Java Builds a Ski-Bum Mobile

Where you going up this road in 2wd or 4wd? Could it have done it in 2WD?

In reply to Petrolburner:

I was in 4x4. It makes my wife far more comfortable even if its not needed. The truck is heavy enough to blast down the the gravel in most places. Probably would have been fine in 2wd if I stayed on the main road, two cars were in front of me aways. But spurs and the parking lot we parked in wouldn't have been fun....

I'm finding that my Motovan really kicks ass for a 2WD rig. I played in the warming snow yesterday and didn't get stuck. I'm going on a Christmas tree hunting trail run with the local Landcruiser club this weekend. We'll see if I put the winch to use, or my TREDs, or both.

In reply to Petrolburner:

Sweet! Im going on a xmas tree run too :) hopefully its dumping snow... Haven't had a good snow run in a few years.

Treds seemed to hold up to that bus pretty damn well!! I had my max trax under ~30' RV and they went almost flat. Still fine though.

java230 wrote: In reply to Petrolburner: Sweet! Im going on a xmas tree run too :) hopefully its dumping snow... Haven't had a good snow run in a few years. Treds seemed to hold up to that bus pretty damn well!! I had my max trax under ~30' RV and they went almost flat. Still fine though.

Well that reminds me I still need to email the manufacturer. The bus with an open diff spent sometime spinning on one of them and wore the traction knobs off right where you would hope to be climbing on to the traction board. They have a lifetime warranty so I hope they send me a new one in exchange for the photos for their website. They didn't bend or break though.

BAD. ASS.

ultraclyde wrote: This is awesome. Good job at life.

+1

In reply to Petrolburner:

Yeah i am missing a couple nubs on my maxtrax too.

Enyar wrote: BAD. ASS.

ultraclyde wrote: This is awesome. Good job at life.

+1

Thanks guys!

Took off Friday night for a day of skiing Saturday, a big storm was supposed to be coming in and they had gotten a dumping mid week. Friday night was REALLY clear and cold, amazing stars. Then the storm rolled in, it DUMPED saturday, great day of skiing, it got better and better as the day went on.

Lots of stuck cars in the parking lot, and I thought we might be too.... Had all 6 wheels spinning through a ~2' deep drift. But we made it through, and made it down the road out ok. A tacoma not so much, they went sideways off the road, luckily there was a well placed tree that kept them from going down hill a long ways.

Truck drives weird now, I don't know if I should start another thread for it or not, but it wanders, like constant steering input is needed. Only thing I have changed (other than sitting for 6 months) is tires on the rear. I went with retreads (its dualies, this is GRM and im cheap!) But they are on the same carcase as the tires that were taken off, michelin XPS's.

So either its the tires or something in the steering is getting vague?

could you have knocked the alignment out during an off-road jaunt? Checked your front anti-sway bar endlinks?

Does it feel loose, like there's play in it, or does it just require correction all the time?

ultraclyde wrote: could you have knocked the alignment out during an off-road jaunt? Checked your front anti-sway bar endlinks? Does it feel loose, like there's play in it, or does it just require correction all the time?

Could be alignment, but hard to say, i don't go crazy with it on f FS roads, but it is sprung stuff. With the leafs and solid axle front end, what would be the key spot to look at alignment wise?

I didn't feel anything loose when tugging on steering links etc in the front end.

It just feels "floaty" if i hold the wheel and dont move it the truck just wanders around the lane if that makes sense.

My guess is ball joints or tie rods. Can you jack up the front end and look at the steering assembly while someone turns the wheel. You might be able to see if there is slack in it that way.

Check the drag link (steering box-wheel), have somebody work the steering wheel back and forth with you underneath looking (on the ground, engine off).

monknomo wrote: My guess is ball joints or tie rods. Can you jack up the front end and look at the steering assembly while someone turns the wheel. You might be able to see if there is slack in it that way.

I can... Its just very difficult where is parked. I have a feeling my jack will disappear into the ground.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Check the drag link (steering box-wheel), have somebody work the steering wheel back and forth with you underneath looking (on the ground, engine off).

Are you thinking worn drag link or worn steering box? I can wiggle the steering wheel a little either direction with no real change to the car while driving. But IIRC its always been that way. Its not exactly a precision handling vehicle.

Is there a way to 'tighten' the steering boxes? I vaguely remember something about a bolt that could be tightened on them, its been awhile since i did steering boxes rather than racks.

Boxes are adjustable to some degree, and there is probably some slop in there you can (carefully, there's a procedure for this) dial out, but normally when you get drunk driving simulator grade wander and it's not darty or anything that would suggest the toe doing whatever it wants (bad tie rod ends or ball joint/kingpins), it's the draglink on one end or the other.

I was thinking of toe in being too wide, which could be the result of mechanical failure, as pointed out.

In reply to Kenny_McCormic:

I lol'ed. Drunk driving simulator

OK ill try to jack it up and try to check the TRE's.

It almost feels like the rear end is just doing whatever the berk it wants, thats kinda what made me thing tires.

So jealous, of the rig and being out skiing!!! As for the vague wandering steering, play around with your tire pressure and see if it changes. Had a very similar scenario happen with a 2500 diesel truck. Needed rear tires badly. So bought the same brand, but they had updated the tire to a new tread pattern and compound. At all speeds it felt like the rear tires were flat and the back end was going to slide out. Very disconcerting... Played with pressures to make it feel better. Then after a few thousand miles the tires wore in a bit, and stopped feeling like that. I attributed the odd feel to tread squirm (with older fronts and new rears) and the difference in tire models. Good luck and keep the updates coming, both the build and using it!
Paul

In reply to paulmpetrun:

Yeah hopefully it keeps snowing!

As to tire squirm, they have ~1k miles on the new rears, the fronts are a different pattern and older. But I didn't notice anything when the fronts were put on with the old rears. I hate dualies for tire pressures. Its a bitch to change them. Ill have to check though. I believe I had them at 55psi, and its the same carcass as before.... Up or down pressure wise?

java230 wrote: In reply to paulmpetrun: Yeah hopefully it keeps snowing! Up or down pressure wise?

Let it snow let it snow let it snow!!!
As for pressures I don't remember the exact numbers. We tried up and down with pressures till it drove better. Go for a drive and take a small compressor, tire gauge, and a camera! Good luck
Paul

In reply to paulmpetrun:

Little compressor wont work on the back tire valve stem....

If it makes any difference it isn't really noticeable until ~55MPH

Did some rudimentary research into the "wobble". Without jacking the front end up, the tie bar and drag link have no play. When driving, there is ~1/4" of play either direction of center in the steering wheel that makes no movement in the truck.

But we had a SERIOUS bonfire this weekend and had a great time in the snow. We dragged diffs for quite a ways!

Sounds like you might have a tire that lost a lot of pressure or is flat if there is suddenly that noticeable change in handling.

No bonfire pics? WTF? We burned a Volkswagen block in Baja and it was BRIGHT!

do snow adventure vehicles have to be white? Is it a requirement? As a Georgia native, is there a regulation of which I am unaware?

Looks like fun.

I don't want an RV- stop making me want an RV!

ultraclyde wrote: do snow adventure vehicles have to be white? Is it a requirement? As a Georgia native, is there a regulation of which I am unaware? Looks like fun.

I agree, should be Orange with a large white Tiger Paw on it... :P