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One Piece at a Time: My 1985 Diesel Suburban

Nice LED's. Give us a night shot on how well those DOT LED headlights work....I want to get a set!

Also, where did you find these and cost , if you can share?
 
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Moab was harder on the suburban than I initially realized. The rear bushings on the front springs were fully dead. The sleeve and bushing were totally wallered out. Combined with the cracked kingpin bushings, it’s no wonder the truck wouldn’t track down the road. I should have fixed this months ago, but my mistress and side-gig are huge distractions.

So, with a full day to prep, I deployed the highly accurate infinitely adjustable optical alignment machine to reset toe in to 1/16”.
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It’s an easy driver now, and I’m headed to the hill country tomorrow.

David
 
Is it the pic angle, or are your front springs looking more s shaped than normal?
The 1/8” slider pads at the end of the leaves make the pack thicker there than in the middle. It’s more of a pooch. The photo does highlight it.

David
 
Moab was harder on the suburban than I initially realized. The rear bushings on the front springs were fully dead. The sleeve and bushing were totally wallered out.
You're in my boat on the bushings. Probably for the same reasons.

I tried your alignment method but I failed and ruined a pair of tires driving to Moab a couple years ago. Last set of tires I put on I took it to the mechanic we use for the company vehicles and $80 later the tires survived the trip to Moab. I decided it's worth spending $80 to save a $800 pair of tires when we'll be driving 1000+ miles.

But I know other people have better luck than I did. Sounds like you've got it figured out. :waytogo:
 
I wonder how bronze spring bushings would work/last...?
 
Back from a great weekend in the hill country. The weather couldn’t have been better - cool overnight and warm in the day. The cactus was in full bloom, and the park was quiet.

We hustled to deer camp in Brownwood, which is just over an hour away from Wolf Caves. After some adjustment, the brakes felt good, and the trailer pulled very nicely.

Sunrise
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Got to wheel with my friends, including my buddy with the Rover. The powder coat came out great. He hadn’t been able to wheel this truck in over a year, so this was a big deal for him, and I was glad he could join. The truck did very well.
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Good day
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Our motley crew. Jeep, Suburban, Jeep, Jeep, Rover. Somehow, I was trail leader.
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What a poser.
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This guy spit a coil. We then discussed limit straps and their uses.
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Back, set off a gear bomb in the shop, back to work.

David
 
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Considering the weight of this rig and the way you use it, I'm not surprised it eats bushings. Definitely going to a maintenance item for the foreseeable future.
I'm beginning to understand that. I've always wheeled the suburban, but since 38s and the ORD magnum, the truck has let me take more challenging lines with less drama. Given that I tend to go slow, that prolonged loading clearly puts a heck of a pinch on the bushings, and I'm beginning to wonder about other components that might need PM. Tie rod ends, kingpins, and u-joints are the first things I think of, but keep taking that line of thinking a little farther, and front spindles could be considered a wearing item. I've also broken the captive hardware on a couple of body mounts.
But I know other people have better luck than I did. Sounds like you've got it figured out.
Trial and error. So far, these 38s are wearing evenly at 18K miles, but you're right. I should get the alignment verified before setting off to Moab.
I wonder how bronze spring bushings would work/last...?
They should wear about the same as nylon, but are less likely to crack and split. Along with the spring eliminator bushing, this setup should last a little bit longer and drive a little bit straighter.

David
 
Semis run bronze spring pin bushings in leaf springs all the time. As long as you keep them greased and they don't have excess clearance from the start they would work good I think. Some have a normal pin and others have a screw in pin.
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I'd probably just stick with the Teflon between the leaves and take that as a wear item and replace as needed when they wear out or fall out.
 
Where did you get the engine?
It's a surplus M998 6.2L. We picked it up from a reseller in Breckenridge, TX.
what purpose do those cables serve on the rover from the brush guard to the roof basket?
They're called 'limb risers', and they push light tree limbs and tall brush up and over the hood to the roof. I'd never seen them until working on this truck.

David
 

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