OURAY REDONE RIGHT

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Consider changing to J-20 axles and the dual-diaphragm brake booster.

Believe me, it's considered. I've no doubt that a stock J-10 can handle a 1500lb camper with the help of some overload springs, since my 1/4 ton Sonoma did it just fine. However I'm fully aware that my Sonoma was 6 years old at the time, while my J-10 is 34 years old.

Brake upgrade is already in the working tickler, but on hold while I evaluate the financial offset vs. benefit of hydroboost vs. G-wag junkyard booster. Since I have until July, I'm leaning towards the hydroboost, but if I find myself in a time/money crunch and the trip depends on it, the dual diaphragm booster is my given fall back.

As for the axles, I'm confident that a D44 will handle the highway travel to Ouray with the camper, and the camper will come off in Ouray for the trails. If I've still got the D44s, they will be completely gone through with new wheel bearings before I put my loved ones lives on top of it. Even so, axle upgrades are always on the radar!

Since J-20 axles in western WA are made of solidified angel tears and orphan dreams, they generally sell at a slightly higher rate than plutonium and are even harder to find. What I'm looking for every time I swing by the boneyards up here, is a matched 10b-f and 14FF from a 3/4ton chevy. I'm a fabricator and have the super secret recipe to offset a 14FF to match the stock offset in the D44 (to clear the gas tank, near as I can tell from the half hour I was able to hide under the truck today). The downside of this is I'll have to come up with MORE money for wheels and tires. Right now I have two sets of tires and wheels for the truck as it is, one that I just bought last June. Having bought three sets of tires in the last year and two just for the J-10 I'm just not thrilled at the prospect of buying more, but will if I can afford it. The other downside JUST IN TERMS OF THIS TRIP, is that anything but J-20 axles will pretty much necessitate lift, and I don't want lift with a slide in camper on the interstate.

Thanks for the feed back though! God only knows how much stupid stuff I've done because nobody ever idiot checked me. It's easy for me to get "wrapped around the axle" over something and miss things that are obvious...or at the very least, sensible!

[bigun]

I would be more worried about the springs and tires carrying the weight not to mention the brakes!

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There's a lot more than that that's got me worried.

As for the axle and springs, I'm not too concerned. I had a six pack slide in live the the back of my DD Sonoma for a month, and it was a 1/4 ton rated mini truck with the SMALL 10-bolt.

I am addressing another concern right now though. With three people in the back I bet I'm going to have to run a TV and PS2 while driving down the highway. I'm almost done with the engine compartment rewire and have beefed up EVERYTHING with 0/2 and 0/4 wire. Next I'll hunt down a caddy alternator to make sure they don't drain my battery while cruising down the road!

Next is addressing the rust spots. I found a treasure trove of rust under the carpet in the cab. I'm still debating on a G-wag booster vs. hydroboost, but one or the other will be in place before the trip. That all being said, I am on the hunt for the 8-lug parts for the front and a 14FF for the rear. Hopefully I can grab them and some wheels/tires before Ouray.

[bigun]

Chevy, or Dodge (may the jeep gods not strike me) axles should be easy to find, or you could do Like I did to get a buy the whole truck for the axles. How else do you get a driver's side dana 60 for under a grand

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Well, saving the axle talk for when it becomes more pressing, the other truck preps are well on their way! Check out this shiny STAINLESS STEEL floor pan!



I didn't go out of my way to make it out of 304, I got it free for house sitting for my neighbor that has (had) a stainless fridge. I doubt I'll get asked to house sit again, but with a new floor pan, who cares!

[grand_wag_85]

Looks like it was a pretty large fridge?

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I was just joshin'. My civilian job I fabricate huge bakery equipment and we get modular panels for proofers through a subsidary. When they come in blemmished every once in a while they let me snag one.

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HHhhhhmmmm....

I wonder what this means?


Ouray preps continue! Hope this is all ignition related, but even so, glad I went with the cheap autolite platinum plugs. I may have to change them again soon!

I switched to TFI with a Street Fire box thinking my duraspark box was going bad because of intermittantly running like garbage, especially when warm. Hopefully I've fixed the problem because otherwise I get the feeling I might be pulling the heads.

[fulsizjeep]

Even the Platinums are over rated in my opinion (which ain't worth much).

Looks like a compression check is in order.

[will e]

Looks like a compression check is in order.

My first thought at well.

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I did a compression check when I first picked up the truck. I was impressed with 135 being the lowest ( I'm used to my bowtie and mopars with 150+) but I'm definitely going to pick up the fittings to tuen my compression guage into a leakdown gauge on payday though. The plugs looked new when I bought the truck. Champion 4405s. We'll see how things go in the next week or two. Might be time to get to work on the 401!

[will e]

I did a compression check when I first picked up the truck. I was impressed with 135 being the lowest ( I'm used to my bowtie and mopars with 150+) but I'm definitely going to pick up the fittings to tuen my compression guage into a leakdown gauge on payday though. The plugs looked new when I bought the truck. Champion 4405s. We'll see how things go in the next week or two. Might be time to get to work on the 401!

might be bad wires and some crossfire...

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might be bad wires and some crossfire...

That's exactly what I hope! The good compression and lack of smoke lends me to think the engine is sound. I'm thinking that the PO put new plugs in it to cover the shifty ignition in order to sell.

Some backround on the issue:
bought the truck and it ran like a top 40 miles home, mostly on the interstate. I was impressed for a $600 truck. Did the initial once over we all do to our new toys before driving it again. Knocked on the rust, pulled and cleaned the fuses, checked compression, rerouted vac line DSPO "mods" new filters all around and an oil change, and made a to-do list ( the most fun free thing you can do with a Jeep )

Drove it for a good 200 miles before the issue started. The issue wasthat AFTER it had been running a while, so good and hot, I'd put under a load like climbing a hill ( on streets not off road), a good one like 6% grade for 1/4 mile and the engine would develop a miss. The miss wouldn't go away unless the truck sat for an extended time. >5 or 6 hours.

When I first went to investigate the cause a close inspection revealed thatboth the underhood vacuum and electrical system had been thuroughly DSPOed. Thus the fix waited until about two weeks ago when I started the engine bay rewire, MSD + TFI, and vacuum assault.

I was interupted by a gauge cluster voltimeter mod and some new floor pans but it's almost to the point I can start it again and turn it around so I can work on the passenger side while in the garage.

right now it's got new TFI cap, rotor and wires, MSD streetfire box, cheap platinum plugs, and direct manifold vacuum to the dizzy. If I can't get it to run smooth after timing it imma do a leakdown test and probably drop the pan to see if I goofed something up or if it's time to focus on the 401. Jeep gods willing this will get the motor straight again! The 401 needs pistons and that's money I'd rather spend on something else!

Put about

[Ristow]

#5 & 7?

notorious cross fire spot.

could be a headgasket.

put plugs in,separate the wires and run it a while.

[will e]

#5 & 7?

notorious cross fire spot.

could be a headgasket.

put plugs in,separate the wires and run it a while.

I wait until dark and fire it up. Sometimes you can actually seen the spark jump.