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Steve_RI

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Posts posted by Steve_RI

  1. I picked up a cheap radiator today, but it has what I think are two outlets on the bottom for an auto transmission. I have a 5 spd so I do not need them. Is there a preferred way to plug these or should I return it. Thanks.

  2. I remember mulling this over a few years back and went with 50/50 mix of G-05 (Napa) with distilled water after full flush/drain. I did this sometime during the end of 2005. Everything still looks good and I really haven't touched it since. This reminds though that I should at least drain the radiator and refresh this stuff a bit, it has been awhile.

  3. Because the torsion bars need to come off it makes the job a PITA. I burned the bushings out, but there is that press that does this. If you can pop the pins (lower link spindle in your pic) out without cutting them off then it is not a terrible job, but this is one job I would not want to do again and I had to do it twice because of insufferable squeaking from the poly bushings.

  4. Well, I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. The rear trailing arms were fine. I rechecked everything up front, and with the tire off the ground when you grab the tire at 3 and 9 you can get a little bit of movement at the inner tie rod at the CL. This is definitely the issue and the obvious weak point with this steering setup. I did use the cheap(er) tie rods from autozone figuring it would not make a difference since the truck is rarely wheeled. The CL is OEM from a dealer that I picked up a couple years ago and is in obvious good shape. I'm a little surprised given everything is new. Would the modified centerlink (grassroots 4X4) and beefier tie rods eliminate that play? The truck is at stock height is used primarily to haul the family to and from the mountain in the winter.

  5. Good point. Well, I replaced the compression rod bushings, old ones were worn but cups were still in good shape. I went through the rest of the front end, ball joints, tie rod, centerlink, & wheel bearings. Truck is tight and tracks straight, but if I hit some imperfections in the road is gets a little "squirrelly". I wouldn't categorize it as a death wobble that I read about, but when this topic comes up it is usually the compression rod or the rear links. I'll jack the truck up and look for any play.

  6. I did the same thing this weekend as well. Mine were in similar shape with the driver side a little more beat up than the passenger side. I used the energy suspension poly bushings and greased them up good with a high quality marine grade grease. The second side went quickly after tightening down the big nut to line up in the two bolts in the control arm.

     

    Next project is the ball joints, tie rods, CL, and IA rebuild, which are all vintage 92. I’ll probably repack the wheel bearings while I’m at it.

     

    Unless you remove the torsion bar, the only thing you can use is a wrench, preferably boxed (24mm). I use a combo of 22mm/19mm wrenches and sockets for the rest.

  7. Here were the prices the last time I checked. These are for the upgraded parts (the Z stuff):

     

     

    14037-V5005 Lock Washer for manifold studs - $1.88 each

    14039-W1500 Nuts for manifold studs - 0.65 each

    14065-V5004 Manifold Studs - $3.21 each

     

    This was another solution I noted from the forums when I was looking into fixing my passenger side:

     

    8mm x 1.25 x 40mm (6) metric grade 5

    8mm lock washers (12) metric grade 5

     

    4X4parts also sells the kit.

  8. I have Raxle axles on my VW. Excellent quality. There were just too many issues with the cheap axles to warrant going with them. They were $175 and axle. Marty, the owner, runs a nice business and is very well known in the VW community.

     

    I had all poly bushings on my 89 front to back. The LCA was a nightmare I remember vividly and I wouldn't do it on my 92 unless absolutely necessary. I had to sawzall the pins out, which is an extra expense if you have to go that route. I ended up burning the bushings out from there, which was nasty because it was in my garage. That bushing is also the most susceptible to squeaking, so use a good marine grade grease that is preferably Aluminum based. I had to taken the f'ing things off AGAIN because the squeaking was that bad. After using a Al based moly grease on them I did not have any issues up until the truck was totaled, and that was probably two or three years after greasing them good.

  9. Some info I put together a while back..OEM GL-4 is a 75W-85 with a 12.1cSt. MT-90 is a little thick compared to the OEM stuff, which has a viscosity of 12.1cSt. MT-90 is 14.0 or so cSt. This is not a big deal in warmer climates, but the MT-90 was a little notchy in my tranny. The easy thing to do is add a quart or more of Redline MTL. MTL has a vis. of 11.1cSt and is the same base fluid as MT-90 so they mix fine. This will get you closer to the 12.0-12.5cSt range, which is optimal for these transmissions. Right now though I have the OEM stuff and my shifting is fine at any temp here in New England.

  10. I like the General Grabber AT2's I just put on my truck over the winter. The tread looks damn close to the TKO's and they are significantly cheaper. They are also studdable.

  11. Well, the KBB is where you should always start, and I'm glad it worked out. The fact that you were able to get some cash for the extras is excellent. Allstate is particularly cheap. Did he talk about the salvage title? I do not know what the law is in your area.

  12. You may be able to get a little extra (maybe $150-$200) if you have the receipts, but it depends on the adjuster. Given this is Allstate and they are as cheap as it comes to paying claims, I would not be surprised if they did not give you anything. What is the KBB value of your truck, that is the value you will be able to negotiate with?

     

    When my 89 was totaled in 05 I got $1800 and the truck back for $50. I had 220K miles on it. There was no budging at all from the $1800. I picked it clean and sent off to the scrap yard.

  13. Ok...I'm going to try to understand before I open my mouth.

     

    "The problem im having with the insurance is the claims adjuster told me that it is going to be totaled at $2290 or I can take a check for $2000"

     

    I understand by this statement that if you take the check for $2000 you still get to keep the truck? Otherwise you get $2290 and the insurance company keeps it.

     

    I'll assume you are correct in that there is more than $2000 worth of stuff missing. Do you have receipts for your aftermarket stuff that is missing? Insurance adjusters are used to dealing with "normal" cars with factory options. When you get into aftermarket stuff, they are basically clueless so the burden falls on you to provide the info to what the value of the added parts is. I know once I had get the value upp'd on a vehicle that got totaled but had recently had a lot of work done to it. I had the receipts to prove the work had been completed. In your case, it's aftermarket parts that you will want to replace. If you don't have the receipts, then I'd put together a list of the items missing and their replacement value. Include with each item the source for your replacement value. It may do no good at all depending on the adjuster and the insurance company rules. However, it's only a few hours work to make the list and could get you so more $$.

     

    If they give you 2K for the truck and you keep it, I would do that if you want the truck. The difference between the 2290 and the 2000 is the Salvage value most likely. Bear in mind that you will be dealing with a salvage title at that point and many insurance companies will not deal with it or they will charge extra. You will need a special inspection, etc., as well. You are not going to get replacement value for this claim or any of the "extra" items; this stuff is based on actual cash value; therefore, it's depreciated. You may be able to negotiate a higher price though. I would avoid court as this is just more money out of your pocket. Have the Kelley Blook Book value handy as well when you meet with this guy.

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