Maniak's 4x4 Van Tow Rig...

[Tbars4]

...I found the info on your hubs and thought I would post it here for you...
http://www.pathfinder-vans.com/html/locking_hub_i_d____tech.html

Borg Warner Auto Hubs

Borg Warner Auto Locking Hub, found on all types of trucks and vans with Dana 44 or GM 10 bolt axle. If you have one of these and it’s not working. Try soaking the hub in a can of ATF (automatic tranny fluid) for a few days. The ATF will soften up and the hard grease and crud and cause it to fall off. Then set the hubs aside and let the drip out. Only apply grease to the splines on the clutch housing.

Manual hubs: Pathfinder Equipment Co., Dual-a-matic, Selectro.

External and internal hub style found on many Pathfinder vans. There have been a number of manufacturers of this type of hub, with minor changes in design depending who was building it. Easy to take apart and reassemble. There is one universal rule to obey when disassembling this hub. There is a group of three screws that attaches the cap to the body of the hub. There is also a set a three screws with tamper proof heads that hold the cam in place. If you take these out, make sure you line up the holes in the cap with those in the cam. If you don’t, you will shatter the cam when you tighten the screws and your hub will be no better than a paper weight for your desk. Cams are hard to find, so be careful.

 

[Maniak]

There have been a number of manufacturers of this type of hub, with minor changes in design depending who was building it.

Thats as much as I found too.. But I can't tell "which" manufacturer it is..

Gordon, at pathfinder-vans.com does sell hubs, but they are the more traditional ones..

Of course, I cant tell which would be stronger, the orig. or a new set of Warn premiums.

~Mark

 

[Tbars4]

...I say...:shifty_ey .. you test them out on Show's hill...

 

[cybergasm]

...I say...:shifty_ey .. you test them out on Show's hill...

I second that idea

 

[Maniak]

ummm... No.. But I do want to try twisting it up a little in the ditches..

Just not the really deep ones.. just around the edge.. If you thought Teds X turned like a boat, you should see the Van.. It turns like the titanic. Besides solid axle, they have limiter bolts to keep me from turning too far.. Not sure what those are called, but they are on the knuckle and hit the axle when I turn to full lock.

~Mark

 

[DB_1]

they have limiter bolts to keep me from turning too far.. Not sure what those are called, but they are on the knuckle and hit the axle when I turn to full lock.

Steering stops

 

[Tbars4]

...Mine should be much better now...:biggthump

...I had previously welded bolts on my arms as stops for full lock...This kept the pistons from being compressed by the shock bolts, aka bad brake fade...

 

[Maniak]

Steering stops

But why? I don't see a reason to have them in there. At least from my limited knowledge of steering geometry.

And Ted, you mean we can't laugh at you as your cursing when your trying to follow someone who can make those corners?

~Mark

 

[Tbars4]

...:shifty_ey Who was laughing at me...I want names...:

...Sorry, that is one thing that I've already made better...

 

[cybergasm]

...:shifty_ey Who was laughing at me...I want names...:

...Sorry, that is one thing that I've already made better...

:bsnicker: Not I

 

[DB_1]

But why? I don't see a reason to have them in there. At least from my limited knowledge of steering geometry.

They are most useful (if set properly) in trail riding situations to save your u-joints/shafts from snapping while in hard turns.
The more angle you allow in your steering the higher the risk of breakage.
A good indicator that you are allowing too much angle is if you see a mark on your u-joint caused by the ear of the axleshaft rubbing on it. You would want to adjust your stops accordingly.
Probably not going to be a big deal with the van...hopefully

 

[Maniak]

Did some work on the Van this weekend..

We got the 38 gallon tank installed. We used one from a '79 f-100/f-150. We had to make new straps, modify the front mount and fight the fill hose as the fill hose connection on the tank and on the van no longer lined up (about 7" difference).

new tank.. which is a lot bigger than the 22 gallon that was in there.

We also cut the exhaust off before the rear axle as the way the were run was going to be in the way.

Since I know I'm going to be changing the sending unit and I don't want to ever have to drop the tank (non oem fuel fill hoses are not very pliable) we put in an access panel.

I also got the new 40k gvwr trans cooler installed along with an external filter. you care barely see the external filter behind and to the left of the radiator.

I also got a few other little things done.. The radio now works with the key (before it wouldn't turn off). The radio can pick up stations now that I put in a new antenna. The speedometer now reads correctly (a friend had a 17 tooth gear lying around)..

Oh yea, I fixed the gas leak on the mid tank. The fill hose came off the tank which explains why it would dump gas out good thing I found that since the exhaust now lets out about 5" past the end of that tank.

The van is getting close.. Its almost ready for Truckhaven...

All in all it was a good wrenching weekend. I did manage to burn my left wrist when I managed to get my gmaw welder tip inside the glove. I also had a an incident with the grinder. I was grinding on one of the new (modified old) tank straps on the ground and the grinder wheel exploded. It hit my leg hard enough to move my foot.. Another piece bounced off the tire of the van and hit my friend on the ribs. I was wearing my safety shield but I may have to start wearing a cup.

I got lucky, it caught me on the muscle.. so unless I "touch" it.. it doesn't really bother me (its been 2 days now)..

~Mark

 

[Tbars4]

......that can be nasty..

...Are you going to make a skid plate for the tank???

 

[Turdle]

Yikes, looks like that hurt.

 

[Maniak]

Update...

5 days later and my leg is now all kinds of color and less skintone like.. But it doesn't hurt unless I bump it, or jump down off van..

Anyway.. I took the van into town to get the exhaust put back on. I cut them off before the rear axle. I was going to get an H pipe put in, keep my existing mufflers and run duals out.. After looking at what was really on the van we decided to keep the two 2.5" pipes off the manifolds and run them into a magnaflow muffler with two 2.5" in, and a single 3" out. The single 3" out runs to the back corner of the van, back where it was from the factory.. I've only driven a few miles with it, but its much better, no more drone and its not obnoxious like it was, which was going to be bad on the longer trips... The other reason we went with this new system is the old mufflers weren't actually mufflers.. They were empty boxes made to look like old flowmaster mufflers to pass visual inspection in Az.. no wonder it was so loud.

I'll post some pics of it later.

I also filled the van for the 1st time since putting in the big tank. I put in all the fuel I took out of the old tank and drove to town..

It appears we had around 8 gallons of fuel left in both tanks combined.. I'm sure glad gas prices dropped the last couple weeks..


~Mark

 

[Maniak]

I'm still getting the pics of the new exhaust, but I got sound clips.





~Mark

 

[Turdle]

Oh yeah that'll pull it.

 

[dkchrist]

Sweet!!!

 

[Maniak]

here are the pics..

1st.. My leg is healing.. and its changing colors..

Pic of the twin 2.5" exhaust pipes go from the motor to the new magnaflow muffler.

Single 3" exit pipe from the muffler...

They ran the pipe up and over the axle to put it where the factory pipe used to exit.

~Mark

 

[IZwack]

Looking great there Maniak!