LD50 Full-size axle thread `93 Ex

[ld50]

Doing little things here and there. I noticed today that the ends of the radius arms stick out too far to clear over knuckle steering, so that`s gotta come off.
Here`s how a coil seat looks anyway...

 

[ld50]

I have to make my own upper spring retainers. I got some with my coils but they are for an Early Bronco, and wont fit right.
Here it is resting on springs..

 

[ld50]

My engine crossmember work is progressing, I trimmed alot off, and then when it was even front to back I put a piece of cardboard over it and banged it with a rubber mallet. This made me a nice pattern to work with.
I marked my lines with a long level, when the Ex was sitting level.
I`m going to have flat plate along bottom with an angle toward pumpkin side..

 

[IZwack]

Looking good there You're on the home stretch

 

[Pollarican]

This is looking awesome, I read the whole thread and I'm craving more!

 

[ld50]

Here`s a bit more!
Been waiting and waiting for my adjustable trac-bar to show up, three weeks go by and Lordco can`t even verify if it was ordered -yeesh.
Managed to find some time to cut my first piece of crossmember re-inforcement, but I can`t tack it on because I finally had to return the welder I borrowed, my neighbor is moving so I ran out of time is all. So Now I gotta buy one of those things I guess, because I bought my wife a 1000 dollar 92 EB explorer the other day, with 200,000kms, it had a blown head gasket which I got fixed for another 1000 but it`s otherwise in pretty good shape other than some rusty rockers I will fix this summer. I rue the day I caved in and bought the first GMC/chevy I ever owned in my life, because that 95 Jimmy is a constant headache. Two heater cores in a year and a half I can`t do it myself so that was 600 bucks each time, new rad, rear -end problems, leaks I can`t find, rattles under all that panelling I can`t find, then today on the eve of selling the biatch, the alternator goes.. sigh.
Anyway, here`s the Wife`s new ride! something I can work on!

 

[ld50]

I found a guy in town selling some 35 inch thornbirds on 15x10 inch and 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern rockcrawler rims with 4 inch backspacing which I think I`ll buy. They are barely worn and are in good shape, he also has a spare on a rockcrawler rim, but It`s some kind of 35 inch mudder. Anyway 750 for it all! How fortuitous it is that I found them!

I found a reamer to prepare for my over the knuckle steering and I`ll show some of that process soon. pretty busy with work but hopefully I can do some next weekend.

Here`s a pic of the piece I cut for my crossmember and my upper coil spring retainers under construction. I know it`s not that exciting, it`s a little boring for me too, I just want all this little stuff done!

 

[wanderer351]

lookin good...but the THORNBIRDS will piss ya off..theyre WORTHLESS..your better with all terrain street tires...

 

[ld50]

Well they aren`t thornbirds after all, hehe. I`ll show `em off later...

 

[ld50]

I don`t know how the whole thornbird idea was formed in my head, I guess I was confused between these and what the guy said he was running.
Anyway, 750 bucks (cdn) for five tires. 4 goodyear Wranglers 35x 12.5 and one super gumbo mudder 35 for spare. All on rockcrawler rims.
I guess there is not many yanks who know how big a loonie is exactly, but that`s my reference coin for tread...

Is this okay then Wanderer?
:

-ps. I`m not a fan of running the white lettering out, but I`ll probably stick with it now..

 

[FROADER]

MTRs are great tires. Good price too!!

 

[Trckmagik]

^^ Awesome ^^ Great job so far.

 

[DistortedCloud]

Hey LD, heres a good article(if you haven't read it already) on mud terrain tires.

http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/29919_mud_terrain_off_road_tires/index.html

Good job with your rig, remember I want first dibs if you sell it, haha.

 

[wanderer351]

I don`t know how the whole thornbird idea was formed in my head, I guess I was confused between these and what the guy said he was running.
Anyway, 750 bucks (cdn) for five tires. 4 goodyear Wranglers 35x 12.5 and one super gumbo mudder 35 for spare. All on rockcrawler rims.
I guess there is not many yanks who know how big a loonie is exactly, but that`s my reference coin for tread...

Is this okay then Wanderer?
:

-ps. I`m not a fan of running the white lettering out, but I`ll probably stick with it now..

I APPROVE... ..those will make decend street tires...gotta go swamper for wheelin..or boggers...:

$750 cdn...so thats like $100 US??

 

[Kirby N.]

I like my MTRs for wheeling and street running. I was running a set of TSLs before I got my MTRs. I will never own a set of swampers again. Softest, worst balancing, loudest, worthless set of tires I ever spent $500 on. My MTRs are heavily sipped and they do every bit as good in the wheeling I do. Besides, my TSLs were worthless wheeling after I drove on them 6 months and they wore out. I have heard MTRs suck in mud, but I am not a fan of mud so it works out.

Those will look cool

 

[ld50]

Good article, As you could imagine I`ve been reading tire specs and looking at rims for months and months now!

I originally planned for TSL radials, and I know for every rave review there is always someone raving at how much crap they are. Anyway, I saved a bundle of cash, the 5 rims would have probably run me 500 to buy alone, with no sources in town. Hopefully when they wear out my finances will have rebounded to where I can choose whatever I want, yeeesh I still have thousands to spend to finish this.

Kirby, I don`t like mud much either, but I live in a rainforest..

~~

So I managed to squeeze out some time to finish my upper coil retainers, they are a little beefier than the old Bronco ones that didn`t fit, and they look like this:

 

[Burns]

Those look good.

I like my radial tsl...They are soft tho...My front end is a little out and i can tell...they wore out pretty quick with the front end out...but the other side is great.

 

[ld50]

wanderer that would be $650.25 American dollars for those tires and rims.
(our dollar got better as soon as the US went to war )


Now I am working on my steering for the over the knuckle system.

The reamer can either be a Snap-on "R121" reamer (thanks savage wolf)
or the one I bought;
Goodson TR-216-2 tapered reamer

-they both have same taper angle

I ordered an adjustable trac-bar what.... 5 weeks ago now, and buddy at lordco either totally bungled the sale, or is full of crap. He doesn`t know where it is, where he ordered it from, or even how to find out. He does know how to shrug his shoulders and smile alot though... So I`m thinking of nixing that plan, I might go to the local machine shop and see if they have any suggestions on making the stock bar adjustable, or I`ll run with the stock one as is, haven`t decided..

 

[Burns]

Have you decided what you are using for the steering joints?

 

[carsonm]

WOW great deal on the tires, it's comming together nicely...I hope to come by soon.

Carson