Boss gets a “makeunder.”

[Boss Hugg]

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[Boss Hugg]

Ol’ Blue (?) gets a “makeunder.”

Just made the maiden voyage down the hwy. it floats. Not sure if I like it that way, or if it needs dual shocks on the front. You can feel the bumps as they work across the swaybar. But maybe that’s the caster and too much camber working the wheel in my hand. Only went three miles up the road and back so not a lot of time to cipher that. More to come later.

I think I’m gonna go with the cross member type onboard shock mount since mine cause issues. And then I’ve got a swaybar from a 93 dusky that should bolt right up after I build some links. With this big swaybar up front, it certainly needs one to balance it out in the rear.

And in other news, we went to the JY today to pick a few parts. Grabbed dad a steering box to build a 4x4x2. Looked around at several other things. Got home and realized my big 1/2 Milwaukee fuel impact didn’t make it home with us. Hopefully Monday morning the phone call will bring good news. But there were lots of shady looking folks there. But on the other hand, I might be shady looking to them.


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[Boss Hugg]

So I went out this evening to show off my beautiful sway bar to my dad. I raised the hood and the right front shock fell over against the tire. While I had not completely tightened the top bolts up because they need the sleeves I don't have installed in the bushings, I thought I had the nuts run up far enough they wouldn't come off, much less that the bolt would fall out. Yet, that's exactly what happened.

So after reinstalling the top end of the shock and tightening the bolts we went for another ride. The ride is ok on the hwy, but it still leaves something to be desired on rough road. BUT maybe there's still that little bit of play because of the missing bushing sleeves and it's having a BIG effect?

Anyway, I'm off to work in a few hours so we'll play with it more Thursday when I'm home.

 

[Rustytruck]

Well see if welding spring steel works for you. Another thing when welding like that make a baloney cut so the stress isnt in a straight ring. Interesting tying your sway bar struts to the end caps where my front shock is mounted. I like seeing your project evolve. Keep up the good work.

 

[Boss Hugg]

Well see if welding spring steel works for you. Another thing when welding like that make a baloney cut so the stress isnt in a straight ring.

Someone suggested superglue, but I thought better of it. At least a little heat gives it a better chance. ;D I figured on the end like that it would be lever stress (whatever the proper engineering term is) verses torsional stress so by sleeving it, I think it'll hold for some time. If it breaks, I'll work a little harder on the next one. The baloney cut would've been difficult because I was joining the pieces in a curve. That's LOTS (translated LOADS AND LOADS AND LOADS) of grinding....

Interesting tying your sway bar struts to the end caps where my front shock is mounted. I like seeing your project evolve. Keep up the good work.

Thanks. I didn't even weigh pros and cons of where to mount it. Just welded a tab like it'd be for a shock and rolled with it. Logically, now that you make me think about it, it will be in direct contact with the end of the spring, so... will it work better than if mounted to the axle housing? IDK, but it's mounted and works great. I can twist hard on the wheel at 35 and hear the front tire scrub more than I've ever heard before. It's got lots of control to it.

I also plan on adding a rear swaybar. I need to weld a stud for the link to attach to the axle. This bar won't need any adjusting/welding. Might need to extend the links that are on the bar tho. We'll see.

In other news, I did change my mind about going inboard with shocks. Since I'm going to an antiwrap bar, I don't have room for inboard. I didn't realize I had 1-1/4" lip that I could cut away and move the top of the rear shock mounts inward. So that's what I plan to do. Both front and rear shocks have about 3 more inches of travel than necessary, so it won't hurt to lower the top mount just a touch to get it under the bed and get some clearance to the tire when it's tucked up.

 

[Skiddy]

good progress, got my ram installed and made a big mess%) are you sure your ram will clear your diff cover at full droop? since I have a guard on mine had to move it out a little farther.

 

[Boss Hugg]

good progress, got my ram installed and made a big mess%) are you sure your ram will clear your diff cover at full droop? since I have a guard on mine had to move it out a little farther.

full droop doesn't affect it. It moves with the axle. It did scratch the cover but I made some adjustments. My PS pump stuff should be delivered tomorrow. So this weekend, i'm hoping to build a pump and rebuild rear shock mounts.

 

[Skiddy]

sounds good, goin to be cutting it close on time;D

 

[Yeller]

The sloppy bushings make a huge effect on the function of the shocks, fix that before you make any changes, you will be surprised. Glad you didn't do the in board shocks on the rear, I'd of had to drive to New Boston and slap you like you just cussed at your momma, friends don't let friends run in board shocks, they are a terrible idea, might as well not run any at all, it's faster, cheaper and drives about as well. Just looking out for ya

 

[Boss Hugg]

The sloppy bushings make a huge effect on the function of the shocks, fix that before you make any changes, you will be surprised.

I was thinking that it would be better. Which reminds me that I need to find some sleeves somewhere... The fact that the shocks can't respond immediately to the movement of the spring affects its overall response and feel.

Glad you didn't do the in board shocks on the rear, I'd of had to drive to New Boston and slap you like you just cussed at your momma, friends don't let friends run in board shocks, they are a terrible idea, might as well not run any at all, it's faster, cheaper and drives about as well. Just looking out for ya

Well, you certainly don't have to come all the way to NB, although you are welcome when you do...just not for that reason! Maybe dual inboard shocks??? LOL.

While I hate to have to cut these mounts off and start over, that's definitely the best way to go. Or I could swap to full widths and have lots of clearance.... I thought about trying spacers to get the tires away from the shocks, but the mounts are a cheaper AND SAFER fix for hwy use.

Thanks for your input on everything Yeller!

 

[Yeller]

Spacers would have gotten you the same answer...LOL;D

 

[Boss Hugg]

Ha!

I came home early today for an important meeting at the church tonight. Spent a few minute scavenging some sleeves from the old bent up shocks. Stuck them in the new shocks. Makes a HUGE difference. and a lot quieter too. Now I need to nail down the movement in the steering box because that's the only thing that could cause the slack in my steering wheel. Then build a new PS pump. then Rear shock mounts. Then a vaca to HS!

 

[Boss Hugg]

Little update. several months back, I had tightened the adjuster screw on my steering box a half round to try to take a little slack out. It didn't change a thing. So now, i'm driving down the road and thing doesn't really want to center up. I finally realize I'm feeling a hump at center. So I've got the screw too tight, and I need to undo that. No problem.

Also, I was telling my dad about that issue and he wanted to look it, so we went out and raised the hood and started cranking back and forth on the wheel. He pointed out that the frame side track bar bushing was loose. Apparently the nut never got tightened up. So maybe that will take my slack out of the steering.

Anyway, I've got lots of touch up work to do to be ready for OCBR. And the fact that I already had a 3" BL and now I've added 3.5 SL, and I've also got 37" trail tires... I'm a little worried about my height... poor planning? maybe!

 

[Skiddy]

He pointed out that the frame side track bar bushing was loose. Apparently the nut never got tightened up.

doh, after I put on my ram and move my track bar. took it down the road and had just a little of a float/wandering to it. parked it back in the shop. the whole week was trying to think what I could do to fix it. then it dawned on me. I forgot to tighten the track bar bolt at the frame:-[ I have the tools sitting next to the tires so I don't forget before I drive it again%)

 

[Boss Hugg]

LOL. Float is a good word. I told dad that it felt like the front end was moving around why driving the streets in town. Hmmm... go figure!

 

[Boss Hugg]

I cut the old rear upper shock mounts off and build some new ones. Here’s pics of the left mount before I welded it on and a few of the other side mixed in.

And hey Skiddy! Look at this weld! This don’t happen very often.

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[Boss Hugg]

And I now have a rear sway bar! 1995 f350 rear. I believe there were two diameter options so if this smaller bar isn’t enough, I might be able to find a bigger one.

For the link mount, there’s a piece of 3/4 bar spacing a sleeve out off the u bolt eliminator plate (perch). Welds are ugly because there was no good way to see up in and under them with a welding helmet on.

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[Skiddy]

looking good, tic toc tic toc;D
was wonder what happened to this one

 

[Boss Hugg]

I’m gonna say that all I need to do before loading up is pull the swaybars back off. Just test drive it. Feels nice. Got all the slack out of the steering. However, the small pulley that Dlish hooked me up with is squealing under acceleration. Not sure if I can change to a shorter belt to increase tension...it’s already a smaller belt than I WAS running. We’ll see.


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[Boss Hugg]

I figured out I had 5/16 ps pressure hose and I don’t think it’s following well enough. So I went to town and picked up some hoses really cheap sort of thru a new connection I made last week out at the dirt track. He was telling me about a sweet bronco in the parking lot. I grinned real big and he put it together. Funny moment. I digress. I Rerouted the return lines just a bit, increased pressure hose ID, added a little shim in the pressure regulator spring and now it works pretty dern good. However, I had a pressure gauge on a t on the pump and I believe the pressure is lower with the shims. Maybe it’s higher than it would’ve been with the 5/16 hose. At the moment I’m not inclined to pull the pump to remove the shins. So we’ll drive it this weekend like it is.

I CAN hear some whirring in the pump, but I don’t hear the pulley squealing anymore. Not sure how to explain all that.

I twisted it up in a road ditch last night and even with the swaybars, it got some pretty good flex.


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