Cahonies in a Vice!

[Archive]

I know a bunch of us out there turn our own wrenches when we add new goodies, fix something or replace something. We've all found that when we go to remove a nut or bolt, we find that some BOZO designed in insufficent clearance, or a bracket right in the way, or not enough room to turn the wrench. #ad
A 15 minute job turns into a 1/2 hour job or longer. #ad


What were you fixing/replacing/doing & what nut/bolt/whatever made you wished you had the designer's cahonies in your vice? #ad
:

I just got done installing the 9000's on the rear. How about the lower bolt that runs into the sway bar & you have to either beat it out or drop the sway bar to get it out. #ad
How about the upper bolt that is right next to the tailpipe hanger, tail pipe & right above the frame so you can't get your long handled 3/8" on it & have to use a short/thinner 1/4" wratchet. #ad


He'd still be sitting on my vice with a rag stuffed in his mouth. #ad
: And yes, my knuckle blood is still on the underside of the bed. #ad


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Money Sink - 96, 5 speed, TST #11/280 slid to 340 position + Injectors.
4" CAT back & CATless, 4" chrome turn down straight out back.
Stand back & listen to the turbo whine :-}~
ISSPRO Pillar, Delvac 1 & Amsiol, K&N, Monicas silencer ring removed, Exhaust brake, Mag-Hytec, 3:54, 235s, Valentine One.
HX35s days are numbered, HX40-16 is here.
Un-Bombed = Boring
9000's & Mickey Thompsons on the way

 

[Archive]

Temper, temper. #ad
#ad
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Joe George
Eureka, CA

'95 2500 CC auto 4X4,3. 54,Combo EGT/boost guage,custom switch panel,PacBrake,TST #5,BD valve body,Automatic motorhome steps on both sides,Foldacover hard bed cover,Cummins chrome kit,Black steel grill guard,Front hitch receiver

 

[Archive]

You think a Dodge is bad try working on a Mercedes-Benz some time. They must use 3 year old kids to put those things together,there's nuts and bolts in places no grown up hand will go. You need a set of two foot long offset swiveling ratchting box ends or else you end up taking the whole **** thing apart.

 

[Archive]

Forrest,

I hear ya, pal!

Whadda 'bout those friggin front shocks, though? I jumped through the same hoops changing the rears, but the fronts were MUCH WORSE. It took me four hours to remove the existing toilet plungers because the shock shackles at the bottom were so severely crimped; there just wasn't any easy way to remove them -- an hour (at least) on each side with a slide hammer and lots of enthusiastic profanity.

When the job's done, though, it always feels great to think, "Hey, I did that myself in only four times as long as it would've taken a competent pro, equipped with the proper tools, and I saved myself $100, too! (Before computing the ER visit deductible, the Rx prescriptions, and the lost days from the job... -- but, hey, who's counting, right. . ?) #ad
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97 2500 4x4, club cab, auto, 3. 54 limited slip, JRE 4" exhaust, Dr. Performance Fuel system (370 HP), "Twister Turbo," Geno's guages -- Boost, EGT, transmission & Rear -- MAG Hytec covers, SunCoast Converter/Transgo shift kit, Brite Box, tons o'chrome under hood, Prime Loc, EZ Drain, Seat covers, wood dash, Rancho Suspension, Warn M12000 Winch on Warn Brush Guard, Warn driving and fog lights, Hella twin back up lights, 285/75/R16 B. F. G. ATs on Mickey Thompson "Classic" rims; Linex bed liner, BD exhaust brake.

 

[Archive]

Forrest:

Tell me how you found enough room to swing a hammer on the stud on the sway bar? Or did you simply use a ten-pound sledge and a 1 1/2 inch swing? I'm still trying to figure out a way to get it out without removing the sway bar. Let me know if you have another secret.

 

[Archive]

Originally posted by DTAUG:

Let me know if you have another secret.

There's always the blue (acetylene) wrench!

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Bill Lins Wharton, TX 98 2500 QC SLT,12 (the CORRECT # of)valves,NV4500,3. 54 LSD,Manik grille guard,Semi-Psychotty Air,Amsoil everywhere, Reading aluminum utility body and bumper,Optima yellow tops- silencer ring & muffler stolen.

 

[Archive]

Has anyone ever changed a $. 50 dash light in a Ford Escort? I have and it took 1. 5 hours since you have to pull the speedo cable through the firewall to get enough clearance on the instrument cluster to reach the blasted bulb. Oh - ya have to drop the steering column also.

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4-sale or Trade
'99, 3/4, QC, SLT, 4x4, ISB, 5sp, 3. 5xlsd, tow pac, HD tcase, tow mirrors, camper pac, White over driftwood, Mist gray interior. With less than 19,000 miles.

 

[Archive]

Lossen the nut, but leave the bolt in place. The jack up the frame leaving the tires sitting on the ground. Then the bolt will slide out above the sway bar. Then, when you put it back in, make sure it goes in the other way so you won't have to do that again.

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98. 5 3500 QC 4x4, Driftwood/Mist Grey, 5 spd, 3. 54, 19. 5 Alcoa's, 245/70-19. 5 Michelin's, Ranchhand bumpers, DeeZee toolbox, "Scotty Air", TST PowerMax2, Autometer Gauges, Centerforce clutch, Upgraded fuel lines (JRE and Aeroquip), MagHytec Diff Cover, PacBrake

 

[Archive]

DTAUG,

I swung the hammer from the way of the differential. I had to push the bolt out twords the brake drum. As it turns out, I put a large round punch in the mounting hole & tapped it out. It wasn't binding enough on the sway bar to flatten out the threads on the way out the hole. #ad


It took a long time to clean up after this fiasco. I had more johnson bars/tubes of different diameters & lengths laying around than I thought I even had. #ad
#ad
As it turns out, one of those big expansion joints in the driveway kept the sockets & stuff from rolling down into the street. #ad


Oh by the way, nada can use hand lotion today. All those scrapes, yeeeeha.

 

[Archive]

You can loosen the two bolts on the sway bar bracket until they are out about 1/4 inch. Then pry the bar down a little and there will be clearance to remove the shock stud. It really is no big deal. This only applies on the truck right side. You do need to lower the spare tire on the other side.

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1999 QC 4x4, Pac brake, DC nerf bars, K&N filter, trailer brake, Manik cow catcher, boost & EGT, RS9000's

 

[Archive]

I thought I would move the master cylinder out of the way this morning while I broke into the pump to slide the plate forward. Boy, was I wrong. I couldn't get a socket on the stupid bolts. Then there's only a couple of inches of room to turn a wrench there. My 94 was a peice of cake to take off. Not the 97. Changed my mind and worked around the thing.

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FOR SALE
Big Red" 1994 Ram 2500 Laramie SLT, 12 valve, 2WD, Auto. 140,000 miles Ranch Hand steel brush guard, Scotty Air, silencer ring put back in(wifey said so), Flowmaster muffler, chrome turn down pipe out the side, Velvet ride shackles. See Truck for Sale
MY NEW TOY
1997 Club Cab Dualie
12 valve 5 speed.

 

[Archive]

GM "engineer" that puts the oil filters on the transverse 4-bangers aft of the block rather than on the forward flank. Wife's old'81 Citation was a nightmare! transverse v-6 in the old plymouth Voyager same way.

Ooooohhhhh, agonizin' reappraisal! Driving a one-eyed truck for last 2 days, and this reminds me. I also really hate the RAM headlight guy. there's no room for a human hand behind that "rhymes with ham" light shell. Seriously not diggin the impending capsule change.

[This message has been edited by rich m (edited 10-15-2000). ]

 

[Archive]

The clamp on my lower radiator hose on the radiator end was a real joy to get at.
But it was nowhere near as much fun as putting the spring spacers in the front.

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"Roadrunner"-96 4X4 club cab-12v-auto-3. 54 gears-Amsoil bypass filter - all Amsoil fluids-trans filter-britebox-shelfit-DeeZee boards-Rhino liner-Rancho 5 speed shocks-Hellwig rear antisway & overload springs-Warn 12000 lb. winch-dual redtop optimas-combo gauge and trans. temp gauge in pillar mount-255/85R16 Kelly MSR tires-custom pinstriping- Walker muffler-Cummins mudflaps-Tuff Country control arms-2" coil spacers

 

[Archive]

#ad
The infamous fuel return line from the injector pump on my '95. I never spent so much time thinking bad thoughts about design engineers. Where's that vice handle!

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95 2500 SLT Laramie 3. 54, automatic,Herculiner bed liner, JVC cd out of factory infinity system, southwest grill gaurd (a favorite amongst the deer population), K&N, AFC adjusted, dual straight exhaust out of "gutless" cat, Geno's dual EGT/boost gauge, TST #6 plate slid all the way forward, AFC housing slid all the way forward, silencer ring removed
"Layin' the 'SMOKEDOWN' on their ROOdy Poo CANDY GASSERS!"

 

[Archive]

Believe it or not, these aren't too bad. I too had to use a flame wrench and lots of chain swearing to get the front shocks off. The fuel heater/strainer is so far the worst!
It is still better than working on an Audi I had once...

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'94 3500 4x4, 201,000 miles, Never had a cat, Auto w/shift kit (currently under remodification), 3. 54 Gears, TST #5 plate, 235-85-16s, Rancho 9000s w/remote, Isspro gauges inplace of cupholder & Amsoil Bumper to Bumper. NRA member.
"Warrantee? We don't need no stinking warrantee!"

 

[Archive]

Sasquatch,

I replaced the front & rear on the 95 V-10, but don't remember that much about the front, other than the shock towers were tricky to remove. Seems like some special jockeying had to be done. I got home from work last nite & thought I'd just do a 'loosening' of the lower shock bolts. I checked it out & decided to wait for more daylight & patience. #ad
It looks like another clearance nightmare. #ad


Copious amounts of penetrating oil or WD-40 are in order. Soak the little devils, tape up the knuckles, build up the initiative, take a deep breath & slide open the tool drawers. #ad
#ad


You're absolutely right about the do it yourself pride afterwords. Those new shiny, meatier, white shocks take on a better sheen when there is some skin hanging on some sharp edges somewhere. #ad
#ad

 

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Hey guys, just wanted to let you know it took me 20 minutes on my first gen. ! That was in between changing radio stations!!!!!

 

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There are some definate advantages to having square fenders. HeHeHe.

 

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This thread has restored my morale!!

At times I feared it was my level of ability as I read all the post where it never seemed anyone but me had those headaches.
Thanks!!!

Vaughn

 

[Archive]

Well, I didn't have to set him back up on there for the front shocks. #ad
All came off as expected except the inside top nut on the passengers side. A little coaxing & a rag around my knuckes to keep them off the exhaust housing & walla. #ad
#ad


58k mi & I was wallowing over the standard hwy bumps. Not any more. #ad
The 9000's set to 3 in front & 1 in the rear. Way better than the 5000's, which were too stiff.

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Money Sink - 96, 5 speed, TST #11/280 slid to 340 position + Injectors.
4" CAT back & CATless, 4" chrome turn down straight out back.
Stand back & listen to the turbo whine :-}~
ISSPRO Pillar, Delvac 1 & Amsiol, K&N, Monicas silencer ring removed, Exhaust brake, Mag-Hytec, 3:54, 235s on Alcoas, Rancho 9000's, Valentine One.
HX35s days are numbered, HX40-16 is here.
Un-Bombed = Boring

[This message has been edited by Forrest (edited 10-15-2000). ]