Growing up doesn't have to suck

[iamdub]

PPVs don't have the hooks.

Those openings in the bumper are where the push bar mounts.

I hope I can just grab these hooks from the junkyard and install them.

This is what @89Suburban did. He mounted a push bar on his so he no longer had a use or place for the hooks.

 

[89Suburban]

This is what @89Suburban did. He mounted a push bar on his so he no longer had a use or place for the hooks.

At some point I plan on mounting some hooks to the push bumper frame like these. Give my fangs some fangs.

 

[iamdub]

At some point I plan on mounting some hooks to the push bumper frame like these. Give my fangs some fangs.


View attachment 389580

Make that 'Hoe a hôoker

 

[Sparksalot]

This is what @89Suburban did. He mounted a push bar on his so he no longer had a use or place for the hooks.

I’ve still got the hooks in place on thecopcar.

 

[iamdub]

Finally messed around with that damned front sway bar.


Left: Aftermarket OEM replacement for stock height with poly bushings. Middle: 1.5" shorter aftermarket link with thermoplastic bushings. Right: Same shorter version with spacer removed and poly bushings from OEM replacement, making it a total of 3" shorter than the stock height

I wanted to try the poly bushings since they were a little shorter and probably more solid than the thermoplastic ones. I took it a step further and removed the cupped washers between the two center bushings to make the mounting point centers even closer:

Installed. I used the cupped washers as spacers since the bolt is too long and I had barely ran out of thread. This was still mostly for mock-up and to locate the bar so I could focus on the real work which was relocating the frame mounts:

After checking the bar for centering, this is where the mounts fell out:

I checked some specific clearances when locating the mounts. A 7/16" drill bit fit snugly in the bushing U-bracket, so I was able to make some accurate centering marks:

 

[iamdub]

Double-checking the bolt's positioning with the drill's centered mark. The threaded boss for the original location is thick and takes up a lot of room above that frame pad. I wanted the bolt head to fall out between that boss and vertical wall of the frame pad so it'd hold the bolt from spinning. This took a lot of thinking, feeling around, eyeballing, etc. But, it all worked out. I didn't think I'd have any hardware to actually get this finished. But I found four 3/8" Grade 8 bolts, some washers, etc. and got it all together:

Since I had the front sway bar all bolted up again, I could raise the lift and replace the washers in the rear U-brackets with the spacers @89Suburban made for me when he had to make some for his new bushings (Bless his soul for doing twice the work!):

Stopped to check on things after some aggressive slalom action. The end link bushings seem fine. I have shorter bolts and lock nuts on the shopping list for them. Also will be getting shorter bolts and better spacers for the U-brackets. The bar is MUCH flatter than before:

Thought about getting new bushings, but I'm not gonna bother. Not yet, anyway. Lemme see if I can eff these up then I'll reassess:

While checking things with the flashlight, I stuck it and my phone between the wheel spokes to get an overhead shot of the rear bar's clearance between the panhard mount and shock:

Up next is just replacing the hardware with more appropriate pieces. I'll try to get it all this week between jobs.

 

[George B]

Nice work!

 

[89Suburban]

Outstanding!!

 

[Caddylack]

I can't even comprehend having a solid bar with virtually no end links.

I feel like that says a lot about how beefy your rear bar is. I would expect major understeer.

 

[iamdub]

I can't even comprehend having a solid bar with virtually no end links.

I feel like that says a lot about how beefy your rear bar is. I would expect major understeer.

I've only kinda tested it. It was at night and on a road that follows a curvy bayou. Locals know it as "Snake Road" for obvious reasons. I have new bushings on the way and will replace all them stupidly long bolts. Then I'll find a safe place to really test. There's a few places I already know of from past jaunts.

 

[Caddylack]

As I ponder future sway bars, one of the things I'm struggling with is the extra weight of the solid bar.

Yes, you can argue that it's small potatoes on such a heavy vehicle, and that's true. I'm just still clinging to the idea of shedding weight rather than adding.

It's sort of a mystery how much PPVs weigh, since they are all equipped differently. I'm sure I save some by having no rear seats, but I also have metal door panels and barred windows. Oh, and a partition with a roll bar. I have access to a weigh station, so I will find out soon where I stand.

 

[iamdub]

As I ponder future sway bars, one of the things I'm struggling with is the extra weight of the solid bar.

Yes, you can argue that it's small potatoes on such a heavy vehicle, and that's true. I'm just still clinging to the idea of shedding weight rather than adding.

It's sort of a mystery how much PPVs weigh, since they are all equipped differently. I'm sure I save some by having no rear seats, but I also have metal door panels and barred windows. Oh, and a partition with a roll bar. I have access to a weigh station, so I will find out soon where I stand.

I admit I cringed at the extra weight. But, it was easy to make peace with it since it's added at such a low point and the pros of the bars far outweigh the cons. Which, I guess the only cons are the cost and extra weight. Eibach's are hollow. But, they don't perform as well yet cost the same. The whole point is maximizing handling and the extra weight doesn't detract enough to be a factor for me.

My third row is removed and, well, I guess that's the only weight reduction I've done. And that was really just because I don't use 'em and needed the cargo space.

Looking forward to your scale results. I still haven't gotten mine weighed. If you're at all interested, you can maximize your results and find out the weight bias. You'd need to mark a spot on the frame that you can easily align with the edges of the scale. Some duct tape on the frame with a marker line would work. Or, if you can eyeball a really straight line, you can put some painter's tape on the door sill with a line there. This way, you'd just open your door, look down and drive til it's aligned with the edge of the scale. Drive the front wheels on the scale up to the line, get your weight, drive off and stop at the line again but with the rear wheels still on the scale. I'd have to look up the formula, but it's a simple one to determine the F/R bias.

 

[iamdub]

Yup... More sway bar stuff. Did something about them stupidly long bolts and made yet another set of end links.

Frame mount before, with spacers everywhere to make up for the excessive bolt length:

Flipped the bolts around and made spacers to match the ones in the rear mounts. Also used Nyloc nuts this time:

End link before with extra washers everywhere due to the bolt length and limited threads on the shank:

Shorter, Grade 8 bolt with new bushings. Used the dished washers between the center bushings this time. The holes in the sway bar and control arm are huge so the bushings are almost too small of diameter. That's why they're sitting a little crooked. Oh well, they're not squashed and blown out sideways like the old ones. Not yet, anyway:

 

[89Suburban]

Yup... More sway bar stuff. Did something about them stupidly long bolts and made yet another set of end links.

Frame mount before, with spacers everywhere to make up for the excessive bolt length:

View attachment 390072


Flipped the bolts around and made spacers to match the ones in the rear mounts. Also used Nyloc nuts this time:

View attachment 390073


End link before with extra washers everywhere due to the bolt length and limited threads on the shank:

View attachment 390074


Shorter, Grade 8 bolt with new bushings. Used the dished washers between the center bushings this time. The holes in the sway bar and control arm are huge so the bushings are almost too small of diameter. That's why they're sitting a little crooked. Oh well, they're not squashed and blown out sideways like the old ones. Not yet, anyway:

View attachment 390075

Beauatiful!!! I am lost on the upper control arm ball joints. How are they secured to the knuckle?

 

[iamdub]

Beauatiful!!! I am lost on the upper control arm ball joints. How are they secured to the knuckle?

Mind yo bizness. That's an experimental hardware design I've been developing for a few years. It's to cater to those situations with minimal space allowance and lack of available hand tools. To rigorously test and prove the idea, I applied it to a very critical attachment point- my upper ball joints.






























All I'll divulge at this point is that the hardware uses the security of a Bluetooth 5 connection following the L2CAP protocol.

 

[89Suburban]

Mind yo bizness. That's an experimental hardware design I've been developing for a few years. It's to cater to those situations with minimal space allowance and lack of available hand tools. To rigorously test and prove the idea, I applied it to a very critical attachment point- my upper ball joints.






























All I'll divulge at this point is that the hardware uses the security of a Bluetooth 5 connection following the L2CAP protocol.

 

[pwtr02ss]

Beauatiful!!! I am lost on the upper control arm ball joints. How are they secured to the knuckle?

You missed your calling as a detective. You notice things in pictures that I’d never even see. That includes the pictures I post. I dabble in photography so the zoom is a natural instinct for critique, but you’re one detail oriented dude

 

[Fless]

Paw paw @89Suburban when viewing pics:

 

[iamdub]

I don't remember how I did it, but I broke the tip off the ball joint stud. It sheared at half the drilled part that the cotter pin goes through. It was a new upper control arm/ball joint/bushing assembly being installed while lowering. I wasn't gonna stop the whole project for that. I staked the stud and marked the nut so I'd be able to tell if it turned. It's been over three years and about 30K miles so far. It's fine.

 

[89Suburban]

I don't remember how I did it, but I broke the tip off the ball joint stud. It sheared at half the drilled part that the cotter pin goes through. It was a new upper control arm/ball joint/bushing assembly being installed while lowering. I wasn't gonna stop the whole project for that. I staked the stud and marked the nut so I'd be able to tell if it turned. It's been over three years and about 30K miles so far. It's fine.

Okay.