New Mexico Owners BS Thread

Thanks guys

 

Looking forward to it man. Your truck looks great btw, I saw it driving through town the other day.

 

Thanks! Yup, we did a hike and tried to go to Monjeau Lookout but the top was gated shut...

 

Yeah the gate has been hit or miss this year. It was closed a lot of the summer, but open a few weeks ago when we went up there after that little snow. I think I saw pictures on your build, but did you hike Perk?

 

This is close to my home town in Cuba. Looks like a great time!!!!! BTW, that Gaia app, I downloaded it, and it IS awesome!!!!

 

If you get the premium... it’s like $30 a year, let’s you set up layered maps with multiple different layers, the Gaia topo layer is great, and are the Nat Geo topos, and FS MVUM layer etc. I’ve got the whole southwest downloaded for off-roading adventures, plus you can import GPX routes to follow (like the NMBDR or stuff from Jeep the USA or where ever)

The public land, native American lands, and FS roads layers are particularly helpful in NM that doesn’t have a tone of coverage by Nat Geo topos. Colorado and Utah I rely heavily on the Nat Geo maps layer

 

NICE!!!

 

Time for another short NM adventure!

Sante Fe National Forest Near the Gilman Tunnels. FS 239, 653, and 653E


Looking for a easy-ish, seldom used, high clearance forest road that is not particularly scenic, nor challenging, has no scenic viewpoints, through a scraggly uninteresting forest, that is so overgrown that roads are hard to follow?


Feel like any off-roading trip is incomplete without cows?


Like hearing the sound of scrub oak scratching down both sides of your truck at the same time.


Then this is a trail for you!

Basically I picked a random set of FS roads in an area I hadn’t been in before. Boring. Truly. And so damn scratchy. I definitely gained more pinstripes on this trip. I do not recommend these roads.

 

Pinstriping is annoying. I've raptor lined a few vehicles and they turned out nice plus no more pinstripes.

 

Mine is getting bad. Another few trips and I’ll have more pin stripes than good paint. Problem solved

 

@PcBuilder14 What does the inner wheel well behind the 'viper' cut look like? Is it just hanging with nothin connecting the bumper cover to the well?

 

I trimmed just below where one of the fender well clips are. I cut enough of the inner fender well so it doesn’t just droop down.

 

Any of the New Mexico crew want to help me figure out what the hell is loose/ wrong with my front passenger suspension? I need a second pair of eyes. 6 pack of beer?

Had new tires put on and the shop told me the lower control arm bushing were shot. I doubt that’s the case since they have like 7k miles on them. But something is clunking down there for damn sure. Something is loose or worn.

When you lift the truck, there is lateral play on the spindle/knuckle. Grab the rotor and it has play side to side, as in the way the wheels turn. I tightened every bolt I could think of. The LCAs are new, the UCAs have new bushings and new uniballs.



Anyone feel like trouble shooting? Crawling under a truck for fun?

 

That sounds like it could be a worn tie rod end; either the inner or outer might be worn to the point of having play. They live a hard life when the truck is used as intended.

My truck's an '04, and I wore out my control arm bushings at around 100k miles. Wore out my steering rack bushings at around 25k miles, mostly from jumping the truck too much.

My truck won't hold an alignment at the moment; the toe keeps shifting. My mechanic and I have been after this for almost a year now; this started after the last lift. We're wondering if something in the suspension and/or frame is cracked. He can align the truck just fine, but the toe changes within 250 miles of driving. The alignment bolts aren't moving, we marked everything. It's frustrating; I may have to lower the front back down a bit if that would help the geometry.

 

Alignment can be a real PITA. I got a lifetime alignment with Firestone with mixed results depending upon the mechanic. Jumping the truck could be a bent frame impacting alignment. I've been chasing my own squeaks but think it is upper ball joints as they quiet down when sprayed with triflow but does not last

 

They normally don't clunk but make a grinding noise, the wheel bearing. That play/slop you describe at 3 and 9 o clock is what makes me think that. Only other thing I could think of is the LCA alignment bolts/cams not being tight can cause a clunk.

Outer tie rods are easy to check, just disconnect it and if it's easy to move the joint by hand they need replacing.

 

When you move it in and out (as in the way the wheel turns), have someone hold the steering wheel. A buddy has the same problem on his Taco and
we diagnosed it to the play in the pinion in the rack. Grabbed the steering wheel and held it and you could hear and feel the slop. Never before
have I seen a rack and pinion do this

 

Yeah I had a suspicion. I took both wheels off today and did a once over of the whole suspension, checked both sides. You can grab the tie rod and move it in and out 1/4” or so and feel the clunking on the passenger side. Drivers side is fine. I was secretly hoping I missed tightening a bolt somewhere, not that my steering rack had gotten worse.

But this should have been obvious right away. The boots on the inner tie rods on both sides show signs of leaking, and there has been a little subtle clunk and resistance (different than this new obvious clunking) of the likely bent inner tie rods, slowly deforming the bushings and leaking fluid. I actually have a new steering rack sitting in my garage for the last few months. I’ve been stalling. I guess I’ll need to get to it sooner than later.

 

I know what you mean. Need to regear. Been putting off ordering the 3rd from ECGS because then I know the clock starts and I got to get them installed.

 

I hear ya, did the regear in july.