RavenTBK

soobmater: The issue is that in *.au, the motor vehicle laws state that you can not modify your vehicle's suspension beyond a certain level without an engineers signoff saying that its safe. Gotta protect them kangaroos from all the Brumbys veering off the road and rolling over on top of them because a lift block broke.

You got it. I know I can use all the help I can get once this thing takes off..

On one hand, theres nothing wrong with posting "illegal" trails. Its good to know for those of us (like me) that will gently ride in restricted areas to clean up from bubba's party last week. Its also good to know that folks need to stay away from their old spot that they havent been to in months. Thats why I've got multiple levels.. hidden forums where "private" and/or "itstoonicetomakepublic" trails.. where only users that are verified as a non-risk can have access to. I've still gotta select a couple more trustworthy mods that can assist with "load distribution".. so its not a complete full time job for me.. but more of less a large part time job. Its still empty.. but the guys over on FSB are latching on, and I expect new trail coordinates/directions to be posted all over the "Dixie" region soon. Since most of USMB resides up on the opposite corner of the nation, USMB can fill up that section. So when I ever win the lottery and drive my Brat up thatways for Mudrat to affix a gnarly bumper, I'll have a listing of places to ride. If you like the idea.. pass it on and post up. If you've got coordinates/directions to a place that needs to stay private and/or is closed, you can PM me on there and I'll place them in the appropriate hidden child forum. I know the feeling that most of you have experienced trying to find trails. Everybody online is either too stingy to share their good spots, or not feeling like posting coordinates/directions because "everybody" in the area already knows. Well, this is my attempt to solve this problem, by letting everybody know where all the public spots are, and by allowing those folks in each group to keep their "secret trails" a secret within their group. Lets ride.. (well, after I finish my month-long clutch job today! )

Someone on another offroad forum I'm a member of suggested something like this. Making a large database/forum where folks can post trail info.. like where it is (GPS coordinates/directions and such), how difficult, etc etc etc. So I decided to throw something together. http://ntdb.fjeer.us I've got several levels of security, which lets "verified" users post/read info on trailsites that us (as an offroad group) wouldnt want joe redneck public to have access to, while letting everything else remain accessible to the public. Also theres some hidden forums dedicated to USMB specific trail info.. I dunno.. its just a quick idea at this point. My goal is to allow users to post info, but keeping it organized and easily used by others and eventually building a database with maps of public trails... so we all can go explore new trails tht we probably didnt know existed in our backyard. Thoughts?

Because when you're welded, there is no differential action. The outer tyre in the turn turns more/faster than the inner tyre. With a welded rear, that isnt the case, as both rear tyres are locked together. Tight turns could easily twist off an axle stub.

<edit> I know this has not that much to do with the current discussion, but since this is the current welded diff topic for the month, I figured I'd just add to this one. </edit> Random thought. What about a lunchbox locker style thing? A nifty little bar of steel that slides in and locks the spiders? Thats what a lot of us in the Bronco world use on the cheap. That would be something easy that could be installed/removed when needed. Not necessarily as fast as an axle is, but it would be a simple enough install that anybody could do, and gives the ability to go back to stock later. It could be built like it is in the Bronco world.. cheaply enough to where it would be the point of failure instead of axle/stub/whatever. What about that? Its something that Mudrat could produce in his shop... and/or Ozified could do.. :-\

The thought of several massive diving lights on the front of a Subi is foreign to me. Unless its a rally car, I just dont understand the logic of wanting to put 15 lights on the front bumper. :-\ IMHO, I'd recommend a headlight upgrade before I'd recommend the addition of more lights. Myself, I popped in 4 Autopal E-Code housings, with some high power bulbs, powered by a custom relay harness. All in all, gave me much more light than I've ever seen any number of driving lights produce. (except for a few 8" 150watt hellas) Right now, I've got 490 watts of power flowing out of my stock headlamp locations on high beam. The upgrades have taken a back seat to the strange tranny noises I've been having, but once I redo the wiring to handle the even greater amount of power I'm gonna force through them, I'll have 700 watts of lighting power, without a single extra light on the bumper other than the four lamps that Subaru designed into the grille. I love the lines the designers drew into the Subaru. I also love the look on peoples faces when they get sunburned from standing in front of my highbeams.

Dual alternators would not be a good way to go imo. As above, the engineering costs would outweigh the benefits dual spinners would provide. Usually when someone goes with dual alternators is only when one alternator will not provide enough power for the task at hand. And thats only when you've gone as big of a single alternator as you can go. There are plenty of options you can run with.. a pure bolt in 100A GM alternator, 90A XT6 alternator and whatnot. With my 100A GM swap, that opens up even more options, as theres numerous aftermarket alternators of much higher amperage that share the same outer dimensions and would therefore swap in for the 100A. If I had the funds, I'd go on ahead and get a 350A variant of the 100A swap that I found in a Jegs catalog last month. 350 amperes.. out of a single alternator...

The only real issue with swapping in a diesel that I can see would be the weight. Since isuzu was mentioned above.. here's what I found. A comparable engine weighs 524 pounds! An EA81 weighs what.. 150? Thats a huge difference. See link: http://www.isuzuengines.com/Products/Products_4jb1_i.htm And according to this page, other than the huge prices they want for blocks, this page says the engines weigh around 350 pounds. Gaining 200 pounds for 53hp and 78# of torque.. When you add up *everything*, I dont think the total fuel savings would be that much. You'd have a heavier roo, with even less power to work with to move it along.. which adds up to greater fuel consumption to make up for it. *shrugs* Its a cool idea nonetheless. 1.6 litre VW diesels: http://www.autoshoppingcenter.com/VW/VW_completedieselengine.html <-R->

Unless they're related, these stupid combo dealerships, like the Ford/Subaru and such I've read about above, should be outlawed. Related as in, GM (Saab/GMC/Pontiac dealership) or Ford (Ford/Lincoln/Merc). None of this mixed junk. Yesterday, I had my Aunt Caroll talked into getting an 05 Baja instead of a Kia. The local dealership here was a Dodge dealership, with a tiny sign on the side that said Subaru. They kept trying to talk her into a PT Cruiser and wouldnt give up till I told the guy to STFU and hand me the keys to the Baja I was standing next to. Back up at home, its called <nameremoved> Subaru/Suzuki. Subaru comes first in the name, but its rather amusing to note that Suzuki gets priority throughout the entire dealership. I mean, who would want a Suzuki?

I would've made my own thread, but since the issues are so closely related (granted, I've got an EA81 instead of an EA82), I'd rather bump an existing than make a new. So... edrach - care to elaborate on what worn bushing would feel like? Before I put the brat down to investigate the strange noises I have coming from the flywheel area, I also experienced similar symptoms that were described above. Jumpy tach, light misfire, but I have an additional symptom.. I hear vibrating sounds coming from the dizzy assy, and can feel the vibes through the dizzy cap. Sounds a bit like the bearings on your roller skates when the locknut isnt torqued down enough. The tach jumps when the vibes are made, so I know they're related. It only occurs when cold, and very rarely when at warm cruise. I've concluded before that it has to be the bushings worn, but I've gone out and grabbed the rotor and can feel only the slightest movement.. as in much less than I'd expect to feel if something was worn out. A guess by feel would be about 0.05" of play. Whats the "limit"?

I second the BFGs. Its what I put on my Mom's S10 4x4, and up until last year, thats what I ran on my Bronco (usually some cheaped out mud terrains tho). Got Goodyear A/Ts on the subie tho.. bias TSLs coming soon! edit: nevermind. I take back what I said about M/T tyres. Just sunk in that you're in MN. Mud terrains suck in ice, but are awesome everywhere else. In MN, I can bet you encounter some serious ice in the winter time. <end edit, resume post> But theres just something about the low speed vibrations, and the high speed hummmmmmm that makes the girlies go ooooohh!....

I'm not sure with the Soobies.. but I'm with torxxx. In my Z car (and in my Ford Bronco), the needles pull straight off the shaft. The shaft is keyed so the needle can be put back on the right direction, by pushing gently back onto the shaft. I can only assume it would be similar. hth

Well, I still have the front sway bar installed.. so it doesnt make that much difference. Maybe if it was larger/stiffer... who knows? I also guess, in my case since I've got EA82 coilovers out back, I could just remove the lower shock mount bolt, and zip-tie the whole trailing arm up to gain even more clearance. Hmm.. interesting idea.

Okay..I take it back. No I wouldnt drive it that way. I think I'd prefer running on a bare rim and just get a new used one when I get to where theres civilization. Either that or have to get a new drum. It does balance.. however its too low for my comfort. Clearance is like 1.5". I think maybe with the engine put all back together and radiator and stuff in I might gain maybe an inch more clearance, but its still too close for me. Not having a job to go to, and being woke up much earlier than I'm willing by the noisy neighbors = an early morning start on my boredom. Pics of experiment: http://random.fjeer.us/imagedump-060.jpg http://random.fjeer.us/imagedump-061.jpg http://random.fjeer.us/imagedump-062.jpg I usually insert my highlift into one of the holes on the wheel to lift whatever corner enough to put something under.. but since I needed to lift and lower with a wheel off, my custom welded up receiver served nicely. Now solution wise.. if I had a set of smaller tyres up front, that would hike up the rear enough to drive on.. but that defeats the purpose of the experiment. You'd need a spare.. but one thats larger than the tyres you already have. Oh well.. least now we all know, and I can put the tyre back on and try to go back to sleep now that I've exerted myself so early in the morning....

It makes sense.. the Brats should be able to balance.. least I know mine should. Theres been plenty of times I've lifted a leg both going up and down, and have been able to get out and take a picture without worries of it tipping back. I think in an extreme emergency where there are no other options... I would do it. Even though I have the accessories out and the engine split from the tranny (so I'm light up front), I think I'm gonna take a wheel off and see if it'll sit there. Just to experiment since I'm not driving it anyways. Although its a scary thought running down the road like that.. its rather intriguing. git-r-done.

Yep.. the Japanese auto makers like to whore themselves out to each other every now and then just to keep things interesting. Another common shared item is the rear end.. EA81/82 rear diffs are the same as the Nissan R160 (Datsun 510). I'm not aware of any clutches of the EAxx era that are shared.. :-\

concur

Count me in too... 1st Gen 2nd Gen New Gen Upgrades (retro&mod combined) For Sale Offroad Off topic Member News and Info (community chest, announcements combined) .... Kill off everything else. Thats not too cluttered. With the proper descriptions alongside to edumacate the noobs as to what is where, that would make things much easier to find. Just my two quid.

Disc brakes and extra flex out back? Schweet. Anxiously awaiting pics.. (and a detailed writeup so others (me) can copy your setup )

I got bored the other day and decided to play a bit in Photoshop. Clicky the linky below. (167k @ medium size, link default) http://www.dslreports.com/showpic/dimaging?lid=85065&1=1&1=1 And yes, there was a lot more involved than just removing the color. View the image "original size" and you'll see. Why am I posting this? I really dont know. I must be bored again.

Skip, you of all people should know that posting links to serchids is useless, as they expire after a short time. Well, its been warm enough to ride on some days.. but its been like 72 one day, and 33 the next. Some really farked up weather. I've been hittin the 4 wheeler a bit though.. bigger engine keeps the important parts warm no matter how cold it is outside. Oh, and yes I am very thankful I dont live up there. I'd be in jail for stranglin' yankees right quick.

Yes, I've used it and it works well. Tomorrow I plan on buying a can to run through my dirtbike to clean out the carby to have it ready for when it warms up outside.

I havent found it anywhere else myself...

Heh.. either I'm paying waay too much attention to USMB, or not enough. My local parts house had 5 different diameter 6 rib pulleys that could be swapped on. No part number, as they're just leftovers from other swaps. So, yes, those with the XT6... yes there is a 6 rib serpentine pulley that can be swapped onto the alternator! Check your local parts house.