The Great Smaug

[campfire]

There are a few CK5 guys who like these adjustable Ranchos. Same $100 price as the 5100s but the adjustment may come in handy as the rear weight will be variable.


https://www.amazon.com/Rancho-RS999...d=1501897459&sr=1-1&keywords=rancho++RS999112

At the least I'll be needing a shorter 5100.

 

[GWeakland620]

My brother and I both had terrible lunch with our Ranchos. I just don't like them. But those are different so I can't say much about them.

 

[campfire]

@AgDieseler, did you ever find that dual thermostat housing? I'm still willing to take it off your hands...

 

[campfire]

My brother and I both had terrible lunch with our Ranchos. I just don't like them. But those are different so I can't say much about them.

Yeah, the brand doesn't have a great rap. Adjustment sounds nice in theory, but not if all the settings are junk! And yet, mosesburb has been running these for years through hotter terrain than I'm ever likely to see.

The RS9000 has a much larger piston than the typical Rancho junk, FWIW.

First I need to make sure my current ones really are too long.

 

[GWeakland620]

I'm sure your decision will be well planned and thought out. Carry on

 

[campfire]

And while I'm at it, I may as well ask my dumb question. I'm looking at running 3" rear blocks rather than the shackle flip. Why, if the blocks raise the truck straight vertically, do blocks come with a pinion-adjustment taper? The pinion still needs to be parallel to the T-case output, so I'd think it would need to stay exactly the same angle that it currently is. Turning it further upward doesn't make sense to me unless the spring angle has changed (like the shackle flip, but the opposite direction).

 

[campfire]

I'm sure your decision will be well planned and thought out. Carry on

Get real. If I have anything to do with it, it will be severely overthought and I'll spend 3 years trying to make a decision.

Go read the above posting about block angles.

 

[campfire]

Did you know that this truck used to be functional? And I used to daily drive it? And then I never got back to fixing it. I'm pretty good at that.

 

[GWeakland620]

Um hello, have you read my diesel thread? Lol

 

[campfire]

Um hello, have you read my diesel thread? Lol

Yours is driving, no? This thing has been parked for 2 years now thanks to the house and blazer builds. I have too many vehicles.

 

[AgDieseler]

I think I'm going to hafta buy new rear shocks, as @AgDieseler's recycled 14" 5100s won't compress past 20.5"

Sorry those didn't end up working. Ford towers work well up front, and you can maybe change the angle of the rear.

@AgDieseler, did you ever find that dual thermostat housing? I'm still willing to take it off your hands...

I never did, and actually went through my box of cooling components just a few weeks ago. It's on Amazon, too:

ACDelco 15-80782 GM Original Equipment Engine Coolant Thermostat Housing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EQRIQE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_LItHzbY0CHXGV

David

 

[campfire]

Sorry those didn't end up working. Ford towers work well up front, and you can maybe change the angle of the rear.

I never did, and actually went through my box of cooling components just a few weeks ago. It's on Amazon, too:

ACDelco 15-80782 GM Original Equipment Engine Coolant Thermostat Housing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EQRIQE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_LItHzbY0CHXGV

David

They might work yet. My van axle's shock mounts hang an inch lower than stock, in addition to the larger 14BFF axle tubes. The normal recommended numbers (17"-28") aren't long enough for my situation. I'll see what numbers I wind up with after the swap. I currently have 22" now at static rest, with 4" before hitting the bump stops. Adding 3" to 18" gets me reeeeeeeallly close to making a 20.5" shock work. Which is why I bought them. The passenger-side frame hole is ovaled out, so moving it a couple inches further forward would give me a chance for a fresh hole. And some sort of double-sheer brace (ORD's piece won't bolt onto a burb, but I can fix that. ).

 

[campfire]

For front mounts, I like Kert's adjustable mounts:

http://diy4x.com/product.php?productid=17757&cat=250&page=4

Beefier and cheaper. And an added bonus...Forgiveness if I screw it up!

 

[campfire]

Oh, I painted the sway bar disconnects yesterday. Need to start picking colors for the rest of this schtuff.

 

[AgDieseler]

Chassis black.

David

 

[campfire]

Chassis black.

David

Good choice, but I wound up using my leftover white from the wheels.

I need to take a trip down to the graffiti store.

The red is peeling pretty badly from the engine, so there's lots of room for M.A.W. here.

 

[Blue85]

I think the taper in the block assumes you'll be dropping the t-case to match. 3"-4" block puts a lot more angle in the U-joints. The weird thing with blocks (besides the axle wrap) is how they move the axle. With the tension shackle, the spring is sloped, so the block moves the axle backwards. So that taper is also rotating the axle forward.

For shocks, I'd rather have one that auto adjusts while you drive than picking a fixed setting while stopped. Of course mono vs twin has been discussed to death....

 

[frankin5]

I never did, and actually went through my box of cooling components just a few weeks ago. It's on Amazon, too:

ACDelco 15-80782 GM Original Equipment Engine Coolant Thermostat Housing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EQRIQE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_LItHzbY0CHXGV

David[/QUOTE]

The Chinese take a while to make it and the boat is slow to Amazon.

 

[campfire]

@GWeakland620, SSDiesel does not carry 6.2 injectors, nor do they carry the special coarse-thread '82 red block injectors.
@AgDieseler, have you come across any improved injectors for the older design? I can order AC Delco replacements, but IIRC you are running some sort of Bosch. Not that yours would fit into my super-special high-alloy heads.


http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=497158&cc=1307034&jsn=419&jsn=419

 

[AgDieseler]

Stanadyne's brand new 6.5 injectors became cheaper than rebuilds some time back, and I've run those since. College-budget David ran a mix and match rebuild set from Accurate Diesel, and they worked well enough for 60K. You might have some luck there.

David