LML Silverado Duramax C-Max build thread part 4

[Flyin6]

The low beam only with the Fogs turned on clearly show a need to upgrade the lower 4 as well.

Now, I have learned a thing or two about these LED's

The science if far from mature. They have really just started to get the things working and can do nothing with some of the ring scatter. But with respect to the Chevy platform, there is another more perplexing problem. For DRL operation, Chevy limits voltage to the headlamps enough to light them, but holds them far off of full power. Apparently LED bulbs DO NOT like this partial voltage situation. There are cooling problems in the base and especially with the exchange of electrons between the media and the copper emitter plate. All of my LED bulbs that burned out, had the signature burned spot in the yellow media of the emitter.

So with that in mind, the high beams may survive with the LED bulb, although you'll continue to blind US Airway pilots (US Scare) on approach to your aerodrome. So me thinks I just may shove some LED's inside those fogs so instead of just illuminating the area beneath the wet air, I simply heat the area in front of my truck and cause the fog in front of me to burn off!

Should work...

[stlaser]

So what's the consensus on these upgrade headlights? Every time I read about someone upgrading there are issues. Ashley & I were discussing this awhile back & after many trials he said just add a good rigid light bar & call it a day. Which is my intention on the jk as I have the parts just need to mount & wire it.

[Flyin6]

So what's the consensus on these upgrade headlights? Every time I read about someone upgrading there are issues. Ashley & I were discussing this awhile back & after many trials he said just add a good rigid light bar & call it a day. Which is my intention on the jk as I have the parts just need to mount & wire it.

Well, when they work, they work well. Crisp, clear light, but LED's do not have the range that halogen lights do.

The best my truck was when I had LED high beams coupled with two 100W Rugged Ridged (Cheapo) spots. I could see nearly a mile down the road with those. LED High beams + LED driving lights, maybe half that distance or less

I am adding two of the 100 watt cheapo lights once more to get the best of both worlds

[stlaser]

So in reality Ashley was right?

[Flyin6]

So in reality Ashley was right?

I guess so

[stlaser]

Don, you feeling ok today?

[Flyin6]

Well, time for an oil change!

Hopefully not the type that takes five years and never gets finished, but an actual one.

Actually I am performing a "Heavy Service" going from front to back and bring everything back into spec

I started the process over at the truck wash where some talented young men cleaned the thing up

[Flyin6]

First up is a bonafide engine oil change.

I have been using the Amsoil products almost since new, but after all this time I fail to see where continued use of their oils makes any economic sense. Especially in light of the many advancements made with other conventional and synthetic motor oils

I have been using Mobil Delvac 1300 in my tractors down at the farm with good results, so I decided I'd switch the D-Max engine to synthetic Delvac starting at 73,000 miles, where the truck sits today, spring of 17.

Something else that makes no sense to me at all is a $27 oil filter. I did my homework and found a Caterpillar oil filter that fit, had the same capacity and shared advanced filtering media. Cat has to protect machinery costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, so they are known to have some of the best filters made. Without any discount, their filter retails for $10.45, a true bargain!

[Flyin6]

That Cat part number is:

7W-2326

And that filter fits on the Amsoil dual bypass filter mount

[Flyin6]

The undercarriage is looking pretty good considering how many times it has been crawling through mud.

I credit the truck wash with the good condition. I always get an undercarriage wash and I have them spray Rain-X on the underside which keeps mud from sticking as well as it could

[Flyin6]

Next up, the rear axle

[Flyin6]

I had some Amsoil 75W-90 left over so I shoved that inside Shawn's excellent rear diff cover

[Flyin6]

Last fall, I coated everything that wasn't already coated with sime moisture sealing oil film. It has congealed on the shock body as seen here, but is only a lacquer thinner soaked rag from shinin' once again. Those dirt logic shocks have some large shafts!

[Flyin6]

I have now had this fabtech suspension and lift kit on this truck for, what, 5+ years?? It still performs seamlessly. I can motor with good speed around these kentucky curves, tow often, cruise comfortably, or off road in my fields or trails with no complaints.

Next up was creation of a mess. To this point things were going much too smoothly, so I decided to disconnect the power steering line to drain the fluid from the hydraulic system.

I drained, refilled, ran it, then drained and refilled and on and on until I got pretty clear fluid out of the return line.

[Flyin6]

Had some Rain-X bug washer, so it got used as well

[Flyin6]

Next, the wheels come off for a clean up and repaint

[Flyin6]

With a major storm approaching, I wire cup cleaned one wheel to check the results. I think it does a satisfactory job for a first step

[Flyin6]

I broke in the KBS paint yesterday, using it to coat some old jack stands and vises. Today, that paint is like armor! You can't hope to scratch the stuff! So that is the coating of choice for the undercarriage

[Flyin6]

Here's a rear axle hub, before and after

[Flyin6]

And a front corner:

[Flyin6]

^^^ I think that will work, as long as it, too, hardens up and does indeed seal the metal from moisture.

That monster storm started to hit in earnest so I had to throw in the towel about two hours earlier than I had planned to

Back at it in the AM...

[stlaser]

I had some Amsoil 75W-90 left over so I shoved that inside Shawn's excellent rear diff cover

We must have machined a nice drain plug in that cover, makes changing gear oil a snap.

[Flyin6]

I had some Amsoil 75W-90 left over so I shoved that inside Shawn's excellent rear diff cover

We must have machined a nice drain plug in that cover, makes changing gear oil a snap.

It does! And the position allows me to run more oil than called for if I want (And I do)

Said it before, and I'll say it again, this is the best axle cover you can buy!

Shawn, was this the first you made for the 11.5 AAM?

[stlaser]

Don't believe so, your front was though......

[Sammconn]

Any concerns with the coating not being "flat" on the hubs?
That would be my worry.
Looks great though.

I need to source some restoration stuff for my old girl.
Thinking the POR15, as I have seen it up here.
I'm hoping to pull the box and clean her up this spring if it comes.

[Flyin6]

As far as flat paints and all that goes, I normally carry so much mud on this truck that you can sometimes scarcely tell the color at all. I think that will be OK.

Now the wheels are going to tone down. Not going with the zombie black look, but a gray paint color like you'd see on a steel wheel spare tire. Nothing fancy, just protection and in doing that, I think it will fit in with the "Utilitarian" build motif I have going on with this truck

[Sammconn]

I was more meaning the faces of the hubs staying flat-true, so as not to induce wobble.

I might be overthinking this tho too.

[JR]

I bet the paint will level out enough for a 37 inch tire.

Don, I just used some more of that rustolium 15 minute paint on the subs wheels and it turned out nice. I used silver and it matches the grey I used before nicely.

[Flyin6]

I was more meaning the faces of the hubs staying flat-true, so as not to induce wobble.

I might be overthinking this tho too.

It's paint bro!

Yea, you're over thinking it

or I'm just a dumb old kintucky redneck

Which is likely!

[Flyin6]

I bet the paint will level out enough for a 37 inch tire.

Don, I just used some more of that rustolium 15 minute paint on the subs wheels and it turned out nice. I used silver and it matches the grey I used before nicely.

I'll hopefully get some paint on the Chebby's wheels today, but unfortunately I am right in the middle of several daze of rain!

I'm going for it anyway!

Oh, and I want some 37's!

Need to start that conversation in another thread...

[Sammconn]

Well, raining means time for square d...

[Flyin6]

First step on cleaning these wheels was to go at them with a wire cup mounted on a big 1/2 HP grinder. It took some time, but eventually I got through all five. I used a spray of detergent while I was working the wire wheel. It went a long way to remove years of corrosion.

[Flyin6]

Step two was a through pressure wash

[Flyin6]

Next step in this process was to apply paint stripper to both sides.

After using the HF 9mil Nitril gloves, I can say they held up just fine, where I have been destroying the 7 mil gloves

[Flyin6]

Then a second pressure washing to remove the stripper

[Flyin6]

The third step was to spray the wheels with a very strong Muric acid.

Note: This stuff IS NOT safe.

You must wear a respirator, eye glasses, gloves, and protective clothing. The minute the muric acid hits the aluminum, it gives off sulfuric acid. Inhale that and you'd be in real trouble.

The acid rips the aluminum surface up and does it quickly, so the acid only stays on 2-3 minutes

I noted that the front surface was not boiling like the back side. I guess that shark hide coating I applied years ago was still intact!

[Flyin6]

Next up: A third pressure washing to remove the acid and any remaining dirt

Then I swapped out the wire cup for a new one and hit the wheels once again, this time completely removing everything and marring the surface which will allow the paint some good adhesion

[Flyin6]

Just as an experiment, I painted one wheel, both sides with the silver epoxy I selected, again a KBS product

[Flyin6]

This was an experiment to see how the stuff sprayed and what the coverage was like.

Coverage is excellent, but it takes a bit of pressure to spray, like almost 30psi, and I had to thin it 10%. Even so it goes on scary thick

[Flyin6]

The plan from the beginning was to lay down the epoxy base coat, the silver in this case, then top coat it with a UV resistient paint. KBS recommends this process.

I selected a utility, appliance gray epoxy as the top, color coat. As an experiment, I sprayed the wheel with it to learn about how this stuff goes on as well

[Flyin6]

Back to the wheel with the silver epoxy base coat, the paint doesn't run, but the metallic flake definitely migrates as you can see here:

[Flyin6]

It has a good sheen, and it flows out well, but the heavier metallic pigment is definately responding to gravity. Those were not runs you were seeing!

So it looks like I stick with Plan A, with the two step process, although Here's the two coatings seen from various angles confess, I do like the silver look

[Flyin6]

The black coating I used on the suspension and hubs set up like steel. THis stuff is unnatural! Where a drip would contact the garage floor, it bubbled up a bit and hardened like that, I can hardly chip the stuff off!

The jury is still out on whether I will leave everything gloss black like it appears here. I might just top coat that as well

[Flyin6]

Things are a bit crowded in garage number 2 (The wife's garage)

The new J Deere 2720 arrived, and both bikes are hiding out there.

[Flyin6]

Back at it tomorrow

Got the fuel filters in along with a set of LED long range driving lights to get bolted on

[Bigdave_185]

Are you thinking about this SAS conversion


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[Flyin6]

Are you thinking about this SAS conversion


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Not at the moment

I'm too busy with other projects

It works and drives quite well the way it is

and

Im too busy with other projects ;-)

[stlaser]

Pro tip, if you're too cheap or in a hurry to dismount tires use heavy barbersole (think that's what it's called) old school shaving cream as the tape to keep the tires clear of paint. When you're done you just wipe it clean.

[JR]

Nice tip. I just used a .99 for sale sign cut slightly on the sub.

Nice work though, you sure love your wire wheels!

[Bigdave_185]

I have used playing cards also. But a 32oz cups free from the gas station can be used too


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