Alabama thread!

Anybody have some stock rear leaf springs they want to sell at a reasonable price? Not the pre-TSB springs please. The springs on mine are worn out with negative arch bad. It's a 2007 CC TRD 4x4 auto with 297,000 miles. The closer to Auburn or Montgomery the better.

 

Well then you lose! Get you some fake bullet hole stickers you can put on his windows next time!

The stock springs suck, even the TSB springs. If you're looking to do it on the cheap, go with an AAL. That would give you a temporary fix, but you'll be back in the same boat after a year or so.

If you want to do it right, go with a new leaf pack. Wheelersoffroad sells leaf packs that sit at stock height for a reasonable price. They are much better then the stock ones.

 

ill have to look into that

 

Those are nice but I'm just looking for something temporary as the company should get me a new truck in the next 12-15 months.

 

^^ An AAL should do ya then.

If you want one that will last that long, you may want to consider a 3 leaf progressive AAL. Costs more than a single leaf, but will likely last you the time you're after.

 

I've got the stock springs from my last truck, but I'm way up here in Knoxville.

Also, if anyone wants to buy the overload leaf from a Dakar pack or stock coilovers, let me know.

 

is it the standard OL from the dakar pack or is it the the extra leaf for the dakars? jw. it it is the extra leaf i may get it from ya, but i dont think running 2 OL would be wise...

 

Yeah, no, standard overload leaf, although I didn't think there was a difference? I haven't researched it.

 

You do a track day this weekend, Jim? How'd the miata hold up?

 

Yeah, I did. It went great for the first 6 sessions (15 minutes apiece). TONS of track time, I am a huge fan of track days over autocross already. I really need to replace the 16 year old shocks on it and add some swaybars.

Miata held up... until the radiator blew. Plastic separated from aluminum, it's 16 years old after all.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/99253396@N08/9335222388/

 

Cool. Yeah, loads more track time than autox. I did one on my motorcycle back in 06 at Barber, and I was so tired by the end of the day I didn't even ride the last session.

The down side of all that time is that you go through the consumables a LOT faster. Miatas are light though, so supposedly that's the least expensive way to do it. Tires and brakes last longer.

 

Yeah, I'm not too worried about tires and brakes, they're also very cheap - my current tire set was only like 80 bucks a tire installed, you just burn through them much faster in street driving vs like a truck. I will probably eventually get a set of stock wheels on craigslist or something to throw a set of track tires on.

I started it up briefly (sans coolant...) to get it off the trailer and parked once we got home. It was apparently giving off a little light grey smoke, I'm really hoping I didn't cause engine damage.

 

Sounds like you had a great time. I miss driving on a track. Been YEARS since I have been on one. Let's hope that there is no damage other than the radiator itself. I believe they are not that expensive. Are you going to replace it with stock, or going the performance route?

 

Yeah, it's a lot of fun for sure. I was debating an upgrade, but I didn't have any cooling problems despite doing 7 15-minute sessions until I blew the old one. I went with a $90 Koyo-manufactured OEM replacement.

The upgrades were like 200's for an all-aluminum one sufficient for naturally aspirated track use and then 300's+ for forced induction track use. I figured if I stay in this, I will consider a turbo, so I didn't want to upgrade now and then have to upgrade again... if that makes sense.

Any ideas on the grey smoke? I'm worried I busted a seal, the car got very hot after the radiator blew.

 

Unrelated note, this was at the track there, I have a couple of pictures on my phone: http://bringatrailer.com/2013/05/16/daytona-class-winner-1965-koch-chevy-special/

 

Just to be sure, are we talking grey smoke from the exhaust, or just the general area of the engine? Typically burning oil will cause a white colored exhaust, rich fuel will cause black smoke. Grey could be either a combination, or from coolant. I would suggest getting a pressure tester from the local parts store, replace the radiator, then pressurize the system at 15 lbs and watch for pressure decay. Sometimes a small amount of coolant can be drawn into the intake from a radiator blowing. As the engine tends to draw air from the engine compartment, near the front, a blow radiator can EASILY allow this coolant to get into the intake.

 

We're talking from the exhaust. That's a really good point. I mean, coolant flew up onto the windshield when it blew, it was most definitely under pressure. Thanks, Bill! I imagine that if that's what happened, it'll just burn off then and stop smoking?

Of course, I haven't fired it up for more than 20 or 30 seconds - I only started it to pull it off the trailer and park it.

 

Most likely, you will be fine. Only way to know for sure is the pressure test after the radiator install (Make sure you fill it with coolant BEFORE the pressure test) and let the engine run to burn off whatever has been drawn into the intake.

 

OK, I'll do that. Thanks, Bill, that helps.

 

just wanted to throw this out there, is anyone interested in my tire carrier i made and had on my truck for the last couple meets? If so please let me know, bc if there is no interest it is getting cannibalized for my next project. If you are interested I will be selling for less than i have in materials. just pretty much cover the handling kind of fee bc i want to see it go to a good home! Like i said if no interest its getting chopped up to be used for parts.


pics to show what im talking about