Definitely getting more and more envious of your ability to sneak out during the workweek to get stuff done. I was in "email jail" until almost 10PM last night... ....but at least the snow is melted away now and the warmer temperatures are returning to TX. Time to get those garage doors opened back up!!!! -G
I'm fortunate to do most of my business via phone and video call. So, between ET and PT, it's blocks of dedicated time with patches of 15 and 30 minutes here and there, which is enough to sweep the floor, setup for a task, fit, tack, etc. It's exceptionally handy, and I actually get a lot of day job thinking done while welding. All those little blocks add up, and if I have a good checklist, I don't need much "spool up time" to make the most of it. David
Z’d swaybar end links, trimmed and fit, and subsequently welded. The little jog is so the link can Dodge the spring plate and pack and leave enough room for articulation. Theres an extra inch above the arm if I need to lengthen the link for whatever reason. Also, these batteries need some tending to. My dad is coming by tomorrow to do a final ring out on all the new wiring before we hookup the batteries to do a smoke check. They’ve been sitting a bit. Bump mounting is next. David
The bolt end clears the frame by about 3/8”. It’s longer than it needs to be by about 1/4, so I’ll end up changing it out or just flipping the hardware. David
My dad rolled by to ohm out the new underhood wiring and run a smoke check. I’m appreciative for that double check, because no one wants a fire. The batteries were back up to 100%, and everything checked out. My happy place. Bumps are fine fit and tacked The design uses two 10ga shear plates. One is vertical to the frame, and the other is perpendicular to the bump surface. I figure that should be reasonably tough. Disassembly begins I’ve got a fair bit of welding to do. My “limit strap.” The suspension will droop 17.75” from full bump, and this is one of two limit systems to prevent the shackle from over extending, and also topping out the 14” shocks. Late night burning in all the tabs and brackets. Forward. David
I’ll put at least one ABC fire extinguisher in the truck once this is done. There’s enough draw from the new lighting setup to power a small FOB. David
She perky. Stephen’s instructions to settle the big whoop eaters were simple. “Beat on it, first,” he said. Copy that. The shackles are greased, and after applying my personal ballast to the rear of the truck, rocking the rear suspension around like a wild animal, the otherwise static setup settled about 3/4”. Compressing the whole system with a few judiciously violent cycles will no doubt go far toward settling the whole system. I might also make some use of a buddy’s fork lift. There’s time to ponder. Now, here’s the full look at that unsettled rear end. That’s a good weekend. David
I really like the way this turned out in the rear. It makes me want to call ORD right now. Are you cycling about 14 inches in the rear?
