Chilled Stick Box
Question: I have a Ford 350 with a 5.9 Cummins and a Getrag transmission. What is a good way to keep the trans cool when towing? I'm worried about it overheating in the summer heat. What can all us manual-tranny guys do to keep them cool? The auto guys have all kinds of aftermarket support.
Jason S.
Answer: Automatic transmissions use the ATF fluid as a coupler in the torque converter. Because a manual transmission doesn't use fluid as a coupler, it doesn't have as big an issue with overheating as an automatic does. If heating up fluid does become an issue, it is a good idea to use some sort of finned aluminum PTO cover like the ones sold by Gear Tech Heavy Duty (601.899.9831, www.geartechhd.com). These covers also have a port for a temperature gauge, which wouldn't hurt.
Fab-School Me
Question: I am 18 years old and have been obsessed with everything off road since age 15 when I got my first Jeep, a '93 ZJ with 31s and a 318. Since then I have had a '76 J10, and my current toy is an '87 YJ with coilovers and 36s. I am attending UTI (an automotive school in Orlando). I plan on taking some welding courses after school. I have some questions about getting into the field of "custom off-road vehicle fabrication." First off, with my lack of experience, what is the likelihood of getting a job at a shop that does that kind of work? Secondly, there seems to be a lack of "custom OHV shops" in Florida. Most shops I have found seem to be located out west. I have no problem relocating as it would give me a chance to explore something other than mud. But I doubt that if I were to find a job opportunity somewhere that the starting pay would cover moving expenses and the higher cost of living. Is their any hope for a young person who desperately wants to make a career out of something he loves? Or am I doomed to spend my entire career working on vehicles with traction control and rain-sensitive wipers?
Travis T.
Answer: I hate to be all doom and gloom, but in the current economy, the custom fabrication market is getting harder and harder to crack into, especially out west where the sand-rail market has fallen apart and many of the qualified sand-rail builders are out of jobs and finding work in the 4x4 fab shops. Being a rookie isn't bad, it's just going to be difficult, especially if you want to move across the country and hope to have your costs covered. My best advice: Get a job locally and build some stuff in your own garage for you buddies until you get your skills up to par and some money in the bank. If possible, work with some local race shops, drag racers, mud boggers, and so on, and learn as many different skills as possible in fabrication, even if it means working nights for little or no money. Also look at every type of race, mud, or show vehicle you can, and learn something from each. If you can't learn something from every fabricated thing in front of you, you're not looking hard enough. At the same time learn how to run a business, take some business classes, talk to other fab shop owners, and even read some small-business books and magazines. I have met tons of skilled fabricators, but only a handful can actually run a successful business where bills are paid on time, customers are kept happy, and the owner can take home an honest check every few weeks. Making parts and making money are the goals. Both are an art form, and neither is more important than the other. One other thing: Bend, notch, weld, and build with all your spare time. It takes practice to be one of the best.
Don't Heat your Feet
Question: Recently I removed the carpet and the insulation from the interior of my '98 Jeep Wrangler. I know there are products out there that I can roll onto the floor to protect it from rusting. Do any of these products insulate the floor to keep the drivetrain from burning my feet?
Eric C.
Answer: Most of the roll-on or paint-on bedliners and rust-inhibitors will help as insulation, but an even better idea is some sort of heat shield or exhaust wrap. In fact, a bedliner without any heat shield can be very bad. We have heard of trucks (Jeeps) with spray-in bedliners catching on fire and burning to the ground since the bedliner material is usually petroleum-based. Put some extra sheetmetal between the drivetrain and your feet.
Nuts, I'm Confused
Wobbly Dodge
Question: I have an '04 Dodge 2500 HD 4x4 crew cab shortbed with the mighty Cummins diesel. I have a Pro Comp 2.5-inch spacer kit up front with 35-inch BFG muds and a set of Bilstein shocks. I seem to be experiencing the infamous death wobble at freeway speeds of 65+ mph. I have been told to replace my steering damper or my track bar or both. The truck has 47,000 miles on it, and I wouldn't think that the track bar would not be worn out yet, but I have been wrong before. Please help me out.
Jeremy
Answer: Death wobble is not just annoying; it could be dangerous. It can be due to many reasons. I agree that you might have worn steering components or a worn track bar (the track bar does see some ridiculous loads), but you might also have reduced your caster by adding the spacer kit. I would consider some Super Lift Rock Runner adjustable front links, which will allow you to dial some negative caster back into your ride. At the same time, check your tires for odd wear along with all steering and suspension joints and even your alignment.
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Running Leaned
Question: I have an '87 Sami and am putting in a 4.3 Chevy because I'm tired of the hippies in Oregon passing me in their VW buses when I'm going up a hill. Should the engine be as level as possible, or can it have a slight angle from front to back? Also, a spring over lift is being done. Can a slight angle be done to accommodate a 3-inch lift so the joints don't have too much of a bind?
Randy S.
Answer: There is no issue with leaning the engine a few degrees. Just remember that however much you lean it back in the rear to help rear driveshaft angles, you will in turn be angling it up for front driveshaft angles. The front driveshaft will usually not be engaged during highway speeds, so I would feel good leaning it back without issue at least 5 degrees. Just make sure the oil pickup is in the rear of the oil pan and not in the front.