Gary Lewis

Steve - Thanks. I've looked at Rock Auto's site and those items. But, like Jim said, the price isn't truly representative of the total cost. The shipping charge to get the calipers to me is $15/ea, so you actually have to add $30 to the cost of each caliper since I have to return the core. So, the ACDELCO 18R1148SV's are $111.79 from RA, but with the $30 shipping that makes them $141.79. However, Amazon has them for $133.45 and free shipping plus a $45 rebate, making them $88.45. The only downside is that it says "Usually ships within 1 to 3 months." And while I probably have the kind of time to accept "FREE delivery: July 26 - Sept 9", that's not a very good feeling. How in the world can they say they "usually ship within 1 to 3 months"? Anyway, thanks y'all. Keep those cards and letters coming in as my mind is still open on this.

Those are pretty! And unique.

Jim - You said "Motorcraft severe or super duty brake pads. (I forget which)." I found these that fit the '95. Might they be what you have? Motorcraft BRSD655 Front Severe Duty Pad: $37.79 And, I found these: Bosch BC655 QuietCast Premium Ceramic Front Disc Brake Pad Set: $41.41 Bosch BSD655 655 Severe Duty Disc Brake Pad: $48.33 There isn't enough price difference to choose on price. Thoughts?

Well, it looks like I was wrong. I saw a website where their pistons were either aluminum or cast iron, and since these weren't iron I assumed they are aluminum. But, they don't have the ring of aluminum when hit with a tool, so I'd guess they are phenolic. Anyway, do you folks have a suggestion for good calipers? I'm not looking for the powder coated ones - unless they are the essentially the same price as uncoated ones of the same caliber. And, what pads would y'all recommend? Jim - Remember the totes in which you shipped me all that stuff a couple of years ago? I've been using ones just like them for storing things and just filled one up with all the parts I'd cleaned from the '95. Now I have something I cannot lift. But, I can scoot it and in a tote all that stuff takes up FAR less real estate. So I'm happy.

Those are beautiful, and it is a really good price. However, they aren't exactly "right" for our trucks since they have the black centers. Still, for the price......

Yup, that's what I meant to be saying. I probably could've mounted the air bags so they limited up-travel more and down travel less if I wanted to make that trade-off. But I didn't think through it that much when I mounted them, and for the use that truck saw it was never a big enough issue to work on it. I did consider trying to modify one side of the mount (top side or bottom side) to let the axle fall away from the air bag (or the air bag from the frame) to allow full droop. But I would've wanted to recapture it when the axle came back up so it couldn't "squirt" out, and I never had a great idea on how to do that. And see the paragraph above about it not being that big an issue for me. I know that there are air springs that allow a lot more travel than the Firestones I had. There are competition rock buggies with insane travel using air springs (geometry helps them too of course). So I'm sure there are ways to get whatever you want to get. But it likely won't be as simple as ordering bolt-on air helper springs and following the directions. I think if it was me I'd skip the air bags and go sort of middle of the road with the leafs. Maybe not as stiff as would be ideal for carrying the biggest loads I envisioned, but not as soft as I'd consider ideal for trail running. I'm sure you could come up with something better with enough work. But I'd be tempted to keep the work down and just strike what I hope would be a reasonable compromise. That said, as I talked about in my trip report from Ouray last year, my '71 Bronco was one of the slowest vehicles on the trails, and ride quality was the limiting factor on my speed most of the time. Any 3/4 ton truck will be handicapped in that way even more than my Bronco. The minimalist approach I said I might favor would simply accept that limitation. I still think that's what I would lean toward. But I certainly understand the desire to improve on it. Bob - Thanks for the clarification. I'll probably continue to think about this and maybe even search for an air solution that'll give more travel. But, doing anything about it will be at the end of the project so I'll know more about the weight, the ride, etc. However, if anyone has any ideas, please let me know. As for rebuilding the brake calipers, I don't think so. That's 'cause I can't find a complete rebuild kit with pistons, and if I did it looks like it would be 2/3 the cost of a reman'd one. Raybestos' catalog doesn't show a kit for a '95 F350 with pistons, just the seals, bushings, bolts, and springs. But Crown Automotive has a kit, albeit not for a '95 F350, that does include the pistons, and it is $23 at Summit. On the other hand, Summit has a Cardone reman'd caliper for $31. Note: I'm not saying I'm going with a Cardone unit, but even a reman'd Raybestos is only $44, so that's probably what I'll go for. However, Raybestos has two: Raybestos Rust Prevention Technology Brake Calipers FRC10521C: $43.99 + shipping at Summit Raybestos Professional Grade Brake Calipers FRC10521: $44.99 at Summit, + shipping So, why not save $2 on two calipers and get the plated ones? As for why I need pistons, these appear to be aluminum and are supposed to have a steel head. But, the ones from the first caliper I looked at are in poor shape.

You have that body mount assembled upside-down, too. The hex-recessed shell & rubber go on top; the bolt & round rubber on the bottom (views U & Z): https://supermotors.net/getfile/194329/thumbnail/body-mounts.jpg https://supermotors.net/getfile/919955/thumbnail/bodymtl1c.jpg Well, score another for the "mechanics". Hmmmm, I've often heard about "shade tree mechanics". But palms aren't shade trees, are they? Thanks for pointing that out. But that is coming apart as they also butchered the core support, so I have one Jonathan brought me almost two years ago that'll replace that one. So I'll fix the mounts at the same time.

Duh! Yes, that's what he said. My bad! So they are connected to the frame and axle and don't stretch far enough to allow full travel. That's surely what he said rather than my poor understanding. But, that makes me wonder if all air bags work that way? Probably, but it would be something to explore. Thanks for the correction.

Jim - Yes, I can rebuild them. But I was expecting "new" prices to be a bit less than the $85/ea and up that I'm finding, and thought I'd just go "new". So I will pull them apart and see what they look like. It isn't as if they are all that hard to replace at a later date if needed.And, that kinda explains my thinking on this project. If it is extremely hard to get to, like the internals of the differential, then do it RIGHT. If it is hard to get to, like the u-joints in the axles, then do it right. If it isn't too hard to get to, like brake calipers or driveshaft, then use good quality components. Man, that's really poor QC on Wagner's part. Bob - I guess I hadn't thought about the air bags limiting travel. You had the stops on the air bags hitting at the same time as the truck's bump stops. But, since you need to keep some air in the bags at all times they were limiting things long before hitting the bump stops? Is that what you are saying? So, if the air bags were set so that they came into play at minimum pressure at the same time as the axle hit the bump stops then you'd have full travel in an unloaded situation. And since the bump stops would prevent travel from going any further you'd never hit the air bag's stops. Would that work?

It is possible that the starter isn't lined up correctly. But it is more likely that you have the wrong starter. There was a starter for manual transmissions and one for automatics, and you may have been given the wrong one. Also, there was a change later in the number of teeth on the drive gear. Do you have the old starter? If so, I'd pull the new one and compare. And, you can see the part numbers here: Engines/Starters.

Jim - Pretty much my understanding on the drilled/slotted rotors as well. Thanks. But, I hadn't heard/read about problems with Wagners. I do like Raybestos. And their 66476 rotor appears to be a good one. Still struggling on the calipers. They want real money for re-manufactured ones, so perhaps I should pull these apart and see what shape they are in. The pads look almost new, so perhaps the calipers are as well. On the u-joints, I think I'll try the blue ones for the axles since they are so much fun to get out, and go with the non-coated ones for the driveshaft.

There are at least two possible reasons for the key to be tight. First, perhaps the wheel is turned and the steering wheel lock is what is keeping it from straightening up. If so, try turning the wheel a bit one way or the other to free the key. Another is that the lube in the tumbler and/or switch is old and hard. See the Ignition Switch tab here for what to do about that: Electrical/Ignition. Look on Page 4 here for a picture of the air horns: Literature/1982 Literature/1982 Accessories. It appears there were two kits, and here's what was in them:

That she is, Ray, that she is! Ten years. Man, that was a lifetime ago. Our 50th is on August 1st, and it has gone by way too quickly. What a wonderful time. Anyway, I promised some pics. Here's Mario's Bump. This is the truck that was on the trailer that Big Blue extracted. Mario has done some amazing work on it and hopes to have it done, or at least done enough, to bring to our show in September. This is the rear suspension. The front has equally beautiful work. This shows what I told Mario is an error - he covered up the beautiful work on the front suspension. So he's considering inserting a piece of plexi in the fender liner.

Ok, next questions. Steve/FoxFord33 checked out the rotors and discovered that they are already at or below the minimum thickness. So I need new rotors. But I've also come to the conclusion that while in there I might as well replace the calipers and pads. So I've been doing some looking and there are a myriad of different brands, including some kits with rotors, calipers, and pads. In addition, there are "blank" rotors, drilled rotors, slotted rotors, and drilled & slotted rotors. I've done some reading about those different kinds, but what opinions do y'all have? And, do you have a recommended brand? Also, there's the question of which u-joints. I plan to go with Spicer's non-greasable SPL u-joints, and the ones for the axles are the SPL55-RX. But, Spicer has come out with a new blue u-joint called the SPL55-1480XC. Amazon has the SPL55-RX at $44.25, but Bronco Graveyard has the SPL55-1480XC at $45 + shipping. Anyone know about this new u-joint? I'm wanting an extremely good one in places that are hard to get to, like the axles.

Ok, Jim. I'll move onto the next thing.....

Actually, I take this back...I think I bought the right amount: The little bit of POR15 I put down this morning dried very quickly, so I was able to put the GTmat down on the rest of the cabin. It looks pretty dopey, but I was able to get plenty of mat where I thought it most important (footwells and transmission hump), plus a good bit of coverage elsewhere. If the objective is to load the floor and break up resonances, I think this will do the trick. I may get the heat shield material down on the passenger floor tonight, but that'll be about it until Tuesday when I hope to get the jute in and start figuring out how to trim the vinyl. Also, Tuesday is when the seat material arrives, so hopefully I can get the seat to the upholsterer before the end of the week. One good thing about the floor drying so quickly is that I can move the truck again. I don't have a milk crate, so I have to use my Homer bucket...I have a friend who is 7'2" (yes, he plays basketball, how did you guess?), and now I understand how he feels driving. And now that I can move the truck: Julia gets her parking space back. I had originally told her she would most likely get it back on Monday, so she'll be pleasantly surprised when she gets back from today's shopping run. Underpromise and overdeliver, that's a protip for you younger guys. Matthew - I think you've done very well. (I can't help but think of the immortal words of young Mr. Grace: "You've all done very well.") You probably have 60% of the floor covered, and that's about twice the minimum. And, you covered the unsupported areas that are the most likely to vibrate. On top of that, you got done early. Well done.

This is true traversing flat and level ground but going over bumps/rocks and landing is going to subject the front springs to normal weights and the winch bumper, extra battery and whatever else (like the compressor) Very true. But, as long as there's travel in the springs for that to happen then it shouldn't be a problem. I'm anxious to see how much room there is between the spring and the bump stop when this goes together. Anyone have a guess?

Jim - I can still post on FTE, including things for sale. I've chosen not to do so for the last two years as any extra time I have for forums can be used here. But, if the items don't move pretty quickly when the time comes I'll post them there. Now, for a question to you. We've agreed a price for the shackles that are in Big Blue since the bushings are surely better than the ones off the '95. What would prevent me from placing a chain around the frame and spring as a safety, supporting the front of the spring with a jack, pulling the G8's, lowering the spring a bit to get the shackle out, inserting one from the '95, and then raising the spring back in place and reinstalling the bolts? That way I can ship them to you pretty quickly instead of you waiting for months.

Yes, I originally had planned on using the bumper as an air tank. But those plans changed and now the plan is to use a true air tank. Anyway, glad you said something on the rear. Who knows how it is going to look when it starts coming together. Oh, and with the weight of the rear bumper, spare, high-lift jack, and gas behind the axle there's less for the front springs to carry.

Those with the labels are from the '95. Big Blue's bushings have been replaced though. Anyway, email sent on pricing the shackles. Good to know on the headers. I'll see what shape they are in when I get them out. As for the 12-point bolt, the cowl seal on Big Blue was almost non-existent when I got it. And with the essentially daily rain Vernon said they get everything under the hood was corroded. And, the bell housing may be a better item than I thought!

Good point about the rear springs. I don't know how much the rear bumper will weigh, but it'll be substantial. Plus it'll have the spare moved back from right over the rear axle to well aft of that. As for the gas tank, it is to be the 38 gallon unit and full the gas alone will be 240 lbs. Add in the tank and sending unit and it'll probably be 275 lbs. But, I don't have the bumper designed as an air tank. Instead I plan to put a true air tank under the bed on the passenger's side. As for ripping an air line, my plan was to get the springs to carry the normal load and I'd just use the air bags for when I'm carrying a heavy load like when I'm towing. Anyway, good idea to wait for the on the rear springs until I get the other bits in place.

Steve - You may be right that the best way is to part the whole thing out. But, it is a bit like finding the whole Dana 60 front suspension: there's a balance between the time required to take the thing apart and sell each component and, therefore, get the highest price vs selling the whole thing in one go for less money. So, I'll have to see what happens. Shaun - Good to know on the bracket/shackle holes. One guy had asked about the whole shooting match to put on his F250 2wd, so I'll let him know. Jim - The L&L's don't appear to be ceramic. And since they seem to have some rust on them I don't think they are stainless. But they weren't painted black. So maybe they were the nickel-plated one? As for the tranny, Jonathan is interested in it, but not the bell housing, which he said should be worth some money as they are frequently cracked. Anyway, I'll work with him on this. And, you are right that I'll have a DS-II dizzy, coil, ignition box, and wiring harness. While many are looking for either the small-block or 4.9L harness, this one could be modified fairly easily for either of those applications. Last, I have the brackets from the '95 that should be the same, as shown below since all 1980 and on F250 & 350's take E5TZ 5K316-A. And, here's the label off of one of mine, and after the pic was taken I cleaned it a bit more and it does say -A. Further, it says 6/27/98 so these had been replaced. Here's what the two of them look like. Note that the bushings have cracks. Having said all that, here's a comparo of those to the ones on Big Blue, but obviously have the later one upside down. Anyway, I'd bet the ones that are on Big Blue have relatively new poly bushings. Interested in either set?

All I can think of here: Dane - I do think there is a lot of "suggestive reading" going on. I've read on so many other forums what people have said about the F250 4x4's, and I find myself agreeing with them. Then when I drive Big Blue I observe just what they said. But, prior to that it wasn't so bad. Jim - I do hope you are right. And I do believe that you are. It makes sense that with the very limited travel that the off-road manners will be poor, and there will be many spots where the front will lose traction because of that. And if the on-road ride is anything to judge by, the off-road ride will be bone-jarring. Basically, I believe I need a soft, supple suspension. That would not only give the best possible off-road traction but it would also make the trip to and fro the off-road experience much more enjoyable. So in addition to the changes up front I'm leaning toward using air bags in back to supplement a much softer spring pack. I've also been thinking about the sway bar. I wonder if the weird geometry of the TTB's is why the F250 sway bar makes the front so much harsher? And, if so, will the simple geometry of the straight axle work nicely with its sway bar? Or is a sway bar even needed? I'm not running one now and the only difference I noticed was a less-bad ride. Matthew - That's a good one. Big Blue's looks won't change that dramatically, but under the skin the rest of him sure will: D44 TTB to D60 w/SD springs & an RSK; Carburetion to SEFI; T19 to ZF5; headers hitting the frame & glass packs to stock manifolds or shorties & Magnaflows; 60A 1G to 160A 3G; Sawzalled crossmember to fully-repaired one; C2 pump and vacuum boost w/a cast iron master to Saginaw pump providing hydroboost to a system w/an F450 master; 7 leaves in the rear springs to something far less with maybe air bags to supplement; etc. And, speaking of fully repairing the crossmember, I spoke to Scott/WelderScott at church about it today. He runs Victor Welding in Tulsa and is apparently licensed to weld anything to anything. I told him what the problem is and he said he'd come over when the time comes and either give me instructions or, better yet, weld the crossmember up. And, he wants to fishplate it as well.

Shaun - Thanks, that helps. I have Vernon's receipts, which might qualify if someone knows me and/or trusts me. I'll look them up. Since I think I'll have to pull the spring brackets and shackles off Big Blue in order to do the SuperDuty springs and RSK, wouldn't they make it easier to make a 2wd F250 into a 4wd? Are the holes already there in the frame? If so, with the driveshaft included all someone would have to have is a 4wd tranny and t-case and he'd have everything. I think.

What am I chopped liver I pointed Steve where to look in my post. J/K I am guessing this was a Ford option? I know when I added air horns to my 86 K5 Blazer with a 6.2 diesel, no vacuum, I had to go with the type that had a small compressor turned by a 12v motor and small belt. It would build 110 psi and came with a hose to blow up tires. Dave ---- Sorry! I'm just trying to catch up after taking part of a day off yesterday, and I'm obviously not reading everything as well as I should.