The Frankenstein Build! LT/Expo/Trail rig..and BS

and me. i complain a lot

 

...and I am a rat.

 

eh johnny, you smell that? I think we got a rat in 'ere

 

What did Aaron get for his?

 

Just curious what spring rate/size Aaron got for his LT kit. Might be a good gauge on how the 600's will set, yes?

 

I wasn't sure what he got but after a text message he let me know be got 700lb eibachs

 

Wut??...

 

Remember when we were mobbing across that meadow on the other side of Daisy and Lulu? What a blast but I slowed down becasue I was worried I might break something.

Well ever since coming back from the trip, my front steering has sounded more and more like C'Bob. I have a pop/thunk when changing steering direction. I can be loud but not always. I can only hear it at very low speed or when I am parking.

I got under there and was unable to find anything obvious. So with Ben's help last weekend, I had him move the steering while I was under there. I was able to locate what is making the noise.

It is one of the steering rack mounts. The lower part of that U-shaped bracket on the passenger side of the rack. I could see it and feel it move when the sound was made.

I took some pics of the spot earlier and am uploading them now.

 

This pic shows the bracket from the back side. That piece mounted to it is the skid mount.



This one shows where it is mounted to the crossmember.



Here is a zoomed in view. I am wondering it that mounting surface is bent? Looks like it might be in the pic but I'm not sure.




Thoughts?

 

Hahahaha I just wrote about that moment haha so yes I remember. Was super fun.

Interesting though..is it cracked??

 

It doesn't look cracked but it might be bent. See the pics I posted?

 

Hmm doesn't seem like its super outpif wack. And some movement is normal in the rack.

But it doesn't look flat that's for sure

 

That is right where the movement and noise is. I did see if I could tighten that bolt but no go with my weak ass. Pretty sure that bolt threads into a welded nut inside the crossmember. It was definitely on there good.

Is that one of the rack mounts you had to repair on Frank? Twice?

 

That is the mount I had to reweld to the crossmember yes..but only once haha

Yea the nut its tac welded on in the back.


Doesn't look like it hurts anything though. Just noise now haha may be a way to fix it though.

 

Maybe take a look at Christmas?

Even tho the poly bushings stiffen everything up. the rack is still going to move some from side to side as the wheels leverage it. The movement should be absorbed by the bushings but in this case the bushing bracket is moving where it mounts to the crossmember like it is a bit loose. But its not loose.

Not saying there is nothing wrong with the rack itself. It does have 140K on it and the last 50K has been with bigger tires and a relatively higher percentage of offroad miles.

 

Yea we can look at it then of course.

Speaking of which. When you gonna show up? Was it after new years or just before???

 

It looks like the surface where the bracket mounts may be bent

 

It's the under aide if the passenger side mount. Top of the pic is the front of the truck.

Isn't that an engineering skill?