Completed Project Kirby's Navajo Next Level

[Gambit606]

Look up Diff Wack Daddy, that will be all you need to know to get in more than enough trouble with fabricating and wheeling.

yeah I sent him a message last year some time but never heard back.


well that sucks kirby cause i already have those wild horses springs. i havent been able to flex it though. im still waiting on my rod ends and steel so i can make all of my links.

 

[james t]

I have the WH 5.5's also.

They dont suck THAT bad. : I will say they flex well and ride decent, everything Kirby said is true(ish) IMHO i consider the linear rate BC's a better choice but i wouldnt toss a set of WH's in the trash. If it were mine id go ahead and build it and run them... then later on when funds/time allow get a set of BC's and sell your WH's. Also keep in mind i am fullwidth which could skew results of personal opinion vs. normal width.

Coming from the EB world, i will say most of us prefer the BC's. Overall they are an awesome multi-use spring. The problem with running the WH's on an Explorer is the fact that a built X is a little bit heavier than a built EB and you dont get as much use out of the softer end of the coil as the bronco guys do.

WIth all that said [/longwindedness] im going with BC's one of these days.

 

[zainyD]

Kirby, great pics man! Looks like your wristed radius arm is really working hard on those trails and freeing up a lot of flex.

 

[Kirby N.]

I thought you all might like to see our new family wagon. The TJ was getting alot of miles and seemed smallish now that we have a kid. So we sold it and picked up something else for the wife (personally I think this is the best model to ever roll off the assembly line):

12" more wheelbase (103) 2" of back seat leg room and 13" more cargo room. It even came with a sub in the console. My personal favorite has to be either the lock button or the 4.1 low !

 

[BKennedy]

Nice rig, but the background reminds me of some real scary kids...........

 

[james t]

Nice rig, but the background reminds me of some real scary kids...........

LOL

"Outlander!!!! Outlander!!!!!! We have your woman!"



Nice rig BTW

 

[Kirby N.]

I expected a corn hole joke...

 

[BKennedy]

I expected a corn hole joke...

Well, this is a family forum..................

 

[Kirby N.]

So I spent yesterday looking at FS trucks in the local pick and pull. I am sick of using the GPS for a speedo. I looked at a butt load of trucks to see if there was something that would work. On an 83 f250, there was a speedo cable (all one piece) with a housing on the end that would be much shorter coming out of the tcase. I also found a 75 F250 with a divorced Tcase that would have a seriously long cable so that would work if the end is correct (it was hacked off). I am going to go to the auto parts place and see if I can figure something out. The ends on those cables will work I believe becuase they are the same as one on an 83 ranger with a 1350 that didn't have a vss or cruise. If there is no VSS, so I guess I would have to do with out. I really like 'the cruise on the way to Moab so that bums me out, but I really want the speedometer back. I hate using the GPS all the time. I wonder if the rear abs sensor on the rear axle could be adapted or something? I thought that was an VSS sensor.

I had someone on another board mention an extension used on mid 80s broncos. I couldn't find any extensions on mid 80s fords??? Was it an extension on the top near the speedo or on the bottom near the tcase? I looked at alot of them in hopes that it was an extension by the tcase that would allow me to have a smaller input into the case, but still use a VSS where they mate.

 

[RockRanger]

Get a speedo cable for an aerostar. They are like $15 new at napa. It is about 8" longer then the ranger one. Just bolt it in and be done. That is what I am using.

 

[Kirby N.]

Thanks matt. I wish it was that easy. I pulled a used one out of an aerostar and threw it in. The issue is not the cable, but the input as seen in this picture:

The sensor input is really the issue. It is just too long with my gas tank location. The cable has enough flexibility that it wouldn't be an issue if the iput was shorter. I need something with a VSS higher up or something. More research is needed at the yard next trip I think. The cables I mentioned don't have a VSS and so the input is shorter.

 

[Kirby N.]

A few updates on my truck:

1- I think I found a workable solution for the speedo. It is a 90" cable off a 1980 f250. There was a few listed. I believe this one was for the truck with the divorced tcase. Brand new it was 26 bucks or something. I felt pretty frustrated looking for one because I couldn't find an input with out a VSS. Then I realized there is no input and the cable just has the same end as the end of the VSS.

I have yet to put it in, but there will be some trimming in order. The boss just below the speedo input needs a little trim. It is rubbing on my gas tank and I fear that there will be a hole one of these days. I don't think it serves any purpose. Anyway, you can see it in the pic.

2- My driveshaft broke again! The goofy late model xploder double cardian joint broke. I am sick of repairing it and I set up my rear end for a non cv shaft. I think maybe a good ol regular driveshaft will hold up to my abuse better. Maybe it will fit my decel noise too, since the pinion angle is not setup for CV. I got a 4 door shaft out the yard and I will have it shortened when I get some cash.

3- My bumper is getting some tubing. I need something out around the headlights. They are asking to get crunched with out protection. I have a purdy new JD32 bender in my garage on loan from a buddy. He is getting a tube notcher soon too, so hope I can add some tubing asap.

4- Finally, I need to mount up my spare on the bumper. I have been kicking around the carrier design for years. It is time to quit analyzing and just build something. I need a spare.

5- Got to mount up the new 37s. I have 2 new 37" MTRs and 2 used 60-80% tread. I have been trying to get 2 more new ones, but with them being discontinued they have been really hard to find. If you see some let me know! :

All this before EJS 2010! We will see!

 

[Kirby N.]

Here is what I am thinking on my bumper. What do you think?

 

[rookieshooter]

Are the two ends going to tie back into something. It looks like they just stick out and could be a potential problem and strength issue. But does look good.

I bet you've got a rear locker?

Those are pics are just too cool. I need to get back out West one more time, even if I have to leave the B2 home and ride shotgun with U-guys.

 

[kert0307]

That's similar to what I'm going to do to my B2, but I'm going to have the side tubes follow up and around the wheel well and connect to the sliders.

 

[BKennedy]

How about like this?

 

[james t]

^ That looks really good.

Its pretty easy to run a tie-in from the corner of the bumper to the frame. Its mostly a straight shot and there is an open spot on the frame on both sides. I would plan on doing it as the corners take a beating.

 

[Kirby N.]

Are the two ends going to tie back into something. It looks like they just stick out and could be a potential problem and strength issue. But does look good.

I bet you've got a rear locker?

Those are pics are just too cool. I need to get back out West one more time, even if I have to leave the B2 home and ride shotgun with U-guys.

Yep. I have a misbehaved annoying Detroit EZ locker in the rear. When I get some money it will become an airlocker. If Yukon would come out wiht a ziplocker for it I would buy one.

I hear what you boys are saying about tying in the ends. They will be relatively short compared to the rear, but that is a really good idea. My rear has definately benefited from the tie ins.

Thanks for the input. I think I will start with the 3 bars first and see what it looks like. This was my first bumper on the front, and then my second. On the second there was just too much tubing. My brother called it the bat mobile. I don't want to get there. So maybe I will start with mine and work toward bkennedys drawing if it is not enough. I do think the center tube is too big on my drawing maybe???

 

[Kirby N.]

I thought I would update this as EJS is less than a month away and I made it my deadline.

- The bumper has nothing done to it. We built a bronco rear bumper and nothing else. I have not made my spare tire carrier for the rear either. I think this will get shelved until after EJS.

- Speedo is not installed, nor is the boss shaved. This has to happen in the next few weeks. Also, the dubbler is spitting out the overflow. I need to figure out if it was just overfilled or if there is something else going on before I subject it to highway for 9 hours there and back.

-Driveshaft is in. Sexy too! I setup my rear end for a non CV shaft when I built it. I did this because I thought CVs worked with any angle and I thought I might need to go to a non CV (the CV one I ran out of a late model was ~$200 to fix when I broke something in the CV). So I finally figured out what the aweful high speed decel noise was. I thought it was the rear end,s o I replaced it. I thought it was the tcase, so I replaced it. I even replaced the tranny. All of these were done for other reasons too, but I never quite figured out what it was. It was a CV shaft running with the pinion not pointed directly at the tcase! New driveshaft and she sounds like a kitten... with an exhaust leak.

-I have been doing some trading and I finally have a full set of brand new discontinued 37x 12.50x15 MTRs. My favorite tire ever. They were mounted up today and work great. The truck actually drives much better. I think the chunks etc. on the others made them not balance out so well! It looks mean with some tread again.

More updates in the next few weeks. This is like the only time of year I wrench on the thing... right before wheeling. I will post some pics of the bronco bumper too.

 

[RockRanger]

BrayD username or something like that over on pirates delt with the overflow problem on the doubler. I forget what all he did. I think he used a catch can.