The Getaway...Crom's build and adventures

So, Nick. I'm finally done moving again (Don't even ask. Just do not.) and dusting off my remaining parts-to-buy-list.

WHEELERS IS HAVING A SALE RIGHT NOW, and there is an important question for you lower down, but here is the leaf saga update:

After dicking around and dry fitting the 4Xinnovations HD shackles, OME SB108s, and my Dakars with the AAL, I've discovered the following.

Thing 1: The HD shackles DO NOT WORK with Dakars, let alone Dakars + AAL. The leaf tips are too long, extending into the throat of the shackle very quickly on compression, and then bind up and stop, severely limiting articulation. In fact, after perusing JLee's BAMF HD shackles and his very open R&D discussions with customers, it is clear that the BAMF HD shackles will not accommodate this Dakar setup either. The conclusion is that any leaf pack using a bottom-of-eye wrap (envision __O ) vs. a mid-eye wrap ( ---O ) simply will not work with the beefier gauge shackles.

So, I concluded my path is clear and got some of the OEM sans-bushing shackles from Camelback. Yay. And thank you.

Next discovery, the OME SB 108s fit like crap in their OME Dakar eyes. WITAF? Not only are they surprisingly loose in the barrel, but they butt up against each other in the middle of the barrel before the outer bushing flanges contact the outer edge of the Dakar eye/barrel.

So, I concluded my next path is clear. Fuck those things, and use some other aftermarket bushings.

You did provide a link to busing options in your post above, but they no longer go directly to a specific product.

VERY IMPORTANT YET DRAWN-OUT QUESTION FOR YOU

Yours appear to very clearly have a matte finish and a beveled outer flange:


The ones I found at Wheeler's are glossier, and have squared off flanges. They appear to be Energy Suspension by the stock number and the grease tube: But, Wheeler's also has these:



On the Energy website, this is what appears for my spec , and note that they seem to have some beveled, and some square bushing flanges (haven't called them yet to ask, just seems weird).
https://www.energysuspensionparts.com/8.2116. Are the squared flanges (2 pairs) intended for the leaf eyes, and the beveled one (1 pair) for the shackle-frame mount?


On the Headstong site, your link 404d, but they have these. The low-res photos aren't super helpful, but it looks as though they may be exactly the same as the ES site kit above.
https://www.headstrongoffroad.com/store/p513/Full_leaf_pack_bushing_kit.html




QUESTION SHORT VERSION:

Are these Wheeler's the ones you referred to in your original post? I'll need for both eyes and both shackles.

Cheers, happy new year!

 

Sorry to hear about the fitment issues.

I'll go thru your thread soon for the move info.

I took a fantastic new career opportunity late last year and the rewards have been outstanding. We got out between xmas and new years a couple times and if by some miracle I can make it back here I will post a photo or two.

From what I remember. the shackle and leaf take the same bushing. So it matters not when you order. When I ordered from the suppliers you listed, it was not possible to link them to a manufacturer via manufacturer markings. They poly molds used to make the bushings had 4-digit stamps, but the stamps only identified them internally to the manufacturer as far as I know.

Bottom line is, what you order for the leaf will fit the shackle. Out of the bunch that I worked with the Wheeler's ones were best at the time, but that was so long ago...

I hope this helps!

 

I'm glad your new gig is working out so well. This year for me has been all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy for me. All aspects of life have been brutal, but I'm in a better/improving place now. Actually most of my play has been Lego with my son, and we just got him a pedal bike, so...

New house for me means new mods...on the house. But the very fact that I'm gathering the last bits for a lift is encouraging. I figured what you said above was the case. All 60mm bushings fit all spring and shackles. Already pulled the trigger on a set from Wheelers to take advantage of their sale, along with superbumps and U bolt flip, CB drop, and axle shims.

 

so this post is a few years old but I am curious if billy includes brackets to reinforce the bedsides after they’ve been cut, any insight?

 

He did at the time, I have them in my truck and they have been flawless.

No idea about present.

Good luck!

 

good to hear it! What did you do to mount your license plate? And any chance you have a picture if you found a flipper or hinge?

 

This is the one Billy recommended to me. And has almost doubled in price.

$52 Pilot FLP001 License Plate Flip Kit For Roll Pan

https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-FLP001...d=1582326882&sprefix=Pilot+flp,aps,220&sr=8-1

 

Perfect, thank you for the response!

 

Yeah, this is probably the one I have too. Thanks!

 

Isolation and quarantine. Okay. We can do that in the desert. And so we did. Just my kids and me for three days, two nights. March 2020. Closest campers we could find were over a mile away.

 

Welp. Anza-Borrego DSP is now closed for off-road activities. But not before we got in one last jaunt! F. U. COVID-19.

U.S. Homeland agents pull this contraption to rake the road which erases irregularities, it makes spotting bodies easier as illegal traffic crosses.

Little did they know it can also be used as an obstacle course!!! My kids had fun, and solid exercise while I aired down the truck.





The faulted granitic intrusive bedrock, weathered into dramatic piles of residual boulders. The local granodiorite is naturally a very light color, weathering over centuries into a reddish-orange desert varnish. -Wikipedia

It's a geological fun house!

My kids crawled in and through many parts of these giant boulders. Hours of fun.






The desert flowers were blooming and it's always so great to stop and admire them.


Magnificent. For all of human kind's synthetic knowledge, compared to mother nature, there is no equal.

We explored for about 6 hours and when it was time to return, I gave the kids the option of two paths. Option A, was the wild trail, and option B, was the way we came in. They chose the wild trail. It's not a well maintained trail and lots of steep shelves with boulder encrusted off camber sections with pucker factor.

Most of my attention was focused on safety so not many pictures were taken. I did manage to capture this Jeep who was running the same trail.


My Nine year old asked if what she was seeing was an army (photo below). I replied yes, it's an army of solar panels getting ready to march on the Int'l border and invade Mexico She laughed! It's a 28 MWdc solar plant.




My seven year old daughter saw this and remarked, "wow, that is the biggest playground ever!" It's actually a 500 kV high-voltage power sub-station


As stated earlier, trail was pretty rough and tight. Truck took some damage getting out, thank goodness for the rock sliders, my trucks first mod way back in 2009.




The truck is doing well. It crossed 80K on the ODO this trip. Pictured at a high point during the trip.


My mini-mechanic reported out all the new scrapes from the undercarriage. Our gas tank factory skid had some fresh marks which reminds me I need to HTFU and install the skid that is holding up the side of my garage.

It was really nice to get out and I'll keep trying for more.

​

 

@Crom It's good to see you out wit the kids again.

 

Welp, it's taken me nearly a year, but I repaired the Aux input jack. It was so irritating. It took less than 15 minutes to repair, but yeah a whole year to find the time to do it. :-/ My oldest kid was helpful. After repairing we went for a drive around town and aux input works outstanding now.

 

"Magnificent. For all of human kind's synthetic knowledge, compared to mother nature, there is no equal."

 

Hope all is well with you I haven't really even spoken with Andy lately

 

I finally got around to paying the truck some attention. I evicted the twelve spiders that made their presence known, and washed the truck. I even cleaned and repainted the rock sliders, once more. Did some battery maintenance with hydrometer My daughter installed some new wiper inserts, to make them fresh again. The rodent in the picture is my oldest kids pet. He received many rides on the creeper while we doing work. He is a pretty good pet. I laughed my ass off during the height of the quarantine when both girls painted his nails with nail polish.

After truck was all cleaned up, we went for a spin to a high point and ran around and played outside. It was really nice!

 

Thanks Chris. Feeling worn out. But I have two weeks time off ahead so that is the bright spot for me, and change of view. I can't wait to go on a trip away from home.

My youngest daughter is making adult decisions now (she is 7 going on 8). How soon until I can have my own apartment? I want my own car so I can go and come as I please. When do kids not have to listen to their parents? She barricaded a bunch of stuff behind her door because her mother kept forgetting to knock on her door. I'm like f***, this kid is for real. I have not been very active on TW. I you, are doing well too. I have not caught up with Andy either. Nick

 

Cherrish every moment good or frustrating with your children, they are grown and gone before you know it. I have 2 daughters, 28 and 24. As far as the door, kinda funny, if she does it again and you don't like it remove the door for a while. When she earns it you can put it back. Just a thought to her it may seem brutal but it tricks their minds andlets them know you aren't fooling around. I hope you enjoy your time off. We were on vacation at the beach last week it was the first time I had seen my youngest since Christmas.

 

maybe you can drag Andy's old but out sometime. I'm still mad at him we didn't meet i n person when he was over here last year and I think he drove right past where I work.

 

@Crom Wonderful girls you have - sibling rivalry is great and you will survive. Show he younger one some apartment ads in the paper and go over the her financial situation vs costs and same with a car.

She's a little young but maybe she's beginning hormonal changes. I have 3 daughters and remember those days and sure am glad they are over.