I officially hate you.

Truck looks amazing Justin!

 

Schweet!

How is the drag link connected to the tie rod?

 

It's just a TRE. It's set up like a normal Y link

 

You really should not need a stabilizer. I havent ran one for years.

is it aligned? What did you set the caster to? Also how well are you tires balanced?

I cant tell in the pictures but if you put a string from bolt hole to bole hole on the drag link and panhard are they parallel with each other?

Otherwise the truck looks awesome! nice work. I am not trying to down play the build with my questions, just curious!

 

Looks awesome. I think it looks fine with 33s!

 

I planned on having it anyway, with the amount that I'm still driving it on the highway I'd prefer to have it.

It's not aligned yet, I was waiting until I got the stabilizer in.

The drag link and panhard are pretty close to parallel.

One thing that is probably making it seem worse is the dead spot in my steering. I read about Jeeps that have this, it seems there are ways to lessen the effects. After I get the steering finishing I'll drive it again to see if the stabilizer helped.

Also, I grabbed Expo leaf springs and quickly found out that you can't just go to an autoparts and get some. Ford even obsoleted the frame mount bushing.

So I fired up Google and apparently one company still makes these things (Energy Suspensions). So I ordered them and of course the frame mount bushing doesn't fit.

The instructions say that the sleeve from the original bushing has to be reused (wut?). It even says to use a torch to debond the original bushing from the sleeve.

That seems ridiculous, so we're just going to make a new sleeve and press them in.

 

You could use heims to eliminate the dead spot caused by the tre's.

 

I thought about that too.

I wasn't sure how having heims would behave on the highway though

 

I wouldn't count on the stabilizer fixing the issue, on mine it did nothing. Of course our steering angles are a whole different ballgame. I've heard it said many times that a using a stabilizer to fix squirly steering is like putting a bandaid on a wound that needs stitches. I don't have anything against stabilizers, but I think if you're installing it to fix a steering issue you'll be disappointed.

 

Looks good.
Some nice work.
A front stablizer should help, a rear one I would wait on.
The front stablizer should make the truck a nicer ride when on the road.
Get one that has a disconnect system, something easy to acuate.

Keep the pictures coming.

 

I already know it's out of alignment, we just used a tape measure to get it to where I could at least drive it home. I'm sure getting it properly aligned will help a lot.

I had planned on getting a stabilizer before I drove it.

The dead spot in the steering is more concerning to me that the squirliness.

 

I'm confused on what you can't get at an autoparts store? I re-did the shackles and hangers on mine. I ordered the springs themselves from Rock Auto (which came with bushings in them and it appears you can buy them from their site) I got my shackles and hangers from O-Reiley's.

I don't know if they changed how they mounted from 99-00 to 01+

 

All I wanted was the bushings for the leaf springs themselves. Those are not available.

I could order the leaf springs which come with them, or I can order the shackle kit and not get the front bushing.

The Energy Suspension bushings worked after we made a sleeve for the front.

 

Finally got around to getting an alignment. It made a huge difference, truck doesn't wander at all.

It does let me feel the dead spot a little clearer, it's not terrible, but it may end pushing me to a high steer or crossover conversion.

 

looks like it could have came stock, nice work!

 

if you want to fix that dead spot without the need of heims....

The Cure! - RuffStuff Specialties

you're welcome

 

He beat you to the posting of "the cure" on the last page

 

Noobs lol.

 

The cure won't work since I'm not using 1 ton TRE's.

Seeing that makes me wish I would have just converted to that

 

hey im only running on like 3 hrs of sleep a day. give a guy a break!

 

Broke a wheel stud taking a lug nut off, thread must have laid over or something.

Anyway you can see another one has a couple flat spots, so I'll replace them both.

I really don't see how it happen, didn't have any issues putting them on the last time.

Glad I found this before taking it to the tire shop

 

Wow that is crazy that happened, did you ever run spacers? I've seen that happen on quads but never on a stock(ish) truck.

Just super glue it back on and take it to the tire shop. Tell them they broke it...

 

No spacers, and lug was fully seated on the rim too.

Truck will have to sit since the other lug has the flat threads.

 

THat is really strange. Are those ford studs or replacements?

 

Replacement studs