This is just a place holder for now, but i need to rebuild my steering gear box:
OEM Rebuild Seal Kit:04455‑35050 $35
OEM Steering Pump Rebuild: 04446‑35040 $55

good steering box how too write up

and while I'm at it, re-purpose the A/T cooler as a power steering cooler. This last weekend at Rausch Creek had my steering whistling, until it cooled a bit, it never ran low on fluid although it does leak. I replaced all the lines last year, which also leaked.

more later

 

Because i through together a gas can mount for my tire swing, i figured i should actually finish the one i drew before.

Here is the concept in single and double mount. This will latch onto my tire swing-out, however i will need to trim the mounts a bit on the dual can to fit.

 

thats pretty cool, will you use one for gas and the other side for water for the shower?

 

DANG, look at you with your really cool Mission Impossible Graphics Layout! hehehe.... Sorry, I know, I'm sure they're easy to use if you just do the homework hahaha.

VERYYYYYYYYY cool, man!

 

I like the shower. This is kind of an old thread but since you like the OBX and have modern conveniences you might enjoy this trip:


http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...r-build/page12

 

Thanks guys, it's just the Calvert cross found on the Maryland flag.
Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

 

looks like your putting that storage box to use. oba and obs is sweet. i wonder once i get a rear bumper built if i will be utilizing that open space for storage as well

 

The box makes locating some items nicely. Without it, the components would be spread out all over the truck. Plus I have another fuse box in the trunk for any future mods.

 

You safe out there in the midst of that storm passing through??????? Hoping all is ok, RB.

 

Power steering gear box rebuild complete, I haven't road tested it yet, but there are no leaks when running. There are 44 bearings in the gearbox and I dropped one very time I tried to load the piston. Did I mentioned I loaded the piston 11ty billion times. On the final assembly I pressed the recirculator back in and slipped sending bearings all over my workshop. Somehow I found every last one, not all spilled out....about a dozen.
While reinstalling I noticed I had a small hole in my lower radiator hose so I cut off the bad spot and took up a little slack. The heater core hose also had a slight leak when the heat was on so I fixes that the same way.

OBX, is this Saturday.

 

Wow, nice work! Killin it! haha...

Nice job finding all those bearings hahaha... WOW! I'd have freaked! lol.

I've been working on my Con-Ferr... (I feel the pressure from RB everytime I walk by it! hahaha).... Was gonna have it sandblasted but the guy wants like 70$.....WTH? I will check with this other place in Long beach, ..they did my buddies control arms, lots of other parts, .....50$! Sblasting AND Powder Coating! lol.

Is 70$ high for blasting that rack? Or am I just off on that, RB?

 

What's the rack made out of? If you get it powder coated and it's steel, they will bake the old paint off, then coat it. I had my Ducati monster frame done like that, with some other small parts and that bill was $230. It was also a two stage powder coat. If its aluminum they may not bake it because it could compromise the material.
I'd say that blasting a cargo basket is a bit more involved because of all the bars and corners.

 

Yeah, true... But I'll just keep grinding on it with the wheels and knock it out in one more day. already have the primer and paint I would powdercoat it, but can't justify the cost, lol. I was gonna use the same 'black hammered' stuff I used on the grill guard... but it's a bit of a bear to apply and, well, I think it will look better if it's gloss w/out the dimples from the hammered. I thought about that rubberized stuff, too... but just dont' want flat black or too textured I guess.

Thanks, RB,.... always have good info. Yeah, makes sense that it's far more angles and corners, etc. Has to be stripped not just of the powdercoating/paint, whatever it is... but it has a lil underrust, ya know? So I'm working that off. BUT, I wanna do it in one day because it rusts so fast(Yes, forgot to answer you... it's steel, hahaha).

 

Steering Update....
I usually get finished with a project and do a shake-down ride, so i can immediately detect and fix any issues, but not this time.
Yesterday, I finished the Steering Box rebuild, installed and bled the system with relative ease. At that time I needed to get ready and head out for some 4th activities, so i didn't get to road test it.
Returned home that night, and figured I would just drive it to work tomorrow for the whopping six mile commute.
Jump in and start her up, first thin i notice is the steering is tiiiight...this is good...right?
NNNNOOOOOO
I drive to work with both hands gripping the wheel, its all highway, and every slight move i make of the wheel, pulls the truck to either drastically side, and correcting is equally challenging. But i make it to work just fine.
I forgot i never set the pre-load on the adjustment screw, i just tightened it down. I knew i could do this step on the truck since i do not have the SST. So at lunch in the 98° heat, I think the humidity is around 666%, i adjusted the pre-load with success. While i believe its a bit tighter then it was, i think it is better.

That is all for now.

 

hmmm, me thinks maybe part of my problem with my steering (remember the noises it was making at RC, might be an adjustment of mine. How often does that preload need to be adjusted? Makes sense after a rebuild, but what about normal wear and tear?

 

Oooh, tight steering scared the crap out of me one time(gear box just SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTED!) hahah...

Hope you get it all figured out, RB(Brandon, too lol)

 

Steering is made of a bunch of components, as you all know. It's easy to adjust the preload, but be warned you may need to replace the washer on top, as it doesn't like to be disturbed. Also, mark your original setting before you adjust it in 1/4 turn increments, you will need to take it for a drive after each adjustment, and retighten. In some cases I have read guys get tighter steering back and in others it could just be masking loose tiered/ball joints.
Mines sorted, thanks chef.

 

been gone for a week to OBX

Although we had some spotty weather, our trip was still a blast.

A few highlights:
Paid 50$ for the beach permit, to only use it once in a week...but atleast the money goes to the National Park Service. My gripe is that more beaches are being shut down, and that is forcing folks to concentrate and overuse the available beaches. However, there is currently a motion to set the rules back to 2007.

Also, if you go to get a permit, you will be sitting in a room with one to 12 other people watching the stupid 7 minute video, which only has 2minutes of what you can and can't do on the beach. these other folks will all be complaining about the beach closures and not even watching the video, as most have already seen it online...what a racket.

This trip we made it North to the beaches above Corolla, no permit required because they are controlled by the state and not part of the National Park System. When 12 ends at the beach, we drove another 8 miles up the beach, and then through some side trails looking for some horses and just to do some exploring.

We found a huge sand dune(not the dunes near the beach shore) and saw one of those horsesighting/beach adventure trucks loaded with about a dozen tourists on the top of the dune. So i did what any other person would have done with their yota in that situation...i drove straight up the dune to the top without an issue.

Upon my arrival, the tourist truck had moved about 100yrds and i wasn't interested in getting close to him anyhow...but... He starts waving at me as to get off the dune, or maybe he thought i was following him..??? i am not sure what he meant/wanted because the wind was loud and my engine was running, so i just slowly drove back down the dune. I didn't see any signage about driving up there, and many trails in this section lead to the dune.

Any one have any idea? Was i not suppose to be on there? I read all the signs and warnings, but most are about the shore dunes, and not feeding horses, obey traffic laws as on the street..blah, blah, blah.

Any now a few shots:
My girl

 

glad y'all had a nice trip. if i had any vacation time, i'd have been down there for a long visit too.

 

Sounds like fun, I've never been that far north in the OBX, might have to go there next time. Maybe there were some horses on the other side of the dune that the guy didn't want you to scare away? idk.