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Chat - The Official Las Vegas/Southern Nevada Chat Thread

2M views 42K replies 144 participants last post by  terrasmak 
#1 ·
I figured since the other thread started out as talking about making a club, and what clubs are available, we should have a thread that's just dedicated to setting up trail runs.

The title says it all, and it'll be less cluttered.

So, the 9/18/10 Run to Potato Ridge was a success!

Next item on the schedule is Logandale on 10/23/10 according to McRoberts. Seems like we have a few interested parties! Who all is planning to attend?

If there is anything in the meantime, or someone local wants another rig to ride with them, just post up and see if anyone is available!
 
#14,141 ·
Here's that same FJ currently... Like I said, why take something that insanely built and basically throw it all away and go a completely different route, starting from stock would've saved a ton of money but I guess when you're richer then rich decisions like that probably just don't matter.

I'll admit, I'm not too scared to cut up a perfectly good truck but this is way more ballsy then I am!!!

















Think toyota had any clue someone would do something like this? LOL

Seriously, I wonder what it's like to be rich... Yeah, I have a lot of toys but you know what, most of them are self built. I don't even know what it's like to be able to just drop something off and pick it up done. That's such a cool concept to me!
 
#14,142 ·
See, me personally... $100 and driving to tucson vs. $300 and a little bit of work local. I'm going $300 and a little bit of work but that's just me. Round trip gas to tucson in a truck would've been $100 minimum plus an entire day and didn't you say you were having to rent a truck too? How were those $100 axles really going to be any cheaper all said and done? Extra $100, 30 minutes in grinding and the axles are probably installed that same day without loosing a complete day of your life on an epicly boring drive. LOL That's if they were the same gearing. I'm a bit lost on which ones were geared with what and which gears you want. Hell, swing by my house with those and I'll cut the damn perches off for you, I'm pretty quick at that kinda stuff, just cover the cut off wheels and a 12 pack of mtn dew. LOL

Do you know the person in Tucson or La with the axles? If not, then you don't know the true condition of those axles either. I'm selling my jeep and my car. I would sell my jeep to any one of you on here, I wouldn't sell my car to anyone on here but when someone comes to look at it, you can damn well bet I'm saying it's in great condition! Sold as is... LOL

Like I said, I'm just playing a-hole devil's advocate... Have you looked at that one that's in the pic-a-part on boulder by chance? I "might" be in there this weekend, is there a way to ID exactly what you're looking for?
Again, I understand completely where you're coming from.

I love road trips. I love driving long distances, and havent done so in a while so a trip to tucson would be nice. Originally the girl was going to ride with me and we were going to stay over night and make a date weekend out of it.

Axles/wheels = $100
Gas = $130.00
Rental = $30.00

Total: $260 plus a 'fun' day. I know, there isnt much difference.

Yes, i know the people in Tucson and LA. One is a mod on IFSJA, and one is a member over there that I have met personally.

Part of it is also just wanting to deal with people I know/like rather than some person on CL.

I'm looking for a set of axles from a 74-79 Wagoneer. Not j truck, not cherokee unless its narrow track. Must be equipped with discs in the front.

I'm looking for 3.54 gear ratio, which is factory tow package. Regualr gear ratio is 3.07 for those years. I dont want that (I currently have 3.31's, tow package from 73)

And lastly, the axles I pick up are going to be refurbished 100% before placing them under my truck. I dont mean gears and stuff, but seals, u joints, ball joints, bearings, wheel cylinders, drums, shoes, calipers, pads, and rotors, etc. no sense in putting in some iffy ones and having to do the work under the truck. I'd like them 'fresh' when they go in.

I guess there's nothing wrong with taking a look at those local ones, even though they would be more, and dont include wheels. I figured I could sell off the rims (which i dont want) to offset some of the cost for new rims.
 
#14,143 ·
The rear suspension on that has me scratching my head. Why are the bumpstops set so high that the only way the axle could touch is if it were broken? Where exactly is the control arm attached to on the frame? It looks like there might be another cross member up there somewhere?
 
#14,144 ·
The rear suspension on that has me scratching my head. Why are the bumpstops set so high that the only way the axle could touch is if it were broken? Where exactly is the control arm attached to on the frame? It looks like there might be another cross member up there somewhere?
Okay, lets see if I can make this make any sense... Why they're doing it? Ehhh, can't really say. Maybe they want to over complicate things to be cool and different? Not really seeing what they're working with the shock mounting options may have dictated some if it also where they're trying to cram as much as they can into a small area/package.

With that said, here's a shot from the rear. It's just your typical nothing special 4 link system like what some guys (garza for instance) do on the rear of their jeeps.



On the jeeps though, most people are mounting their shocks and coils on the axle which doesn't really take advantage of leverage to allow you to get more travel out of the system then the shock/coil package will stroke.

So the 4 links are locating the axle and keeping it from moving around in ways it shouldn't...

On that picture above, see the sway bar looking links? Those are going to those large arms you see in the side profile shot. They are acting both as the mechanism that's supporting the weight of the vehicle and the shocks as well as working as the sway bar all in one shot. In this picture you can see they kind of tuck up in there to a pivot where the torsion bar (sway bar) is going across the cab.



So at the far right end of the arm as pictured above but blocked by the tire is that link going down to the axle. The bumpstop is so far up cause I'm assuming they've got it actually striking on that sway bar arm also.

Pretty trick, is it strong? Ehhh, I'd for sure say the weak link is in those links between the axle and sway bar arm since those are supporting the whole vehicle's weight. It'll probably do fine but man are those things seeing some force.

Does that make any sense? Like I said, why to do it that way? Who knows... Million ways to skin a cat and this one sure stands out from the crowd! Kinda like the picture I posted of that white expo yesterday or the day before. Pretty cool but kinda complicated. Then again, if you see video of it going, it works really darn good so it's hard to judge by any means!
 
#14,145 ·
wow that was easier to find then I thought, here's video of that explorer with the crazy rear. They did it cause the shocks typically need to be right where the rear seats are if you link an exploder and they wanted to keep it a 4 seater so this allows the shocks to move behind the axle while still working fine. It's basically the same thing the FJ has done only that upper are is going to the back bumper on the explorer rather then forward like on this FJ.

There's no shock tuning in this, it's just how it worked right out of the box from what I understand.

 
#14,147 ·
Basically this is the same thing as that expo and that FJ. Only difference is this arm with the shocks are going to the rear where the FJ's are going forward, same function though. You'll see gonig forward on this below the 4 link bars and a swaybar above it and then the mezzanine arms going to the rear.

 
#14,150 ·
man, there is some crazy suspension out there.

I dont even have sway bars. haha.
It's gonna be a while cause I need to finish this race truck and do some upgrades and prep to my toyota first but I'm probably going to be doing something a bit off the wall on the rear of my expo when the time comes to address it. Just so that I can get some better shocks fit under the rear without coming thru the floor.
 
#14,151 ·
sirhk100 said:
It's gonna be a while cause I need to finish this race truck and do some upgrades and prep to my toyota first but I'm probably going to be doing something a bit off the wall on the rear of my expo when the time comes to address it. Just so that I can get some better shocks fit under the rear without coming thru the floor.
Wouldn't that be 'explo'?

Its not an exporer hahaha
 
#14,153 ·
Need some help. I saw this truck today, and I got thinking. Say there was a line of d-bags and hipsters, with an average height of 5 foot 9 inches, and say this line extended out for an indefinite distance beyond a 12 foot high 30 degree ramp, and say I was driving this truck up the ramp at 73 MPH with a 12 MPH tail wind ... how many extra d-bags and hipsters would I clear before smashing the rest as a result of that wing?
 

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#14,155 ·
sirhk100 said:
Okay, lets see if I can make this make any sense...
Makes more sense now. I didn't really understand what was going on there because from the first picture of the rear suspension you posted the mezzanine arm looks like a control arm and you can't see the regular 4 link control arms. I thought it was like a cantilever arm but that didn't make sense with the way the shocks and springs are mounted. I would really like to see something like that in person.

On a side note, I have nothing going on tomorrow. You going to be working?
 
#14,156 ·
No it's actually spelled "exploder"
He's got it right. My last one that was similarly built to this one popped sitting at a stop light. The nickname is really fitting. Then again when you're running 35's on a transmission designed for a minivan what do you expect? LOL, I'll be better prepared for the pop this time around!
 
#14,157 ·
Yep, I'll be out there most the day. No clue what time, kinda whenever I get up and get motivated to go suffer! LOL My goal tomorrow is 8 tubes. If I can do that, it leaves gussets for Sunday and then the roof can get cut off next for welding. I'll PM you my number, just shoot me a text or something if you decide you want to cruise by. Heck, that might be the motivating factor to get my butt out there even! HAHAHA

And yeah, they make a lot more sense when you see them in person. I don't know where or who has it but if one of the old baldwin trophy trucks ever resurfaces it's got the most exotic crazy over the top mezzanine rear setup I've ever seen. Pictures online don't do it justice. It seriously looks like a space ship from some sci-fi movie kinda crap.

Only thing better would be if this dude was scratching his head!!! LOL



I should really confuse you and find pictures of the old macpherson chevy TT that was nicknamed big mac, I've seen it in person and still can't totally figure it out. Put it this way, instead of torsions, or springs, or leafs to support it, it's held up by nylon looking straps that are held in tension. Or at least that's sure what it looks like!

The rock racers and crawlers have done some crazy stuff. I remember back in highschool seeing avalanche engineering in like the early 90's out of colorado doing strange mind blowing suspension ideas but it seems like the desert racer guys think even more outta the box sometimes. They don't always work though, that's for sure! LOL

These aren't the ones I'm looking for but talk about space ship looking!!!

http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php/38200-Big-Mac-Trophy-Truck-What-Happend/page3

Just scroll down a bit...
 
#14,159 ·
Spaceball said:
Went to take a look at this thing this morning, 1980 J20, http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/3138825969.html but it turned out to be a little more work to be done than I'd hoped :(

I'm sure somebody with the time, space, and know-how will pick it up.
What shape is it in physically, and what does it need done to it?

Where in town is it?
 
#14,160 ·
What shape is it in physically, and what does it need done to it?

Where in town is it?
It's near Ann & Decatur. Owner's a super nice dude, keeps it in the garage except when he's workin in there, does some kickass metal fab work.

It was sitting for about 6 years. runs really rough, still has the old oil in it so no way to really tell, rocker/lifter noise. When he finally got it running a couple weeks ago, the rear driveline fell out:eek:, only need new ujoints there.

Body is fairly straight except for medium size bash on a rocker and rust lines from back wheels to front of bed. Interior shot, but all the gauges are there and work.

I was hoping it could be ran and taken for a test drive, but with no rear driveline and the motor running the way it is, umm no. Probably needs motor and carb rebuild. He's on 702warmachines so someone here probably knows him.
 
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