Crusty's 75th Annv PW #1590 build/mods adventure

[Crusty old shellback]

Can't really tell a difference. Fox may be a little softer on small bumps.

Fox are progressive.
Bilstein are digressive.

 

[Crusty old shellback]

Ok, got about 1000 miles on the Bilstein shocks now.
Was good and solid for the first few hundred miles.
Now I have some of the rocking boat action back.

Thinking of going ahead and figuring out best way to put a schrader valve on the Fox shocks and rebuilding them and putting them back on.

Any thoughts or other ideas?

 

[dieselscout80]

Ok, got about 1000 miles on the Bilstein shocks now.
Was good and solid for the first few hundred miles.
Now I have some of the rocking boat action back.

Thinking of going ahead and figuring out best way to put a schrader valve on the Fox shocks and rebuilding them and putting them back on.

Any thoughts or other ideas?

Side to side or front to back rocking?

How’s your rear track bar and rear control arm(s) bushings?

 

[Crusty old shellback]

Side to side.

Installed a Thuren rear track bar last year.
Bushing I don't know. Can't see anything wrong.
I want to take a good look at them when I get time. Got rain/snow coming this week. Truck is too long to fit in the garage.

 

[azrwilkinson]

Side to side.

Installed a Thuren rear track bar last year.
Bushing I don't know. Can't see anything wrong.
I want to take a good look at them when I get time. Got rain/snow coming this week. Truck is too long to fit in the garage.

The desert race team say they drill out the proprietary valve on the Fox shocks and drill and tap for a schrader valve.

 

[Crusty old shellback]

I found some short valves, 1" total length, so gonna try them.
My biggest fear is the rear shocks and how they go up thru the frame. Would hate to break one off out on the trails

 

[jetrinka]

Got tires cleaned out of the balance beads and balanced with stick on weights.
Alingment done. -.01 total toe.
The also recalibrate the steering angle sensor. Thats a new one on me, but apparently it has to be done before the alingment is done.

Bottom line, it drives like normal again.

Curious about a couple things.

1: When you were running the beads, what tire size did you have and how many ounces of beads per tire?

2: What was your experience with them in general? I've been using them in my stock size (285/70R17) studded snow tires. Initially I had 9 OZ in each tire. I don't believe it was enough because when I looked up that tire size in their (counteract balance beads) "off road" chart it told me for the equivalent-ish 33" tire I should have between 12-14 oz. I had a light pulsation at higher speeds so I just put in 4 more oz in each tire bringing my total up to 13 oz. Vibration at speed seems much better. However sometimes it takes a mile or so, especially if I accelerate quickly, for things to smooth out if I'm at highway speeds. I'd imagine this is normal and just the beads finding the sweet spot but this has been my very first experience with them really. Does this mirror your own?

Thanks!

 

[Crusty old shellback]

I've run them in 30", 35" and 37" as well as the tires on my Harley Bagger and family sedan. About 6 different tire brands.
Even ran them in BFG mud terrain 35s.

Other than a couple of issues with bags not breaking, the Kendas are the only tires I can't seem to balance with them.

I usually run about 5 ounces in a 35.
The Kenda issue may have been from they even take like 10 oz with stick ons, which is high.
Taking a mile or two to balance out can be normal. They constantly move. So when you stop, all the beads fall to the bottom of the tire and therefore have to redistribute when you take off again.

 

[jetrinka]

I've run them in 30", 35" and 37" as well as the tires on my Harley Bagger and family sedan. About 6 different tire brands.
Even ran them in BFG mud terrain 35s.

Other than a couple of issues with bags not breaking, the Kendas are the only tires I can't seem to balance with them.

I usually run about 5 ounces in a 35.
The Kenda issue may have been from they even take like 10 oz with stick ons, which is high.
Taking a mile or two to balance out can be normal. They constantly move. So when you stop, all the beads fall to the bottom of the tire and therefore have to redistribute when you take off again.

Oh wow only 5 oz? I can't seem to find it but Counteract had two application charts at one time - one for lots of different "normal" tires and another for "off road". The normal application chart listed the 285/70R17 as 6 oz which is what I initially put in. Then I found the off road chart which lists a comparable 33 inch tire (didn't have the metric size listed) as between 12-14 oz depending on an AT or MT tire. So I put in another 3 oz. Ran that for a little while and decided just to up it to 13 oz total. Seems to have smoothed the vibration at highway speeds out in the short time I've driven with them.

I guess time will tell. I'm planning on transferring to a 315/70R17 MT tire for summer time and I'd like to run the beads. They're so convenient. Planning on either a General or Firestone tire. While the BFG's seem to work well they always have been such a pain to balance.....

 

[Crusty old shellback]

If 13 is working, leave it and be happy.

Seems every tire is different. And a little extra doesn't hurt anything.

 

[Crusty old shellback]

So I took one of the Fox shocks apart
Oil was almost black. Nothing damaged.

Found that the piston does not have a replaceable wear band


So the recess hole in the shock is 5/16". The threaded hole is 10-24. Doing my measurements, if I drill and tap for 5/16", I don't think there will be more than 1/16" of material on the side buy the shock well. So maybe try and find a 1/4" valve thread just to make sure

 

[Crusty old shellback]

Ok, found some 1/4" schrader valves and ordered them. Hopefully I can make them work. They are almost 5/8" long for the actual schrader part and "nut" to tighten them. 1/4 threads are just over 1/2" .