"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
03/30/2015 at 21:24 • Filed to: None
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"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
03/30/2015 at 21:24 • Filed to: None | 1
| 7 |
I went camping last weekend to a lake near Squamish, Levette lake, and we took my truck because we were told we might need the 4 wheel drive. On the way up, I was going a bit faster than I should've on the steep, rocky road, and I took out both tires on the right side, Luckily, we were only about a minute away from the trail to the campsites, so I got it there before it was on the rims. Also a W124 made it up this road apparently, impressive considering that the other trucks I saw up there at least had the ground clearance of mine.
But the most impressive thing to get up that road, by far, is my friends Corolla. I thought you guys might like it, it's probably the only Corolla wagon ever on BMW weaves. It's a manual, of course, and has just enough of an exhaust leak to let the 4A-GE sing a bit.
Anyways, back to my lack of tire problem. That night, my friend with an S10 brought up a couple of his steelies with tires, and there they sat until Sunday when we decided to leave.
This is the first time I've ever had a flat tire, let alone two, and it was also the first time I ever made a mistake jacking up a vehicle....
I didn't put one of the wheels under the frame, for the first time ever. So of course that's the time that it rolls off the jack. Luckily, sort of, it landed on the jack on its side, which bent the spring a bit, but it took a lot of the impact instead of the hub. So instead of a destroyed hub, I have a bent spring, and I don't know how much of a death sentence that is. (Anything more than an oil change is more than I can justify spending on this thing, so if I need a new spring, that's it for the Blazer)
So after a lot of swearing, being glad I had a floor jack as well because the impact broke my other one, and the Blazer was back on its feet again.
This isn't really that big a deal, but it's basically my first ever roadside repair with no safety net other than myself and a couple friends. Also the last time I was up here, was rescuing my friend who had two blown tires on the same road......
The lake
Bonus, dat clearance under my girlfriends balcony
Tl; Dr, Went camping, popped tires, dropped truck replacing wheels bending the right side leaf spring, depending on seriousness I may have killed my truck with my own stupidity
4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
> gmctavish needs more space
03/30/2015 at 22:10 |
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It's not worth getting the spring re-arc'd, especially when you can easily buy a new one, so a replacement is probably in order. RamblinRover would be the best person to ask re: driving it in it's current state. I'm not too good with leafies.
Also, wheels on the roof rack look awesome. Keep them fordecoration!
Boxer_4
> gmctavish needs more space
03/30/2015 at 22:21 |
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Looking around, it seems like rear leaf springs run around $90-150, depending on which ones would fit your application. Most of them include bushings, but make no mention of the u-bolts or frame bolts required.
Installation wise, they don't seem to be too difficult as long as you have access to the proper tools. I have only found basic instructions, but they should be a good starting point. It seems like the biggest issue will be rust and corrosion. Personally, I would soak everything that needs to be removed with aerokroil or similar at least a day before starting.
This doesn't address whether the drop bent any of the attachment points for the leaf spring. I honestly don't know the answer to that. Hopefully, someone with body-on-frame and or leaf spring experience will chime in, as my experience is limited to research only.
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gmctavish needs more space
> Boxer_4
03/30/2015 at 22:31 |
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That looks easier than I expected....I'm mainly worried about the safety of driving it as is. I just bought thing for a road trip last year, and didn't think it would last this long. It's miles are on the higher side and it's generally pretty tired, even thought it wouldn't be too hard, I don't think it would be worth it to replace them. But thank you for the reply
bradleyjames518
> gmctavish needs more space
03/31/2015 at 14:02 |
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You'll be fine...Leaf springs are cheap, but you have to replace both. If you only replace one, the truck will sit higher on one side.
Secondly, you should remove the fuel tank to replace the driver's side spring. There is a bolt that you can't remove with it in the way. I've just cut the head off the bolt and installed a new one. For $200, your truck will be good.
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gmctavish needs more space
> 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
04/06/2015 at 20:55 |
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Haha I thought so too, they were on there for about a week
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gmctavish needs more space
> bradleyjames518
04/06/2015 at 20:56 |
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Yikes...thanks for the info, I'll probably just cut it too, I don't wanna drop the tank
Machingadera
> gmctavish needs more space
04/17/2015 at 00:55 |
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Meh. Rub some dirt on it.
and avoid high speed lane changes.