Finally going to get this build going

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
I brought a truck from Northern California a couple years ago that's just been sitting in my garage waiting for me to get started. I bought the thing after my kid wrecked my 99SD and he needed something to drive for the last half of his senior year in High School. Plus it was a pretty nice truck he wrecked and I figured at the time of the crime I would go ahead and make myself whole in the Land Rover arena at the same time. That's about the only way another truck was going to clear the tower if you know what I'm saying. You married guys do.

The thing has too much lift and big mud tires on it. I'm going to be bringing it down to a better level with some OME springs. It's got FOX remote reservoir shocks on it so I'll work with those.

I have to make a few decisions on maybe selling some of the stuff I got wit the truck and building something lighter and hopefully more agile. I have just about every safarigard thing you should need including the stage 2 suspension. Winch and 3 big Hellas mounted in the middle. Rock sliders.Air lockers front and rear. I really don't think I'm going to get in a situation that would require a front locker. I keep these trucks for snow and drifting from all the farm fields around me.. I'm hopefully never going to end up with 2 wheels off the ground.

So Do I sell all this safarigard shit? Do I keep it and run a stiffer spring? I know at least the front locker is coming out of it.And I would prefere a Detroit over an air locker. so maybe they both come out. It's got a double cardin frt shaft and that will probably be coming out of it. I don't even like standing near those fucking things. I'll be bringing it down as far as I need to to run a regular old frt prop shaft.

I got a really nice set of Procomp 15" rock crawler steel wheels with the truck. A shit ton of extra parts and what have you.

So what do I do with the safarigard shit? I paid what would be too much for the truck cause I figure these things are worth 4 grand in great condition tops. But all this safarigard shit, the winch,Hellas,Fox shocks and lockers, Hot water shower made from an intercooler. All that shit has got to be worth something too.
 
Jan 3, 2005
11,745
70
On Kennith's private island
That $afari Guard is probably worn to shit by now. Didn't they go out of business 20 years ago?

Personally, I'd can the $G stuff. Go OME springs and shocks. 2". 265/75's or 235/85's, whatever your preference is. I'd also can the Procomp wheels and get some Castors.

As for your front shaft, hang on to it until you drive the truck. These trucks are funny - I've ran a stock front shaft on a 3" lift with no problems, and I've needed DC on a 2" lift. These trucks are like women and one size does not fit all.

I don't see any reason not to run the air lockers f/r unless you need the cash. But that's me.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
That $afari Guard is probably worn to shit by now. Didn't they go out of business 20 years ago?

Personally, I'd can the $G stuff. Go OME springs and shocks. 2". 265/75's or 235/85's, whatever your preference is. I'd also can the Procomp wheels and get some Castors.

As for your front shaft, hang on to it until you drive the truck. These trucks are funny - I've ran a stock front shaft on a 3" lift with no problems, and I've needed DC on a 2" lift. These trucks are like women and one size does not fit all.

I don't see any reason not to run the air lockers f/r unless you need the cash. But that's me.

Yep. The safarigard stuff would have to be powder coated and that would be expensive.

Theres more to this axle thing. I've driven it a couple times to and from work. Its all kinds of driving from 70mph highway to country roads to city driving. This truck sucks ass right now.

I'm driving like 40mph and I reach over and lock the center diff. Kind of the getting to know the truck stage of it all. Well my fucking life passed before my eyes. The thing started squallering and I got off on the gravel shoulder. This thing dug ruts in the gravel and I had to put it in nuetral to get the center dif to unlock.

I take it in the shop when I got there and put a crayon mark on the side wall of left side tires. Locked the center diff and both air lockers. I rotated the driveline from the park brake drum and it's got a different drive axle ratio front to rear. So now its been parked inside for about a year and a half waiting.

So first on my list is get those axles apart and look for some kind of ID# that will tell me whats what. Prev. owner thought it was geared 4:10. But he had some kind of failure with the air locker and paid somebody good money to fix it for him. I think that guy fucked it up somehow and just went out and got a stock ratio diff to get his tit out of the ringer. Didn't even think about the possibility the thing has a 4:10 in the other axle.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
I have no idea what it would feel like driving a truck at say 45 mph with a locked front diff. Never done it.

I've got 3 really good sets of the Hurricane wheels.
 

fishEH

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2009
6,927
201
Lake Villa, IL
Need a pic!!
And why would you attempt to lock the center diff at 40mph!!???

LMK what you want to get rid of parts wise. I have a red truck with an ARB front and TJM rear bumper I might trade for. Along with a rack, ladder, etc. And I'm close by you.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
You can lock the center diff at any speed. If you know the truck like I didn't. I have so much shit up here. I think about finding a good swap meet and get rid of as much as I can. We need to start an annual swap meet. I can't be the only one with a garage full of shit and parts trucks.
 

1920SF

Well-known member
Jan 6, 2007
2,705
1
NoVA
Maybe I'm calling it the wrong thin. It's got the standard issue alloy wheel. Like from defenders and disco1

Freestyles.

Hurricanes were on the Dii's if I recall. Typhoons on the RRC's (that's what I put onto my D1).
 

mgreenspan

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2005
4,723
130
Briggs's Back Yard
You can lock the center diff at any speed. If you know the truck like I didn't. I have so much shit up here. I think about finding a good swap meet and get rid of as much as I can. We need to start an annual swap meet. I can't be the only one with a garage full of shit and parts trucks.

I think you're in the wrong part of the country. They do that in other places. Doesn't the manual even say you can lock it but you need to be going straight on flat dry pavement if you're doing it above a certain speed?
 

SCSL

Well-known member
Apr 27, 2005
4,144
152
You’ll find a buyer for the SG stuff, even if it’s old. Still in demand. If it was DII stuff I’d take it off your hands.
 

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
You?ll find a buyer for the SG stuff, even if it?s old. Still in demand. If it was DII stuff I?d take it off your hands.

Agreed - as long as it's not rusted/rotted it'll be worth it to someone to strip and powder coat again.
 

Mongo

Well-known member
Apr 19, 2004
5,731
2
59
post up the $G crap on Defender source, you'll be more likely to find some sucker to buy it there...
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
I think you're in the wrong part of the country. They do that in other places. Doesn't the manual even say you can lock it but you need to be going straight on flat dry pavement if you're doing it above a certain speed?

Don't be scared. I been locking the center diff at speed forever.