Project Family Chummins

[Ackattack]

I changed out the rear brakes. The passenger side was dragging a little. When I took the brakes apart, one of the shoe material was cracked, likely do to overheating from constantly dragging.

I replaced the hardware while I was in there. Hopefully my fuel mileage will improve a little since I won't have the dragging brake.

I also noticed that the outer seals were leaking, so that will have to get fixed shortly.

I ordered a new stereo head unit as well. The new one has bluetooth, so that will be nice. Hopefully it can cancel out the noise of the engine

[Ackattack]

The new stereo is in, and the bluetooth work's pretty good. It has a few adjustments for the mic, so I can dial it in so people can hear me over the engine and road noise going 70.

I ordered end links for the 99 F-250 swaybar I got. The plan was to mount it to my trans crossmember, running it forward to the control arms. While this wouldn't result in great results, it would have been better than nothing. Well when I went to put it in, come to find out that it hits on a different area of the crossmember, so I scratched that idea.

I tried a few different locations with the Ford swaybar and nothing was working out. So I drug out the stock chevy swaybar and decided to play around with that. What do you know, I came up with something that should work. Basically I moved the bar forward from the stock location (using the stock frame front bolt location in the rear bolt hole of the swaybar bracket. This moves the bar forward enough so the ends aren't in the coil spring.

I'll have to build some stands to mount to the frame since the frame bend up ahead of the stock swaybar mount. And then I will have to fab up where to mount the end links on the axle. And then make up some end links.

[y5mgisi]

Sounds like it should work out good.

[Ackattack]

This week I was in wichita for work all week. 150 miles from home. I made 2 trips down there. No problems.

Then this morning (Saturday) I'm driving around town and hear some grinding, pinging, and other odd sounds. I could tell it was coming from the rearend, driveshaft, or something. It would change with load on the engine. M

I stopped at a parts store, and shook the driveshaft and looked for anything obvious. I went ahead and got a u-joint, as that was my first guess.

Get the truck home and take out the rear driveshaft, and I couldn't move the u-joint.

Upon disassembly, one of the caps was in the process of grinding the rollers to dust:





So I'll put the new one in and be as good as new. I'm just glad I caught this while I was in town and it didn't leave me stranded somewhere alongside the highway.

[Palf70Step]

Some one definitely watching over you.

[Dieselwrencher]

What brand of joint did you replace it with? Definitely got lucky there.

[Ackattack]

duralast gold (lifetime warranted). We'll see how long it lasts.

after thinking about it, I think the plug/grease zirk whatever that was supposed to be in the failed cap came out, or was knocked out and then leaked out all of the grease. You can kind of see in the picture of it in my vice that its just an open hole.

The new u-joint doesn't have a grease fitting and just plain caps. The way my truck is set up, the driveshaft is only slightly out of line with the rearend, and with the traction bar the axle can't rotate, so it should be pretty easy on u-joints (as long as they have grease )

[jbclassix]

I bought a duralast (premium or gold... whichever one is lifetime) for my Yukon... I have only bought it once, but I have replaced it 3 times. I did notice that the lifetime ones don't come with zerks... I guess they do that to prevent contamination due to mixing greases, or incompetence. Who knows... but one thing for sure, manual transmissions are more abusive on u-joints than automatics.

[Dieselwrencher]

Durajunk, and torque eats u-joints. Buy a Spicer Life joint for when it spits out the duralast one.

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by jbclassix

I bought a duralast (premium or gold... whichever one is lifetime) for my Yukon... I have only bought it once, but I have replaced it 3 times. I did notice that the lifetime ones don't come with zerks... I guess they do that to prevent contamination due to mixing greases, or incompetence. Who knows... but one thing for sure, manual transmissions are more abusive on u-joints than automatics.

Typically a lifetime joint has better seals, bi-directional, and there is no grease zerk to improve strength in the cross section of the u-joint. The better seal helps keep the grease in and water and dirt out which makes for a long lasting joint. I've had a lot better results with life type joints than grease-ables in diesels.

[mcbassin]

I've had good luck with precision brand u joints made in USA. I bought the last couple at oreillys

[Ackattack]

Finally got my sway bar on last night. It helps out quite a bit, making the truck much more stable.

I was working on it until about 1 a.m. last night, and then when I came in and showered, I was thinking about it, and I'm going to do a little more reinforcement to my mounts.

[Ackattack]

Another chapter in my life: I've accepted a new job as an engineering manager in Wichita ks, so we'll be moving again. Luckily, truck is pretty much finished. Finding a new house with a shop like I have now may be difficult, so we'll see what happens.

[jbclassix]

Originally Posted by Ackattack

Another chapter in my life: I've accepted a new job as an engineering manager in Wichita ks, so we'll be moving again. Luckily, truck is pretty much finished. Finding a new house with a shop like I have now may be difficult, so we'll see what happens.

Congrats man! Wish you and your family all the best and safe moving.

[Palf70Step]

Congrats....Maybe we'll even get to meet when I am up in Wichita visiting my daughter. At least I'll be scanning for a big truck!

Congrats again and good luck with the move!

[Dieselwrencher]

Congrats on the new position and good luck on your house search!

[jbclassix]

What are your reviews on the lizard skin with the cummins swap? would you recommend another layer of sound proofing?

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by jbclassix

What are your reviews on the lizard skin with the cummins swap? would you recommend another layer of sound proofing?

I'd say I'm happy with it. However, I don't really have much to compare to since I never drove the truck with the cummins in it before I sprayed it on. You can definitely hear the engine and a little bit of road noise. However, you can hear people talk and people can hear me on the bluetooth.

[jbclassix]

Good to know. I may do an extra layer of sound proofing from DEI if I have the room.

[Dieselwrencher]

I've been trying to decide what to spray on a floor to help but I wonder if it really helps much? I've had friends who have dynamat'd their entire cabs but the noise seems to creep in the window areas resulting in not a pure nice quiet sound like they were hoping. And they spent a lot on it.

[Ackattack]

I started my new job a few weeks ago, and finally got moved last week. I towed my 68 down here with the chummins.



The truck did fine. I had to drive through the Flint Hills and there are a few pretty good hills and my EGTs would run a little over 1100. The truck seemed to tow better at 70 compared to 65. Probably at a better RPM (~1650 vs ~1900)

I've also driven the truck a few times at night in the rain and I really need to aim the headlights better. There was a time or two I could barely see where the road was (partly due to the bad pavement markings).

The house we're renting only has a 2 car garage and a small storage shed and no place to really park my trailer. I'll make due for now. In the mean time I have a few minor items to take care of on both the Chummins and 68. I also have some parts that need some work/restoration before I sell them....so I have a few things to keep me busy.

So next year when we buy, I'm really hoping to get a large shop, but we'll see what happens.

[jbclassix]

Good luck with the new job and town! Will next year be your last move for a long while?

[Palf70Step]

Glad to hear you got settled in. Be looking forward to seeing updates on both trucks.

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by jbclassix

Good luck with the new job and town! Will next year be your last move for a long while?

I hope so!

My son starts school next month, so I'm hoping to find a house in the same school district.

[Ackattack]

A little update: the truck has been running pretty good since I moved.

I have worked on the steering a little. I don't have a welder plug in at my rental house, so I made up a new drag link at a buddy's house to help center my steering wheel.

The sway bar mount I made broke so the sway bar isn't doing anything. I'm not surprised as the metal was very thin to clear the tie rod. I'll have to repair it later.

Had the alternator die on me. It didn't put the truck out of service, as I noticed it was going out before it became a problem. While I had the fan shroud out to gain access to the belt, I went ahead and dropped in some cardboard in front of the radiator for the winter.

Finally over the last few days I noticed fuel under the truck. I took some time today and investigated it. Turns out the return line was rubbing on a weld on the frame and rubbed a small hole in it. I cut out that section and replaced it with some rubber hose, and then put some heater hose over it to help protect it.

Nothing too serious for 6 plus months on a truck like this that is my daily driver.

In other news we sold our old house yesterday and will be buying a new house. We should close on it towards the end of January. We had the inspection today and there are a few things that will need repaired. The house has a attached 4 car garage (3 cars wide and 1 is 2 cars deep). I measured the doors, and I'll be able to get the truck into the garage.

Oh yeah there's also a shop

The main shop is 42x52, heated and insulated. It has some built in cabinets too. The cars and the lift doesn't come with it though





There is also a 16x42 "man cave" that includes a 3/4 bath



Also there is a pole barn that is 42x32 (or 36) with dirt floors. For now I'm thinking I'm going to rent out the pole barn for RV parking to make a little play money.