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Test for all you DW victims

B

Butch

1/2 ton status
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Apr 26, 2000
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Austin, TX
While attempting to diagnose the DW that seems inherent in the 60's. TJ and I find that when we jack up his K-5 and my K-5 and Steve's K-5 that you can put you foot in the bottom of the rim and push down and the king pin spring will compress and give slack in the bottom bearing. With that slack the DW starts then the spring can not overcome it and it gets worse and worse. It makes sense that would be why some of you guys with rebuilt 60's dont pick up DW for a year or two into driving it as some wear occurs. When you put factory type tires and rims on it does not do this. So with that we decide that since Dana never thought there would be 180lbs of tire and rim hanging off that spring that maybe that spring does not have enough pre-load on it for 38 +" tires. So we take the caps off, add 3ea 1/2" fender washers above the spring on each side (this is just under 1/4" of thickness). Put it back together and now you can stand on the rim with the tire on it without it dropping down. Drive down the street and no DW. So maybe some of you guys would like to give it a try on your rigs and see if it does not stop your DW as well.

Thoughts /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Your 44's would be even worse. The heavier the tire/wheel combo the more it would compress the spring.
 
thats about the best thing i have heard it makes alot sense . i put a 60 under my truck a couple months ago and replaced the steering block thats when i noticed the spring and wondered how that small of spring could hold up all that weight . maybe you have found aleast something surely worth trying.
 
Possibly had some slight movement in the ball joints. Not sure but it's a good possibility. The other thing is why does it show up more with crossover steering? Is it because of the direction of the draglink?
 
Thanks Butch, I will give it a shot. I did put one washer in there to see what kind of difference it would make. NADA. I will cut some circles out of 1/4" thick plate and see what that does. Just need to remember to put a nice grease hole in that sucker as well.

Depdog
 
I will be giving it a try this weekend. Hope this isn't another "band-aid." /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
that is the beauty of fender washers. the 1/2" size that you can get at any hardware store is 2"OD with a 1/2" hole in the middle. It fits tight in the cup and already has a grease hole. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
Did yall do this on all 3 of your K-5's or did only one of you have DW and you do it? Just trying to find out if it was a 3 for 3 kinda thing.

Damn hardware store here would probably want $2.00 each for fender washers IF they know what they are at all. Keith lives to damn far away even though he works at one.

Depdog
 
I don't have my D60 installed yet but I might as well chime in with what I think may be the trouble of death wobble. I am guessing that it has to do with either not enough or too much caster angle. Before I install my D60 I am going to take my rig to my friends shop and check what my current caster angle is then after I install my D60 I will check it again to see what it is. I have a sneaky suspicion that I am going to find that the caster angle is way off.
 
Did you notice this more on the pass. or drivers side, or both? I just put in my D60/ Xover and had horrible DW, until WTO fixed that. But while adjusting the steering this past weekend I noticed the same thing you were talkin about on my pass side. Stuck my foot on the bottom of the tire and rocked it back and forth a little. Thanks for posting this, I'm going to try it this weekend. The WTO got rid of 95% of the extreme wobble but I still get a little shimmy when I hit hard bumps at over 30mph.
 
I meant my dana 44....everything on that axle was replaced with top shelf parts. what fixed the death wobble on that axle, was buying new tires that were ROUND (well, as round as TSL's can get), at least compared to the TSL/SX's that they replacxed.


rob
 
Wait till you got to 40's or 42's. I have 7 golf balls in mine and if I get over 60 is S H HHH AAAA KE city. Well at around 75 to 80 the ride is not bad, but the hood looks like it wants to leave!

Depdog
 
Ouch $2.00 a piece. If that is all you can find let me know. I get them for $4.55 per hundred. So if you can't do any better than that I will mail you some.
We did do it on all three rigs. Fox never had DW, I had it a little even after WTO ram at about 30-35mph on a bad road. TJ had it beyond belief and he still has standard steering. The problem with Fox's was I could set the toe with it on jack stands then let it down and when you pulled forward the toe would go out 2-1/2". Jack it up and it would go back straight. After much cussing and head scratching we found that with the washer installed the toe was consistant whether the front end was loaded or unloaded. That is why I think it is a preload problem.
As far as caster I will buy that a little, but caster is more proan to cause wander and a lack of return to center that DW. I am sure it contributes to it but is not a primary cause.
I did notice it more on the passenger side of TJ, and Fox, but mine was more on the driver side. Fox's passenger would stay down if you pushed it while his driver side would pull itself back up. I know this will cause the King Pin bushing to wear more, but hey, if it makes it driveable then I will replace that bushing more often if I have to. After all the first one lasted 21yrs. If it only last 5 then so be it. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
I guess I was over exagerating. The local store used to be a True Value and was run by a couple of guys that had been there for years and years. Overnight it was sold to a group of women and the prices went up and useful help went down. Not long after it changed to ACE and the help got better but the prices did not. I try not to go there unless I am really in need.

Depdog
 
we have a small town ace hardware here where i live and i got a box of 50 washers for 3 bucks.it cant be that much different if its a ace hardware store is it?i needed the washers for my u bolts.
 
BUTCH, YOU DA MAN!

I took some 1/4" plate, cut out 2 round 2" circles with the plasma and drilled 1/2" holes in the center. Pulled off the caps, took out the single washer I had in there and replaced it with the 1/4" spacer. Took about an hour to get it all done. Took it for a ride to Atlanta, NO DW at all. I used to get damn near thrown out of the K5 if I tried to ride at 30 mph. Now I can an the tires are shacking the hood and fenders still, but the steering wheel is ROCK Steady. Does not wobble when I slow down anymore either. Took out ALL MY DEATH WOBBLE.
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Depdog
 
Well now thats a good sign! I'll have to do that to mine. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
I am going to try it. I found some perfect 1/4 thick washers at a hardware store here in town, they also have about a 7/16 hole in the center so grease can get through. I have one side done and will do the other side tonight. I will let you know if it helps or not.
 
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