bushings are created equal. Some are completely stamped wrong, by wrong I mean completely stamped backwards. And some don’t have hardly any degrees built into them even though the say 7 degrees they were more like 2 degrees. I’ve used all the bushings from all the bronco vendors and installed many many sets and nothing even comes close to the quality of the Energy Suspension C bushings.

 

[ntsqd]

Something to keep in mind is that there is rarely a singular Best Way to do something. Most often there are several ways to get to the same result. Which to choose is personal preference. Although, IMHO, turning the C's is the only way to get the correct Caster. All of the other ways to get there have undesirable side effects that may or may not be important to any one particular use case.

That 'put it together, check some, take it back apart' dance sure gets old, but it is the only way to do a really good job.

 

[nvrstuk]

Revolutions is the key for vibrations and noises...

Tires are obvious, 1 rev.

DS's have 3-4 times the #of "noises" compared to a tire. Front or back? Remove DS's frt or rear? Lot's of ways to narrow things down....

 

[Torkman66]

So poking around underneath trying to see what might require attention. Grabbed ahold of the front driveshaft (which I completely rebuilt from yoke to yoke) and noticed there is a good 1/8" or more slop up and down at the slip joint. Assume not good. Went to rear driveshaft (also rebuilt from yoke to yoke), same thing...movement up and down to include a bit of a clunk sound right at the slip joint when you grab hold and shake it. So I called Toms Driveshaft who I have used before and they agreed that the drive shafts (original) are toast. Purchased a new one for the rear, front a bit later. I'm hopeful that once I get my rear pinon up to within a 1 or 2 degrees of the driveshaft and have a new tight driveshaft, a few of those noises will be gone.


REAR

FRONT

 

[Shimmy]

but isn't your front DS not spinning when you drive? unless you've locked your hubs and are driving in 4wd on the street?

 

[ntsqd]

There can be some drag that causes the front DS to spin slowly even with the hubs unlocked. Removing it to test is the only safe way to completely eliminate it.

 

[DirtDonk]

What length driveshaft did you go with?
You didn’t change it by any chance, did you?

Hopefully not, because you never order driveshaft until you get your pinion, angle squared away. Changing the pinion angle changes to the effective length of the driveshaft at ride height.
When everything is correct, the stock length driveshaft is usually good for up to 3 1/2 inches of lift.
So you’re probably OK if you went with that.
Hopefully…

 

[Torkman66]

Measured at 34”. Have not raised piñon. Ordered 4 degree shims. Hope that works?? Looking at it with a tape measure it looks like the very most it could change is 1/4”. Certain the new DS can absorb that. Hopefully

@Shimmy did not believe front DS is making noise because have not driven truck with it engaged. I will eventually replace it.

 

[nvrstuk]

Well, there's the whooshing noise!!

As that propeller is going around in circles it is generating the movement of so much air! lol

Glad you noticed that