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The Great Smaug

Overview Gallery Discussion
shady said:
Did you ever lift this? I forgot what you've done
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Yes. 3" EZ-ride springs in the front (not HD springs). Rear got new stock-height 1850# springs from General Spring of Kansas City, plus 3" welded blocks. Front shocks converted to use Ford-style shock towers. Steering arm has been changed, and I have a set of sway bar disconnects. Otherwise it's all stock geometry.

I stuck with the soft springs because of this truck's intended purpose. I can always add leaves or airbags later, if needs change. After a couple years of wheeling and hauling, I don't think I will need to.
 
Ok.. just wondered because the custom alcans I had made for mine became available cheap.
I told him I wasn't interested, then remembered this truck.
 
52" rear
47" front. Both stock length

3" lift. Set for easy riding. Like 5 leafs front, 7 back, or similar.

He'll sell me the whole truck for $6-700. I offered him $500 for the springs and he agreed... But then came back with whole truck or nothing since he doesn't have the place or resources to part/scrap it out like I do.
I decided I didn't really need the springs my self anyway lol.
 
shady said:
52" rear
47" front. Both stock length

3" lift. Set for easy riding. Like 5 leafs front, 7 back, or similar.

He'll sell me the whole truck for $6-700. I offered him $500 for the springs and he agreed... But then came back with whole truck or nothing since he doesn't have the place or resources to part/scrap it out like I do.
I decided I didn't really need the springs my self anyway lol.
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Oh so it's in Iowa.
I thought it was in Colorado at ORD.
 
shady said:
Ok.. just wondered because the custom alcans I had made for mine became available cheap.
I told him I wasn't interested, then remembered this truck.
Click to expand...

Yes, that would have been a perfect deal for me 3 or 4 years ago. I have $500 in these 4, and they're just 3-leaf and 5-leaf packs. The Alcans should be a bit nicer.
 
shady said:
He'll sell me the whole truck for $6-700. I offered him $500 for the springs and he agreed... But then came back with whole truck or nothing since he doesn't have the place or resources to part/scrap it out like I do.
I decided I didn't really need the springs my self anyway lol.
Click to expand...

And six years ago I would have bought the entire truck.

It's all about timing.
 
campfire said:
Post the springs up in the classifieds section. Someone is bound to want them. I think @78K30 could use them on his burb.
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He’s not wrong, these would be very interesting to me since I just got some nice CUCV tons to go into my burb
 
I stopped over today to pick up the doors and he's decided to keep the frame and running gear since I didn't want to buy it.
 
Bump this thread for motivation. The time has finally come. I gave this truck a glance today. I pulled out my tools and shoved the piece of plywood under the engine bay.

The truck chassis (including the ignition switch) is now powered by the left battery, with only the starter directly running off the right battery. So I powered up just the cab side, clunked the solenoid, and took an ohm reading of the disconnected starter motor circuit. 7000 Ohms with the solenoid closed. Not good. 12V * 12V / 7000 Ohms means the circuit can consume 0.02 Watts. Not enough power to warm a miniature hot dog, and definitely not enough to crank a high-compression V8. So my field diagnosis last summer was correct.

I pulled the starter and wired the power wire and the solenoid control wire directly to the motor winding stud. So when the remote solenoid closes, power will energize both circuits simultaneously, bypassing the factory solenoid switch. I got it back into place, but was interrupted before I got it finished. I need to reroute the power wire now, as it's wedged against the turbo downpipe. Little things, eh? :rolleyes:

The starter did spin just fine on the bench, and the motor shaft is still tight. The bendix worked properly. So I don't think the starter is damaged aside from the crummy solenoid.

Thanks to @78K30 for supplying a little bit of accidental motivation. This thing is about ready for a summer of fun!

:popcorn:
 
Have you looked into a replacement solenoid? They used to sell them at Advance Auto for most vehicles.
 
TerryD said:
Have you looked into a replacement solenoid? They used to sell them at Advance Auto for most vehicles.
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Yes. I have a nearly-new replacement solenoid left over from a previous round of solenoid failures years ago (lifetime warranty, even :rolleyes:). I decided to relocate the solenoid because there's no safe way to jumper the terminals when I'm out in the woods. The turbine downpipe is just too close to sneak some metal tool up there. Had I been able to manually connect those terminals, I would not have been on the tow strap all those times last summer. That's why I'm relocating the solenoid. As a preventative thing. Just in case. This is not the first time I've had a similar solenoid issue, nor the second, nor the third. Mexican rebuilds from Autozone just aren't great units. Half the parts are shiny and the other half are ready to fail. If I had an OEM-quality starter, I probably wouldn't worry about it. But I haven't seen respectable brands offering new versions of this starter for a few years now. Let me know if I'm wrong...
 
Myself I just wouldn't go to AutoZone lol. It's been a well known deal that electronic components from them fail. I don't know why, but they do tend to.

Wheel bearing, door handle, valve cover gaskets, sure.... But nothing with electrical circuits in it.
 
shady said:
Myself I just wouldn't go to AutoZone lol. It's been a well known deal that electronic components from them fail. I don't know why, but they do tend to.

Wheel bearing, door handle, valve cover gaskets, sure.... But nothing with electrical circuits in it.
Click to expand...

I know exactly why. Low quality standards. They don't bother ensuring that their parts will work long-term. Even if you do pay for their lifetime warranty, most customers don't own their cars long enough to need a warranty claim. The parts last just...barely...long enough to get the car sold to the next poor sucker. And it's not just electrical components, either.
 
I haven't he'd much issue with there other stuff.

I get the moving it to a more convenient location just in case too. Good thinking for future use
 
shady said:
I get the moving it to a more convenient location just in case too. Good thinking for future use
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For the way I use this truck, lifetime warranties don't mean anything. When I'm in the middle of nowhere, it needs to work. And/or, I need to be able to fix it with the basic hand tools I carry. I can't just swing by Autozone and collect another "free" starter motor. :rolleyes:
 
I've never liked down-draft automotive carburetors. They barely work at the best of times, and my goal is to never own another one. But if I break something in a carb, I can probably get back home. A failed ECM is a failed ECM. Not much I can do to fix it on the side of the road. Yeah, it's lots less likely to fail. But when it does, I need a tow truck.

Things to ponder. This truck is probably fine, since it has neither a carb nor an ECM. ;)

:thinking:
 
There's pretty much nothing in a carb you can break, but if you did, a rebuild kit and a couple of hand tools.in the glove box will have you going in a half an HR....



If you had a carb anyway.. lol. As for the injection.... Way too many ways to fail in my book lol.
(Even though I AM still contemplating going FI :doah:).

Scrap your 6.2, get the gas version of said engine size, add forced induction of some kind, and drive the wheels off of it :D.
Or leave it alone and do the same lol.
 
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