Got the removable windshield finished up and the 1" aluminum spacers on the rear axle. 63.5" WMS on the front and 62" WMS on the rear. It now matches the factory offset of 0.75"/side.
Begin the countdown to a wheel falling off.
On the 8th day god created the Super Swamper TSL and said "go forth and kick ass"
-Karl
2006 Chevy K3500 4X4 - No J.B. Weld on it yet!
1982 thru 94 F-Series "The Klogger" AKA Transport on the road, on the trail, or on the trailer!
1965 Chevelle
1975 Corvette
Brian Colman pioneered the removable fullsize windshield.
On the 8th day god created the Super Swamper TSL and said "go forth and kick ass"
I had to do some trans work. The np-435 has popped out of gear and the stick just moves around while the trans is stuck in a forward gear three separate times now. The first two times I pulled the top cover and just realigned the the shift forks and re-stabbed it. That obviously was not fixing the problem so when it popped out of gear again this week I took the cover off and completely apart. It seems the stick 'finger' that goes into the shift block is badly worn and kept popping out of the shift block allowing the shift rails to rotate. I shimmed the stick so that runs deeper in the trans. It seems to be working. If it happens again then I'm going to pull the stick and add some material/re-shape the 'finger' on the end of the stick. Time will tell with a transmission from '76.
I also fixed the band-aid steering I had previously. The tie rod and drag link where contacting each other so I was running a shorter pitman arm measuring 6" long. This fixed the interference problem but gave me a reduced steering radius.
I moved the box forward 1 1/4" with the M.O.R.E steering box bracket and put on a waggy pitman arm to have the throw of the pitman arm match the throw of the waggy d-44 knuckles I am running. Everything seems to clear just fine and the steering lock to lock is greatly improved.
I also added a Great Lakes Off-Road pinion guard to the 9".
I got some Chevy 52" springs at Awesome Auto for $40.
They are '83 C10 2wd springs. They are 4 leafs with an overload, 1 7/8" thick pack, with a capacity of 1950 lbs, each leaf is 9/32" thick with a 3/4" overload.
Do I run the overload or not?
Current pack is a 5 leaf CJ7 rear. 1 13/32" thick pack, with a capacity of 840 lbs, each leaf is also 9/32" thick, no overload.
My first impression is to take it out of the pack. But would it help to counter inversion if I left it in?
Okay maybe it is not an overload ( I always thought that's what it was called). It is a thick, short leaf that goes at the bottom of the spring pack, not on top. So it would be limiting inversion and S-ing of the leaf but I don't think would be playing into the ride or flex until the leaf compressed enough to contact this bottom 'overload' leaf. Am I making any sense at all?
Like this. . .
Factory dodge leaf packs are like that and it is an over load and not anything that prevents "s-ing" or wrap, thus the reason so many diesels run traction-bars. One trick a lot of dodge guys do to get more travel is to make up mini-packs to replace the overload leaf, lose it altogether, or simply cut some of each side.
A leaf like that will kinda reduce wrap or "s-ing" but a better bet would be to find another donor leaf pack with thin-medium thickness leafs and make a progressive short pack to replace the overload.
Or call deaver up and get them to custom make you one
Well I don't have an overload now and I have an anti-wrap bar that works great. I am thinking with the added capacity of these chevy springs versus the stock cj springs that the overload will not be needed and i'll just remove it. However, I do know that the longer the leaves the more the flex and the more prone to inversting/S-ing. The chevy 52"s are 8" longer than than the cj springs which is the reason I am a bit worried. I guess I will just have to play around with it.