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'89 R3500 Crew Cab 2wd to 4wd conversion & beyond

Started out with 2wd TBI350 with SM465 to current 4wd with 454, 700r4, NP241
Overview Gallery Discussion
Unless you want this to happen I'd replace it..
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This is what one of my tie rod ends did 25 miles from home,luckily I was on a side road going about 30 mph,not on the interstate where I had it up to 70 mph just minutes before--the thing felt tight too,last time I greased it,but I guess the crimped part holding the ball in rusted away enough to let the ball pop out of the socket!..:yikes:..

I was able to limp it about 1/2 a mile up the road--then I hammered the ball stud back on it and did this to drive it home--VERY SLOW!..
PICT0081.JPG
 
diesel4me said:
Unless you want this to happen I'd replace it..
View attachment 343621


This is what one of my tie rod ends did 25 miles from home,luckily I was on a side road going about 30 mph,not on the interstate where I had it up to 70 mph just minutes before--the thing felt tight too,last time I greased it,but I guess the crimped part holding the ball in rusted away enough to let the ball pop out of the socket!..:yikes:..

I was able to limp it about 1/2 a mile up the road--then I hammered the ball stud back on it and did this to drive it home--VERY SLOW!..
View attachment 343622
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Yeah, no thank you! Ordering up a set of HD tie rod ends from ORD.
 
The primary project for this weekend was replacing the front springs. I had a number of reasons I wanted to do the change. Both the old and new springs are ORD custom packs. After swapping the 350 out for a big block and then the 4l80e and Magnum+205, I didn't like the feel of the front springs.

@ktmoutfront and I set up the air bumps so there was an inch between the bumps and the "landing" pads; that was also before the entire drivetrain swap. At this point I was on the bumps almost all the time.

I also wanted to gain a little more clearance between the engine cross member and high steer assist ram.

So, I asked Stephen if he could set up the springs for the higher weight and also add an inch of lift.

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Out with the old. Damn mag-chloride they put on the roads in the winter around here have made the old ones brown.

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Always amazes me how far down full drop looks like. And there's still 3 or 4 more inches of shock left.

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New versus old. An sharp eye might notice the center pins are in different spots. When I original setup the front springs for the 2wd to 4wd, I ended up with the rear frame hanger further forward than I should have. I had re-redrilled the perches to move the axle back an inch. I figured if I was getting new springs, I might as well have them move the center pin so I can use the factory holes in the perches and not worry about if I was a little off on my measurements for the new holes.

You can see in the pictures of the bumps the difference it makes with my body weight on the driver side.

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All done and back on the ground.

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Ended up exactly 1" taller than the measurements I took before the swap. And I mean EXACT.

Apparently the shop monkeys have been abusing my old floor jack.

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Somebody is going to be buying me a new jack. :(
 
My older brother had a new Lincoln floor jack at the shop he worked at and one of the semi drivers used it to jack up a tractor that had a flat,on dirt,with no board under the jack and it did the same thing..

Evidently the jack lacked a relief valve that should just by-pass instead of pumping up when it is overloaded,or it had one that failed to release..

I have seen jacks get tweaked like that from using them to jack up a vehicle,then shove it sideways to fit it in a tight space or center it between lift posts too..
 
ummmm how about the pass side ubolt that looks like it is NOT past the top of the nut ?

otherwise good job . . . nice to see my sticker money going to a good cause . :waytogo:
 
sweetk30 said:
ummmm how about the pass side ubolt that looks like it is NOT past the top of the nut ?

otherwise good job . . . nice to see my sticker money going to a good cause . :waytogo:
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Yeah, we'll see how that turns out. I cut them to the same length as the ubolts I pulled off. I'm hoping as I re-torque them after the next few trips, they will reach the top of the nuts. The bolts can't stick up much above the nuts at the front of the passenger side because they will hit the tie rod on full lock turn; that's why I was cutting them so close.
 
mrk5 said:
Yeah, we'll see how that turns out. I cut them to the same length as the ubolts I pulled off. I'm hoping as I re-torque them after the next few trips, they will reach the top of the nuts. The bolts can't stick up much above the nuts at the front of the passenger side because they will hit the tie rod on full lock turn; that's why I was cutting them so close.
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Did they add an extra leaf to this pack?
 
looks great Scott, I am jealous of your garage!
 
mrk5 said:
Yeah, we'll see how that turns out. I cut them to the same length as the ubolts I pulled off. I'm hoping as I re-torque them after the next few trips, they will reach the top of the nuts. The bolts can't stick up much above the nuts at the front of the passenger side because they will hit the tie rod on full lock turn; that's why I was cutting them so close.
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always cut them after install i was shown at the year i did in the spring shop .
 
6872xtc said:
Did they add an extra leaf to this pack?
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At first glance I thought so but they are the same; 10 leaves. I assume they're arched a little more.

shima said:
looks great Scott, I am jealous of your garage!
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That's our business shop. So it's not really mine, I just get to use it when I'm not going to be in the way of getting paying work done. The biggest downside is being 25 minutes from home. But sometimes that's a plus as far as no distractions.

sweetk30 said:
always cut them after install i was shown at the year i did in the spring shop .
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Afterwards I was regretting what I thought at the time was good fore thought.
 
I’ll be happy to give your old springs a good home. What ya want for them? We’re gonna have to figure out a way to get them here...
If you’re even interested in selling them....
 
I'm probably either going to sell them or put them on my buddy's K30. My preference would be money. :pimp:
 
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