Deadbeats 1997 Centurion Conversion

[deadbeat]

I'm gonna buy a 20 ton press today, one question, I keep reading there are spot welds on them, are they easy to identify or are they even there?

 

[MIHELA]

I never encountered any on mine, but keep in mind my lowers are forged. I can't vouch for the stamped lower arms.

 

[deadbeat]

I replaced the control arm bushing, ball joints, steering joints, hub assemblys, front diff seals and bearings, and now my 4wd doesn't work. My pass side axle looks 1/8 out further than before but I can't drive it in any further with a small sledge hammer, would that mess up my 4x4?

 

[deadbeat]

Well, I took it apart this morning and when I put the passenger axle in I mashed the little pilot bearing, and it ruined the tip of my axle. It also bent the little washer. I pulled apart my parts one and due to it being on the ground, I messed up the bearing in it as well. And, mine is the second gen axle so the axle out of it won't even work. I ordered the bearing, SCH78 from Orielly's and it should be in tomorrow, gotta pick up a used axle on the way in and I should be good when I put it back together. I really do get some expensive lessons working on my own vehicles.

 

[deadbeat]

I got the front end back together, everything seems good. I do think I got one of my torsion bar keys 1 notch off on the key side, one is nearly all the way threaded in and one has about 1/2 inch of threads still but the sides are level and I'm going to leave it alone. I get it aligned Thursday, but I noticed the steering box is leaking a little at the pitman shaft. Has anyone changed those seals and stopped this leak before, I see I can get them on rockauto and they look like there is 2 seals and 2 washers, looks easy but nothing ever is?

 

[JackE]

That's usually not to big a deal. Remove the pitman arm. up inside you will find a large snap ring, remove that. Put a catch pan under the steering box. Start the truck and turn the steering wheel all the way to one side. Crank the wheel hard into the stop a few times, it should blow the seal right out of the box. Be ready to shut the engine off as soon as it blows, or it will pump all the fluid out. install new seal, snap ring, and pitman arm. Should be as easy as that, but for me, it seldom ever is.

 

[deadbeat]

Thanks for the tips, will it blow out both the seals this way? In the repair kit it looks like there are 2 seals and 2 washers/spacers.

 

[deadbeat]

Well, I got the truck aligned. The shop charged me extra saying I had the drivers side upper control arm on upside down. First they said my new cam bolts were wrong, then told me I had the upper arms on the wrong side, then said I had a stripped ball joint. I was over an hour away but told them I did one side at a time and they couldn't be on the wrong side. They said the guy eventually flipped it and it aligned. But they didn't put my greasable cam bolts back in, instead charged me 40 for them and another 40 for the ball joint. 225 bucks for it all but it drives good so, since I was over an hour away and couldn't come in and look at it as he wanted, I payed and went on. The place has a good reputation and does good work. Now, since it has been cooling off, my truck at idles is quiet, but when I give it gas a lifter ticks for about the first 20 seconds or so. I think I'm gonna take the valve covers off this weekend and turn each lifter until it ticks, then turn it until it quits, do this for all 8 on one side. Turn the motor off and give each one a 3/4 turn and see how that works out for me. I have to adjust them on my moms escalade as well, so I would rather experiment on my own first.

 

[deadbeat]

Took the truck on a hunting trip, ~2k miles, it did really good until about 100 miles from the house. The tranny started slipping anytime you tried to give it much gas to pass or go up hill. It sucks because I paid 1810 bucks in 9/15 to have it totally rebuilt. 2 weeks before the warranty was up a solenoid shorted and you had to manually start it in first to take off. I took it back and they replaced the solenoid, changed the fluid and filter, and told me the fluid looked a little scorched but should be fine. Well, it smells burnt now and is brown, not really sure what to do. My 1 year, 12k mile warranty is up, and keep in mind, this truck was never off road or towed anything, or driven hard. I am not sure what to do now, I am going to talk to the shop owner who rebuilt it and ask him what he thinks, if he doesn't want to work with me on my rebuild that lasted 23k thousand miles behind a stock motor I will have to do something else.

 

[94burbk1500]

Took the truck on a hunting trip, ~2k miles, it did really good until about 100 miles from the house. The tranny started slipping anytime you tried to give it much gas to pass or go up hill. It sucks because I paid 1810 bucks in 9/15 to have it totally rebuilt. 2 weeks before the warranty was up a solenoid shorted and you had to manually start it in first to take off. I took it back and they replaced the solenoid, changed the fluid and filter, and told me the fluid looked a little scorched but should be fine. Well, it smells burnt now and is brown, not really sure what to do. My 1 year, 12k mile warranty is up, and keep in mind, this truck was never off road or towed anything, or driven hard. I am not sure what to do now, I am going to talk to the shop owner who rebuilt it and ask him what he thinks, if he doesn't want to work with me on my rebuild that lasted 23k thousand miles behind a stock motor I will have to do something else.

Given how much you've put into this truck already, you might as well go for a 4L80E