...? dunno - never thought about it I guess.  Besides...I don't know which picture I'd send in anyway  .  Is it too late?

- M2

well I sent in one of my favorite pics but I don't expect to have it entered.  No matter, I guess I'll send in something for next year.  I guess I wanted to wait until the truck was 'verified', to make sure the stuff on it actually performed well enough for the project to be a success.  It's all good .
- M2

Trying to figure out what's wrong with the power steering.

I know a stock system works fine, but I have the ram-assist plumbed in-line with the regular steering, and just like y'all at Moab said I think the problem I had was the reservoir could not supply enough fluid to both the box and ram-assist form the factory reservoir. 

Have a look at my temporary/prototype/will not be used very long/not final version reservoir extension:



I cycled the steering through lock to lock and watched the fluid level drop almost two inches, maybe more.  With the extension it had enough to go lock to lock, but at the stock level without the extension I think it was sucking the pump dry and cavitating.  Thoughts?

- M2

I work with hydraulics on a daily basis... and it would make sense that you don't have enough fluid...

judging by the work you've done, I'm sure you'll come up with a good way to solve the problem.

Thought aou tthat quite a bit - maybe one from a Duramax truck.  So far I want to keep the bracketry as stock (and simple) as possible.  If I can avoid fabbing up engine brackets I will - they're a real pain sometimes.
- M2

Did you modify the pump to get more flow?

Check here.


http://westtexasoffroad.homestead.com/powersteering.html

GREAT pic

as always, it looks awsome. 

Have to agree with BBD there. Nothing that youshowus anymore actually amazes me because I expect it now.
This is still by far my favorite post to check out and see how all the minor stuff is coming out. Keep it going MM. Gettin any more seat time in it or are you still working out the bugs?

 
A++++   Great job

In the center portion of the dash, it looks like those 4 black rockers switches (?) are not perfectly evenly spaced. 
For shame !
Oh wait, is the center space intentionally wider so the pairs are even below each gauge above them?
Mabey it doesn't have to be redone.
(have to be a smart-ass about something)

What's that little red button on your tranny shifter? 

You aren't spraying that RC are you? 

Im pretty sure he was refering to NOS

oh 'der'  - right, uh no, negative NOS.  EFI is about as exotic as I wanna get....but we are having fun thinking about what to do with the engine that'll go in the Charger...but that's so far down the road I'm just hoping there'll be gas still available  .
- S

Wow, a site w/a bunch of turbo Mopars! Did you guys see the BB Challenger on the dyno?

http://www.theturboforums.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=9134ecfa2cab03751e1bbed25816ebb9&topic=65312.0

Build it for CNG

That is great advice to anyone out there! I like how you are planning for  kids that will help a ton. Once they are here they are great but time and money fall short.My goal is to do the best I can for mine and my project goes with the flow.  I love it when I here of responsible choices being made (or even dreaming of LOL) Keep up the greatness!
Later,
Brian

My pleasure 

Besides strength, the biggest factor with 'linked' suspensions is the side-to-side control.  Front to rear stability is pretty easy with either a 3 or 4 link, but keeping the axle square to the frame during a real hard side impact, like say sliding the front end 3 feet sideways off a rock face and into the nearest rut, is absolutely critical, and it has to sustain that impact over and over again....just like slaming the back end into a curb.
The problem with fronts is the steering.  Actually it's not a problem but more of an additional factor.  With steerable ends there is inherant weakness, hence big Dana 60's and 70's, even 80's in the front.  With that much beef the front end can take the side loads.  But building a linked setup that can take the same loads as a set of leafs is a matter of big strength.
The rear doesn't have quite the same problem as the front because the rears are so much stonger and they can take an angled shot better than a front end.  When you approach a 2-foot high wall square on, the front end doesn't have any big problem getting over because both tires are grabbing the same way and the suspension is pretty much indifferent.  But, approach the same wall at an angle where only the left front hits first, then as the tire grabs and tries to go up and over it also puts tremendous torque on the axle housing in relation to the suspension keeping it 'square'.  A 4-link front is much stronger than a 3-link front in this case because there are two arms at that corner trying to keep the axle square.  With a 3-link there can be a tendancy for the axle to wrap backwards, which can put a heck of a strain on the links, especially the bridge mount.
Now, steel is strong stuff, and I was going to do a 3-link if I couldn't get the front 4-link figured out.  With the weight I have in this rig I would have been a little anxious about a front 3-link, but we were going to use some uber huge rod ends, again, especially on the bridge mount. 
With big enough tubing and strong enough rod ends you can build nearly any suspension system and it will work. 
A rear 3-link isn't as bad because you typically don't find yourself driving over walls backwards, meaning the tires are following along and not also trying to steer.  But, once up on that wall the rear has to follow, and at those 45* angles going up and over I take it easy applying torque slow and steady, not the punch and snap approach.
The 3-links are all about the bridge mount - the mount for the upper wishbone link above the axle.  Lots of versions.

Ideally, a front 4-link and a rear 4-link is great.  Problem with a rear can sometimes be the crosslink, or panhard bar.  Getting it mounted square enough not to cause arch and bumpsteer problems it tough, and it is exactly that which I was fighting recently with my front 4-link, but I think I got it squared away.  I just got the welding and painting done this evening, and will be reassembling tomorrow and road testing.  Keeping fingers crossed.

Hope that helped some - if not ask away and I'll tell you what I can 

- M2

I know that you are busy with the new project but do you still have plans on putting the wiring dirgram up.

show off!! how'd you manage to put your winch cable on backwards?

EMPERORDAVE to my rescue!    Yeah it's painted red so that as I'm steadying the cable to keep it firm as I'm spooling it back in it'll 'tell' me that I'm about to lose my hand...

I've got an appointment at KAZ in early Jan to dyno the RC to get the EFI dialed in.  It is both too lean and detonating under load - gotta figure it out because I can't put too much pedal to 'er without possible damage.  We'll get it...

- S

Max, what master cylinder/brake booster are you using?

Max-is that the garage that you built Nacho in or was it a different one??  That looks alot smaller but still a nice size. If that's the one how did the neighbors like all the late nights?

Sam,

What are the chances of you having the Napa part numbers for the MC and Brake Booster handy? Is this the one?

brake booster and MC

Thanks,

John

Yeah, what John said, and.... are you running rear disc brakes?

Hiya John!    yeah that looks like the setup with the difference being the m-cylinder top plastic reservoir missing.  I got the m-cylinder complete with a reservoir.  There seem to be either aluminum or iron base housings and I think they are interchangable.  The aluminum unit is thicker tho.  I think all the Rams had the same systems, even 1 tons.  So far my brakes have been pretty good.  I have been adjusting the push rod between the m-cylinder and the booster to get the optimum 'pedal'.  It is very, very touchy between too much and too little.  Extemd it too much and the rear discs seem to drag a bit too much because they have too much pressure, but retract the rod and the brakes come on later than I'd like.  I'm still tweaking it but it's definitely a good pedal.  Getting the air out of the rear calipers was kind of a beyotch - had to remove them from the rotor and tap them to get the air bubbles out, but it worked great at Moab.



Aaron - it's not very long at all - maybe 26" - no where as long as the one in your 2nd gen.  That is one of the problems with my 4-link.  Ideally a 4-link'd front should have equal length track bar and steering bar (if you have crossover steering) so the angles are equal throughout articulation - mine aren't, but, it's not bad right now at all, and off-roading is very slow usually so the differences are negligable.



Brad - Not sure, but I have a manual proportioning valve plumbed into my rear brakes and honestly I haven't done any fine tuning yet.  But, so far the brakes seem very good.  Sorry, that's not much of a useable answer, but in short enough time I'll be tuning it up for max stopping power without dragging the pads.

Hope that helps!

- Sam