2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Test drive after new control arms...

[kelly4463]

Just a little video of the truck after new front end parts. Oo.



YouTube - smoke

 

[SRath]

In case you wonder why we are forced to buy more expensive, lower quality, less beneficial ULSD since '06 and now have to PAY huge bucks for diesel motors smothered by the most godawful emissions systems ever conceived, just watch that video a couple more times...

Sorry, Kelly, I don't mean to rain on your one-truck parade, but you aren't doing diesel owners as whole any good with a smoker like that. Did you notice the cars behind you dropping waaay back to get out of the smoke? Do you think they were happy or impressed? Diesel smoke just plain stinks. And they won't forget it. (Just my . 02)

BTW, I didn't see anything that demonstrated the new control arms. . ? Since I am doing those, too, they would have been of interest.

 

[Joe Mc]

Yea I have to agree. That guy Kelly is a menace to society and all good clean running trucks everywhere. It's guys like him that give everyone else a bad name, SHAME ON YOU THROTTLE BOY!!!#@$%!



SRath - as for the control arms. Kelly went with Top Gun Customz 94-02 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 Custom Length Control Arms - Top Gun Customz They may not be the most expensive out there, but bang for the buck = 4 new "service-able" control arms for the price of 2 factory arms.

Also he did the steering stabilizer, 3rd gen adj trackbar, 2. 5 inch leveling kit, some wild sway bar end links and I'm thinking that's it but I may have missed something.



His front end was tight except for a slight bit of play in one of the control arms. Once we installed the leveling kit the slope got slipperier by the moment :-laf, and the only way to go was "DO IT ALL".



His truck only has like 80 k on it, but the difference the new components made are unreal.



Not sure what components you are using, but you will be very happy when all is said and done. A bit of a tip, in case you don't know, before you "dive in" to the control arm swap, put paint-stick reference marks on the eccentric washers where they align up on the diff, then see if you can remove the bolts - all the way out and reinstall then move to the next one. Some folks get them out no problem, I was lucky when I did mine @ 140 (New York Truck to boot) they came right out. Kelly's truck 80k Texas truck - the bolts were seized to the bushings he had to cut the bolts out and order new. So, see this post https://www.turbodieselregister.com...eccentric-cam-bolt-lower-control-arm-4x4.html - permalink #2 where "Bad Boy Kelly" was gracious enough to share the part numbers and prices.



I'm sure if we had his truck to do all over again he would have ordered and picked up the new bolts prior to doing anything, then if they weren't needed they can always be returned.



By the way if the video Kelly shared didn't impress you, check this one out (talk about menaces to society) - YouTube - Brothers of the highway

 

[SRath]

Thanks, Joe. I already learned about those miserable bolts the hard way. I made my own replacements for the new adjustable control arms.

I have driven semis for a living for over 25 years. Black smoke is not good or necessary. It is unburned, wasted fuel. It is also a black eye for diesels.

My current tractor has a Cummins with a smog system so huge, expensive, heavy, smothering, unreliable, high-maintenence it is unbelievable. New pickups will have similar systems. I assure you: You will like them about as much as '80s era car engines and emission systems from detroit. It will be a crime with a heavy fine to make even slightest modification ("tampering") to your factory motor. Smog checks in states that don't need them or have them now. More Big Government in our lives.

It is so smothering, the truck does not need or have a muffler. I have to spend 40 minutes to an hour each day with my truck in "manual regen", running at extreme high idle and temperatures while it super-heats the massive soot collector and burns off the collected particles. That takes a lot of fuel and wastes precious time that I need to make a living since the Big Government limits that, too. Failure to perform the regen daily results in the truck going into 10 mph "limp home" mode. It then costs HUGE bucks to have the soot system cleaned at an authorized dealer.

This very same model of tractor when I drove one equipped with an ultra-reliable Cummins N14 did everything I asked of it and returned an average 7. 2 mpg with most loads putting my gross weight over 77,000 pounds running 70mph. It never broke down. The new Cummins is a dog and gets a best of 6. 5 mpg governed at 65mph. It is constantly breaking down

Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel quickly began causing fleetwide injector/fuel system failures on our older tractors when it replaced good diesel. Prices shot up. Those of us with older 12 valve motors must now use expensive fuel conditioners to prevent the same problems, on top of even higher prices for fuel.

If you think belching black smoke out of bobby-big-rigger stacks somehow helps the diesel owner's cause, just go for it. I am simply NOT impressed. Maybe girls dig it and i'm just too old and married to understand? We have an administration that is cuckoo about "global warming", wants more restrictions on vehicles and owners, sees $10 per gallon fuel as a "good thing", appoints czars with limitless powers over everything, and now controls two thirds of the USA's auto manufacturing.

Flaunt that black smoke. Make sure to empty your ashtray and litter bag on the road while you're at it. The treehugger in the Prius behind you will be emailing their liberal representatives within minutes to ask for stiffer standards and fines. Count on it. Iowa actually has billboards paid for by taxpayers that show such belching black tailpipes and tell motorists to "Report polluting vehicles" to a hotline number. These folks may be nuts, but they are serious and they control our politics and policies now.

OK. I'll climb down off the soap box now. I was once young and dumb myself. Of course, black smoke coming out of my Camaro's tailpipes would have gotten me laughed at... we settled for LOUD pipes and TIRE smoke... and paid plenty of fines for those, too.

 

[Joe Mc]

SRath, I agree that fn blows. Didn't realize how this **** ULSD affects the big rigs too - good ol uncle Sam. So when the big rig has to regen what happens to all the black soot that gets burned off? Is this wole regen bs really helping "anything"?



Who the heck knows? I guess we should just try have fun while we can?



Like your sig - here's a quote I heard today: "If Columbus had an oversight committee assigned to him he'd probably still be at the dock".



As far as black smoke coming out of a Camaro's tail pipe and getting laughed at. Here's a laugh for ya. My first car was a 64 Dodge Dart GT, 273, 4 spd :-laf. It used almost as much oil as it did gas. I never bothered to change the oil it was never in the crankcase long enough. I had a piece of black tape over the "red" oil light that constantly glowed whenever it was running and more than 1/4 down. I didn't need any indicator light, I knew when to add oil - when the lifters started making more noise than they normally did and the smoke screen stopped. I'd pull over, go to trunk wherein was the supply of drain oil my buddies with real cars gave me and add a gallon or so, till whenever the red light went out and the lifters got quieter. Then baby watch out cause it was time to "smoke"!!! - I used to go from Morrisville, PA to Pottstown, PA to visit a girlfriend and had to take 5 gal of oil for the trip up the Tpk. Oh yeah, this 64 "classic" had cruise control too, a broom handle wedge between the bucket seat and the go pedal. Kind of a neat control system I worked out, to increase speed "we don't need no stinking buttons" bump the seat forward, less speed bump the seat back a bit. Cancel cruise/coast, just tap the broom handle off the go pedal. Resume, reposition the broom handle. Hey this was definitely redneck stuff, but it worked. Man that was one heck of a car :-laf :-laf

 

[DIESELWRKS]

control arms dont buy what I have Rcd long arm kit. I'm intrested in the pair that dt profab makes the single I beam style. they look mean. but I think the price is meaner. around 1200. (ouch). my rcd ones have bushings that no matter how many times I have rebuilt them and lubed them they still make alot of noise. I wont comment on the smoke screen part. I have been guilty of doing it and not even realizing it at times. only good thing is my stack blows it up a little farther and not in the soccer mom's window anymore.

 

[kelly4463]

Dieselwrks, thanks for serving our country. The arms I have from Profab, are a nice product. My front end is tighter then when it was new. Joe Mc has had the same arms on his truck for a few years now, with no issues. So, I think I'm good for a few years. lol

As for SRath's, if I wanted to impress someone, I would have turned my box up and flipped my meth. on, and put a real smoke show on!!!! I was simple stretching my trucks legs. As I tell everyone that has an opinion about something, if you don't like my cowboy boots, or my country music, or my truck..... don't move next to me. Have a nice day.

 

[SRath]

Hey, Kelly, whatever trips your trigger. But I feel I have the right to say something about it since I, and everybody who buys anything that comes by truck, or drives a diesel truck, is PAYING for your not-so-clean-fun with each new devastating blow from the emissions nazis. They would love to see diesels banned entirely and THEY are in control right now.



We all know that black smoke is NOT the least bit necessary for performance. There are trucks out there that will blow yours away and never emit hardly a puff. It is unburned fuel and just for getting attention. You will, and you have here. But it won't be favorable except from a few other "like-minded" kids.



What did you expect posting a thread about suspension mods and then just showing your smoke and no suspension? "Gee, I really want to show everyone my smoke but I don't want to post 'Look at all my smoke!' so I'll pretend to be posting a video about my suspension. "



Enjoy that truck and motor. You will never be able to buy a new one like it. The hoods will be all but welded shut and the performance will SUCK and will STAY that way. Remember your "fun" then.



You are not "the problem", Kelly, only a very small part of the bad P. R. diesels get. But you are definitely not part of any solution to keeping government out of our wallets and out of our engine compartments. Have your fun, Kelly. Do what you want. While you still can.





Joe: You would shake your head at the whole system. Sure, it tries to emit cleaner air out the stack than it takes into the air filter, but it really only reduces pollutants a small amount. So we have slightly fewer emissions per gallon of diesel burned. BUT it gets far worse fuel mileage and weighs a friggin' ton (cuts down on payload capacity). So I burn MORE gallons per mile and haul LESS. If you ask me, that means it is causing MORE pollution-per-ton-per-mile, not less.



Add to that all the extremely high rpm idle time to do a system "regeneration" and it burns even more fuel to no good purpose. Sometimes, the smoke coming off the "BBQ grill" is SO thick and heavy I cannot be anywhere near the truck. There are dire warnings in the manual about breathing the fumes. The heat is so intense, we had one tractor melt the asphalt it was parked on, and you are warned not to park on or near anything flammable! I'm glad my explosives-hauling days are over.



They will announce, eventually, as better systems are developed (maybe) that it was 'discovered' that all these systems really do is grind up the particulate matter so fine that human lungs cannot expel the particles, just like that MTB (?) oxygenated gasoline some states were using until they discovered it permanently contaminated not only human lungs, but groundwater as well.



A few weeks ago, I was driving on a cold, rainy night. It was the first time this season that I needed to run my heater. It was a wind-driven rain and i could not leave my window even cracked a bit like I normally do. Within an hour or so, I had a splitting headache, nausea, and was nodding off over the wheel. It took my fogged brain a while to understand I was being carbon-monoxided. The tractor had gone into "regen" mode earlier. It is difficult to explain, but it is supposed to do the regen thing as you drive under sustained heavy load for an hour or more. City driving plugs up the filters faster and will not permit the "regen" mode to successfully complete, so I almost always have to do a "parked manual regen".



The plenum for the cab fresh air is inches above the "system" which includes an exhaust flex pipe. I had already been having huge problems with cracked components (extreme heat) and blown gaskets. It was later discovered that the flex hose was cracked and the heater was drawing that "clean" exhaust into my cab.



I wrote up the problem on Safety Alert and turned it in to the company Safety Moron, an idiot with zero trucking or mechanical experience. I demanded that he post a fleet-wide warning about the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning due to this design. Most of our tractors are sleeper trucks. If a guy lays down in the bunk to fulfill the DOT hours of service requirements and the truck goes into regen and has this same problem, there is an excellent chance he will never wake up.



The Safety Moron refuses to warn the fleet despite the mechanics assuring me the cracked flex hose is a VERY common problem. Interestingly, one week ago today, a 57 year old driver of ours in apparent good health died in his truck at a customer's place from what we were all told was heart attack. Could be so... but I have to wonder ... ??

 

[DIESELWRKS]

I saw those I wanted a long arm kit but I guess the one I chose sucked. take it easy

 

[Hammer]

Kelly...

All I will say is this my friend and its not meant to be any disrespect to you at all. We ALL enjoy our trucks and ALL have the tendency to stomp on them at times doing what you did in that video,including Scott. Myself,I would have been alot more impressed if you would have shown me a video of how you didn't have to saw on the steering wheel after knowing you have had front end issues for the last few years. I would have never posted a vidoe of myself flogging on the truck for all to see on the internet as I agree with Scott,the air-nazis are everywhere and that video could haunt you later. Again,just my opinion and its not meant be harmful just meant to try and have you look at this in a different light.



Scott... .

I just had a discussion with my company's Eastern Shop director about the very same thing on the regen systems and the fumes. I have been having issues with being sick after getting home and could not seem to gather a reason. I did not have any issues while I was running in the Summer months with the cab all closed up and the air on but now with it cooler and cracking the window some at night to allow the air to circulate on its own I have been messed up. I got very sick earlier this weeke coming home as I could tell easily it was exhaust from the regen system as it got so bad it was even watering my eyes. Our shop had to replace the manifold gaskets and flex pipe to the cannister as they were leaking bad due to being worn due to the extreme heat. My truck is a Volvo with a ISX in it and both Volvo and Cummins need to address the issues with the regen system and Volvo needs to find another place for the fresh air vent for the cab. This truck only has 200k on it and I am not impressed with it at all due to the tree hugger regen system. Your right,you do NOT want to anywhere near it when you do a stationary regen as the fumes are terrible... ... Andy

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

I would like to ditto the above comments on "rollin coal. " I live in the least regulated and coincidentally windiest state in the west. I see the dill holes rollin around with jacked up trucks puking smoke on their way to the cage fights or some other white trash event and giving us all a bad name. My truck smokes plenty when i allow it and I HATE it. It is your right to do what you want while you still can, but as they all say, you are definitely not part of the solution. I have, however, been on the giving end of a black Sunday as I pulled onto I-25 in Denver and the rice burner/fast & furious wanna-be choked on it. I wasn't even paying attention and was just trying to merge when he thought he could race on by... ... funny how my 8k pound pick-up with a manual trans. could **** him off... . The little man syndrome queer and his crack ***** G. F. were cussin mad! Good times, but I would like to reiterate that I think it is very bad p. r.



p. s - i would LOVE to fix the smoke problem... . any ideas? You can see my sig line to get some details. I hear the smarty is good for that. I also hear that my cam is supposed to help with that??

 

[SRath]

Hammer, You and I are driving the same exact rigs. Do NOT let those problems go unrepaired. Be warned, the repairs don't seem to last very long. Even the a/c system draws fresh air from the cowl above that flex hose, so be careful. I don't use a/c much and always have a window open. But you know how those Volvos like to dump a half gallon or so of water off the roof right on you when the truck leans in a corner when its raining.

I was able to show the shop manager what it was doing. You could actually see the heat/fume waves, like those that come from a hot asphalt road, wafting out of my dash vents if the light was just right.

I really think Volvo and Cummins are in for some serious lawsuits if they don't find a way to fix this permanently. I also think our company Safety Moron is well aware of how serious this is and is trying to sweep the matter under the rug. It may cost me my job, but I am sending a letter to the owner of the company as well as printing up something to post everywhere around our terminals and to give out to my fellow drivers. I've had it with that weasel.

Besides the potential to "wake up dead", the last thing anyone needs is truckers passing out behind the wheel. Now I hear the new generation of diesel pickups will be sporting similar systems. Way to go EPA...

I'm waiting for one the chrome stacks 'n black smoke guys to do something a little more original and impressive. I was thinking along the lines of a propane injection valve and BBQ ignitor that would send flames out the stacks instead of smoke. Now that would be impressive! Maybe a harmless steam generator. White "smoke" (harmless steam) would show up better anyway, especially at night. It is all for show, after all, so why not make it a better show?

 

[Hammer]

I'm waiting for one the chrome stacks 'n black smoke guys to do something a little more original and impressive. I was thinking along the lines of a propane injection valve and BBQ ignitor that would send flames out the stacks instead of smoke. Now that would be impressive!

We have two club guys who have done the stack flame thrower deal already. . LOL.



I am not going to let up on my shop with the issue on the Volvo and am going to apply more heat with it. I had to take off of work last night from being sick and will not loose another day due to it. I am in agreement that they better find a fix or they could have bigtime issues with the number of trucks on the road... ... . Andy

 

[Joe Mc]

The arms I have from Profab, are a nice product. My front end is tighter then when it was new. Joe Mc has had the same arms on his truck for a few years now, with no issues. So, I think I'm good for a few years. lol

Kelly, My Brother From Another Mother, aka "Throttle Boy".



The control arms we have are not the DT ProFab Pictured here:

#ad


These are a nice product at $380+ Shipping.



The ones we have are "Top Gun Customz" pictured here:

MarketplaceAdvisor Image Hosting: Full Sized View

These are nice too, just not as fancy, and probably not as strong, as the DTs above if you're going off road, but for $239. 95 + $16 shipping = $255. 95 total with a difference of "almost 2 tanks of fuel" and out of pocket cost more than 2 times less than the factory POS replacements it was "Best Bang" for my buck.



I still feel we are being raped by the oil companies, whom are being forced to do so even more than they were before by the folks we vote into power. It really Ps me off that when I got my truck in 5/01 diesel was around $0. 85/gal and cost me about $28 to fill up from "bone" empty, and now I can't get 10 gallons for that amount.



I'm with SRath as for hoping some day the idiots that figured out this whole BS regen process will recognize it is more harmful to our environment, and "Actually can, if hasn't already, kill people". Wow, lets protect our environment (who cares if we kill people in the process?) so well that when the earth is once again clean (HA!) there will be no one left alive to enjoy it. Friggin` "STU-PIT!". #@$%!

 

[Joe Mc]

SRath & Hammer,



Andy, I know you from the Brawls and Flings, SRath I know you from this post only. Both of you guys have this common issue with the trucks you drive to provide a living and at this point SRath has brought the issue to the "Safety Moron" at his company and Andy is not letting up on his shop.



I'd like to suggest something that may get the attention of both of your employers, inform your fellow colleagues/truckers you work with, while not getting either of you into trouble. Andy and SRath - get together off-line and come up with something (possibly an, "ATTENTION ALL DRIVERS of - whatever type the truck is - " notice) that informs folks of the problem so 1 - they will be aware, 2 - don't die while sleeping or going down the road. This notice can be posted in your locker rooms, break areas, on truck windshields, in bathrooms both at work and in truck stops. No one puts their name on it and the style of writing can be generic, or at least one that won't be recognized as yours so no one can identify "who didit". Another thought, if your companies have a mail room with slots for all the big wigs (of whom either don't drive anymore or may never have) place a notice in each of their slots.



If you guys wish to PM me a means to contact you (personal email or ???), we can hook up off of the TDR and figure out what you'd like to put in words. After which, I'm willing to whip up such a notice and send (possibly a word document) to both of you for proofing. And then once finalized you can distribute as desired, hard paper copies - distributed as mentioned above are the best way to not have them come back to any one individual. Of course with Big Brother always watching you'd have to be very aware of where the "Security" cameras are in the work place.



Like I said earlier, Andy I know you, and met SRath here, I know we all have enough going on in our lives without having to worry about dyeing, or becoming very ill, relating to our work. I'd hate to hear that either of you became ill or otherwise.



Feel free to take me up on my offer to help. Although I'm not a trucker, my family and I share the road with you guys and all the other truckers out there - this is a serious matter that needs to be addressed before folks start dyeing. It needs to be pulled out from under the rug and placed out there for all to see and hopefully someone will do the "right thing" for a change and fix it.



Kelly - Sorry for stealing this post, but I'm sure you and I are on the same team and agree this situation that SRath and Andy brought up here, in what started as a little "innocent" post, affects everyone - everywhere.

 

[muchsnow]

Black Smoke nuisances.........

In case you wonder why we are forced to buy more expensive, lower quality, less beneficial ULSD since '06 and now have to PAY huge bucks for diesel motors smothered by the most godawful emissions systems ever conceived, just watch that video a couple more times...

Sorry, Kelly, I don't mean to rain on your one-truck parade, but you aren't doing diesel owners as whole any good with a smoker like that. Did you notice the cars behind you dropping waaay back to get out of the smoke? Do you think they were happy or impressed? Diesel smoke just plain stinks. And they won't forget it. (Just my . 02)

I've had to be around a few of these "special folks" in traffic before also, I'm just not impressed with the blatant inconsiderate rudeness... . (insert character comments here... . )

Now, I just take the plate # down and turn it in to the Utah gross poluter website here. Don't know if they do anything with it here, but I really hope that it equates to some form of a major PIA for the clown who must get their diesel from a far more cheaper source than I do... ... ... ..... (. 02 more).

 

[fest3er]

... I'd like to suggest something that may get the attention of both of your employers, inform your fellow colleagues/truckers you work with, while not getting either of you into trouble. Andy and SRath - get together off-line and come up with something (possibly an, "ATTENTION ALL DRIVERS of - whatever type the truck is - " notice) that informs folks of the problem so 1 - they will be aware, 2 - don't die while sleeping or going down the road. This notice can be posted in your locker rooms, break areas, on truck windshields, in bathrooms both at work and in truck stops. No one puts their name on it and the style of writing can be generic, or at least one that won't be recognized as yours so no one can identify "who didit". Another thought, if your companies have a mail room with slots for all the big wigs (of whom either don't drive anymore or may never have) place a notice in each of their slots.



If you guys wish to PM me a means to contact you (personal email or ???), we can hook up off of the TDR and figure out what you'd like to put in words. After which, I'm willing to whip up such a notice and send (possibly a word document) to both of you for proofing. And then once finalized you can distribute as desired, hard paper copies - distributed as mentioned above are the best way to not have them come back to any one individual. Of course with Big Brother always watching you'd have to be very aware of where the "Security" cameras are in the work place. ...

Easiest way to do this is to print a box of Post-It notes with the message on it. Tear one off, stick it on a window, stall wall, mirror, drivers' lounge, etc. Ask truck stop management if they'd be willing to keep a stock of them handy at the cash registers.



Also notify OSHA. If the fumes are making you sick, it is an occupational hazard. If you are union, register a grievance. Notify your local health inspector's office. Notify the state health office.



And back it up with documentation, even if it's not much more than an anecdotal recollection of the problems you have encountered with the systems. Document the dates, times, etc. , and send those documents to the many government agencies and departments responsible for employee health and safety.



The Post-It notes could simply tell drivers of the problem and direct them to a web site that would yield more information. Get me the info and I can build a web site to disseminate the info.

 

[AKington]

Are the Top Gun Customz control arms stock length? When you ordered them did you just give them the lift height and they know what length to make them? My truck is stock height with 33X12. 5X16. 5. I would like to add 3 inches of lift later. Can I order a length that will work for stock and 3 inch lift? Or do I need to buy adjustable? Any advise is welcome.

 

[Joe Mc]

Call them tell them what you have and they will make them up to fit your need, be it stock, lifted 1", 2" 20" whatever you need they know what to do. I was pretty impressed with them really good bang for the buck. Better than stock and cheaper than replacing even just the stock bushings. Plus they're serviceable!!! Like I mentioned "Before you go to replace make sure you can get the bottom differential to arm bolts - out - not just loose - out - them put the bolt back in, do the other one. If you can't get them out it's better to know before you get all ready to do the job and don't have new ones and have to cut the old ones out.

 

[SMorneau]

I have a set of the DT arms and they are well put together. They make different lengths depending upon your lift. This is necessary to maintain castor angle and clear the fenders. I have the short ones on the 96 and they are cranked all the way. The Top Gun links look like a good product as well. I can't say I noticed any handling differences when they were installed because a lot of other work was done at that time.