CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
One Piece at a Time: My 1985 Diesel Suburban
- Thread starter AgDieseler
- Start date
Glad you got the extra insurance!
Any updates? 
Kind of funny you mentioned those super duty shocks, I use a 0-3 inch lift pro crap mx6 adjustable on Ethel and on my blazer when it was leaf sprung, crappy part was the sets of springs ride rough so it's hard to compare.
Many miles driven between personal and shop use.
Lots of parts are staged and ready, and the weekend is fast approaching. ORD-spec Bilstein 7100s are here, there are a few maintenance items, and it's time for some leaf spring "tuning" in advance of a coming trip to Katemcy Rocks.
David
Nice I am interested to see how those 7100s perform!!
What's this Katemcy Rocks you speak of?
One of my very favorite places to wheel in Texas. Granite, big blue sky, and spring wildflowers.
http://katemcyrocks.com/
We're going the weekend of 4/22. I'm the only full size in a crew of Jeeps. Want to change that?
David
Looking forward to hearing about those shocks. I need more valving for my truck.
Want to go? Hell ya! But that weekend is gonna be tuff to schedule. Got a lot going on in April with work and family. But WOW. This is the first I've heard about that place and I wanna check it out. To meet up there and check out your 'burban would be awesome. Let me see what I can do.
Katemcy has been on my bucket list of places to wheel for a long time
If you leave Wyoming now, you'll just make it. I'll have a cold glass of iced tea waiting for you.
David
After two weeks of the flu, I'm finally back to normal hours in the shop. It sucks working when you're sick, only made worse when there are projects still to deliver. My next client project is still a few weeks off, so I'm I'm using that time for the suburban in advance of trips to Katemcy, Colorado, and Moab.
Glow plugs - 8 new 60G plugs cured the hard starting, which should be no surprise since 3 were dead (no conductivity), 2 were marginal, and only 3 were working correctly. 12 years isn't bad for a set of Kennedy quick heats, but I went back to Delcos since I'll likely end up with supplemental manual control. Also, I always feel smarter than I actual am when things come apart easily because I used anti-seize all those years earlier.
Back in with new anti-seize. I should feel smart in another decade or so.
Next, my magnum case continues to burp fluid. I can't seem to get the fill level right, so I have a highly technical solution. As with most of my temporary solutions, I'll probably use this for a while.
While waiting on my order from Ruffstuff, I swapped mufflers with my dad. He wanted the 30" quiet tone and I wanted the 18" resonator. More turbo noises; same drone. Dynapad is on order.
Since the intercooler, I haven't had horns. Now I do, and they sound like a German clown car. I've since swapped for the 400hz and 500hz combo, which is distinctly more American.
On to suspension details, I have a sagging rear spring, and in talking with @Stephen, I've swapped my springs side to side and will soon build extended bump stops. To avoid additional sagging, the upper limit of travel will need to be when the springs are just about flat.
In the same department, I've started building double shear shock mounts for the now significantly stiffer Bilsteins. I started with the driver rear.
I did the lower mounts some time back.
There, all caught up, no more flu, great weather days ahead, and lots more to do.
David
Glow plugs - 8 new 60G plugs cured the hard starting, which should be no surprise since 3 were dead (no conductivity), 2 were marginal, and only 3 were working correctly. 12 years isn't bad for a set of Kennedy quick heats, but I went back to Delcos since I'll likely end up with supplemental manual control. Also, I always feel smarter than I actual am when things come apart easily because I used anti-seize all those years earlier.
Back in with new anti-seize. I should feel smart in another decade or so.
Next, my magnum case continues to burp fluid. I can't seem to get the fill level right, so I have a highly technical solution. As with most of my temporary solutions, I'll probably use this for a while.
While waiting on my order from Ruffstuff, I swapped mufflers with my dad. He wanted the 30" quiet tone and I wanted the 18" resonator. More turbo noises; same drone. Dynapad is on order.
Since the intercooler, I haven't had horns. Now I do, and they sound like a German clown car. I've since swapped for the 400hz and 500hz combo, which is distinctly more American.
On to suspension details, I have a sagging rear spring, and in talking with @Stephen, I've swapped my springs side to side and will soon build extended bump stops. To avoid additional sagging, the upper limit of travel will need to be when the springs are just about flat.
In the same department, I've started building double shear shock mounts for the now significantly stiffer Bilsteins. I started with the driver rear.
I did the lower mounts some time back.
There, all caught up, no more flu, great weather days ahead, and lots more to do.
David
That exhaust reminds me of an M35 whistler.
Sounds good and I like those upper spring mounts.
Gewd work mang!
As per usual, very nice work sir.
It kind of does. It's been quite a while since I was on a base.
Thanks!
Appreciate it.
Thank you very much. Glad to be back at it.
Tonight's progress:
The passenger side doesn't have room to fit the hardware above the rail, so I'll probably end up threading the inner tab. I'd rather do that than carve a notch on the rail.
David
Should hold up for many many years
I've burned through many gloves over the years. Mechanix gloves are great for shovel and outdoor tasks, but they're synthetic and not long lasting for metal work that involves sparks. At $20+ a pop, they should do better.
Miller TIG gloves are awesome, and got me looking at these for more general fab work:
https://earnestco.com/products/copy-of-tungsten-tig-mig-fabrication-glove-brown
Ordered, along with their work apron. I'll start testing soon.
David
Miller TIG gloves are awesome, and got me looking at these for more general fab work:
https://earnestco.com/products/copy-of-tungsten-tig-mig-fabrication-glove-brown
Ordered, along with their work apron. I'll start testing soon.
David
