Tex045

How do you know he DOESNT donate his money to charitable causes? And who is to say hes spending it wastefully??? He bought a truck with a specific purpose and is using it said purpose. By definition that is the absolute opposite of "wasteful"

BigBadBug

FWIW, Dipschnit and I exchanged a couple of private messages on this subject. From my point of view, the bottom line is twofold:

1. Dipschnit turns out to be a solid, stand-up guy. We talked through our (non)differences in a straightforward, civil way. I like him, and I respect his opinions. Smart, good guy.
2. The subject of how I'm using/abusing the truck continuous to fascinate me. It's wild how strong some of the opinions are. Good thing this is America, where differences of opinion make us stronger.

Now back to your regular forum surfing...
-Bug

Tex045

Oh I have no doubt he IS a good guy. I dont want to convey any opinions that contradict that as I dont know him at all. Im not trying to attack him. I jumped into the conversation when he mentioned "wasting" money. My point was that if someone bought a truck to use it off-road and to haul things knowing it will receive some minor damage, that is their right. It is also someone's right to buy a truck to use as a "pavement princess". If someone bought a new truck just to run it into a wall, THAT would be wasting their money.

dipschnit

Thanks for the kind words Big. Tex, its fine. I did sound like a dick with what i wrote so i can see how it may have come off. Big and I did exchange a couple messages as he stated and got the misunderstanding sorted out. Sometimes it takes a disagreement for one to realize how stand up someone is and what type of person they are. BigBadBug is a hell of a nice guy as i found out (which i never doubted), and has earned my respect to the fullest.

Tora

Hugs all around? Digging both the truck project and the cabin.

Tex045

No worries big guy! This is why it is important to hash things out and realize it was just a misunderstanding instead of outright attacking someone.

Hugs ALL around!!!! Im digging this project/truck combo as well! Interested to see where it goes!

BigBadBug

Had a leveling kit put on the truck today. Went with a Traxda kit, largely because it's made locally here in Tucson, plus it's the preferred kit of my shop. It's a 3" front cast spacers & 1" taller replacement blocks for the rear.

Then on the way home from the shop, I stopped at Discount Tire and ordered replacement rubber. I was really torn between a couple of different brands, types, and sizes, but in the end I went with Nitto Terra Grappler ATs in 275/65 R20 size. I'm sticking with the OEM 20-inch rims, as I seem to be one of the few people in America that actually like the looks of them.

Per Discount new tire diameter is ~34.1 inches, which is 2.2 inches taller than the OEM tires on the truck now. With the leveling kit, this will raise me up (2.2/2) + 3 = 4.1" in the front. Rear should be ~2.1 inches taller.

I'm really hoping this is the right solution for my a) trail clearance issues (mild scraping up front on some key sections of trail); and b) traction issues (both in the sand, and on uphill rocky dirt sections). I'll post pics of the truck once the rubber is mounted.

tanked_darren

Nice truck! I wanted that color but couldnt find one with the options and 6'5 box. I got minor stripping from hunting, when I look at them I just remember how much fun I had.

My truck will get used hard, already had a few bone heads go "why you buy such an expensive truck for the bush?"

"Because I wanted to" I say

LOL at the guys getting jealous of people using trucks as intended.

BigBadBug

Not happy.

On the drive home from the shop yesterday I noticed a driveline vibration. Thought it was just due to road repairs on the main road home, but then later when I took the truck out the vibe was still there.

Ended up going back to the shop. There is definitely a vibration in the truck now, and we can't track it down. We first thought it was due to the rear taller lift blocks installed (e.g., a driveshaft angle problem) so we dropped the block down one size (one inch shorter) and re-drove the truck. Same vibration is there. Argh. We tried balancing tires, rotating tires, checking all bolts tightened properly, checked drive-line angles are within spec, etc. After a couple of hours at the (they even brought in another mechanic from a neighboring shop), they are now claiming this is an issue with the base truck, and not due to the lift kit. Specifically, something like a rear pinion bearing going out. Double arghgh. I feel it's either the the leveling kit is defective somehow, or they broke something installing it. The truck was perfect before the kit install, and vibrated afterward.

Anyway, I'm going back in this morning to have them start returning the truck to stock. We'll start with pulling the rear blocks and putting the factory OEM blocks back in. If that doesn't fix it, we'll yank the front level spacers. If I still have a problem, it's then off to Ford to see what's what.

I've searched the hell out of this forum, but can't find very many similar problems-- or, more accurately, I can't find documented solutions. Any of you guys have suggestions? This is really frustrating.

Help!

BigBadBug

Update: ended up taking the entire level kit out-- and the vibration was still there. I was able to temporarily stop the vibe by cycling the 4-wheel drive system on and off. The truck would go back to normal for 2-5 miles, but then start vibrating again.

So the next stop was the Ford dealership. They found a broken right front hub actuator (leaking vacuum). They replaced it under warranty with no questions asked.

Now the $64,000 question is: do I put the level kit back on and risk this again?