[marshallnoise]

I finally got around to building and installing the rear bumper. It went great and it has lights too. Love that for backing up at night.

Here is the rear bumper fabbed up.
IMG_20201209_164719_01 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20201209_164719_02 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20201211_140930 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

And installed.
IMG_20201214_095749 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20201214_095757 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

While I was in the junkyard, looking for something, I came upon a center console out of a 1st Gen Navigator that was in the back seat area! I was blown away at the color match and how well it was suited to the truck.
IMG_20201204_173523 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20201204_173448 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

And just for giggles, I snapped some pics of the roof of the same Navigator. I have no idea what the hell happened to this SUV but it wasn't good.
IMG_20201201_115931 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20201201_115927 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

And my latest struggles have come due to me attempting to correct the steering geometry and the pivot arm geometry. I installed a drop bracket set up, new Energy Suspension pivot bushings and a drop pitman arm and now I am having a VERY strange problem (at least to me).

I know I need an alignment still, but I can't for the life of me figure out why it does this ONLY after I back up a foot or two.
IMG_20210115_170558 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

Here is a pic showing that the pivot bolt is exactly where it should be; right in line with the axle shaft. Notice the tires are straight up and down?
IMG_20210113_174923 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

I am going to post a newbie thread to see if someone can figure this out for me.

 

[El Kabong]

Hay Paul, glad to hear you're doing better. For a guy who's been "recuperating" you sure have gotten a lot done.

I like your A pillar solution. I added a handle over the passenger door years ago, but my altitude-challenged wife points out that the stock handle in the super duty works better. I may have to follow your routine. We've been talking about grab handles in this thread recently: Finally installed some grab handles in my 95 you might want to drop in there & show your solution

About that odd camber, search for "Bronco squat". It's not something that I've seen much on in awhile, but the phenomenon used to come up a lot. Always as a result of backing up, & thought by many to be normal for ttb front ends.

That's quite a hill you've got there. Glad gravity didn't grab the truck while you were at risk.

As for the Harvard Fright 12,000 lb winch, we've had one on the work trailer for years & it's performed well. After using that one with good success, I added the same one to my own trailer. In fact, that day at your house was its maiden voyage. I've used it since, & so far so good. I hope yours works out too. Your install sure looks good.

 

[canuckistan97]

I finally got around to building and installing the rear bumper. It went great and it has lights too. Love that for backing up at night.

Here is the rear bumper fabbed up.
IMG_20201209_164719_01 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20201209_164719_02 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20201211_140930 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

And installed.
IMG_20201214_095749 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20201214_095757 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

While I was in the junkyard, looking for something, I came upon a center console out of a 1st Gen Navigator that was in the back seat area! I was blown away at the color match and how well it was suited to the truck.
IMG_20201204_173523 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20201204_173448 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

And just for giggles, I snapped some pics of the roof of the same Navigator. I have no idea what the hell happened to this SUV but it wasn't good.
IMG_20201201_115931 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20201201_115927 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

And my latest struggles have come due to me attempting to correct the steering geometry and the pivot arm geometry. I installed a drop bracket set up, new Energy Suspension pivot bushings and a drop pitman arm and now I am having a VERY strange problem (at least to me).

I know I need an alignment still, but I can't for the life of me figure out why it does this ONLY after I back up a foot or two.
IMG_20210115_170558 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

Here is a pic showing that the pivot bolt is exactly where it should be; right in line with the axle shaft. Notice the tires are straight up and down?
IMG_20210113_174923 - Copy by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

I am going to post a newbie thread to see if someone can figure this out for me.

I heard stance like that is all the rage in certain parts of the country haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[marshallnoise]

Hay Paul, glad to hear you're doing better. For a guy who's been "recuperating" you sure have gotten a lot done.

I like your A pillar solution. I added a handle over the passenger door years ago, but my altitude-challenged wife points out that the stock handle in the super duty works better. I may have to follow your routine. We've been talking about grab handles in this thread recently: Finally installed some grab handles in my 95 you might want to drop in there & show your solution

About that odd camber, search for "Bronco squat". It's not something that I've seen much on in awhile, but the phenomenon used to come up a lot. Always as a result of backing up, & thought by many to be normal for ttb front ends.

That's quite a hill you've got there. Glad gravity didn't grab the truck while you were at risk.

As for the Harvard Fright 12,000 lb winch, we've had one on the work trailer for years & it's performed well. After using that one with good success, I added the same one to my own trailer. In fact, that day at your house was its maiden voyage. I've used it since, & so far so good. I hope yours works out too. Your install sure looks good.

I can't just sit still sir! Still being unemployed frees up some time.

I liked the solution too. I am considering doing it on the driver's side, but if I am going to be doing a diesel swap, I am going to want gauges so that is what gives me pause at the moment. As it is, I can just lift a cheek over the seat and slide on in without relying on the steering wheel (which is a no-no). I posted in that thread BTW. When I get some better more finished pics, I will post them here and there. More info the merrier!

I will be looking for Bronco squat right away. It might be due to the arms being where they are since lowering their pivot points.

And yes, I was damned lucky it didn't fall on me. One of my nine lives is used up. Used a few of those this year!

I wanted the synthetic rope and the price I got on the wench down to where I liked it. All of the online reviews really sold me on it. Its a heavy unit and everything that I can see is beefy. For as little as I will use it, I think it will be just fine.

Thank you for the kind words Ken. I think its Ken. Sorry Mr. Kabong!

I heard stance like that is all the rage in certain parts of the country haha

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Being in SoCal, it is common here. But this ain't a prerunner!

 

[marshallnoise]

Found a thread on oilburners regarding TTB and squat. I hate TTB axles

"Unless there is massive amounts of camber it is not a camber issue. It is a toe issue. Camber may determine where the tire will wear, but toe is what makes the tire wear prematurely. Toe also is what is making the front end lift up when backed up, and then squat when going forward, neither should happen. Toe in combination with unequal caster values will cause the vehicle to pull left or right, 0 toe 0 pull. TTB work best with 0 to a hair positive toe. Forget using a tape it does not go down to hairs. Specs say a little negative toe is even permissible. I would check bushings as they may let the axles move changing alignment when driving. Understand how toe controls all aspects of the TTB is the key to stopping TTB tire issues. My alignment tools consist of a digital angle meter and a flat bar with two studs for camber, and caster. A trackace for toe along with keeping an eye on tire wear."

I am going to look this over some more and give it a go. Steering Tech – Discussing TTB Steering and Alignment – The Ranger Station

 

[El Kabong]

I think its Ken.

Yep, I'm Ken. My whole life. Except when that one girlfriend thought Neth would be a good nickname. She was cute & as long as it was me that she was calling, I'd answer to whatever she called me. Looking back I'm glad that girlfriend & that name didn't stick.

 

[marshallnoise]

Yep, I'm Ken. My whole life. Except when that one girlfriend thought Neth would be a good nickname. She was cute & as long as it was me that she was calling, I'd answer to whatever she called me. Looking back I'm glad that girlfriend & that name didn't stick.

Hahahahaha great story!

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

 

[marshallnoise]

Well I went out there this morning to play around with the tie rods and did a decent job. I wanted to double check that the pivot arm bolts were in the position I wanted them (all the way up) as these brackets work for a 2" or 4" lift and use an eccentric to get it exactly where they need to be. Well, the passenger side arm did move down to the bottom and was causing some camber issues. I moved it back up and tightened it up again and its moved again. So that's obviously a problem. I am considering fabbing some plates to eliminate the eccentric bolts and just have two positions the pivot arms can go in (all the way at the top and all the way at the bottom. I just think it's dubious to expect one bolt to hold the weight of the vehicle, hit bumps and not go out of alignment.

 

[marshallnoise]

Snagged some pics of the practice trim for my grab handle install. The sun this time of year makes it really hard to take good pics.
IMG_20210116_142830 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20210116_142836 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

Here is the driver's side drop bracket with eccentric installed. This one stayed tight and is where I want it.
IMG_20210116_142126 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

The passenger one though moved all the way down. So I readjusted it this morning, drove it down the street and it moved again.
IMG_20210116_142228 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

The hardware on this kit was not very good if I am honest. So I am going to go out there tomorrow morning and use the factory bolt that I have left from my original install (came off the driver's side pivot bracket), jack the arm into the position I want it and use that bolt. The eccentrics are a nice idea, but if they are not hardened really well and the adjustment bracket is not hardened either, then its a moot point. I may go to the junkyard next week and get another driver's pivot arm bolt and nut combo to get rid of the other eccentric bolt that is holding just fine.

Here is a pic of the Superlift drop pitman arm I installed. I am happy with what it did.
IMG_20210116_142130 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

And now for some weirdness. I am going to be looking at this engine tomorrow.
4bt1 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

4bt3 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

4bt2 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

A guy is selling this 4.5L 4bt locally. Yes, 4.5L. Apparently Cummins sold this engine for gensets and as a bridge to the QSB line of 4 and 6 cylinder engines. This is basically a stroked 3.9L 4bt with electronically controlled fuel injection. The cool part is that this one is complete, including the ECU. The ECU will not work right now for an on road application but it might be able to be reprogrammed. Still, I want to swap it out for a standard P-pump or VE pump setup. I have the timing case already for a VE pump so if I need to swap cases, then the VE is the way to go. However, the case that is on there might work fine too. The guy said he was told that it needed a basic rebuild. I interpret that to be rings and bearings. If so, that's easy as pie. I will keep you all posted.

 

[marshallnoise]

On Sunday I got up and took a look at the passenger side pivot arm eccentric situation. Apparently the hardware that came with the brackets is just crap. No matter.
IMG_20210117_101158 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

You can see the scarring on the eccentric's limiter on the bracket. This metal is just not that tough.
IMG_20210117_101146 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

So I farted around with it enough to get the old bolt off as you saw and install the original bolt back in place. Much tougher pieces of metal.
IMG_20210117_103858 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

I will go to the junkyard and grab another set to eliminate the eccentric that is still left on the driver's pivot arm. I drove the truck around a bit and it did not move at all. Even when I came back from Chula Vista (50 miles south), the factory bolt did not move.

I checked out that 4.5L 4BT yesterday and decided to snag it. It is about 98% complete with just missing a few small items. I confirmed with the PO that he bought it just a couple months ago and effectively put himself in a pickle. He has a Plymouth Trail Duster (Ram Charger) that he was going to either diesel swap with this engine or put in a Dodge 400 in that truck. He put both up for sale on Craigslist and said he would just do whichever one didn't sell. I made that choice for him.

IMG_20210117_165459 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20210117_165515 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20210117_165506 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20210117_165525 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

I have no immediate plans for the engine other than getting it mounted on an engine stand so I can mothball it for a while. If reprogramming the engine for on road use is an option, I may give that a shot. Either way, I am going to have to do a once over on everything and see if it needs rings and bearings or something else.

 

[Doosenberry]

You say that it can't work on-road, so what exactly does that mean? I'm just trying to figure out in my head how something can't be programmed for on-road use, but is able to be used off-road. Or is it just going to be put on a test stand and brought out at bbq's so you can rev it on the stand sort of as an art piece? lol

 

[marshallnoise]

You say that it can't work on-road, so what exactly does that mean? I'm just trying to figure out in my head how something can't be programmed for on-road use, but is able to be used off-road. Or is it just going to be put on a test stand and brought out at bbq's so you can rev it on the stand sort of as an art piece? lol

LOL fair point. Let me explain what Cummins means by offroad (at least how I understand it). The opposite of offroad would be onroad application. So an onroad application has a different fuel governor setup where your foot determines how much fuel the engine gets just like you would driving a normal vehicle. An offroad application is when the fuel delivery is set up based on load. Like on a Bobcat or a Case tractor, you set the revs to get a desired power output and depending on what kind of load the vehicle experiences, it will either add or remove fuel to compensate based on the load applied to the engine.

If you use an offroad fuel delivery system on a vehicle designed to be driven like a normal car, then when you want to do 70 MPH and hold the throttle at that point, the engine will want to constantly provide more fuel. Its as if you had to drive the car with cruise control on all the time. Does that make some sort of sense?

The computer comes into play here because the computer determines the engine timing, therefore how the engine makes power. It is currently programmed for offroad use in a Genset. So the generator makes the best power at 1800 RPM and when a load is applied, it will add whatever amount of fuel is needed to hold 1800 RPM. A mechanical injection pump works the same way but instead uses a mechanical governor to hold the same RPM. It can't be changed. So an older 4BT that is in a generator can't be easily used in an onroad application for the same reasons. People would simply swap it to an onroad injection pump and be on their merry way.

Right now, the damned thing is a party piece in the back of the truck!

 

[Doosenberry]

I think I understand, I'll leave it at that. lol.

Sounds interesting and I guess it's more of an issue since it's computer controlled. If it was a carbed gas generator it wouldn't be a big deal at all, but computers and diesel seem to be a wee bit more complicated in that regard.



Also, I like your green tiedowns. I think I have the same ones.

 

[marshallnoise]

I think I understand, I'll leave it at that. lol.

Sounds interesting and I guess it's more of an issue since it's computer controlled. If it was a carbed gas generator it wouldn't be a big deal at all, but computers and diesel seem to be a wee bit more complicated in that regard.



Also, I like your green tiedowns. I think I have the same ones.

I think I got mine at Home Depot. Heck, I don't know. Came in a package of 4. They do work just fine! If a bit too long.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

 

[marshallnoise]

Managed to get it out of the truck and kind of mothballed for some rain we are expecting in SoCal this week or so. What is kind of curious is how new this plug looks in the back after I took off the flywheel and the bellhousing adapter. Hmmm.
IMG_20210120_155039 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

The engine stand I have for this heavy of an engine was picked up at a neighbors house. He was an engineer and liked working on vehicles of all varieties. I have never used it before and it required some modifications for me to use it properly. I will spare the details of that but will say that I had to cut the mounting ears down a bit so that I could get the longest bolt I could source to mate up in the block. No matter. Oh, and the internet is stupidly wrong on some of this info. The bolts required are M12-1.75 and I got the longest I could find at 100mm.
IMG_20210121_140740 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

IMG_20210121_140750 by Paul Abbott, on Flickr

And if it looks like the engine is tall, that's cause it is. This engine stand is REALLY tall. I am going to have to use a step ladder to unbolt some stuff from the head and safely remove them. But I won't have to stoop over when inspecting bearings or removing oil pans and stuff. Oh well...

 

[marshallnoise]

I have some upgrades to the front suspension to post. I will be back...

 

[Doosenberry]

 

[Doosenberry]

Cool beans, man! When you rev it, the exhaust kinda sounds like a 4-stroke dirt bike to me for some reason.

 

[marshallnoise]

Cool beans, man! When you rev it, the exhaust kinda sounds like a 4-stroke dirt bike to me for some reason.

I totally have the Dr. Evil laugh going on there. It just came out too!

And yeah, it barks for sure! That's what I think old thumpers sound like.

 

[El Kabong]

I guess it's a generational thing. This is what I heard 😁

Congrats Paul! Very cool!