PlumCrazy's Beater DD 4x4 Build

[ryan]

Love that it's straight up called the rivet buster

 

[PlumCrazy]

Even with the track bar this truck still doesn't drive as nice as I was hoping for. I planned to continue putting 15-20k a year on it and it honestly I havent been driving it as much because it kinda sucked on single lane back roads with a decent crown and bumps. It didnt bump steer but really took a lot of steering wheel action to keep it straight.

I have the caster set best I can while keeping driveline angles and the shackles in a reasonable spot and it the steering wheel self centers pretty well.

So I put a front sway bar back on the truck and it really made the difference. I think the only thing that would make it better would be a less aggressive tire. Now i think what little wander it has left is just like new 10.50 wide MT behavior.

Bolted up the factory Ranger bar and mounts and used RWD Ranger rear end links with the studs pressed out. The offset is about perfect for the YJ U-bolt plate mount and the length is pretty close (ideally 1" longer, but the 4x4 links are like 4" longer). I pressed out the stud and the bushing came out with it, but I had a random box of new split type bushings laying around from my dually project.

Also decided to address the leaky D30 pinion seal. It didn't make sense to me for it start leaking randomly because with the CAD it doesnt spin going down the road....turns out it wasnt leaking at the lip seal, but rather the metal casing had rusted through.

The original D30 vent hole was not in an ideal location due to the Ranger crossmember, so I used the 1/8npt hole in the CAD housing to relocate the vent tube

Also picked up a little side project. Snagged a nearly free Doodle Bug frame and used an engine from a free roadside rototiller to make a little pit bike. I need to rig up a headlight still, but its a ripper.