The Getaway...Crom's build and adventures

Thanks! Getting closer to 6112 time!

Thanks. Long bed has to make it more of a challenge in some sections. I'm going to follow suite like yourself, with a full set of pelfrey skids someone next year. I was stunned at all the rocky obstacles between Mengal and Goler. Even though I passed through a while back, I had no memory of it. Either way, fun trail!

Welcome. As best I can tell, it was a case of severe shock fade. When we stopped in Butte Valley, I looked and looked and could not find any blown seals or leaking oil.

I'm almost done smoking the 5100's. lol I have in my possession a set of lightly used Bilstein 6112's that are waiting to go on the truck. They are a true 2.5" diameter shock. Looking forward to that.

What I do to clean under the truck is:

1. Park on my front lawn
2. Blow out the enclosed sections of frame and suspension with a leaf blower
3. Rinse with garden hose
   
4. Wash sliders, axle housing, frame, with a 4' RV brush & fox tail broom brush with car-wash soap and water.
5. Rinse with garden hose.
6. Dry
7. Then locate sections of the truck which need paint.
8. Hand Wash those sections with diluted purple power, bucket and clean rag.
9. rinse with garden hose
10. dry
11. wipe with rubbing alcohol
12. Paint.

Looks like new afterwards.

Thanks! I've heard this too from one of my older Baja Bug buddies. He recommended it before going mudding. lol I've not yet tried it. Nice to know someone else who uses this technique.

I have some in an unopened box in my garage. When fluid film was making a break on the Tacoma scene, they had some introductory prices in the forum. I bought some, but never applied it.

I'll tell you what though. I will starting this month.

There is only one place I'm concerned about on the frame and that's the place where the catalytic converters are in the front of the frame, just below that spot are some threaded holes in the bottom of the frame, and I can see rust trails coming out of the holes, so I'll be spraying some in there.

Another testament for WD40. Cool.

Welcome. Thanks for the note on the showers and pool, I didn't know that and was wondering, thanks!!!

 

Would love to be there and Help when the Front End Gets Tore Down, and all the New Goodies get Installed!!

 

Typical carnage from such a trip. Here is something interesting. If you look carefully at the photo below, you'll notice that the u-bolts on the passenger side (left) still have red paint on them. The drivers side u-bolts were blasted clean. There is a reason for this. Anyone want to guess why?



Rock blasted axle housing.


Cleaned and painted.


Sliders cleaned and painted.


Last year I detailed this kind of maintenance in this post. Seems to be an annual thing.

I have decided to devise a solution and will proceed with boat sides for sliders, and pad wrap the axle, or make rock shields with HDPE.

 

Something to do with the Ghost Of Bodie! Lol!!

 

Thanks. I slip a piece of cardboard between the body and sliders and spray. Works great. Probably helps my truck is dark color too I guess.

 

Arrgh I can't figure out why one side is rock blasted and the other not, can you tell us pls? This has inspired me to put a preventative coat of paint down there to absorb some of the future rock damage, now I just wish it were warmer out for painting!

 

Are you missing a front mud flap on that side?

 

My Google Ninja skills are fading away, CO TW found this solution if you have the tube with no male end.

$9 Flexzilla Pro Air Hose Reusable Fitting, 1/4 in. - RP900250

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009TCDKXY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

 

Good guess!

All things being equal, the only difference I can find that would explain it, is that the front driver's side tire has 6/32 more tread depth, because it's new.

 

possibly something to do with an open diff. The one tire getting power would sling more rocks than the other that is simply coasting. Or maybe I'm full of shit. Ha ha.

 

red is in a shock-body shadow

 

That seems like it would work, although the barb seems short. For searching the terms which are most helpful for you would be "1 4 hose barb 1 4 npt"

Possibly! I will swap front tires and drive the route again to see what happens!

 

I wonder, for either the front or rear diff, which side is the default to get the power.

 

Dunno. In years past the rock blasting occurred equally on both sides. The only difference this time was I went to a 5-tire rotation, so the new rubber was up front drivers corner.

 

Oh, well I'd say that's your culprit. Interesting.

When I made the switch from AT to MT tires, I was expecting less gravel slinging. I thought the larger voids would pick up fewer rocks than the smaller AT voids.

Boy, was I wrong. They just pick up bigger rocks. Ping. Pang. Boom. Bang.

 

Hey Nick. I need to order extended lines, and I have questions about the rear, since my rears will be the same basic setup as yours (modified Dakar, flip, bump etc).

1. Your photo up top showing line lengths is a little washed out. I see 23 rear, and 14.5 front, correct?
2. It seems you added your longer Bilsteins after you added your brake lines. Since my understanding is this allowed more droop, are the 3-inch longer brake lines still adequate?
3. Your front end is still mid-travel, right? And the front lines are performing OK up there on droop too?

 

1. Yes.
2. Right. Longer brake lines before longer shocks, or big problems, lol, length is good.
3. Yes mid travel up front. Still running factory rubber ballons , I'm sorry, I mean brake lines up front. I need time to replace hard line before my stainless braided ones can be installed.

 

Yep, that's what I'm prepping for. I just wanted to double-check the length worked out for you after the fact.

I remember the first time I replaced my leaf pack on my 1st gen by myself, and I was pissed off and fixated on something else, then turn around and noticed my brake lines fairly straight at an unsavory angle...EEK!

 

Not sure what was going on here, but it's probably happened to me too...

 

Doctor said I just needed new O-rings.