SquareD Part 5: The build continues and gets more aggressive

[KensAuto]

Acura MDX is what I've got my Mrs. in - big, good mileage for size and truly SAFE from crash standpoint.  No more pricey device wise and they last mechanically.  Luxury version of Honda Pilot too.

Not a bad choice for sure. My personal favorite, for fancy dancy, would be a Lexus GX460....v-8 power (LX if you wanna go crazy!). My second choice would be just a good ole Yukon or Tahoe (notice I didn't say Escalade?). They ride great and have plenty of power, and hold up decent in a crash.
Now, with the mrs being known for.....a.....well, not being a great driver, maybe a plain Honda or Toyota suv would be a better choice. I'm banking on the fact that Big D loves his family more than his fleet, so I would stick with the nicer, upper end choices, since they typically protect the passengers better with 6000 airbags, halon systems, and scuba gear (for unintentional river crossings). JMHO

[Dawg25385]

Acura MDX is what I've got my Mrs. in - big, good mileage for size and truly SAFE from crash standpoint.  No more pricey device wise and they last mechanically.  Luxury version of Honda Pilot too.

Not a bad choice for sure. My personal favorite, for fancy dancy, would be a Lexus GX460....v-8 power (LX if you wanna go crazy!). My second choice would be just a good ole Yukon or Tahoe (notice I didn't say Escalade?). They ride great and have plenty of power, and hold up decent in a crash.
Now, with the mrs being known for.....a.....well, not being a great driver, maybe a plain Honda or Toyota suv would be a better choice. I'm banking on the fact that Big D loves his family more than his fleet, so I would stick with the nicer, upper end choices, since they typically protect the passengers better with 6000 airbags, halon systems, and scuba gear (for unintentional river crossings). JMHO

I was literally just having this conversation with a family friend the other day... they were looking at getting a new kid hauler. They do well, so were looking at the Mercedes/BMW/Lexus... Personally I would go Toyota platform Lexus too of the luxuries.

However when it comes time to get a kid-hauler for my wife, it'll be a Tahoe LTZ (she drives an Acura TSX 4-banger now, we'll never get rid of it, it'll convert into my commuter. great car) We were looking at the GMC Acadia, which is one size smaller than the Yukon, but the mileage just isn't there just justify something other than a half ton chassis. Only 1-2 mpg better than the V8 Yukon. Would rather have the ability to tow a trailer/boat etc, than get 1-2 mpg better mileage.

[Flyin6]

Well...Back to Don's chat thread I guess.

I like the Tahoe/suburban platform but living with 15-16mpg is not so good. I think we need something better than 20 if we can score it. The Caddy got 20 for her and 23 when I drove it. Her Yukon got 13.5-14 when she drove it, and 16.5 when I dove it. Even going all the way back to the early 90's when she drove our Suburban, she gor 14 mpg, and I got 16.5 all the time.

So no matter what the vehicle, she will get in the lower spectrum of the mileage range.

Which makes me think she should just take my Toureg 3.0 TDI all wheel drive and go with it. I get 27-29mpg combined mileage and on highway trips 31mpg. It is upscale, best of everything, leather, all wheel drive, heck the headlights even move in the direction you're going and side lights come on if you turn the steering wheel in one direction or another. But, put her in a 60K SUV???. But she'd be safer and well protected.

Then I'd go get a jeep and be done with it I guess

[KensAuto]

Well...Back to Don's chat thread I guess.

.....................

You asked.       :pokefingerinface





....at 2 bucks a gallon, who cares about mileage. :)

[Flyin6]

Well...Back to Don's chat thread I guess.

.....................

You asked.       :pokefingerinface





....at 2 bucks a gallon, who cares about mileage. :)

Not going to stay that way my friend...feds not making enough in taxes...Big oil, also not making coin...it's all about them ya know!

[BobbyB]

Get her one of the new Ram 1500s with the 3.0 EcoDiesel, then liberally apply sparks and extra metal. 710 mi range, pretty good mileage for a truck, and the Crew Cabs have enough room.

[Flyin6]

Get her one of the new Ram 1500s with the 3.0 EcoDiesel, then liberally apply sparks and extra metal. 710 mi range, pretty good mileage for a truck, and the Crew Cabs have enough room.

Bobby, you mean get me a 3.0L eco diesel dodge...

She's not a truck girl

She's a girly girl, pretty much complete polar opposite of me.

Nope she does not understand all of that. She knows big expensive things, a part of her DNA I wish I could rearrange. Things that sound like Cadillac, Mercedes, Acura, BMW, things like that. Caddy is on the low end btw...

I suggested she purchase her own car insurance today and that did not go very well for me. Right now I think I'll just drag an extra blanket over me in this dog house and wait out the storm going on in the house!

[BobbyB]

Bobby, you mean get me a 3.0L eco diesel dodge...

She's not a truck girl

She's a girly girl, pretty much complete polar opposite of me.

Nope she does not understand all of that. She knows big expensive things, a part of her DNA I wish I could rearrange. Things that sound like Cadillac, Mercedes, Acura, BMW, things like that. Caddy is on the low end btw...

I suggested she purchase her own car insurance today and that did not go very well for me. Right now I think I'll just drag an extra blanket over me in this dog house and wait out the storm going on in the house!

Ok, you give HH6 the VDub you currently drive, you buy yourself an EcoDiesel, as a DD and you'll both be happy!

As for warmth, hold a couple tools and sunglasses, let red dog come in and cuddle, sled dog as well. You should be plenty warm then.

[cudakidd53]

"I suggested she purchase her own car insurance today and that did not go very well for me. Right now I think I'll just drag an extra blanket over me in this dog house and wait out the storm going on in the house!" - Don's OOPS moment-  :o

DON!  How could you make such a tactical error!  That's like poking a wounded bear in the eye with a raw steak in each pocket.............hope you got that box of blankets in the mail, you're gonna need them!   :(

This MIGHT be the time you slink off to the ACURA dealer tomorrow and inquire about one of those big red bows!?!

[JR]

Funny, my wife drives the same. TERRIBLE mileage and has a bender at least once a year. Last good accident she had to drive the max for a couple weeks. Was getting coffee one day and hits a poll with the bed. She forgot it doesn't turn like her saturn did. 3K for a cup of coffee and she was only getting 12mpg!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I retired and she started working I asked her to pay 1 bill, oh man the world about ended here. She got a "new to her" Captiva and has already dented the fender (getting coffee, hitting a poll)

[Dustoff35]

Don't even bother, guys. Best to just stand back and observe.

In silence...

[BobbyB]

Don't even bother, guys. Best to just stand back and observe.

In silence...

But Duane, that's not how the DOTs conduct the daily business..  ;D

[Armalite]

Gonna throw in my input as well...

Bought my wife the new Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 3.0 liter eco diesel.  Bought it in July.  Still getting 25 mpg.  She drives 15 miles one way to take kids to school everyday, and then the same to go pick them up.  Add in her other running around town, and well, Im saying that the mileage is not hwy miles.  Its a lot of stop and go, and she still is staying at 25 mpg.  700 miles on one fuel up.  Get this, we traded in our Yukon XL on this vehicle.  The Jeep has MORE leg room in the back seats than the Yukon XL !!!  You do sacrifice on storage area, but, she has not complained.  Basically, take a look at them before you rule them out Don.  We absolutely love ours, and its cheaper than the Yukons...  Plus you can get the summit, has the all wheel drive for those nasty winters you guys have up north.  Just a thought. 

[Flyin6]

Gonna throw in my input as well...

Bought my wife the new Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 3.0 liter eco diesel.  Bought it in July.  Still getting 25 mpg.  She drives 15 miles one way to take kids to school everyday, and then the same to go pick them up.  Add in her other running around town, and well, Im saying that the mileage is not hwy miles.  Its a lot of stop and go, and she still is staying at 25 mpg.  700 miles on one fuel up.  Get this, we traded in our Yukon XL on this vehicle.  The Jeep has MORE leg room in the back seats than the Yukon XL !!!  You do sacrifice on storage area, but, she has not complained.  Basically, take a look at them before you rule them out Don.  We absolutely love ours, and its cheaper than the Yukons...  Plus you can get the summit, has the all wheel drive for those nasty winters you guys have up north.  Just a thought. 

Merry Christmas Ash

Yep I have been looking at them on line. One left over 2014 grand which is a limited in green at the dealer.

She is saying she wants out of payments. Says she wants to get the money from the insurance settlement and buy a car, cash and e done with it. Can't argue with that except that older used cars are mostly money traps. Almost makes sense to drive one under a new car warranty and eat the loss of $$$.
She doesn't want to drive the German car, so I guess my Toureg stays with me. It's a super great car. It's 3.0 diesel is getting 28.5 ish now combo highway/city and it actually tows more than the jeep grand. Leg room is ample, nothing to compare it to. Mine is an R-Line so to is like being on rails when cornering. Basically with the suspension and all wheel drive and 400+ ft. Lbs. just do anything you want!

[Flyin6]

Merry Christmas everyone!

[BobbyB]

Merry Christmas to you and the family as well.

[Mrwoody]

Good luck with the knee, Big Don
And Merry Christmas everyone

[Flyin6]

Good luck with the knee, Big Don
And Merry Christmas everyone

Thanks bro!

But

Knee operation was postponed pending some more doctor stuff...

I guess the Surgeon found out I hadn't reached my goal of installing the motor into Square D so he allowed me some more time to do so!

It's all good...

[Flyin6]

Christmas SCORE!

[KensAuto]

Nice. Must be contagious:
 

...this one is for my back bumper build.

[Flyin6]

Nice. Must be contagious:
 

...this one is for my back bumper build.

Great minds think alike...

[Flyin6]

Square D is sitting on all four wheels...two went flat!

I guess I need to crack the code for putting those wheels together and not get any leaks!

The new frame boxing is coated and I am about to hoist a motor back into place

Duane...You out there...?

Need someone with one good eye to guide me in there.

He looks and I run the loader or crane...

[JR]

Darn, wish I was close enough to help. I'll trade you winches!!

Guess I need to run to HF. Got a coupon for 20% off and the add is just $299.

[Flyin6]

Oh, and ordered the springs, rear leaf springs that is, so I am discarding my brand new set of soft ride +4" 52" springs...hmmm...

Replacements are part number 22-1269, which seems to be used everywhere (Part number that is). Stockers from a late model up to 2011 Silverado 1500 and 2500. Not the HD, but the standard truck. Have a 64" eye to eye length, 2.5" width and 6.6" static arch, and a 2,050 pound rating each. Stock springs were same width slightly less arch, 52" length and a 1775lb rating in the W250. I'm thinking the added capacity will work well with the topper, the bike and extra fuel, augmented by the airbags of course for tuning of the ride and stance.

The shackle flip produces something like a 5" lift and I just happen to have a single 5" block sitting down on the axle. My hope is to remove the block and have the spring sitting on the axle to correct all the crazies a block arrangement produces. Further the flex and ride quality will increase enormously with 14" of extra spring to bend around.

I got Jungle's front spring relocation brackets on hand and eagerly await perminizing then to the bones of Square D!

[KensAuto]

You sayin' the springs you ordered fit a 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton? must be a typo...

[JR]

I noticed a lot of that too. Many of the springs were rated at 2000lb and all were listed for 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks when checking for the sub.

[Flyin6]

You sayin' the springs you ordered fit a 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton? must be a typo...

Yep, sure do
Ken, that is the case with lots of applications. Springs are not necessarily what makes a truck 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton as you know. Axles mostly, then brakes.
Now there is a huge difference between a half ton and a 2500HD, but not between the 1500 and the 2500

[KensAuto]

I retract my blunt message, and in turn leave this nice one. :)

...most 1/2 tons I have worked on (from the 50s models til current) have lighter springs than the 3/4 tons. The variances would be "camper specials", "heavy half", or other heavy duty versions of the 1/2 ton Chebbies. Even the rear coil springs in the '60s were thicker. GM didn't officially start using HD after their 2500s until '99, but before that, most 2500s had a higher payload rating, which went hand in hand with the larger diffs and brakes. Fords were no different, altho I don't recall any of their F150s having F250 springs (like I said, don't recall...I don't recall liking Fords either). Dodge? who cares about them, we are talking Chebbies here!

[Flyin6]

I retract my blunt message, and in turn leave this nice one. :)

...most 1/2 tons I have worked on (from the 50s models til current) have lighter springs than the 3/4 tons. The variances would be "camper specials", "heavy half", or other heavy duty versions of the 1/2 ton Chebbies. Even the rear coil springs in the '60s were thicker. GM didn't officially start using HD after their 2500s until '99, but before that, most 2500s had a higher payload rating, which went hand in hand with the larger diffs and brakes. Fords were no different, altho I don't recall any of their F150s having F250 springs (like I said, don't recall...I don't recall liking Fords either). Dodge? who cares about them, we are talking Chebbies here!

Me: Sorry too

Didn't mean to sound like I was the know it all. I's jest a pilot and a pretty darn average one at that!

You are the automotive expert

But when we answer comments in these blogs, we often answer to the choir and not to one specifically, at least I often times do...

[Flyin6]

Here's those rear leaf spring front hangers made by Jungle that will be getting installed in the not too distant future

[Flyin6]

New 3 ton HF Aluminum jack ready to use

[Flyin6]

And I did to remount the front tires and wheels

[Flyin6]

Hubs are not fitting and that is why they are not yet installed

After a bit of masking and covering things it was time to clean off the welds from installing the first set of frame boxing plates and get them coated

[Flyin6]

After the prep, I coated the bare metal this time without primer (First time)

Reading about the product, it really does not require anything else beneath it to lock down the steel beneath it

[Flyin6]

The left side of the frame has a lot going on, so I had to section the plate to fit around the proportioning valve and trans shift linkage. That part of the boxing plate was just deleted

[Flyin6]

I used a flap wheel to dress the edges until the fit was near perfect, then drove it home with a ballpeen prior to welding

[Flyin6]

Then that was all cleaned up and coated as well

[Flyin6]

And that was that for build day 203

I would have gotten a lot further ahead, but I spent most of the day working on C-Max, attempting to repair that AD165 lift pump. After many hours I now have an operational and leaking pump GRRRRRRRR......

So I called the ball on the lift pump and moved to Square D so at least I could claim some small victory for the day

C-Max is getting a retrofit right now
Rebuild lift pump
LED headlights, bright ones, 3200 lumen on each side
Paint and undercoat touchup and a lot of chorsey things like that

I am getting really yancy to build a push-bar front and add a roof rack

[JR]

Don, does Jungle have a site, I'm getting close.

Check the nuts and bolts on the HF jack. I had a couple fall out in normal use.

Dang, rebuilding the LP after 40k??

Also found that Eastwood has inside the frame paint if you want to address that; http://www.eastwood.com/internal-frame-coating-w-spray-nozzle-qt.html

[BobbyB]

 LED headlights, bright ones, 3200 lumen on each side

 Do those get warm enough (or at all) to clear away snow/ice? I know you guys don't get the same amount we do up here but, you've mentioned it before, that it does happen...

[cudakidd53]

Looking good Don!

In Grovespring, MO, chasing quail with the hounds and keeping Winchester Ammo "fresh" on the shelves of Walmart. 

[ce_tx]

Don, does Jungle have a site, I'm getting close.

JR, Jungle does not have a web site.  You can get in touch with him over on ramchargercentral.com.  He does have is own forum on the site which list all of his products that he makes.

[Flyin6]

Don, does Jungle have a site, I'm getting close.

JR, Jungle does not have a web site.  You can get in touch with him over on ramchargercentral.com.  He does have is own forum on the site which list all of his products that he makes.

^^^ What he said

Jungle is well known and highly respected in the Ramcharger and old Dodge truck world. All the cool things he makes can be see at RamChargerCentral.com or actually installed all over my truck here!

Remember that cool aluminum shelf that replaced the visors?? Yup, Jungles creation...

[Flyin6]

 LED headlights, bright ones, 3200 lumen on each side

 Do those get warm enough (or at all) to clear away snow/ice? I know you guys don't get the same amount we do up here but, you've mentioned it before, that it does happen...

Not installed yet, but I'm guessing they generate very little heat while running. They do take a bit of voltage to get fired up, but very little wattage while running. a 60W incandescent bulb burns 60 watts. A fluorescent bulb producing the same lumens uses 13 watts, and a LED bulb producing the equivalent light output is somewhere around 6 watts. Since energy = heat (to some degree), my money says the LED bulbs wouldn't help remove snow and ice accumulation,

For that purpose, a high powered incandescent bulb like the silver streaks or whatever they are called would be more ap pro po

[Flyin6]

Dang, rebuilding the LP after 40k??

Also found that Eastwood has inside the frame paint if you want to address that; http://www.eastwood.com/internal-frame-coating-w-spray-nozzle-qt.html

I am becoming disillusioned with Air Dog

When I first installed the unit, it has a pesky seep which I could never fix. That is the reason the filters are heavily stained

Then I find out the unit they were initially selling for the LML had fittings meant more for the LMM crowd...different in some way, but no big deal, just an indicator

Then when the unit failed in about 35K of useage (I don't drive that much) they would not warranty it. I failed to mail the green warranty card in. So while talking to the warranty guy there he said even though I had the receipt and the green card he would not warranty it. He admitted the pumps were failing and charged me $250 for a new one. I have purchased my last Air Dog product I think. Square D will get a FASS or similar.

That was supposed to be a quality pump. We have good electric pumps on aircraft that don't fail. My last jet I flew had the hydraulic system powered in emergency and some conditions by an electric pump. We used it many times a day over many years without failure. At the price and volume points of these units, we should see a lot of reliability

Frame stuff?? Remember that waxy stuff that I sprayed in the cavities of the bed when I finished it? Uses a 360 nozzle and a 3' long flex line to fish it into nooks and crannies...Well I'll be using that once again

[KensAuto]

Dang, even with a receipt? what's this world comin' to!!

[BobbyB]

Not installed yet, but I'm guessing they generate very little heat while running. They do take a bit of voltage to get fired up, but very little wattage while running. a 60W incandescent bulb burns 60 watts. A fluorescent bulb producing the same lumens uses 13 watts, and a LED bulb producing the equivalent light output is somewhere around 6 watts. Since energy = heat (to some degree), my money says the LED bulbs wouldn't help remove snow and ice accumulation,

For that purpose, a high powered incandescent bulb like the silver streaks or whatever they are called would be more ap pro po

That's my point. You are putting lights on the truck(s) that won't generate heat to clear snow/ice buildup. Granted you can always stop and clear them, but if it isn't feasible to stop and clear them, you are going to have degraded and continually degrading light output.

The LED stop lights are causing problems up here during the winter LED stoplights getting covered in snow/ice and people not being able to see what light is currently iluminated, vs the older style ones. Granted that's a stoplight but the gist of it is still the same.

[JR]

Yeah I remember the stuff you sprayed into the bed rails. You said it was messy and oozed if I remember.

I am bad about both receipts and mailing those stupid cards in too.

Not sure about those lights not putting out heat. I have several Cree flashlights that get pretty warm in use and they are not any 3000+ lumens. Also look at the heatsinks on those light bars, something is getting warm!

[Jungle]

Nice job Don!!!!!!


You guys can find all my parts here;
http://ramchargercentral.com/jungleshddodgecomponents/


Don
Did you see my new winch bumper on my gold RC ;D?
Jim

[Flyin6]

Nice job Don!!!!!!


You guys can find all my parts here;
http://ramchargercentral.com/jungleshddodgecomponents/


Don
Did you see my new winch bumper on my gold RC ;D?
Jim

I remember seeing the winch bumper but I don't recall if I saw it on your RC or not

Pretty simple and cool!

You have me thinkin'...

Ya see, I have a complete bumper to build, as in starting with nada.
I wonder if I starts with something like your creation, then expand on it to bet the ARB style I am looking for...Hmmm...