Tbars Project "X" begins

[cybergasm]

the cb store by me wanted 70 plus

Good Grief that's a rip if i ever seen one i was looking a antennas at the truck stop yesterday and they have mag mount wilson's for like 40.00 and some other brands for less than that i think in the 10-30 dollar range.

 

[Tbars4]

well, it just never ends,lol...i went and picked up a tire this morning and didn't have much time to find a 15x8 wheel...but when i left the shop this morning i backed the X directly into my shop...this afternoon i only had enough time to mount the newly found stock speakers, mounts, and wire them in...i started on the left rear door and noticed my interior lights were not on so i'm thinking it's just that switch...then i pt the right rear in and noticed no lites there,nor either front door turned them on either...ok, no problem...i tracked down the fuse and that was it...why it happened, i'm not sure of...now it gets better...out of the clear blue i have a power steering leak and it's not at the pitman...when i went to pull the x out of my shop this evening i noticed a puddle...not a drop, but a puddle big enough to be concerned about...tomorrow i need to find the wheel and fix my leak...i'm hoping it's a quick fix tomorrow, not the kind of thing you want to find before a trail run, but it happens...bummed

 

[Tbars4]

here's a couple pics of her at cleghorn and be sure to check out the return from thread http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192001

the aussie locker up front and gears worked out great as cleghorn and 2n17x both gave my truck a good trial run...i didn't go crazy with it either since it was my maiden voyage in her and i wanted to know nothing was just going to come loose or snap on her...bent up and broke my stabilizer shock real good though...the tires worked out better than i expected too...they were great on the rocks but a little slick on the loose stuff...she got plenty of new pin stripping even across the hood...and now, i'm not in that much of a hurry to paint her...

 

[Tbars4]

well, it's official...i had some carnage on my project X...thats why i didn't cowboy her until i knew what she can handle...with the dual shocks on the front i need bigger turning bump stops as the clips that hold the calipers in got both pushed in all the way and the passenger side got bent over...the drivers side coil hoop snapped at the front bolt and they have a 3/16" strap welded into the upper coil pocket by about 1 1/2" deep...there is a slight mark on top of the pumpkin as i new i would need a taller bump stop there...after i get that remedied, i'm hoping that resolves some of the clunking i thought was coming from the beat up stabilizer shock i removed...

 

[cybergasm]

Was wondering something the area i circled in red was that from the steering stabilizer hitting the drop bracket or something else hitting the drop bracket?

 

[IZwack]

Looking good there tbars!

 

[Tbars4]

that came with the truck...that is fully extended and they had the stabiliser out of position on the drag link....i am thinking i might of had a similar problem and the upper mounting bracket turned during all the flexing at full turns at either the end of cleghorn which might have turned it and at 2n17x, when it got itself punched but good...

 

[Tbars4]

izwack, i'm going to let my welder fix it and hopefully we will do the skidders at the same time...
when are you coming out to run some trails with us???...truckhaven in october???

 

[Tbars4]

well, we did a quick weld up on my shock hoop, stripped off the stabilizer shock, and i went up to pismo beach part deux, second trip this summer....heres a link..,
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=193025

my project X did great and i turned out to be the tow vehicle...nothing major...the worst was getting the sand rail from a bowl down below comp hill and towing it back to camp...with the locker up front 4wd took on a new meaning...it seamed like when you were climbing the steepest of dunes and were about at the crest, when normally in a 4wd you could feel the rear end kicking a little harder...it seemed like the front would take over and just pull you out like nothing to it...my truck did fantastic and didn't even stutter a bit on anything...well maybe the long whoops run...my rear is way to stiff for that, lmao...the whoops were huge and *****en...
...anyways, my project X had a blast...what i can't figure out now is why i can get 16 mpg highway and only 10.5 in town...i would like to improve on both...

 

[RangerX]

Do you know if the speedo gear has been corrected? Maybe it's still figuring for stock size tires...

 

[Tbars4]

it's been corrected...my run to pismo from my shop was within 1 mile difference between my X and my trip with the ranger in june..from the glove box full of speeding tickets it was one of the first things i checked...

 

[Tbars4]

...i do know that i have an exhaust leak at the muffler, around the in and out pipe....when i get the exhaust replaced i hope it improves at least my city milage...:scratch:

 

[UKExploder]

...i do know that i have an exhaust leak at the muffler, around the in and out pipe....when i get the exhaust replaced i hope it improves at least my city milage...:scratch:

It will depend on what you do 2 the exhaust, I had a pickup that got the same mpg towing a 25' camper trailer as it did with nothing behind it and the box empty, 16.5 mpg.. ......it had 18" glasspacks and full true dual exhaust clear to the rear bumper....

 

[Tbars4]

yea, my 390's ran like that...same milage loaded or empty...

i'm hoping a new exhaust would help...it already has borla headers and a stock swiss cheese box...16 hwy/10.5city is not terrible but i know it could be better...

 

[cybergasm]

iit already has borla headers

uh huh and those things almost disappeared yesterday and yes i had tools with me. j/k)

 

[Tbars4]

...thats why i have all the security camera's... for my trucks...

 

[Tbars4]

...nothing much has happened with the project X lately...still trying to sell the f250, work is nuts this time of year, but i did get a couple local runs in so i can figure what needs fixing before truck haven's newbie run...
...here's a link for the latest adventures...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195079

 

[Tbars4]

...well, going on another local run tomorrow, just shy of 30 days to truckhaven so i started working on the X...i got the auxilary lights fixed up front , hooked up a head unit to the stock system and the wiring was all butchered, fixed the back seat that was bent, scheduled some new brake retinng clips? as they are walking out on their own, and i had to buy and install a new cb as now i have 2 cobra's in need of repair...i also went and got the material picked out and priced on some sliders...hopefully those go on next weekend...

 

[Burns]

On the brake clips make sure they are in the right way. When i bought mine they previous owner put them in backwards and mine like to walk out while in the wrong direction.

Explorer is looking good

 

[Tbars4]

...thanks...we checked yesterday and no such luck ...they are just wore ...all the trails we've been going to and no problem...last week i drive out to the local trail and as i entered the gate, click,click,click and i tapped them back in and they are working till the new ones get in...

and thanks, wait till she's done...heaven only knows when that will be, lol....