Improving the ride...

[mysteryman]

parking light

there is a switch on the foot parking brake. try removing the wire from the switch. if the light then goes out the switch is malfunctioning. If the light stays on you have a short somewhere. The light is lit by applying ground. There is always power going to the light.

the black box behind the glove box is the abs computer. you can throw it away if you like.

Oh... I bypassed the ABS module on the rear driver's side frame rail. I also unplugged (what I thought at least) the ABS module behind the glovebox.



The red brake light is still on on the info center. Is this right?



--Eric

 

[ENafziger]

Quick update...

I got home from work last night, installed the front driveshaft, and flexed it out a little through a ditch. The springs definately need some breaking in, but it looks like there's potential!

Sorry for picture quality... it was getting dark and the shutter time was long.

#ad

#ad

#ad

Just barely clears fully stuffed in the rear:
#ad

Front drooped... about 11 1/4" of front shock shaft
#ad

#ad

Trying to show the angle of the front axle / back axle with respect to each other:
#ad

#ad

#ad


#ad


A few thoughts... I think I'm going to put about a 2" block under the rear springs if the front end doesn't settle significantly. I really like the height of the rear better, but I don't see an easy way of lowering the front while maintaining travel. I think I'm going to move the front mounting point of the front leaf springs forward about 1" to get a little better shackle angle and avoid tire rubbing on the rear of the fender.

Overall, ride is incredibly better!!!

On the way to work this morning, I was taking an interstate off-ramp at about 50 mph. There was a great big grassy stretch for about a mile in the median. I whipped it off the shoulder, downshifted to 4th and hammer down! I was ripping through the grass at about 60 mph, throwing up grass clods, and flyin!! There were a handfull of unexpected "whoops" that I hit pretty hard. The truck never bottomed, and the ride was very controlled. The suspension really felt plush, and was just soaking things up. I could definately tell the suspension was working! I glanced back over to the interstate, and it looked like a poor lady in a prius was about to have a heart attack, so I calmly eased back over onto the asphalt and tried to behave the rest of the way to work! :b

--Eric

 

[JKreiss]

Wow Eric, just incredible! It looks awesome, i don't even know how to explain it. Keep up the good work. More importantly, thank you for sharing the real world testing experience! I need a new computer now as i spit coffee everywhere from laughing at the scenario playing out in my mind. The poor lady in the prius:-laf

Great job man!

 

[HHhuntitall]

Quick update...



A few thoughts... I think I'm going to put about a 2" block under the rear springs if the front end doesn't settle significantly. I really like the height of the rear better, but I don't see an easy way of lowering the front while maintaining travel. I think I'm going to move the front mounting point of the front leaf springs forward about 1" to get a little better shackle angle and avoid tire rubbing on the rear of the fender.

The easiest way I can think of to lower the front end is to mount about a 150lb winch, say a 12 or 15k, and some square tubing or channel iron. :-laf



Yes, I love the old lady, wide-eye stare... . kinda scary when you look back and she's in three lanes at once, though... . and you're in Dallas/Fort Worth traffic!! When you pass on the right on the shoulder, or wake 'em up with the train horns, it tends to get the same look!!! Or the ,"OH MY GOD!!" and grip-the-steering-wheel-for-dear-life-and-try-hide-behind-the-dash you can see from 100 yards coming from the mouth of some teenager in her daddy's Honda when you remind her she's not the only one on the road, and she realizes she's WAYYYYY smaller than you!!



Beautiful truck, as I've said before. Definitely top shelf effort, there!! Keep up the good work!Oo.

 

[ENafziger]

The easiest way I can think of to lower the front end is to mount about a 150lb winch, say a 12 or 15k, and some square tubing or channel iron. :-laf

Believe me, I would love to!!!! Unfortunately, the cash flow isn't going to allow that situation to happen.

If anyone would be interested in a super good riding set of front Alcan springs that provide 6" of lift tailored for our trucks, I'd make someone a deal! They ride beautifully... but they're just a little taller than I'd like for this truck.

On Saturday, I ended up adding a 3. 5" block under the rear leafs to get the truck to sit level again. It looks great like that, but I don't really need the ground clearance on this rig, and dropping it down a little would make a huge difference in getting in and out of it!

--Eric

 

[ZedMikey]

6" Alcans, huh? Were they supposed to be 4"? I might be interested in those... it's also higher than I wanted to go, but if I can get a deal on 'em, I might bite!

 

[HHhuntitall]

... . me, too, if Mikey decides he doesn't want 'em... .

 

[pwerwagn]

Awesome Eric!!! I really like that truck. Makes me want to can the crew conversion idea and just get the 1st gen up and running.

Didnt you post pics of your 3rd gen in that same ditch a long time ago?

 

[ZedMikey]

So, now I'm contemplating going the same route with the rear suspension... hehe. Thanks for the link!

Are you still thinking about selling the front Alcans? We can I TRIED TO BY-PASS THE CUSSING FILTER chat about it via PMs, if you want.

 

[ENafziger]

Awesome Eric!!! I really like that truck. Makes me want to can the crew conversion idea and just get the 1st gen up and running.

Didnt you post pics of your 3rd gen in that same ditch a long time ago?<!-- google_ad_section_end --> <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Wow! You've got an incredible memory! Yes, I did post pics of my '06 crossed up in the same ditch a few years back. It works great for testing clearance of everything!

Are you still thinking about selling the front Alcans? We can I TRIED TO BY-PASS THE CUSSING FILTER chat about it via PMs, if you want. <!-- google_ad_section_end -->

As for selling the Alcans... yes, I wish I hadn't gone quite so high with them. I love lifted trucks, but this was supposed to be a daily driver, wife-friendly ride, and it's a little tall for a 5' 2" gal!

Unfortunately I haven't been able to think truck stuff lately, and may not be able to for a few months. In a super quick turn of events, we looked at a HUD foreclosure property, met with a realtor, put in a bid, and got the property all within 1 week! It's a 3 story old square log chink style log cabin built in 1982 on a couple acres with a creek. The best part is that it has a separate 24 x 32 garage!!! At any rate, I'm currently consumed in both time and money with fixing plumbing leaks, waterproofing the basement, cleaning, remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms, etc... everything that comes with moving in a foreclosure home that hasn't been lived in in over a year.

I guess that was the long answer to say that while, yes, I am interested in selling them, I need to concentrate on a few other things first. I can't have the truck down again as it's a necessary means of transportation right now until I can find a good used G56 transmission to put in the '06.

--Eric

 

[ZedMikey]

I'm in no rush. Enjoy the new digs, and we can talk about the springs later.

 

[RSchwarzli]

Dang that is some nice articulation! Oo.

 

[ENafziger]

Dang that is some nice articulation! Oo. <!-- google_ad_section_end --> <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

It's not bad at all for a big old diesel farm truck .

These springs and shocks are breaking in nicely. The ride/control/feel is 100% better after putting some miles on it. I hauled about 1200 lbs of lumber in the back this week, and it seemed to help the rear springs seat in alot.

Last night after work I got feeling a little spry, and decided to try out my favorite set of double train tracks. It's a nice hump up, double set of tracks, and hump back down. The speed limit is 10 mph, and there are deep gouges in the pavement where many a vehicle has bottomed out over the years. I hit the tracks at about 45 mph, and WOW!!!! Super smooth!!! I crossed back and forth over them about 3 times, and then had to go to avoid attracting too much attention during rush hour :-laf.

I aired out the suspension on all runs, and it felt great! Based on the rubber o-rings on the shock shafts, I still had about 2" compression travel in the front and 3. 5" in the back before bottoming. I need to hit things a little faster, but I was trying to exercise some self control while feeling the system out.

In my '06 with the 2. 65 Carli kit, I hit the tracks about 55 - 60 mph, and that seems to be the optimum approach speed for clearing both tracks in the air and landing nearly level at the bottom of the hump. The '91. 5 really felt as good or better than the '06, although I need to push it and see what it will do. The ligher weight of the '91. 5 and longer travel suspension REALLY is evident compared to the '06. I think this is going to work out nicely!!! It's incredible what a good set of shocks with properly spec'd valving will do. If you've never felt this, it's an adrenaline-rush experience to say the least hucking a diesel truck in the air in perfect control with a quality suspension system that just begs to be pushed harder and harder!

I intend to get some video and pics of the '91. 5 in action soon, but for reference, here's the '06 playing on the same spot awhile back...

#ad


#ad

#ad


--Eric

 

[pwerwagn]

I remember those pics too!!! Im glad to hear the 1st gen handles stuff like that well. I think I am going to stop focusing my attention to my 3rd, and start back on the 1st gen. I have an HE to throw on it to get it moving.

Good luck on the HUD house man. The house I'm in now was a hud, and I almost bought another last summer but passed after it got vandalized 2 days before closing.

They make for fun projects that you don't loose money on, unlike trucks haha.

 

[ENafziger]

Good luck on the HUD house man. The house I'm in now was a hud, and I almost bought another last summer but passed after it got vandalized 2 days before closing.

They make for fun projects that you don't loose money on, unlike trucks haha. <!-- google_ad_section_end --> <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Aw man, isn't that the truth!!! The thought has crossed my mind several times that I could've paid cash for this house for what I've got in the truck!

--Eric

 

[HHhuntitall]

Yeah, but then you'd have to slow down on the train tracks.....

 

[ENafziger]

Yeah, but then you'd have to slow down on the train tracks..... <!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Lol, ya... somehow, getting married and having a kid has a way of changing your thinking. Well, at least a little bit

 

[pwerwagn]

Lol, ya... somehow, getting married and having a kid has a way of changing your thinking. Well, at least a little bit

Do you have a boy or a girl? I have 2 little boys, and thats the excuse I use to keep blowing my money on trucks. "The boys will like this when they get older" haha.

 

[ENafziger]

Well, just thought I'd add a few pics to this thread to liven up the 1st gen section today. The new suspension is doing great!!! I've not had a chance to do anything to the truck lately except work it, and work it hard!

Last weekend, I made a 1,100 mile trip to Maryland at about 14,000 lb total weight.

I've been pulling dad's tractor and yard box with my triple axle trailer we just finished building. The trailer itself weighs right at 6,000, so total weight all loaded up is close to 23,000 lbs including the truck!

We've also been doing alot of clearing at the foreclosure property we bought... loads of brush, logs, etc.

All in all, the truck is doing great! It pulls better than I imagined it would for being very mildly modded in the power department. The suspension is handling everything I throw at it and asking for more! I have yet to bottom the suspension, front or back.

I had to recover a friends truck that was broken down, and I've jumped the truck about a dozen more times as well. I hope to have the springs and shocks broken in soon :-laf

#ad

#ad


#ad

#ad

#ad

#ad

#ad

#ad

--Eric

 

[Grey Wolf]

Great shots and it's doing what it was made for