Completed Project My 98 super charged EX

[4pointslow]

Tire

Here is my bad tire.

 

[ahodges]

On the street that thing could go for a lot longer. I've seen way worse than that.

 

[4pointslow]

Tire

On the street that thing could go for a lot longer. I've seen way worse than that.

LOL, not at the speeds I drive.

 

[ahodges]

I don't blame you there!

 

[4pointslow]

Vibration

I have a driveline vibration at 83-93. Didn't notice it before but I was not looking for one either and never really go past 80 on the highway.
I am getting ready for a race on the 20th of September so I have been paying more attention to the truck.

I have tried a 2 degree shim in both directions, cant say that I felt much difference. I even un-lowered the truck and that didn't help so I dropped it again. I finally removed the driveshaft and checked the angles and flipped the shim around to point the rear up since my transfercase is pointing down a little. They are both at 86 degrees so I am leaving them that way.

Still have a vibration(it is slight but I notice it). I swapped out the rear driveshaft and no change. I may have the original one balanced, along with the front one. Lowering the front should have no effect on the front driveshaft since the transfercase and front rear stay in the same place. The vibration is definitely a driveline vibration, no other vibration would be that fast. Keep in mind that with 4.88 gears I am spinning the shafts faster than usual too.

I replaced two tires today, the one that was cracked and the other side as well. I had to laugh when I read the DOT numbers. One tire was a 2000(cracked tire), and the other a 2001. 14-15 years is a long time for a tire to be around. I got these from a junkyard, they were the spares under some other Explorers.
The other two tire I bought from the Goodyear, they are 2007 tires according to the DOT numbers. The new ones I just installed are 2014.

Anyway, I measured the crack with a thread depth gauge for ***** and giggles, it was 10/32's deep and there was not much more tire holding it together. I am really happy I decided to replace them before the race.

 

[4pointslow]

pictures

Pics from this weekend
Forgot to mention I put the one block that I removed back under the spring to help keep the shock from bottoming out.
It may not have but I wanted to make sure there was enough travel in the shocks.

 

[CDW6212R]

I have a driveline vibration at 83-93. Didn't notice it before but I was not looking for one either and never really go past 80 on the highway.
I am getting ready for a race on the 20th of September so I have been paying more attention to the truck.

I have tried a 2 degree shim in both directions, cant say that I felt much difference. I even un-lowered the truck and that didn't help so I dropped it again. I finally removed the driveshaft and checked the angles and flipped the shim around to point the rear up since my transfercase is pointing down a little. They are both at 86 degrees so I am leaving them that way.

Still have a vibration(it is slight but I notice it). I swapped out the rear driveshaft and no change. I may have the original one balanced, along with the front one. Lowering the front should have no effect on the front driveshaft since the transfercase and front rear stay in the same place. The vibration is definitely a driveline vibration, no other vibration would be that fast. Keep in mind that with 4.88 gears I am spinning the shafts faster than usual too.

I replaced two tires today, the one that was cracked and the other side as well. I had to laugh when I read the DOT numbers. One tire was a 2000(cracked tire), and the other a 2001. 14-15 years is a long time for a tire to be around. I got these from a junkyard, they were the spares under some other Explorers.
The other two tire I bought from the Goodyear, they are 2007 tires according to the DOT numbers. The new ones I just installed are 2014.

Anyway, I measured the crack with a thread depth gauge for ***** and giggles, it was 10/32's deep and there was not much more tire holding it together. I am really happy I decided to replace them before the race.

For any drive shafts the important angles are those of the two end shafts(driving and driven). How those two shafts compare is the most important, not the drive shaft angles to those. You want those two running parallel, the trans output shaft should be parallel to the pinion shaft. So measure the angle of the trans output shaft, and the pinion shaft. Try to make those the same(angle from the ground or vertical).

The drive shaft is made to have the end u-joints opposing each other, so that given matching end angles(driving, driven), the effective length of the drive shaft remains constant. When the angles get too far from equal, then the drive shaft begins to change effective length too much. It isn't exact and so lots of people with minor angle differences feel no vibrations(like the front pinion/trans of these trucks).

But that's the theory, and the imbalances you've been hunting for also cause vibrations. So if the vibration is coming from the drive shaft, then it'll be one of those two, the angles or the shaft balance(or u-joint orientation). Keep at it.

 

[4pointslow]

Vibration

Good point about the u-joint orientation, I checked both rear drive shafts I have and the are in phase. There is a slip joint also but I have never messed with them and they are both tight.

The transfer case and the pinion shaft both have flanges on them which are perpendicular to the shafts, that is what I put the angle gauge on. Both are at 86 degrees now.

I still need to get this thing on an alignment rack too, I want to see how the camber looks on both sides.

 

[CDW6212R]

Yeah, keep digging because the vibration could be from many things, a minor part or worn item. I hope it's one of the little things and not the trans or something.

 

[4pointslow]

Rear Driveshaft

Here is the original driveshaft, nice and rusty looking.
Later on I will take it to have it balanced and whatever else they think it needs.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

welcome to the wonderful world of i just lowered my truck, and why the hell did i do it???!!!

 

[4pointslow]

Heater Hose

The heater hose going to the coolant shut off valve was about to blow off.
I saw it when installing new spark plugs. The old plugs were at .035 and I wanted to re-gap them to .030
Instead of just re-gapping them I decided to replace them with new ones since I have a race coming up next weekend. I just happened to notice the heater hose that was ready to blow off, it was hanging on by a little bit. I compressed the spring clamp and pushed the hose on further, then I installed two worm type hose clamps in hopes to keep them tighter. Tomorrow I will go beat on it and see if it holds.

 

[Dono]

4pointslow, have you thought about something like this:
http://www.autospeed.com/cms/A_113192/article.html
Here's a quote from part 1 of the article:
"With a good enough spray, there is no technical reason why the temperature of the intercooler cannot be brought lower than ambient. After all, that’s how evaporative air conditioners work..."

I'm certain the water/meth direct injection is the best, but adding a nozzle to the front of your radiator would make a difference. Really squeezing every last degree possible though. I have to wonder if an ice tank would make more sense.

Anyway, I started reading some of these autospeed articles and thought this one worth mentioning. I like the concept.

 

[4pointslow]

intercooler radiator

They also have CO2 and nitrous spray bars that go in front of intercooler radiators.

 

[4pointslow]

I am glad my water pump was leaking.

I have been driving my supercharged truck making sure it is track ready. This Sunday(20th) is our second race of the year at Maple Grove raceway.
I have been smelling coolant in the engine compartment off and on.
Even pressure tested it for two hours and it only dropped 2 psi. I crawled underneath it and shoved a light right next to the water pump and it was bone dry even on the bottom. I went over every inch of this truck and found nothing leaking.
I was staring to think it was in my head since I just had a water pump break, and then a week later a heater hose blow out on my 4 door explorer. My students quickly confirmed that they smelled the coolant too so I assumed I wasn't going insane after that.

I was going to drive it to work today but then figured the traffic might be bad so I left it home. After work I got it up on jack stands and looked under it again. This time it was plain to see where the leak was coming from. I am glad to have found it, I just replaced the water pump tonight and cleaned everything up so tomorrow I will beat on it and make sure it holds.

You can see the coolant in the water pump in the second picture, the other coolant was from removing the clamp on the bypass hose.

 

[Dono]

I'm always amazed at your energy and patience.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

I'm always amazed at your energy and patience.

x2. that and the fact you havent been committed to a insane asylum yet.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

They also have CO2 and nitrous spray bars that go in front of intercooler radiators.

was also going to say, my sisters boyfriend has one of those on his car. he said it did make a difference

 

[4pointslow]

x2. that and the fact you havent been committed to a insane asylum yet.

That time is coming soon I'll bet.... lol.

 

[4pointslow]

Relay Race

So last night I found the relay for my intercooler fan, started intermittently not working. I replaced it and parked the truck in the garage for the night.
Today was race day, I have to say that I can not believe nothing broke.
I won the bracket, got a 6 foot trophy. More importantly, I made it home alive.
I have been considering hanging up the towel on racing this thing. I just don't feel safe anymore. What if I dump coolant under the tires and loose control and roll this thing, or what if an axle snaps and I roll this thing. Or maybe a tire blowout.
Then again maybe it would be better going out doing something I love to do rather than dying at an old age with some disease I can not fend off. I don't know, I just want to be happy for what ever time I have left and if possible I don't want to feel pain.
One thing is for sure, there is no other time in my life that I am enjoying myself more than at the race track. Making new friends, seeing old ones, and racing them all. I thank God for the happiness I felt today