The Getaway...Crom's build and adventures

Maybe in a couple years; not anytime soon! At this point, I think all I'd have to do is gears, wheels/tires, and trim some material from the fenders, and probably front bumper.

I ended up ordering a removable tire gate with my HC bumper. So if I do go 35 one day, I already have a solution for that.

Thanks! The 1st gen's had an issue there, so that would be a worthwhile investment!

I really do think it's worth the effort for a truck that's going to get wheeled, while carrying weight.

 

Leaf Spring Maintenance.

So I tore out the springs to reconfigure the spring pack. I'll be adding back the stock second overload I never put in. But before I did that, I thought it would be great to have the leaf spring isolators installed in the Dakar pack leafs where none existed. This is a permanent cure to the Dakar leaf spring squeak. I didn't want to to the work myself, so I drove up to North County Spring, in Escondido, CA and paid them to do it for me.





The shop owner, Tony did the work. Twelve (12) drilled holes and isolators for $52 out the door. It took them about an hour, and while that was happening I got to visit and have lunch with my Mother at a local Bistro joint. It was a good day!







My OCD got the best of me, and I cleaned the leaves with acetone and painted them (again).


Before reassembly, I'll apply a nice layer of Quick dry Moly lube on all the leaves, and that pack is going to flex like butter!!!

 

Here is some funny azz sh!t.

Look at the Dakar bushing. It's no longer centered in the spring eye! lolz

I'm ready though. I have in stock, six (6) energy suspension polyurethane bushings at the ready. I'll hammer that one, and the other one out and go poly.

 

Someone has been busy!

 

Did Jeff weld up the plates in the driveway?

 

Indeed! Tons and tons of work.

Welding work was done at his shop, he is local to me. CMC and plating was done in one full day.

 

How'd you get the truck there if the springs were off?

 

Just like my time machine, I have a teleporter. My best inventions to date.







































JK
Springs came off after welding was done.

 

Stop toying with us, we want answers!

 

Five CROM hammer strikes with 4-lb sledge using a 1-1/8" socket and some 4x4 wood blocks. Easier than I thought.

 

Hello, Mr. Fancy Busypants.

1. Why are you adding the second overload back in?
2. How many miles were on those bushings?

 

Yeah, you've got a ton of shit hanging way off the rear end

 

ARB CS047R Old Man Emu/Dakar Leaf Spring

ARB recommends the following:

• Stock loads (0lbs to GVM, optimal performance at loads of 0-300lbs) *Removal of third leaf
• Constant 300lbs (300lbs to GVM, optimal performance at loads of 300-600lbs)
• Constant 600lbs (600lbs to GVM, optimal performance at loads of 600lbs plus) *Add Extra leaf D29XL
• Progressive Spring Rate: 182 Lbf / 392 In. 32N / 69mm
• Bushing Eye Diamater: 40mm
• Primary Free Camber: 207mm
• Number of leaves 5+2, but I'm 6+2 because of Extra Leaf.
• Two-stage leaf pack: Featured on most rear springs for optimum comfort. When unladen the vehicle is largely riding on the primary stage, with the secondary stage providing additional support when a heavy load is added.
• Shot peening: The tension side of all leaves is shot peened to reduce spring stress. This process can double the life of a spring.
• Military wrap: Designed to provide added safety.
• Anti friction pads: Regreasable nylon interleaf liners reduce friction at the leaf tips where the load is the greatest.

After hammering out the stock Dakar rubber bushings, I replaced with Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings bought from Wheeler's Off-Road. It's the one they sell for the Dakar Leaf packs.

I now have them in both leaf eyes now. I greased both bushings inside and out with Prothane Super Grease. What's nice about the bushings from Wheeler's is they supply a little tube of synthetic grease. I however just used my grease gun already loaded with Super Grease.

I sprayed dry moly lube on each leaf front and back, it turns the leafs a gray color, it dries instantly.

I enlisted the help of an old friend to help me put the leaf packs back in. It took us an hour to get it done. Reconfigured leaf packs now weigh 84.5 lbs. each. The individual 2nd overload that is now installed, weighed 10.8 lbs.

I retained the 3* axle shim. I will make time to measure drive line angles to make sure things are dialed in properly.

I reused my old u-bolts, painted them fresh red again. The threads the nuts are grabbing haven't been stretched before, so it's somewhat safer than straight up reusing old u-bolts. I will swap them out for fresh ones before the next wheeling trip just to be safe.





Fresh-new-custom-leaf-spring isolators at each end of leaf pack, courtesy of my $52, and paid Spring Shop work.


My permanent solution to Dakar squeak. Leafs' are completely silent, and should stay that way for the life of of the leaf pack.

 

Love what you did there. We are running the same rear shocks

 

It gave me 1/2" more lift in the rear,
gave the truck more rake, so when loaded it's going to be more level.
Adds to the general load capacity of the springs.

I think I have 14K miles on the Dakars so far.

Good! I recommend it. The

$81 D29XL Leaf Spring

D29XL helps. It's identical to the 3rd leaf in the pack. Just have to deal with the pain of pulling the pack, reconfiguring and reinstalling. Plus purchase of new u-bolts :-/

 

It's about time I post up in here after creeping for quite a while.


In my experience, those leaf springs isolators make things worse in the long run. They open up a gap between the leaves that allow much more dirt and dust to get trapped, which will eventually cause more noise.

I don't have experience with Dakars however, but I know they're notorious for squeaking. On my springs, I beveled the ends of each leaf so they move as smoothly as possible, and it's been working out great.

Curious to hear your results after a few wheeling trips.

Edit: You can also get dirt and dust on the isolators themselves when the leafs open up at full droop.

 

Good. Great choice of shock. Affordable, and perform really well. I love my Bilstein B110 and have no plans to change brand/model shock for the life of the truck. They allow me to use every millimeter of travel the Dakars have to offer.

Welcome. I read a lot of your posts in Leo's build and other CO builds.

My experience has been the exact opposite. Maybe because I have no snow / wet conditions.

What I can tell you is that in my experience, leaf pack squeaks come from the leaf ends vibrating as they move against each other. And IMO, mechanical separation of leaf s the only permanent solution worth while.

I previously used to use zip ties to control the situation. Solving the Dakar Leaf Spring Squeak (obsoleted by isolators).

Any sand or dust between my Dakar leaves gets pulverized as the leaf flexes and blown out by driving on the interstate. In seven years, I've never had a problem there.

 

By adding in the 1/2" thick leaf, I've increased my calculated margin of safety on the shock to 0.91".

 

Which camping heater was the suggested one for your tent? also which propane fire pit? I had one on Amazon but it says ships in 1-2 months