Hawkeyes
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• St. Paul, MN, USA |
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• Registered on 12/3/2004 |
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• 43 posts |
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 Posted:3/5/2005 19:22 |
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I'm gettin too old for this! I backed Big Red onto the ramps, threw a couple of old furniture pads underneath, and went to work. Boy, do Hellweg's directions SUCK! Thanks Eric & Ken for PICTURES that I could refer to. First mistake was to try and take out the rear Edelbrock shock. Once I got it out, I couldn't compress it enough to get it back in. Ok, out comes the floor jack, my boy working the jack, me holding the shock in place til the bolt would fit. On the passenger side i just put the jack under the shock bracket & replaced the U-bolt. Lots easier. Then I had to figure out what nuts went on what bolts (some are 'lock', some not), and how the stupid rubber bushes went in the links. A little Mobil 1 grease & my trusty vise took care of that.
I wound up torquing the 3/4 bolts to 90ft/lb - kinda tough when your laying on the concrete with no clearance. I managed to push the torque wrench off the nut, said wrench then applying serious torque to my nose as it levered off. Aaarggh.
Several paper towels took care of the nosebleed, but the bruise and scraped off skin make it appear as though I've been in a barroom brawl. Great. Gotta go to Dallas for a trade show on Monday, 'looking my best'.
Anyway, it came together, bruises, blood & all making for a joyful experience. Now the good part...took Big Red for a spin around the countyside - WooHoo!!!
Eric, you were right, the sway bar makes a HUGE difference in the X's handling and stability. It tracks a lot better, turns better, & I dont get that "where the heck is the rear end going" (as I drift over the centerline) feeling anymore. 
Anyway, LandYot is shipping my radius rods next week. Hope I live to tell the story.
Hawkeyes
Hawkeyes |
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LANDYOT
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• Subscriber since 11/23/2003 |
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• Newport News, VA, USA |
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• Registered on 7/15/2003 |
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• 1,110 posts |
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Posted:3/5/2005 20:01 |
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Sorry, but your write-up caused me a few chuckles. Don't feel like you're all alone. Most of us have been there at one time or another.
Did you ever read about when I replaced my rear bumper? I was backing onto some blocks to install my first set of prototype radius-rods, and overshot the dadburn things. Smack! Right into the brick column between the two garage doors! Left it looking like a devil's elbow. As it turned out, my masonry skills ain't too shabby. Found that out when I jacked up the house at three points around that column ... needed to straighten it up, reattach some cinder blocks on the inside. Nowasays I move the X away from the house when getting up on the ramps. |
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David Rush
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• Greenville, SC, USA |
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• Registered on 4/11/2004 |
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• 233 posts |
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Posted:3/5/2005 21:21 |
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Hey Hawkeyes, next time you get the urge to beat yourself up under the X--email me. It's much easier to live vicariously through my exploits than to bleed through your own! Sometime I could tell you about the blood I donated insulating all my interior body panels with hush mat. Blood bank was offering to donate TO me! |
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E. Long
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• Subscriber since 1/1/2001 |
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• Atlanta, GA, USA |
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• Registered on 1/23/2001 |
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• 2,229 posts |
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Posted:3/6/2005 23:44 |
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| Quote: | | Several paper towels took care of the nosebleed, but the bruise and scraped off skin make it appear as though I've been in a barroom brawl. Great. Gotta go to Dallas for a trade show on Monday, 'looking my best'. |
LOL!!  You got me laughing at that one!! At least it looks like it was a nice weekend for you to be underneath the X. Glad to hear you like the sway bar. The radius rods will make it drive straight as an arrow over the bumps in the road. Just got back from a 900-mile road trip that was a breeze. The fatigue goes down when you aren't constantly 'white knuckling' the steering wheel over the bumps on a long trip.
-Eric
'67 Galaxie 500 - 390 FE, .030" over, FE to AOD adapter, disc brake conversion. The Daily Driver.
'00 Excursion - 7.3L PSD, LANDYOT Gen-II Radius Rods, Factory Tech Valve Body, 200K+ miles and going |
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