The Kraken

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by dsraven

for the crossmember, holy cow! please post up some pics with a better reference of the material thickness and size of the cross member. was the control arm possibly bottoming out causing the stress cracks? is the material under-spec's for the related stress?

Doors aren't rubbing the fenders and gaps are closer to where they should be, so its a done deal for now. Fine-tuning gaps is a job I'll save for when I've no other big jobs to do on either truck (=

The LCA cannot bottom out, the UCA would hit the frame before that would happen. It was just driven hard! No plans to remove/replace it (its the No Limit Engineering Wide Ride IFS if you want to see specs on it), but I may add some additional bracing/gussets/triangles somewhere within the structure to stiffen it up a bit. It's metal, so it's fixable!

I did notice a lack of a front bar between rad support mounts and usually I see guys adding something there to stiffen things up, so I'll likely work on that at some point. The original leaf mounts are still there for some reason (the ole "not hurting nothing if we leave em" strategy I think) so I need to take those off first before I add any bracing.

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by Delmo

So we went with a 9 inch posi from Currie with 31 spline axles and discs...

Over a decade later, I'm having issues with that "Currie posi", and I crack open the diff to find...a regular OEM Ford Open Differential! Somewhere down the line this was changed out or possibly sold to Del under false pretense.

The rear/third member was definitely not a Currie unit, just has Currie axles in it...at least they are 31 spine and do have the Explorer Disc brake upgrade. Currie would tag their axle and the third member would have an N for Nodular on it, and this looks like an OEM Ford unit.

[daveshilling]

....well naturally I had to get that fixed!

Eaton TruTrac installed and should be getting back underneath the Kraken this weekend

[Rickysnickers]

Nice. Do you know how to set the backlash and preload? Looks like that's a difficult job to me.

[Daze57]

setting backlash and preload isnt that difficult IF you have the correct equipment and a good reliable guage

[6DoF]

on the 9", if just changing the carrier, it's super easy. there aren't even shims involved. the pinion stays in and doesn't change because the ring gear center doesn't change. then the carrier has threaded adjusters on each side to set lateral location and preload. only real tool needed is a dial indicator to check the back-lash before pulling things apart ... when going back together, just match it and good to go.

i love my trutrac, great diff! and solid detailing on the truck sir, all great finds.

[daveshilling]

I chose not to learn something new for this one, seeing as it's a well-known truck with some provenance, and let a shop handle this for me...I also dont have a press to handle bearing changes, and this needed fresh bearings.

Plus side to that is it's done right and was done in 24 hours. The rear is back under the truck and the Kraken has returned!

I definitely want to tear down a 9" third member some day and learn, though. If only to have an excuse to buy one of those awesome third member bench ount things that let you turn it and such.

[6DoF]

the swiveling 9" mounts are wooooorrrrth it!

[dsraven]

nice to have it all back and workable in short order but, wait, you built all tghis other stuff but draw the line on a swivelling 3rd member carrier? (yeah, I get it, you want it done by some pros who get it done right away and no farting around building the tool for a week first. thats why my truck isn't finished yet. too many rabbit trails)

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by dsraven

nice to have it all back and workable in short order but, wait, you built all tghis other stuff but draw the line on a swivelling 3rd member carrier? (yeah, I get it, you want it done by some pros who get it done right away and no farting around building the tool for a week first. thats why my truck isn't finished yet. too many rabbit trails)

Yeah, since I have Lucky the Trucky that I'm building, I figure I've got all the hands-on opportunity there if I want it...and I better not need to get into that 9" for a long time!! It took some strength to hand over the parts and the $$ but the turnaround was worth it... more time driving!

[G&R's57GMC]

Congratulations Dave on the Kraken !

You beat me to driving a NoLimit chassis , mine is still in limbo since 2010 … but thing’s are moving forward , I sold the van a couple of months ago and the GMC moved forward to take its spot in the garage .

Enjoy the Kraken and keep it long enough so I can take it for a spin

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by G&R's57GMC

Congratulations Dave on the Kraken !

You beat me to driving a NoLimit chassis , mine is still in limbo since 2010 … but thing’s are moving forward , I sold the van a couple of months ago and the GMC moved forward to take its spot in the garage .

Enjoy the Kraken and keep it long enough so I can take it for a spin

Yeah I beat ya a long time ago bud, I used to own the Jackalope for 4 years, Krakens sister. I think this one will stick around for a lil while since I can park it outside and not get nervous about paint and such, but once I have two running driving patina LS trucks, we'll see which one gets driven more I guess!

Bout time you get started on that GMC! You're probably a year away from driving it on the new old chassis.

[daveshilling]

I replaced the water pump when it started leaking, and it had a terrible wobble to it... it was definitely time. In my haste, I forgot to plumb the steam line to the back of the pump!

Not wanting to pull the pump again, I added this port into the upper rad hose from ICT Billet along with a 90 degree barbed elbow. Some GM hose clamps and GM steam line from the junkyard that somehow jumped into my toolbag finished it off and it replaced the hose-and-nut cap that was added when the radiator was replaced by the previous owner but was missing a steam port.