Big Blue's Transformation

[grumpin]

Took the truck for a spin today in order to fill it up and to go to the store. That gave me a chance to observe the "chuckle" in the front end, and I think it is different. It now sounds like most of it is on the left front where before it was all over the front, so I think I next need to check the LF wheel bearings for looseness. And, I need to check out that squeal on the right front as it was still there before the trip.

But the fill up went perfectly. I put the nozzle in the slow notch at the same pump where I overfilled it last time, on the slow notch, and let it go. It took 19.136 gallons, and for 248.97 miles that gives 13.01 MPG! And there is no leak, in spite of it being FULL.

Last, I got to test the Cerakote on the steering wheel. It feels like a new wheel. The Cerakote is hard and there is NO stickiness. None.

Cool! Good job!

And I’ll say again, great MPG for a 460! I think I got close to that with the 94 once, but it had 4.10 gearing.

[Gary Lewis]

Cool! Good job!

And I’ll say again, great MPG for a 460! I think I got close to that with the 94 once, but it had 4.10 gearing.

Thanks, Dane. It felt like a really good day, although I'd have been happier if all of the "chuckle" was gone. Still, getting some of it gone is a step in the right direction, and I see no reason why the LF doesn't have the same problem as the RF.

Did your '94 have a ZF5 or E4OD? The slightly taller OD on the auto, .71 vs .76 on the ZF, means the R's on 4.10 gears with an E4 aren't that much different than 3.55's with a ZF. At 65 MPH I'm turning 1795 at 65 MPH and an E4/4.10 setup would be turning 1934. So that little difference isn't likely to hurt the MPG enough to be measurable.

[85lebaront2]

Took the truck for a spin today in order to fill it up and to go to the store. That gave me a chance to observe the "chuckle" in the front end, and I think it is different. It now sounds like most of it is on the left front where before it was all over the front, so I think I next need to check the LF wheel bearings for looseness. And, I need to check out that squeal on the right front as it was still there before the trip.

But the fill up went perfectly. I put the nozzle in the slow notch at the same pump where I overfilled it last time, on the slow notch, and let it go. It took 19.136 gallons, and for 248.97 miles that gives 13.01 MPG! And there is no leak, in spite of it being FULL.

Last, I got to test the Cerakote on the steering wheel. It feels like a new wheel. The Cerakote is hard and there is NO stickiness. None.

Not too bad, lighter truck, but 4WD, higher compression, 5 speed, headers, nice custom duals, only 4 tires vs 6. 13 mpg vs 12.5.

I wonder what Darth will do with the new engine? My goal is to see if I can get what Matt gets in his traveling Pit Bull kennel, 14 mpg.

[Gary Lewis]

Not too bad, lighter truck, but 4WD, higher compression, 5 speed, headers, nice custom duals, only 4 tires vs 6. 13 mpg vs 12.5.

I wonder what Darth will do with the new engine? My goal is to see if I can get what Matt gets in his traveling Pit Bull kennel, 14 mpg.

Lighter? Darth weighs 6400 and Big Blue weighs 6560 w/o passengers. So all those things like a winch, extra battery, inverter, air compressor, loaded tool box, etc appear to weigh more than the extra seating, fiberglass fenders, and a couple of extra tires.

Don't remember what tires you have but they are smaller than my 33's, so our overall gearing is probably about the same since you have a taller OD.

I'd like to get 14. In fact, that was my goal, but it isn't going to happen the way I'm driving it, meaning 65 MPH on speed control most of the time. Might get closer to 14 feeding it manually, but I doubt it would bring it up that much.

[grumpin]

Thanks, Dane. It felt like a really good day, although I'd have been happier if all of the "chuckle" was gone. Still, getting some of it gone is a step in the right direction, and I see no reason why the LF doesn't have the same problem as the RF.

Did your '94 have a ZF5 or E4OD? The slightly taller OD on the auto, .71 vs .76 on the ZF, means the R's on 4.10 gears with an E4 aren't that much different than 3.55's with a ZF. At 65 MPH I'm turning 1795 at 65 MPH and an E4/4.10 setup would be turning 1934. So that little difference isn't likely to hurt the MPG enough to be measurable.

E4OD, and that’s interesting on the ratios.

I probably could have gotten 13 if I would have kept my foot out of it!

[85lebaront2]

Lighter? Darth weighs 6400 and Big Blue weighs 6560 w/o passengers. So all those things like a winch, extra battery, inverter, air compressor, loaded tool box, etc appear to weigh more than the extra seating, fiberglass fenders, and a couple of extra tires.

Don't remember what tires you have but they are smaller than my 33's, so our overall gearing is probably about the same since you have a taller OD.

I'd like to get 14. In fact, that was my goal, but it isn't going to happen the way I'm driving it, meaning 65 MPH on speed control most of the time. Might get closer to 14 feeding it manually, but I doubt it would bring it up that much.

FWIW, that 12.5 was running 70 mph from near Annapolis MD to Hagerstown MD, then down across the Potomac to Falling Waters WV.

[Gary Lewis]

FWIW, that 12.5 was running 70 mph from near Annapolis MD to Hagerstown MD, then down across the Potomac to Falling Waters WV.

That's good MPG, Bill, even for such a light truck.

Seriously though, since aero drag goes up by the square of the speed, 70 MPG is noticeably worse than 65. These trucks are anything but aerodynamic, and I think Ford wasted a bunch of money on their wind tunnel testing of them. Or, maybe they learned how bad they were and then used that knowledge to create the 87+ trucks with the rounded headlights, flush grilles, etc.

Hey! I've been to Falling Waters, WV! Met a nice young man there.

[Gary Lewis]

That's good MPG, Bill, even for such a light truck. :nabble_smiley_wink:Seriously though, since aero drag goes up by the square of the speed, 70 MPG is noticeably worse than 65. These trucks are anything but aerodynamic, and I think Ford wasted a bunch of money on their wind tunnel testing of them. Or, maybe they learned how bad they were and then used that knowledge to create the 87+ trucks with the rounded headlights, flush grilles, etc.Hey! I've been to Falling Waters, WV! Met a nice young man there.

Several things. First, the squeal in the RF when I locked the hub in and turned it by hand is essentially gone. I don't know what did it, but on Sunday I drove it to town, albeit with the hub locked out, and when I checked it today there was just a tiny squeal. I'm going to work on the RF shock tomorrow so will pull that wheel to make it easier to get to the shock and will check out the squeal as well.

 

Next I pulled the LF wheel off, the brake caliper off, and pulled the locking hub out. That let me measure the end play on the wheel bearings and they measured pretty much like the right side did after adjusting it - .0002". So I put that corner back together as it can't be the source of the chuckle.

 

Then I checked every nut & bolt on the front end. Some weren't torqued quite to the specs for the particular fastener, like for a 1/2-20 G8, but they were all tight and couldn't be making the noise. However, I torqued them down anyway.

 

That just left the shocks as a possible source of the chuckle. So I pulled the driver's side shock and checked the bolt vs the shock mount. The bolts were the ones that came with the D60, which are 12mm 9.8's, and as you can see in the video below they are a loose fit in the shock. But 1/2 bolts are a good fit in the shocks, although they wouldn't quite go into the mounts on the truck. So I reamed those mounts to .494", which JUST lets the bolts go in.

 

I'm wondering if I just didn't have the mount bolts tight enough. Perhaps I hadn't brought the ears of the mounts in far enough with the bolts to put the spacers in the shock's grommets in tension, which let the shock work up and down in the mounts. This time I'm sure I have.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Several things. First, the squeal in the RF when I locked the hub in and turned it by hand is essentially gone. I don't know what did it, but on Sunday I drove it to town, albeit with the hub locked out, and when I checked it today there was just a tiny squeal. I'm going to work on the RF shock tomorrow so will pull that wheel to make it easier to get to the shock and will check out the squeal as well.

 

Next I pulled the LF wheel off, the brake caliper off, and pulled the locking hub out. That let me measure the end play on the wheel bearings and they measured pretty much like the right side did after adjusting it - .0002". So I put that corner back together as it can't be the source of the chuckle.

 

Then I checked every nut & bolt on the front end. Some weren't torqued quite to the specs for the particular fastener, like for a 1/2-20 G8, but they were all tight and couldn't be making the noise. However, I torqued them down anyway.

 

That just left the shocks as a possible source of the chuckle. So I pulled the driver's side shock and checked the bolt vs the shock mount. The bolts were the ones that came with the D60, which are 12mm 9.8's, and as you can see in the video below they are a loose fit in the shock. But 1/2 bolts are a good fit in the shocks, although they wouldn't quite go into the mounts on the truck. So I reamed those mounts to .494", which JUST lets the bolts go in.

 

I'm wondering if I just didn't have the mount bolts tight enough. Perhaps I hadn't brought the ears of the mounts in far enough with the bolts to put the spacers in the shock's grommets in tension, which let the shock work up and down in the mounts. This time I'm sure I have.

 

Success!!!! No more chuckles! :nabble_anim_jump:It is amazing how much more "solid" a vehicle seems when it doesn't rattle when going down the road. And Big Blue no longer rattles. I'm sure it was a combo of the spring clips and sliders, wheel bearings, and shock mounts, but the changes were very effective. :nabble_smiley_good:And the gas tank is still holding, full to the brim with no leaks nor fumes.For the most part I think Big Blue is D.O.N.E. Yes, there are little things I'd like to do. For instance, if Pormido came out with a waterproof front camera that works with my system I'd go to it. And if Welder Scott comes up with all the parts I'd build the rear bumper/spare tire carrier. But BB is ready for anything, just as he sits.

[Machspeed]

Success!!!! No more chuckles!

It is amazing how much more "solid" a vehicle seems when it doesn't rattle when going down the road. And Big Blue no longer rattles. I'm sure it was a combo of the spring clips and sliders, wheel bearings, and shock mounts, but the changes were very effective.

And the gas tank is still holding, full to the brim with no leaks nor fumes.

For the most part I think Big Blue is D.O.N.E. Yes, there are little things I'd like to do. For instance, if Pormido came out with a waterproof front camera that works with my system I'd go to it. And if Welder Scott comes up with all the parts I'd build the rear bumper/spare tire carrier. But BB is ready for anything, just as he sits.

Did I read done! Nooooo, it can't be....LOL!