The Story Of A Cummins Suburban (Lots Of Pics)

[1985-GMC]

Did they pre heat the axle housing prior welding that truss on there and what did they weld it with? Also way back when, did you replace all 4 rs9000 shocks or just the front ones and how have you been liking them since you adjusted them? I'm thinking about buying some. Andddd have you put any thought into adding hydro assist steering? I've really been thinking about doing it on one... of my projects and I almost ordered the ram already.

[mosesburb]

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC

Did they pre heat the axle housing prior welding that truss on there and what did they weld it with? Also way back when, did you replace all 4 rs9000 shocks or just the front ones and how have you been liking them since you adjusted them? I'm thinking about buying some. Andddd have you put any thought into adding hydro assist steering? I've really been thinking about doing it on one... of my projects and I almost ordered the ram already.

Don't know if they preheated the housing. They used a very large MIG welder. I have RS9000's at all four corners. I think the front ones are 9000x maybe?? They are bigger than the rears. I'm thinking that I could gain more control with better shocks. On undulating trails/roads, the handling gets a bit interesting at times. No thought whatsoever on hydro steering. I'm only running 33's, so it is not needed.

[1985-GMC]

I might steal that truss "design", it's very simple but effective. Would you recommend those shocks, I thought they were supposed to be pretty good? With the hydro assist I just like the idea of the one finger steering even when the tire is against a rock, and I'll be running 37" tires.

[notchbackgta]

Originally Posted by mosesburb

Don't know if they preheated the housing. They used a very large MIG welder.

Did they use nickel wire? Steel wire doesn't really stick to cast iron and will pop off from what I've seen online

[ryanroo]

When done correctly er70-s2 is OK for welding cast. there are better options but ou can make a weld that will hold and be fine, especially in the case outlined here with regular steel filler.

[mosesburb]

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC

I might steal that truss "design", it's very simple but effective. Would you recommend those shocks, I thought they were supposed to be pretty good? With the hydro assist I just like the idea of the one finger steering even when the tire is against a rock, and I'll be running 37" tires.

I'd look for some better shocks if I were shopping. These are *ok* for the price, but for a little more a better quality shock could be had.

Originally Posted by notchbackgta

Did they use nickel wire? Steel wire doesn't really stick to cast iron and will pop off from what I've seen online

Not sure what they used for filler.

Originally Posted by ryanroo

When done correctly er70-s2 is OK for welding cast. there are better options but ou can make a weld that will hold and be fine, especially in the case outlined here with regular steel filler.

If Roo says it's good, then I have complete confidence in it.

[mosesburb]

This was the next trip after the Crown King run that my fan clutch failed on and Lance's battery went on its own adventure. We decided to head up to the Workman Creek area. We ran the area a couple years ago and thought it would be a good run again, so with a few adjustments to the plan, we were off.

One of the changes was the direction of travel. We decided since it was hot out to run it backward so as to get into elevation and cooler temperatures quicker. My buddy Lance's Suburban does not have air conditioning yet and with his wife in the truck, getting to cooler temps as quickly as possible would be a good thing.

Seriously, watch out for them:



Neat bridge on the Apache Trail in the Superstitions. If you look under it you can see an old abutment on the left side:



At the end of the Apache Trail we are greeted by Roosevelt Dam:



We turned onto the road heading to our destination when Lance came across the radio with something that sounded like "skateboards". I hit him back with a "what??" I didn't get a response from him, but in a moment was greeted by this sight:



These guys were coming down the hill at a velocity best measured in Mach units. Damn near took the lead nut-job out. There was four or five on boards and a Prius following with a camera filming the stupidity. Never have encountered that before...

We went up Workman Creek and stopped at one of the radioactive day-use areas to have some lunch. It was a nice quiet area with plenty of shade. Gratuitous truck pic from lunch:



Interesting bug hanging out on the bottom of the chair:



One interesting thing about having the trucks out in the wilderness is seeing how bugs react to them. My orange truck is a virtual beacon to bugs, bees and wasps. It is kind of neat in a way. While sitting at lunch a butterfly was trying to get something off of Lance's side marker lens:



Gratuitous truck pic from up by the falls:



A view from up on the fire lookout tower:



All in all it was a nice trip. We came back the next day while Lance and his wife decided to camp in a little shaded area to head back in the morning before it got too hot out. They made it back and I think the trip moved making the AC functional up on the priority list a few notches.

[hgs_notes]

Looks like a good trip for a day or 2. Once I get the Jimmy back together, making a trip down your way will be a priority.

[83GMCK2500]

It had been so long since I have read through this whole thread, is that a later 14FF with slide-off drums that I see? Roughly '93-'00, isn't it? How close is the track width to your front?

I love all of the trip photos and adventures that you share, I always look forward to your updates in this thread.

[1985-GMC]

More awesomeness!

[roushinator]

Awesome build and awesome adventures!

[mosesburb]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

Looks like a good trip for a day or 2. Once I get the Jimmy back together, making a trip down your way will be a priority.

All kinds of good stuff to see around here.

Originally Posted by 83GMCK2500

It had been so long since I have read through this whole thread, is that a later 14FF with slide-off drums that I see? Roughly '93-'00, isn't it? How close is the track width to your front?

It is out of a '96 or '97 van. Yes on the slide off drums. It is approximately the same track width as the front D60 because the vans use a wider housing than do the trucks.

Originally Posted by 83GMCK2500

I love all of the trip photos and adventures that you share, I always look forward to your updates in this thread.

Cool!!

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC

More awesomeness!

Thanks!!

Originally Posted by roushinator

Awesome build and awesome adventures!

Thanks!!

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice trip once again! WTF kind of bug is that? A holstein beetle?

[mosesburb]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Nice trip once again! WTF kind of bug is that? A holstein beetle?

That's funny, I was thinking the same thing on the type of bug. I don't want to try and milk it though...

[Dieselwrencher]

No doubt!

[1leglance]

Nick....oh Nick...
You are soooo far behind on this thread. I might actually have to start posting in my own thread with updates just to get pics of your rig on the board

Hint...dead cows on the way to cool mine ruins


Other trip with more mines and really cool monuments...

[mosesburb]

Originally Posted by 1leglance

Nick....oh Nick...
You are soooo far behind on this thread. I might actually have to start posting in my own thread with updates just to get pics of your rig on the board

Might not be a bad idea since you haven't posted in yours for over five months.

I seem to have many things competing for my "free" time and the threads seem to lose the battle most often.

[ryanroo]

two awesome burbs. the wiring project must have been a success!

[mosesburb]

Originally Posted by ryanroo

two awesome burbs. the wiring project must have been a success!

One is pretty awesome, the other is just a whole lot less janke than when I started on it.

The wiring is all done except for some roof mounted accessory lighting circuits and solar panel wiring. It is all stubbed to the ceiling at the rear of the interior, just have to finish that when the owner leaves his private jets in the hangar and gets it back over here. Wiring is one thing I have done more of than I would care to admit, but of all that I have done, I have never figured out a way to do it quickly, but still do it right so it ends up taking forrrrrrrreverrrrrrrrrr. Ugh.

[ryanroo]

i smell what you are stomping around in. oh brother do i. not fast, not cheap.

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by mosesburb

Might not be a bad idea since you haven't posted in yours for over five months.

I seem to have many things competing for my "free" time and the threads seem to lose the battle most often.

Ain’t that the truth! I have yet to see a single picture from the White Rim trip we did with Lance in 2011 when he still had the troopy.

[1leglance]

Hey I thought we were picking on Nick in his own thread
Ok so maybe I am a bit slow on posting my own stuff...but that is because it is so much fun to poop in my friend's build threads....like maybe a white burb I know about Larry

[mosesburb]

Originally Posted by ryanroo

i smell what you are stomping around in. oh brother do i. not fast, not cheap.

Yeah, nothing like spending a TON of money on product so you can spend a TON of time installing it.

That still really doesn't covey just how much time and money is actually involved.

[ERASER5]

In all your trips to the middle of nowhere, have you ever come across any concrete arrows? These are large arrow shaped concrete pads made to direct old time airmail planes flying over, well, the middle of nowhere. I saw some pictures on the net and thought they were interesting.

[1985-GMC]

I saw that on Facebook a couple of weeks ago as well, pretty cool.