Diesel PW Build Thread

[DamageWagon]

Nice! Dude why don't you have a new bar made? Maybe you could even have Thuren make you one without the bushing sleeve and you can work the EMF joint in? I know you said the Carli bar flexes a lot.


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[nts007]

Yes that was an idea too but after talking to a few guys that know chromoly better than I the idea of keeping the bar and allowing the flex will help reduce the jam through the joints being no rubber bushing. They said that even though there is stress and fatigue force for now it should be ok for awhile. The bending will get far worse before it will fail. So I'm ok with that. The emf bushing is weld on so I'll cut the existing off just behind the weld and just lengthen the threads on the heim side. It should last me a couple hundred thousand klicks before there is any problem. And if it all fails well I'm only out a a couple hundred bucks

[DamageWagon]

Good point. There should be no binding though. Since there is no bushing. If you are binding it would be from the bar hitting the bracket, which I suppose is possible. Let me know how it goes! Pretty soon we're going to be replacing our unit bearings with EMF parts lol

Does EMF make SmartBars yet?


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[Reloaderguy]

I'd buy a new Thuren bar before I went that route. I think your ride quality will suffer without some of the bushings. Eliminating the bushing isolators will transmit all of the road noise straight into the chassis. I was discussing this with Don and I think it's why we see hydraulic body mounts and huge rubber joints in the new trucks.

[DamageWagon]

I'd buy a new Thuren bar before I went that route. I think your ride quality will suffer without some of the bushings. Eliminating the bushing isolators will transmit all of the road noise straight into the chassis. I was discussing this with Don and I think it's why we see hydraulic body mounts and huge rubber joints in the new trucks.

Correct, you will feel the little stuff if you bearings on both ends. Again, 2wags has bearings on both ends. I would ask him how it feels.


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[nts007]

I have no bushings in my control arms and my ride quality improved. I don't believe for a second that replacing the one last bushing is going to make any difference In my current ride quality. It will however free up the track bar to swing more freely and stop binding when flexing. Ever try replacing springs with the track bar on? Can't get the longer ones in. But loosen the bushing bolt on the track bar and suddenly there is full droop. The new trucks get all sorts of cushy modifications because the world is a bunch of whiners and everyone wants a truck to feel like a luxury car. Have at er. When I finally decide I want a nice riding vehicle I'll get a Buick and some dentures. And Velcro shoes.

[Reloaderguy]

I'd buy a new Thuren bar before I went that route. I think your ride quality will suffer without some of the bushings. Eliminating the bushing isolators will transmit all of the road noise straight into the chassis. I was discussing this with Don and I think it's why we see hydraulic body mounts and huge rubber joints in the new trucks.

Correct, you will feel the little stuff if you bearings on both ends. Again, 2wags has bearings on both ends. I would ask him how it feels.


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He's probably not the best reference for ride quality input.

[nts007]

Lol. He would tell you his ride quality is unbelievably smooth.... When no wheels are on the ground.

[DamageWagon]

Of course his wheels aren't on the ground, his trucks up on jack stands and all his wheels are broken and sitting in the bed with popped tires on them


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[Colibri]

I'm about to do something similar with my bar nts, getting rid of another bushing seems like a great idea!

[nts007]

Damit!! It's official.

My pw leaves are sagging. The driver side is lower than passenger by about an inch. Using the airbags to level it out right now
Damit!

[DamageWagon]

Time for Thuren LT's


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[nts007]

I've been eyeing them up. But having to choose leaves over3" shocks.... Hurts a little

[DamageWagon]

Don told me what the spring rate is of the PW leaves and of his LT leaves... Holy crap his leaves are squishy soft (in a good way). I don't know man, personally if that's the split and if your airbags are working good I would go with the shocks. Since you tow and rely on bags anyways, the effect of the springs isn't as noticeable, but the shocks will always be there.

If I did something different with my shocks, it would be
1. Add another compression tube to the bypasses
2. Since you're towing, ask if Don can add the quick-adjust knobs to the bypass tubes. As easy as the locknut and set screw setup is on normal bypasses is, just turning a knob is sooooo nice



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[nts007]

As far as rear shocks right now the custom valving and lightweight fluid I'm using is working well. But not in the front. I had planned on either 2.5" or 3" fronts this spring. But I need to make sure the valving works with the lightweight oil I want to keep using. As far as the springs, I've always debated hacking apart my spare leaf pack and just keeping 2-3 main springs and rely totally on the air bags using a auto levelling setup. Pipe dream for now. But I can live with 2lbs air more in the driverside bag than the passenger. For now.

[NovA ProspekT]

What happened to your Power Wagon, if you don't mind me asking?

[nts007]

What happened to your Power Wagon, if you don't mind me asking?

Don't mind at all. I had my 06 from new to 10 on a lease that I originally though would just re lease. But I fell in love with it. I was keeping it!! I extended the lease and when the time ran out I asked Chrysler to give me 30days to come up with the 10grand buyout. Work was just getting back on track so I knew I would be able to. They refused to extend and I had to choose to let the wagon go so I could keep my 3500 I needed for work. It was a shitty day. Worst part I saw it at the dealership less than a month later with a sticker of $18,900. I only owed $9,200 for the buyout
It sold 3 days after it was on the lot for asking price. Wanted me to pay another $8,000 (up to) if they had to sell the truck at a reduced amount on damages or repairs. I just laughed and said no. They wanted my business so they washed it anyway. Some lucky sob got a 06 wagon with new tranny new tcase newer tires dynatrac Balljoints new steering and a bunch of other goodies. At a good price with only 108k km.

I bought this truck with the plan to build my dream of a diesel powwrwagon. I'm getting there. But one day I will find an 06-08 pw and go nuts with it again. Untill then I'm here making it stink like diesel!

[NovA ProspekT]

Thanks for the explanation, sorry to hear it turned out that way.

Trucks looking great by the way!

[nts007]

Thanks Nova!
I was pretty upset back then but it's life. And you move on. I've had a couple chances to buy a pw again but I've been holding off. It's just not time yet. Plus it's as much to build a truck as it is to buy one.

[nts007]

It's warming up!!! Gonna be a couple degrees above freezing next week!! Which is perfect since my bushing is going to be here Monday or Tuesday from Emf!!! Decided to see how the car is doing. Aside from 2-3' of snow up the sides of its tent and the smell of cat piss it looks ready for a bath!! Lol. Maybe this year I will actually get to drive it.

[nts007]

Alright super excited today! Presents from Emf. Boy they package these items like they are glass!! They really care about their stuff. And then we go and thrash the crap outta it lol. weld on Bushing arrived today. It's beautiful. Normally they make these out of 1018 but they machined this one for me out of 4130 chromoly because I'm welding it to carli's 4130 bar. This thing is heavy!! Next step is cutting the old bushing off. Might get to it this week. Here's couple pics

[DamageWagon]

I'm excited to see how this goes


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[Colibri]

Damn. They put out some high speed low drag goods!

[nts007]

Alright let's get started!! How do you cut a bushing off and keep the angled alignment? Easy. Hole saw that fits perfectly over the bushing. And happens to match the new od of the new bushing

[DamageWagon]

I'm slightly hard right now.


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