Holy Crap!  Scared the **** outta me!  Not just once but several times...  when you're not expecting it.  Yeah, our camping trip week.  I left wife setting up the tents!  I had a big dose of yellow pine pollen & seasonal allergy response...  an immune response.  Multiple Sclerosis is an auto-immune disease.  So my symptoms are increased right now.  I'm not well enough to camp. 

 

I was planning to commute to camp...  day tripping for me...   towing my landscape trailer each day with my big scooter on it...  so I can really get around camp...  especially hauling a cannon...   

To salvage the vaca, I am borrowing the inlaws F word Explorer.  I will need the truck to pack up camp but that's a single round trip, not 5 trips. 

 

I can't get the Dodge into the shop until wife is home for transport.  I expect a tie rod end or something has sh*t the bed.      

Edited August 2, 201410 yr by Mopar1973Man

*sodium chloride

I dropped in to see how work was progressing.  My truck is on their secondary lift...   rear calipers were seized & have now been replaced, & new rear dics.

 

The right side U bolts are (cut) off, they have the new U bolts & bottom plates (both sides).  But the spacer blocks are worn, & locating holes oval & not useable.  OEM are on factory back order, so trying  to source elsewhere.   The way these bottom plates are made...  a stamping with cups...  great places to hold water & salt. 

When I did the restoration on the C30...  there was an epoxie we poured into the doors seams...  something like that would keep the salt & water out.  This is the time to do it. 

good idea on the  epoxy/ sealer,  Just make dang sure  they are located  in the right spot!!!

 

My  '94 gasser    is  rusting in the most  peculiar places too,  only  on the  'hefty' iron...  none of the  sheetmetal is affected..

exhaust manifolds,  engine block itself,     springs and    perches.    not  just    jive ol rust,  but  nasty  flaky hunk of  crud!   I've never seen a block erode away like this  360!

 

I chalked some of it up to the  electrolysis  these  rigs  must be going though...  aluminum radiator,  Iron block,   a  zillion  electrical circuits... but  most of it is  because of  its former use:  golf course  fertilizer truck..   (me learned a  valuable lesson there!) 

.......  how many people  in here  can  tell me  if they remember getting  'zapped'  when they step out after a  road trip,  and  turn to  close the door?????   My   1994   was  the first vehicle  to  snap me,  and  still does....  It  was  almost frightening  going  across the desert  a few years ago!  My  kids  refused to get out and use the restroom!   My older crap never  snapped me.

Edited June 18, 201410 yr by rancherman

I already had a fabricator install new spring perches on the front axle.  Dodge does not offer the parts...  expect you to install a new axle housing.  WTF? 

It's been hard not to be a PITA at the shop doing my work...  I have been stopping in occasionally, showing interest but not everyday & just long enough.  Stopped in today. 

My truck is back on the ground with new rear brakes, the rear brakes had seized. My instructions were to check all wheels for brake drag...  been there before.

New U bolts, spacers & bottom plates installed.  I saw the rusted out bottom plates allowing the U bolts to separate out of position.  See earlier pictures.   

3rd Gen track bar kit & bracket installed.   I asked about the track bar kit...  the shop's first...  they said it was a PITA but got it done.  I asked about the condition of the original track bar & they said the ball & socket was definately worn / getting loose.

The truck was over the pit when I was there...  using all the paint I left to use on the new parts. 

 

I don't know how much this is going to cost me...  this shop has always been honest & fair.  I can't wait to drive it! 

After all that it had better drive like a new truck!

That was the point, really.  I found I needed to be aggressive & catch up on any accumulated wear.   I pointed out that when I use the truck, it's to haul a 30' & heavy camper...   it needs to drive like new, just to be safe.  I don't think I've been driving it enough...  it's so easy to jump in the Cirrus with all my stuff in it (like my walker & scooter).  But I should pick a day or 2 every week to exercise the Cummins.  (It's just such a dang high lift to put my scooter frame onto the backseat! )

 

My list is still active:

getting the rusted out doors fixed  

getting the AC fixed (important for my MS).

New skins... 

 

I was surprised to find tires in my size that were only P rated...      

There are a lot of tires that fit our trucks that are only "P" rated. Sometimes you need to look pretty close to see the actual ratings.

I was surprised to find tires in my size that were only P rated...      

 

There are P and LT tires, you need a LT LRE tire. A LRE 265/75R16 is a VERY common tire, if a tire store told you that you could only get P tires then you need a new tire store, they likely don't know the difference between a bicycle tire and a tractor tire.

No a tire store didn't show them to me...  I was scooting WalMart automotive and just saw them. 

 

I stopped by to check on my truck...  it is done.  The boss wanted to take it for a (another) test drive.  They used up the spray undercoater I'd brought in.  The bill was not together yet.  I'm holding my breath but what ya gonna do?  I hope that by being patient they were able to get me a better deal.  We'll see.  More important, is that I have a trustworthy truck. 

YEAH!!  I have my truck back!   

3rd Gen track bar upgrade, all new tie rod ends & adjustor sleeves.   

New U bolts, nuts, plates, used lift OEM block (new unavailable).    

Turned rear rotors, new pads, rebuilt calipers, new hose (chafe damage).  New parts all painted with spray undercoater (I supplied).  It looks good.    

$1100 in parts (plus I bought the track bar kit)

$350 in labor (including the track bar)

$60 alignment

$75 tribute to the state.  (Sales tax)

 

Steering is lot tighter...  yet I think there's still a bit of free play.  I'm going to drive it some more & see how I feel. 

Glad you got it back! These trucks seem to be a bit loose in the steering department in my opinion. At least now you can stay in your lane!!

I don't cowboy the truck...  good thing...  I'm counting my lucky stars that the rear axle didn't come out from underneath.  It was really only held on the left...  the right moving front to back, changing the alignment at whim.  That's what wore the dish in the top of the spacer block!   One good wrench could have twisted the axle out from under...  the leverage must be enormous.   Nobody wins in a wreck! 

Edited July 1, 201410 yr by flagmanruss

There may be some play but I enjoyed driving the truck today.  Likely a couple of days of rain while this storm passes off the coast...  switching to the Cirrus because I'm extra slow & laborious getting in the truck...  really s*cks in the rain.   

Glad it's back in your possession. Labor seems very reasonable!!

I am glad you got the old girl fixed up. I have enjoyed following this thread. Cheers

I'm really glad this didn't result in crash...  my best estimate is the steering at highway speeds is back & forth an inch very constantly...  not too bad to drive but still one must stay one your toes.  My 97 Cirrus, on the other hand...  is reasonably tight with +/- 1/4" of working at highway speeds.  

I don't know where to go next.  The shop is Closed on vacation this week...  they are a long established front end shop & seem very competent.  But I wonder what more can be done?   

Being you trust them I think it's safe to assume they shook the entire front end down while they were in there doing the track bar...if that's the case the next likely step is in the steering box. There is a way to adust them which will take some of the slop out of the wheel, or it could just be worn out.

61,000 Cummins miles...  my OEM tires are the 265s which I imagine puts more strain/wear on the front.  I want to get someone to work the wheel while it's on the lift & check the lower steering shaft bearing & yes, the steering box.   Yes, I know about the steering box lash...  when I got my (Jap) Challenger back from my ex in the divorce, the adjusting strew was stripped out & dealer said it couldn't be repaired.  I should have taken it to a real garage & gotten it fixed.  I miss that car.  Ended up driving a VW rabbit to work...  that belonged to my finance / later wife...  until the timing belt broke & wiped out the engine. 

How's that 3rd gen track bar?