Submission Information
Confused? E-mail your questions about trucks, 4x4s, and off-roading tech using "Nuts, I'm confused" as the subject and include a picture (if it's applicable). Digital photos must measure no less than 1600 x 1200 pixels (or two megapixels) and be saved as a TIFF, an EPS, or a maximum-quality JPEG file. Also, I'll be checking the forums on our Web site (www.4wheeloffroad.com), and if I see a question that I think more of you might want to have answered, I'll print that as well. Otherwise drop it old-school style with the envelope addressed to the address below. Letters published in this magazine reflect the opinions of the writers, and we reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, brevity, or other purposes.
WRITE TO:
Nuts & Bolts
4-Wheel & Off-Road
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048-5515
fax 323.782.2704.
E-MAIL TO:
nuts@4wheeloffroad.com
Nuts, I'm Confused
Fatherly advice for 4-wheelin'
Question: My son has a '79 Ford F-250 4x4 camper special, and my problem is a mixture of one teenager and one truck. He wants to enter truck pulls and go off-roading in mud bogs and do all the fun stuff, which I have no problem with. The problem is he's tearing out the rearend all the time, and we need rearend parts. Do you know any places that cater to older Ford parts?
Chris
via nuts@4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: I was talking to a father in a similar position as you. His son was beating the snot out of his truck and it was costing old dad a pretty penny. Some guys would say that a teenager shouldn't be given a vehicle if he can't keep from abusing it, while others would be willing to give their children whatever they can afford.
My dad thought it a better idea to give his boys a Volkswagen to drive than a truck so as to keep us out of trouble. Funny thing is, I remember bringing that VW home covered in mud more than a couple times. Eventually I realized I had to have a real 4x4, and since Dad wasn't going to let me take his farm truck out wheeling, I drug home a '73 CJ-5 with a V-8. I spent many nights under that old Jeep and learned a thing or two about how expensive it is to have, break, and fix my own ride.
I added a few notches in my tool belt as I learned how things worked, and I busted some rookie knuckles. I broke parts and learned to fix them, and I also learned how to wheel to keep them from breaking (not that I always heeded my own advice).
Playing and breaking stuff isn't a bad thing, but the cost of fixing stuff can become aggravating over time. Luckily your son's truck had a Dana 60 rear axle, which is very common and should be easy to get parts for (look in the back of this issue and almost any of the differential or gear supply houses will carry the parts you need).
However, before you go and sink more money in that rearend, let's stop and think for a second. Many smaller vehicles on the trails these days have Dana 60s in the rear, such as Jeeps and Toyota Land Cruisers. These rear 60s have been swapped in to replace the smaller weaker original equipment that broke after repeated abuse. So your son's 3/4-ton-truck rear axle is the upgrade for many 1/4-ton vehicles, which leads me to believe that maybe he needs to upgrade his rear axle with something larger, especially if truck pulls and tug-o-wars are in the forecast. Ford actually upgraded to a Dana 70 rear axle in the F-250 in the early '80s and then added the massive Sterling rear axles in the mid '80s. I would look to upgrade to one of these two rearends.
Swapping a rear axle complete isn't too hard if you can find one with the same gear ratio as your front axle. You may need to do some welding on the spring and shock perches to get them to the correct location, but the added size would be very helpful in keeping the truck together. No axle is completely indestructible, but hopefully they will survive until your son grows out his wild hair. If not, it might be time to upgrade again to something even larger like a set of Rockwell 21/2-ton military axles, but these will require a fair bit of custom fabrication to install.
Since I feel your story is useful both as a tech question and it gave me a chance to relive my glory days peeling out in that old Jeep, I'm going to award you this month's "Nuts, I'm confused" prize. Seeing as your question is axle-based, I called up the experts at Randy's Ring & Pinion (800.819.6024, www.ringpinion.com), and they are willing to give you some parts for either the stock Dana 60 or a larger axle if you swap one in with a set of rear axleshafts made from 1541H alloy, providing up to a 25 percent increase in strength over stock. The axles have a five-year warranty against manufacturing defects.
Get On Track, Mr. Bumper
Question: I have an '03 Chevy Tracker with four doors. I am trying to find a front and rear bumper for it. Unfortunately, there isn't much of an aftermarket for this vehicle. I was thinking that there may be another vehicle that has similar frame dimensions that I would be able to fit on my Tracker. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Dustin
via nuts@4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: Your Tracker is the same as a Suzuki Grand Vitara. Calmini (800.345.3305, www.calmini.com) offers front and rear bumpers and a winch mount for it. Also check out Zuks Off Road (928.567.3061, www.zuksoffroad.net), as they should have a bumper ready by the time this goes to press or shortly thereafter.
30 Something
Question: I have an '02 Jeep Wrangler with a Dana 44 in the rear and a Dana 35 in the front. I'm running 35-inch BFGoodrich M/Ts on it and I have an ARB Air Locker in my front Dana 35. Would I need to swap out my front Dana 35 for something bigger or is a Dana 35 strong enough to do any serious off-roading?
Joseph t.
via nuts@4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: Actually your Jeep should have a Dana 30, as the Dana 35s were only used in rear axles of Wranglers and the front of the Ford Ranger. I would keep the Dana 30 up front with the 35-inch tires, at least until you break something. I think you're right on the edge of what that axle can handle, so I'd start saving for something bigger, but you might as well keep wheeling until you start busting parts. You'll probably be amazed at the abuse it can take. Just remember it's a 1/4-ton axle, and you need to be careful when rockcrawling, or in situations where the front tires get wedged in an obstacle and won't turn. Applying power to a front axle with the wheels turned all the way and the tires held firmly by a tight crack is when front U-joints or axles break.