Front suspension overhaul

[Brian Diehl]

Some pictures

[Brian Diehl]

more pictures

[Brian Diehl]

yet more again

[Brian Diehl]

and even more

[Brian Diehl]

last set of pictures

[Brian Diehl]

I must say, it would have been almost impossible with the tools I have to get the inside radius rods off without having had removed the air bags.  The rubber was literally adhered to the mounting stud and to the rods.  I was able to pry off the rods using a pry bar, but couldn't have done it with the air bags in the way.

[Brian Diehl]

... and just so the most observant of you don't have to warn me ... the lock over tabs are not down yet on the radius rod bolts because I still have to do the final torque down.  I have to buy a torque wrench yet to get me up to 150 - 165 ft/lbs of torque.  Once the final torque down is done I'll bend down the locking tabs.

[Dreamscape]

Looks good Brian!

I'll bet you will feel real glad when you're done and it all checks out.

Stay Warm,

Paul

[Airbag]

That's great stuff Brian it gives us do it yourselfers hope that such jobs are doable.

[JohnEd]

Brian,

Great pics and a really neat job.  I  WISH!!!!

Hey, I took a drive shaft into a drive line shop to have new u-joints installed.  I do that stuff myself but I was going thru 1 set a month and it was getting old.  Turned out it was the brand of u-joint I was using.  They were Korean when they were just getting started and their roller bearings were not "hardened".  The shop knew all about it and told me Spicer would solve my problems for years.  OK, go with the repair!  Guy came back out and said he might have bad news.  Took me to the shop and demonstrated that the "holes" in my drive shaft were worn to the point where the u-joint cup just barely wobbled in there.  He told me he would try a trick but wanted me to know what he was doing so the scorch marks didn't alarm me.  He heated one of the lobes on the drive shaft end up cherry red with a rather large torch.  After letting it slow cool he again tried to fit the u-joint cup back in the hole.  It was again a hard PUSH/DRIFT FIT.  Heating steel up cherry red and letting it slow cool will shrink the hole.  He did that to 3 out of 4 on my shaft and the couplings.  Magic and saved me the price of an entire drive line.  I noticed someone here said that if the hole was too big you had to replace the radius rod and I thought this old timer's trick might be use full some time to someone.  "Shrinking the hole" only works once....I was told.   OOOOOO!   Don't ya luv it when we talk dirty?

John

[Brian Diehl]

Hey, John, I wish I'd known about the procedure you described about 5 years ago.  I had to replace my drive line due to the exact issues you described.  That was a $900 "fix".  Then, I had to replace it again year before last since my ISM/Eaton was too long for the drive shaft.  Ugh!  Talk about unpleasant.  Oh well, it always seems like we learn of these tricks after we needed them!

[JohnEd]

Brian,

I not long ago used info that I overheard one night in the back of my 10 year old friends car.  It was a conversation he was having with his father.  50 years after the fact it was useful.  I think everything you learn is useful and I have found the darnedest uses for trivial tidbits all my life, not to mention all the tech classes and college and high school.  Sorry I didn't get there in time for you but you will use it again someday for yourself or another.

Your ISM/EATON re-power is the hottest setup I have ever heard of that seemed affordable.  Really, a master stroke and you earned it with your efforts.  Unbelievable that you could enjoy the added benefit of having your wife help.  What a trip!  My 5 foot tall MS degreed quintessential research librarian Wife shared with me last night that she pulled the 6 cylinder engine on a 49 Dodge shortly after she got married the first time.  When she got it all uncoupled, her husband came in with a hoist and set in a truck to go to the re-builder.  Weeks later she put it back in.  She weighed less that 100 pounds wet.   The things you learn about people.


Thanks,

John

[Brian Diehl]

Thanks John.  Yes, having my best friend involved makes the journey so much better!

Yes, I've really enjoyed the repower.  I know there are things that could have been done different, but it is running awesome and working great for me.

[NewbeeMC9]

WHAT!!?? you didn't chrome them while you had them out???


thanks for the great picks,  I am gonna have to tackle airbags one day so it was nice to see it in progress.

[Brian Diehl]

Yeah, I had considered having them powder coated!  Alas, I am too cheap.