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Rumble Bee. (Getting cannibalized for the greater good)

Just realized that my case spreader won't work while the axle is still in the truck :doah::haha:.... Oops :D
 
I'm going to have to revisit my design tonight
 
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Here's how far I got last night. Hopefully get the open carrier cleaned up and my setup bearings made tonight.

I'm going to try an experiment and measure the bees carrier outside of race to outside of race. Plus outside of one race the gear bolt flange. Then try to match it on the new setup and see how close it gets when I put it in.

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I got a new carrier, got setup bearings made, got ring gear on new carrier, and swapped spider gears because it was a newer Dodge unit with the wrong spline count.

Now to see if I can get it in tomorrow or Sunday.
I borrowed a dial indicator from work. And still have to clean out my pumpkin. But other than that I should be ready to go.
 
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I got the front diff back in, Got the rest together, and it's all ready to try out.

Backlash set at .007. Homemade case spreader worked great.

No more yellow diff cover though. I noticed it was paper thin compared to the one from the crewcab. So that one went in for now.

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Pay no attention to the mid 90s dodge diff thats left over from the mix lol. Going to see if it'll sell on CL or something.

It's the 4.56 carrier from the crewcab with the spider gears from the diff I bought at the yard.
 
Got it back home for now. Needed to get it out of the shop to make room for my old burb. Buddy that bought it from me is putting a rebuilt 400 in it. Think he said 400 anyway:thinking:.

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4x4 works and steers great now :waytogo:.

Now to actually get it out to do some testing.

I may have a death wobble issue starting though. A few times since I go it home it's sort of wobbled on the front on me... Felt far worse than normal DW though. Like a disconnected tierod damn near. But it only did it a few times. Now when I drove it home from the shop it seemed to feel like it wanted to start wobbling around 35mph. Not bad, but enough to feel it. Tires are Airsoft balanced.... Maybe it's an issue with that :dunno:

I need to do some real driving and see what she does I guess. Gas gauge is the only reason I haven't started driving it to work n back. That's my next fix to make...

It also seems to lose brake fluid but I can't find where from? No leaks that I can see. That needs addressed too. Then a full bleed
 
4x4 works and steers great now :waytogo:.

Now to actually get it out to do some testing.

I may have a death wobble issue starting though. A few times since I go it home it's sort of wobbled on the front on me... Felt far worse than normal DW though. Like a disconnected tierod damn near. But it only did it a few times. Now when I drove it home from the shop it seemed to feel like it wanted to start wobbling around 35mph. Not bad, but enough to feel it. Tires are Airsoft balanced.... Maybe it's an issue with that :dunno:

I need to do some real driving and see what she does I guess. Gas gauge is the only reason I haven't started driving it to work n back. That's my next fix to make...

It also seems to lose brake fluid but I can't find where from? No leaks that I can see. That needs addressed too. Then a full bleed


Why do you need a gas gauge?

My gas gauge quit working in my 76 and I still drive around. Just track milage. And if nothing else carry a gas can and fill up frequently. That's no excuse to not drive it!
 
No speedometer/odometer either lol. Makes it harder to track. I just use a GPS speed app on my phone. Only gauges that work are the oil pressure and temp. I still haven't spent time ironing all that out.

I could just carry a can and fill up if it dies:thinking:

Really I figured I'd drive it 3 days to work and fill up the next. It's 12.5 miles to work one way. And I drove it home with gas to spare 90 miles when I bought it. So that should be a decent guesstimate.
I don't have a good mount yet for the phone as a speedo either. Just lays on the dash or my lap.
To tell the truth I'm not sure I've even driven it after dark yet to see how the lights are pointed lol. I vaugely remember checking how they were pointed but it was just in my alley I think.

It really is a neglected beast :doah:
 
I drove the 78 for a couple years with no gauges of any kind or even gauge lights. You’ll be fine! I just filled up at random when I got the feeling I would need it and it worked well enough
 
Lol. Maybe that's why I feel it more now.... New beefy tierod doesn't have a mount on it yet for the worn out stabilizer.

But really, what it does need is something that looks just like a stabilizer, but has hoses coming out of it. :waytogo:

I do have a kingpin rebuild kit sitting in an online shopping cart. It's just bushings and springs at the moment. Which is all my old dually took to fix the DW.
I would like to do the lower knuckle bearings at some point too though.
 
Took the boys out to try the front diff today. Got a little mud... But found a new problem.

It kicks it's self out of 4x. Rather smoothly actually. ... I pulled it back, got on it over a small hill and through some light mud, and when I let off it the stick moved forward into 2x on it's own. :dunno:

I noticed there seems to be quite a bit of movement going on... So maybe it's a mount issue. I don't know. When it's in 4x it does work nice though :waytogo:

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Took the Bee out in all of our recent snow. And it doesn't even realize there's 16"+. Lol. Didn't pop out of 4x either. So far that's only happened when I mash the pedal, on dry ground.
 
UPDATE....

Well the time has come for this.
All the good parts are going to my "shorty the crew cab" build.
I already cut the fenders on this, but won't be using them now. :doah:


I'm taking the engine, trans, TC, axles, springs, and a few pieces of the frame.


Cab, front clip, and the box will all be sold cheap. (Like $500). Or I'll probably cut it up if no one takes 'em.
I also have a 3rd row seat from a Town N Country van that was supposed to be the back seat.

Its way easier to make a 5 seat family fun truck with something that already has 5 person seating lol.

If by chance anyone here is interested in them parts let me know. I won't take small pieces like individual doors and such unless it looks like it may get cut up.

When I actually get it all apart I'll switch over and put the left over stuff in the classified section and Craigslist.
I'm hoping to start taking the parts off in the next week.
 
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