Gary Lewis

Interesting! However I'm thinking there's too much slop in a locking hub to hold the carrier tight enough for even my standards (and Gary sure seems to have a lot higher standards than me on things like this). But as a latch it would be plenty strong. As to the spindle strength, I wouldn't doubt it either. But it does mean that the end of the bumper would need to be strong enough to take the entire load rather than being able to share it with the latch point. On your later point about the line contact of the pin latch, I don't think that's a concern in Gary's design because the bolt is what will be holding it while driving. Wow, guys! Lots to think about. Let me try to go point by point: Spindle: I'm pretty sure that a Ford spindle will be much too tall. I actually started trying to use a light-duty boat trailer spindle that I happen to have, and it was too tall. And I'll bet that the Ford spindle will be even taller. The issue is where the top of the spindle is with respect to the tail light. The spindle I have in the plans is just tall enough to cover the reflector that is below the backup light, and the trailer spindle would have covered the backup light. So I would expect that a Ford spindle would be into the tail light itself, and I don't want to do that. Plus, the trailer and Ford hubs are cast and wouldn't be good to weld to. I consulted my fabricator friend on that one, and he nixed a cast hub. But we even looked at bolting to a cast hub and couldn't make it work. Fortunately, there are at least two companies making spindles specifically for swing arms, and they have steel hubs and are short enough to clear the lights. But, I will say that all of this saddens me as I really did want to use Ford parts where I could. Lock: I love the idea of using the hub lock! That's absolutely cool! But, I agree with Bob that the slop would be too much for this application. Triangle: Yes, this is a choice. And I want the triangle closed so there's no give. Obviously there are two ways to design it w/o closing the triangle. One is to omit the vertical piece, and to do that would then focus all of the tire's weight via the lever arm of the upper tube on its weld to the lower arm - not something I want to do as I'm pretty sure it would crack the weld in short order. The other way, by eliminating the upper, angled, arm does away with the jack's mounting point. Metal/Metal: Yes, I'll prevent that with a piece of UHMW between the two parts. I just need to remember to space the stop back to keep the swing arm parallel with the bumper in the closed position when the UHMW is there. Pin Latch: This is the red ball-handled latch that will be used when the truck is stationary. And I agree that there are stronger designs. But, as Bob pointed out, it is not intended for use while driving. In addition, it will be latched into a block of UHMW, and the latch I've selected is probably as strong as the block. Clamp: As shown above, this is the T-handled bolt that will clamp the swing arm down to prevent bouncing as well as ensure it doesn't move rearward. In the illustration above I had a major error as I didn't include the upper support for the T-bolt. So, as drawn, rearward pressure on the swing arm will try to bend the bolt. But with the upper support in, meaning that the t-bolt passes through two pieces of steel which are inches apart, rearward pressure is trying to shear the bolt, which isn't likely to happen given the 1/2" size thereof. Having said that, I'm still struggling with that screw as the clamp. And, if it is to be a screw, where should it be? One idea is to make the screw a lot longer so the T is easier to reach. Another is to use some form of a quick-turn fastener so there doesn't have to be a lot of twisting. Or, leave a hex head on it and stash a ratcheting wrench nearby with a magnet. (There are copious tools in the toolbox up front, but that wrench would be handy.) Or, use some type of over-center latch to pull the arm down to the bumper. But, I can only put something that is no more than 1/2" high on top of the bumper or the tailgate will hit it. Anyway, please keep those ideas, suggestions, and critiques coming in. Paraphrasing "it takes a village", it takes a forum to design a bumper.

First, that's not trivia for me. I read all that in the hot rod mag's back in the day, and learned how to come off the line w/o going into high stall from them. Turn on the radio (AM back then) and tune to an unused frequency. Come off the line w/ever-increasing throttle and listen for the "pop" when the solenoid takes it into high-stall. Keep doing that until you get it into high-stall at about 20' of movement. That's the fastest launch. In my opinion the ST's with the Switch Pitch feature were good transmissions. Yes, only 2 speeds, but the torque converter made a big difference. So much so that they are now sought after.

My measurements are for a Flareside Gary, so it looks like they're the same as the Styleside. Yes, we are all learning. And, at 71 I'm realizing that there's so much to learn and so little time to do it that I'll never get "there". And, I'm glad we have a Flareside as well as the Bronco in the mix.

Makes sense. Looks like really good work.

Jonathan - I can use it on my iPhone, but I cannot scroll to the right to see the transmission ratios - which you may not have been able to see either. Right? And, speaking of them and your questions: I have both the wide and close-ratio ZF's in already. Is there another one? T19: Kane Ellis has just asked about the 6:32 ratio on FB, so I need to dig back into this. Perhaps all of my literature will clarify things. Transmission ID: There are pages for that, so we may need to refer people there. Or, create our own? Hmmmm, lots more to do.

That's certainly not your fault. That's mine. Ok, so we know that a Bronco takes a different bumper bracket than a Styleside. I'll have to check the brackets in the catalog to see if the Flareside is different. I'm certainly learning on this project. Thanks, William.

Yipes! Three holes? And waaaaay different than the two Styleside holes. This is a Flareside, right? I'll catalog the info, but it looks like there's a big difference in the way the bumper mounts on the two different trucks. Thanks.

Whisler - Thanks. Bill - I'll add the E4OD in the morn. And, it won't have slippage in the calculation, just like the AOD doesn't. Just the C pair. I've assumed that the E4OD's converters have more slippage than those in previous transmissions since they do have the lock-up so they didn't need to keep the slippage down. And, they could be designed to give more torque multiplication than previous converters because of that. Kinda reminds me of the Super Turbine 300. My folks bought a 1964 Buick Sword. (Remember Kookie? In one episode of The Strip he was asked what kind of car suchandso drove. He said "A Sword". Dad and I burst out laughing!!!!) It had the 300 cube iron-block V8 with aluminum heads and the ST-300, which had the Switch-Pitch stator in the torque converter. That rascal would fly, but you couldn't get fully "on" it until you were moving or it would switch the pitch into the high-torque position and it was slow off the line. But at about half-way through the intersection you could nail it and you were GONE.

Gary, The forward bumper hole in my frame is a metric nutsert (14mm). From the center to the top of the frame, I measure 3 1/2". From the center to the rear of the frame, I measure 4 3/16". The rear through hole measures 0.585" ID. From the center to the top of the frame, I measure 4 5/16". From the center to the rear of the frame, I measure 1 1/8". Keep in mind this was mostly with a measuring tape...so I could be off a 1/16" or so...lol. Thanks! Below is what I've captured to this point. As you can see, we are close on most measurements and right on for the front hole/top measurement. I've agreed w/Ben, the guy that's going to build the bumper, that I'll pull the rear bumper off of Big Blue and take the truck over to him when he's ready to start. That way he'll be able to do a trial fit. Anyway, I can then measure BB's frame more accurately. And, I have Dad's frame handy. So I'll measure them with calipers and update the file. Again, thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks, guys. But don't stop the cards and letter now. Please let me know what you think and if there are errors or upgrades. Bill - The slippage variable is able to be changed by the user. As for the E4OD, I don't have that one in. Should I add it?

I can't find anything in the '85 FSM regarding the spider, or as Ford calls them "side", gear spec's. But the ring gear backlash is supposed be between .008 and .015" - measured at the ring gear. As for measuring at the companion flange, aka input shaft, they actually have you lock it via a pipe strapped to the companion flange and clamped to the frame. Then you are to put one wheel on the ground and measure the slop in the other wheel. When measured at 12" from the center of the axle the slop shouldn't exceed 1". Hope that helps.

Thank you for the review! I've thought about it long and hard, and I don't think I want to move the tire from the center. The main reason is that I have the jack mounted on top of the swing arm and with the current position of the tire in the center the jack, w/o the bit on the end, just stops at the top of the tailgate. But, if the tire moves to the side it'll change the angle of the upper swing arm and the jack will stick way up in the air. And, I do plan to put a rear-view camera on the truck. I don't like the idea of having the spare tire behind the bumper and just waiting to be the first thing that hits - and then it will hit the tailgate. On the other hand, it isn't nearly as far back as many I've seen on the road as people frequently use a spare tire carrier that goes into the receiver, and those put the tire typically another 6" to 12" further aft. So my approach isn't as bad, but I still want the camera. As for the screw, it is fiddly. But, I don't think I'll be opening the tailgate all that much to make it a real pain. And, the knowledge that it is very secure and won't be coming loose is worth it to me. Having said that, I won't need to use the screw except when getting on the road as the pin-latch should provide good retention while parked. But just not good enough to make me comfortable when driving.

I just had an interesting idea - a spreadsheet that allows you to find the engine RPM at a given vehicle speed given a bunch of variables, like tire diameter, axle ratio, transfer case ratios, and transmission ratios. And, it would have the transmission ratios already loaded. I know there are lots of calculators "out there", but I don't remember seeing one that already has the gear ratios loaded in for the transmissions we use in these trucks. It would be a way to let you see what a given setup would do. So, maybe at the top would be the various inputs, like tire diameter, test MPH, axle ratio, and transfer case. Then below would be a column for each transmission showing the RPM in each gear, including when in 4Low. What! There is! Driveline/Calculators.

I was reading the discussion regarding the 3.08 gear set for the Sterling diff, and got to thinking about how cool it would be to have a calculator to see what would happen if you changed the gear ratio. And, as things always do with me, creep happened. So now we have a calculator (Driveline/Calculators) that lets you see what your engine RPM would be at a given MPH, and what your RPM would be at a given MPH - in any gear with any transmission with any axle ratio with any tire size. But, I do need your input as to how it works and looks for/to you. I can easily change the layout, at least now while I'm thinking about it. And, if I have the wrong transmissions or gear ratios listed I can add or change that now as well. Thanks in advance....

Yes, I forgot about the ZF having a little taller 5th gear. I guess the ZF has a lower low, and a higher high, right? I think the M5OD 5spd is a great trans for a light little half ton truck...but it has a bit of a bad reputation for being weak from what I read. Still, I've read lots of reports of guys putting hundreds of thousands of miles on them, trouble free, and Ford did sell a zillion of 'em. Beating on it in an offroad application...it likely doesn't stand up, and certainly not when compared to the ZF5. I guess the problem with gearing is that people have different needs, tastes, and requirements. All too often, people forget the impact tire OD has on overall gearing. Lots of guys would hate my truck geared the way it is, but I like it the way it just fine. Maybe something like a 3.25 diff would be an even better balance, but I was in a situation where I wanted to have my cake and eat it too! I wanted decent low end gearing, but I didn't want the thing to be screaming on the highway either. I HATED that 3spd. I've had an NP435 before, and I would take that all day long over the 3-on-the-tree 3spd. Again, like I said above, I think the only reason I'm getting away with my set-up is the small tires. If I suddenly switched to 31" tires, I think the truck would be geared way too tall. I agree with what you'se guys are saying. And, saying it another way, you have to start with the end in mind. If you have a light truck, like to cruise, and don't tow "heavy" then the M5OD might be a good choice. It shifts better than the bigger transmissions, and has a more usable gear ratio spread - for those conditions. On the other hand, if you are going to tow much, or need the creeper gear for off-roading or starting a load, the heavier transmission like the ZF is a better choice. But, you get fewer useful gears for daily driving and you get the big truck "feel" in shifting - meaning you shouldn't expect to speed shift.

Yes, that is good info to know. But, I was initially appalled to see that dirty seal laying on the top of the underhood toolbox. Then I saw the highlighted lettering. Trent's?

Please be careful on those wet roads!

Seems odd to have an Edelbrock intake and carb on that truck but, in my opinion, it is an improvement. And, it is a high price, but with the welder and winch it might be worth it. Hmmmm, we need a generator for the house......

Cool! But it looks like it'll be lots of work to fill all the holes. Remind me where the embossed panel came from?

Given that yours is a 4x4 it'll cost 2x to change the diff's. So a 5 speed might be a better choice, as you said. Most have a wider range of ratios.

There's a procedure in the shop manual to dislodge the shuttle if it sticks one way or the other, so it is obvious that bad brake fluid can cause problems. Jan's is apparently not stuck at either end, but in the middle. If he had a spare he could try cleaning it with a cleaner, or disassembling it.

You've come to the right place, as we like these trucks. And yours sure seems to be clean and in great shape. I long-ago realized that it is better to buy close to what you want rather than try to fix one up to that level. Much less expensive and lots less frustrating.

Cool! Easy enough fix for what seems to be a fairly common problem. But the measurements will surely help someone. TIA.

Ok guys, thanks. There's no big hurry. And, it is from the top of the frame and from the rear of the frame to the center of the holes.