Subtopic	Posts		Updated
	Off Road, Sept 1, 2001, and 5 days on-road use.	77		09/07 02:56pm

By RVR OVR (Tom) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 06:00 am: Edit

I have started this thread to post follow ups on my experiences with switching from RoverTym Cones to Expedition Exchange Spring Retainers. Since one day of off-road testing and use does not do this topic justice, I am planning on posting sub folders here with ongoing updates. The first is Sept 1, 2001.

Just so any interested party reading the threads does not have to ask, here is the setup of my truck:

RT 3" lift with Rancho 9000's and RT rear shock mounts
RT Front Radius arms and Rear Trailing Links\
Dual Tom Woods CV shafts
Stock bumpers (no winch) and no underbody protection (think about this for weight)
Detroit Rear/TT Front

Tom

By Kyle Van Tassel (Kyle) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 06:25 am: Edit

I heard it was pretty much a dissaster...

Kyle

By Discosaurus (Discosaurus) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 06:28 am: Edit

extra crunchy...

keith
discosaurus

By Alex Schubow (Alex) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 06:29 am: Edit

From what I saw there, it was a disaster. That combo of heavy springs, and spring clamps made for a very tippy ride for Tom. He had trouble where all the other vehicles (including mine, which is lifted almost as much) scooted right through. In my uneducated opinion, those springs are too heavy for clamps.

Alex

By RVR OVR (Tom) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 06:34 am: Edit

OK, lets put these posts up to the Sept 1st folder.

Alex - I am not 100% sure that the one tippy spot that made for the crunch from that tree stump could be blamed on the retainers. I also think it might have been the very low PSI I was running that allowed the tire to flex and rock the truck over. The same PSI (and swamper) setup that allowed me to slow crawl some of the stuff that other folks had to haul ass up may have hurt me there.

However, on crunch # 2 that you were with me on, it is possible that the body of the truck being kept down instead of allowing flex may have been the reason that I wacked the right door. Hmmm....

Tom

By Alex Schubow (Alex) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 06:37 am: Edit

Yeah,it's all speculation.

Alex

By Kyle Van Tassel (Kyle) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 06:42 am: Edit

Well , it wasnt supposed to be speculation boys. You were supposed to run coned and then clamped. What happened there ? I hear you werent without some Crunching as well Alex...

Kyle

By Alex Schubow (Alex) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 06:59 am: Edit

I can't run cones with my setup. Springs won't reseat.

Seems like everyone just lost interest. Besides, even if we had some sort of "definitive" results, would that make everyone abandon what they're running and start nailing down the shit that "won"? I think not.

Yeah, one of my rocksliders levered my sill inward and upward. Doesn't look good. Trying to decide what to do about it now.

Alex

By RVR OVR (Tom) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 07:10 am: Edit

Kyle,

Nobody cared about running springed then clamped on the same day (at least in the trail group), or wanted to wait while that was made to happen, or wanted to spend a day watching me drive. I talked to John at EE and we decided to take a longer-term approach to testing, which is now underway.

Tom

By Ali on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 08:00 am: Edit

Alex,

What're your thoughts on the sliders' performance?

By Alex Schubow (Alex) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 08:04 am: Edit

Sliders held up fine, as far as I can tell. Body bent up. Should be fixable with a steel plate (or maybe angle iron) welded to the sill. I'm dropping the truck off at the body shop for rust repairs today, so I'll look at it more closely in a couple of weeks (hopefully!) when I get it back. I just don't know if even that will be strong enough in the most extreme cases. You reinforce the sill, you start popping welds somewhere else on the body. Seems like they should be frame mounted, but that's a whole other can of worms that involves cutting the sills off, or making up some sort of double mount to mount it to the sill AND the frame. At this stage this is all just theoretical rambling.

Alex

By Discosaurus (Discosaurus) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 08:06 am: Edit

What ledge did you smash 'em on ?

keith
discosaurus

By Alex Schubow (Alex) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 08:42 am: Edit

The one I couldn't climb. Damn trailing arm mount kept getting in my way

Alex

By Kyle Van Tassel (Kyle) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 09:03 am: Edit

If it gets in the way man , just hack it off of there....


Kyle

By Alex Schubow (Alex) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 09:05 am: Edit

Hack it off? I almost tore it off

Alex