Luke, the liftgate conversion is even better when you install fresh gas struts. No more bonking my head. 
CK5
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The Green Grendel
- Thread starter campfire
- Start date
Glad you got it going good, by the way for some reason all of the 24v dual 12v battery setups I have worked on, even pure 24v systems, need the batteries rotated about every 6 months.Oh, and the new starter should be a 24V MT28 (gear-reduction) starter. @Csm Davis will be so proud of my new cranking speed...
Can you post more pictures of your Leer rear glass replacement? Few of the hinge and latch areas.
Not sure why or how, but the secondary battery in this truck hasn't been replaced since before I bought the truck (2012). I replaced the primary one in 2013. I've never rotated them, so they hafta be wearing unevenly. But since they charge independently the only downside I can think of is that one is aging more quickly than the other (and thus I'll be replacing it sooner). If I was running your 24V alternator I would hafta pay much more attention to this because they'd be charging in series. Is that right?
Yessir, it is going good. Really good, I just turn the key and it runs. That's why it's been so hard to talk myself into getting rid of it. So the green-haired stepchild will be staying here for a while longer.
Did you see the video and the thread link above? Did you have a specific question? The hinge and latch are both reused from the pickup topper.
I think the CUCV setup is worse on the 12v battery because of the use by both systems 12 and 24 volt but it only slightly worse than the full 24v system but I can't explain why it goes out like it does on both systems. Possibly the CUCV system uses the 12v more but not sure that should be the case as like you said the CUCV system uses the 2 12v alternators to keep the batteries up. With the 24v only systems it should treat the batteries as one 24v battery but it never really works out that way.Not sure why or how, but the secondary battery in this truck hasn't been replaced since before I bought the truck (2012). I replaced the primary one in 2013. I've never rotated them, so they hafta be wearing unevenly. But since they charge independently the only downside I can think of is that one is aging more quickly than the other (and thus I'll be replacing it sooner). If I was running your 24V alternator I would hafta pay much more attention to this because they'd be charging in series. Is that right?
No didn't see the video and link. Will look.
@Csm Davis, I'm going to take a shotgun approach here and post up a whole gallery. Lemme know if you want something else.
First off, proof that I really did replace the cylinders yesterday.
The caulk shrunk and pulled back in spots. Not sure why, but I will be correcting this on a future warm day. So far, though, it doesn't leak, and that's more than I could say for the old crank window.
There is half a finger-width gap between the window and the tailgate. I have 3/8" tall rubber weatherstripping to solve this problem.
This is the gap that should be filled by the plastic stop. Not sure how this is gonna look with the pickup gate. That gap will probably be open, but it's no more than a 3/8" problem like the tailgate gap. The tailgate-to-fender gap is about 1/4", so I'm not sure how airtight you want yours to be. I have several quarter-sized holes in my floor, and 100% of my weatherstripping is shot. So airtight isn't worth my headache anymore.
The latch is a pretty common Leer design:
Here's the full bumper gap (the other side is too tight to clear the factory stop):
And finally, the angled cutout pockets left behind after cutting a straight line through a complexly curved topper.
First off, proof that I really did replace the cylinders yesterday.
The caulk shrunk and pulled back in spots. Not sure why, but I will be correcting this on a future warm day. So far, though, it doesn't leak, and that's more than I could say for the old crank window.
There is half a finger-width gap between the window and the tailgate. I have 3/8" tall rubber weatherstripping to solve this problem.
This is the gap that should be filled by the plastic stop. Not sure how this is gonna look with the pickup gate. That gap will probably be open, but it's no more than a 3/8" problem like the tailgate gap. The tailgate-to-fender gap is about 1/4", so I'm not sure how airtight you want yours to be. I have several quarter-sized holes in my floor, and 100% of my weatherstripping is shot. So airtight isn't worth my headache anymore.
The latch is a pretty common Leer design:
Here's the full bumper gap (the other side is too tight to clear the factory stop):
And finally, the angled cutout pockets left behind after cutting a straight line through a complexly curved topper.
So yes, Luke is correct in saying that it doesn't fit the tailgate properly. It is 3/8" off at the bottom. But given how perfectly it fits the back surface of the topper, I don't have a problem adding 3/8" of weatherstripping. Moving the glass forward (or the tailgate back) to close the gap would throw off the body lines and/or require fiberglass work. But staying close to the factory mold line yields a surface that's almost a perfect plane. So the mounting was just like replacing a window on a factory topper.
I do have the bump stops removed, so that second gap is there. But I put that gap there so I could run them if I wound up keeping the K5 tailgate. Someone who already has a pickup gate could easily have dropped it the extra 3/8" to close that gap.
But overall I am still 100% happy with this mod. I can't figure out why roll-up tailgate windows were desirable.
I do have the bump stops removed, so that second gap is there. But I put that gap there so I could run them if I wound up keeping the K5 tailgate. Someone who already has a pickup gate could easily have dropped it the extra 3/8" to close that gap.
But overall I am still 100% happy with this mod. I can't figure out why roll-up tailgate windows were desirable.
@Csm Davis, I'm going to take a shotgun approach here and post up a whole gallery. Lemme know if you want something else.
First off, proof that I really did replace the cylinders yesterday.
View attachment 262163
View attachment 262164
The caulk shrunk and pulled back in spots. Not sure why, but I will be correcting this on a future warm day. So far, though, it doesn't leak, and that's more than I could say for the old crank window.
View attachment 262151
View attachment 262152
View attachment 262153
View attachment 262154
View attachment 262155
There is half a finger-width gap between the window and the tailgate. I have 3/8" tall rubber weatherstripping to solve this problem.
View attachment 262156
This is the gap that should be filled by the plastic stop. Not sure how this is gonna look with the pickup gate. That gap will probably be open, but it's no more than a 3/8" problem like the tailgate gap. The tailgate-to-fender gap is about 1/4", so I'm not sure how airtight you want yours to be. I have several quarter-sized holes in my floor, and 100% of my weatherstripping is shot. So airtight isn't worth my headache anymore.
View attachment 262157
View attachment 262158
View attachment 262159
The latch is a pretty common Leer design:
View attachment 262160
View attachment 262161
Here's the full bumper gap (the other side is too tight to clear the factory stop):
View attachment 262162
And finally, the angled cutout pockets left behind after cutting a straight line through a complexly curved topper.
Okay I see you used the outer frame. I was thinking of using the gate without a extra frame. Thanks for extra pictures.
It hasta be worse on the primary battery because it's carrying both loads. On my CUCV, the glow plugs are running off the 12V system, so the imbalance is worse than normal on my truck. One battery is discharged significantly further each time it cold-starts. And if there were any accessories in these trucks (
) they would also be drawing down the 12V battery.With a real 24V charging system you would want two perfectly matched 12V batteries with perfect connections. But I think you'd hafta buy a real 24V battery to achieve that in real life. Too much variation in real life batteries to keep them matched in the long term. When I worked on 48V UPS systems the batteries were always replaced in sets.
Yeah, using the outer frame gave me a perfect outline for tracing, and a reinforced beam for mounting and keeping things true. And built in latch strikers. No reason you'd hafta do things that way...
For what it's worth, my voltmeter regularly reads 14.5V/29.5V. IIRC it reads slightly high, but it still indicates a 14V/15V imbalance between the two alternators. And since the secondary voltage never drops, it is slightly overcharging that battery. I think real-life voltmeter reading at the battery was 14.2V. So it's not high enough to really bother me, but it never comes down to its proper 13.8V float voltage, and the 12V system does. 
Of course, this is also the alternator that ran all year without any field input, so I probably shouldn't complain too loudly.
Of course, this is also the alternator that ran all year without any field input, so I probably shouldn't complain too loudly.
It hasta be worse on the primary battery because it's carrying both loads. On my CUCV, the glow plugs are running off the 12V system, so the imbalance is worse than normal on my truck. One battery is discharged significantly further each time it cold-starts. And if there were any accessories in these trucks (
With a real 24V charging system you would want two perfectly matched 12V batteries with perfect connections. But I think you'd hafta buy a real 24V battery to achieve that in real life. Too much variation in real life batteries to keep them matched in the long term. When I worked on 48V UPS systems the batteries were always replaced in sets.
Yeah we always tried to replace them with matched sets but if you don't rotate them one always died first in both systems, so I have gone to always rotating them.
I just replaced the dead one.
The 12V trucks have the same problem as the true 24V trucks. The driver-side battery doesn't see nearly as much current draw as the passenger-side battery, yet they're hooked to the same alternator. I've tried a number of rotational strategies between my 4 double-battery diesel trucks, and I don't think any of the the battery sets have worn out evenly.
Best thing I have found for batteries is Solargizers 12v one per battery, they won't recharge them but will make them last for more than 5 years.
Yeah, I'm getting more intentional about battery storage this year. Adding terminal disconnects, for one. The stepside has a clock that runs the battery down, and the K5 had a runaway starter a few months back. After struggling to tear the terminals off I decided to try something like these:
Though I'll hafta see what the voltage loss across them is when cranking.
I'm also trading the "throw a 2-amp charger on there once in a while" philosophy for a hard-wired tender plug sticking out of the grille. More as a reminder than anything, because sitting is most of what the trucks do these days.
Woke up to 14" of fresh snowfall today, with a promise of much more to come.
It was time to have some fun.
Both differentials marked their territory. The 14BFF marks a lot of territory.
Overall I was impressed. It didn't slip or falter, it just drove smoothly. I know exactly how useless the stepside is when buried to its hubs in snow, so I was happy.
It was time to have some fun.
Both differentials marked their territory. The 14BFF marks a lot of territory.
Overall I was impressed. It didn't slip or falter, it just drove smoothly. I know exactly how useless the stepside is when buried to its hubs in snow, so I was happy.
It was more stable without the rear Detroit, but I still miss it. Even in the snow.
