Beatup96

One of the things I noticed right away with the AC springs was that the on road handling got much better . Virtually no "body lean" or whatever you'd call it , I can do corners even with the Cooper STT's at speeds that would have required a new pair of shorts with the old and beat down suspension . I'm sure the wider stance of 3.75" backspaced wheels , new shocks and struts add to it also but the coils have to be a large part of it . If I were to put some sticky road tires on this thing it would really surprise some people around corners..... The downside is the ride at speed over relatively minor stuff like sunken manhole covers is pretty harsh . I think I'll be looking into the limiting straps .

I understand the owners being aware part , and I think that was a big part of the guy going off on a little girl in my situation . According to his wife he is very fond of his dog and it had been abused before he took it in . He thought they would take him and put him down , and he responded in anger out of affection for his buddy . I think when I explained it in that way to my niece it may have saved him from a beating.... The 10 y.o. became deathly afraid of dogs since , the 4 y.o. had nightmares for a week but seems to have either forgotten or repressed it now . Me , Chico never left my side when I visited and could tell I was coming from 1/2 mile down the street . I'd seen his aggression towards other dogs before , and I'd sit there with him and explain that he could get in a lot of trouble with his big mouth . I just had to kinda shrug and say "I told him so" and "He went out like the badass he thought he was" . You had quite a pack of little guys , the 3 remaining are probably your best support group . Big or small , they sure do seem to connect with what their human is feeling .

Man that sucks big time . This past summer my grand niece (10) was walking her Aunt's Chihuahua along with another grand niece (4) , they turned a corner and ran into a German Shepard (also on leash) . My little buddy Chico thought he was 7 lbs. of badass fury when it came to other dogs , with people he was a little gentleman . It was all over in seconds , so fast that the woman walking the GS couldn't stop it . My grand nieces saw the whole thing and were traumatized pretty bad , then when the cops got there the husband of the girl walking the GS started yelling at the 10 y.o. that it was all her fault . The cop said he wanted to throttle the guy . No charges got filed and the woman went over to apologize and to pay to have Chico cremated and his ashes returned , Animal Control did an investigation and now requires the GS ( a shelter dog it turned out ) to wear a muzzle when he's being walked . I see him being walked with his muzzle on and actually feel bad for him , he just carries himself like a sad old dog . As a dog lover I can't help but feel for him a bit even if he killed my little bud . How is your other dog doing ?

Friday will mark 14 years since I picked up my '96 in 2000 , she was all shiny.....

I have Rock Crawlers with 32" STT's on mine and it stops great , I've put about 2,500 miles on them so far and it was money well spent . Great pedal feel , doesn't take much to haul her down now . Anti-lock still works fine , I tested it a few times on snowy roads . I don't think my rear brakes have ever been touched , 150,000 give or take on them .

I used the Powerstop drilled and slotted rotors from Rockauto , I bought the kit that came with ceramic pads . Not sure how they'd be with different pads , but my truck stops on a dime now , better than it ever did in stock form . I did also put on new Cardone calipers at the same time , so I imagine that gave things a bit of extra "oomph" .

Don't even get me started on the subject..... I don't carry for self defense , but as of Oct. 1st here in CT we need a new "ammo permit" to buy any type of ammunition . Or.... you can just get a concealed carry permit that will cover you for buying ammo , rifles , shotguns and handguns . So.....being an avid waterfowl hunter with a squeaky clean record , I stocked up on steel shot over the summer . Now I'll just go the full route and get a concealed carry permit before next season , something that many have decided upon since the new laws came into effect . I may or may not carry a handgun after getting a CCWP , but what matters is that I'd have never even applied for one had they not passed a law taking away my ability to buy a box of steel to go hunting . As for NYC , I can be there in about an hour , but I'll never step foot in that rancid liberal bastion in my lifetime .

You SC guys get all our Woodies when we get a hard freeze.... Just got back from the goose pit , we did OK , 8 Canada's , 5 Mallards , 2 Gadwall and a hybrid Black for the 4 of us . The two on my spare were cherry picked from a PILE of Mallards , it's been a slam fest on them this year . If you look at my hitch we have the same problem . It worked with the stock 28" , need an extension now with the 32" . Good luck and shoot'em up !

Another duck hunter ! Where ya at and how's your season going ? A pic from last weekend ....

After doing the AC 2" all around with the AC 1" strut spacers (they advertise as giving you 1 1/2") , I'd have to say "good luck" in fitting 35's up front . 33's would be do-able but you'll be doing some trimming for sure , my 32's would have ripped off the mud flaps had I not removed them . Turning radius in forward gear is OK with the 3.75 backspace wheels , but in reverse it's still an issue with rubbing at about 1/2 lock . In the rear , going with 2" coils and 3" spacers for a total of 5" I think you'll probably have to add the panhard drop bracket or the rear axle may not be centered correctly left to right . You may also be looking at adjustable (longer) control arms to center the wheels in the wheel wells , mine are a bit forward from stock , better now that all the bushings are new but still a bit off center . I'm no mechanic , but I also wonder about driveshaft angle being a problem at 5" in the rear without a SFD . Now that my coils have settled a bit I'm considering a 1" spacer in the rear , from just eyeballing it I think it may work but I don't think I could go any higher . This is what you get from the 2" AC with the AC spacers and 32's on a '96 XE..... I also had trouble with the passenger side CV axle binding after installing a new EMPI part , switching it to a NAPA part on the passenger side cured it . This is the angle it's at , no problems so far but I haven't pushed it much yet.....

The bushings I see on www.autopartsway.ca look like OEM style , rubber inside a steel sleeve . From what I know (not a lot) you'd need to have those pressed in .

I had my upper and lower bushings replaced with the split ones from 4x4parts . The guy who did them charged me $150.00 but cussed me out a bit..... He said he chiseled out the old ones with the metal sleeve The new ones go in easy according to him . I couldn't move either the uppers or lowers by hand , but I had noises , swaying , and axle movement front to rear on braking and acceleration . Either would cause an audible clunk . After doing the AC lift with new shocks and struts I drove the truck for a week before the bushings were done , and the difference after the new bushings is incredible .

Not sure how much help it'll be , but I have the AC 2" with the 1" strut spacer , 15x8x3.75 wheels and 32/11.5/15 SST's . I have a good inch of clearance between the tire and the perch , it looks as if a 12.5" wide tire would clear it . Hard to get a good shot but better'n nuthin........

With the AC lift and 1" strut spacers I was able to fit 32/11.5/15's , pretty much the same height as your 265/75/16's . I had to remove the mud flaps (or the tires would have done it for me) , and some trimming is still needed . With the OME and those wheels you should be good , but as you say , I'd expect to have to do some trimming .

All in good time..... Still getting used to the new ride and handling characteristics , overall I'm pleased with the results . All the new suspension parts did offset the toasted control arm bushings a bit , but the ride at over about 50mph was still pretty scary , let off the gas abruptly or hit a bump "just so" and it was like a rodeo ride . Now that everything is nice and tight back there I find myself on the gas with the windows down and radio off just to hear the tires hum..... I leave my job at about 3:30 a.m. and last night I figured it was a good time to hit the highway to check out the higher speed ride . Not bad at all , cruises right along and handles well without any vibrations . I was thinking at first that she seemed a bit slower until I thought "hey dummy , your speedo is off with the 32's" . Hit 65mph on the speedo , which calculated to about 75mph from the stock 235/70/15 , fast enough for an old fart like me ! More than enough to tow the duck boat . I may take the "long way" to work this evening , a route that would take me down some farm roads along the CT River floodplain . They're not real bad this time of year but there are always a few spots that will give me a much better handle on the 4wd capability now vs. when the truck was bone stock .

Well , I think I'm about 98% done ! Had all the control arm bushings replaced with the split poly ones , what a difference ! I think the CV binding issue is resolved (knock on my wooden head) , just minor stuff now and cosmetics . Happy happy !

Yeah , I had lurked for quite a while before actually doing anything to the truck and knew that going 3" could be a problem . I had seen where some CV shafts had worked for one person but not the other and it could end up being a "what if" situation It seems that changing out the EMPI part with the remanufactured NAPA part did the trick . I drove it 10 miles or so after the switch with the hubs locked and in 2wd and the binding isn't there now . 4wd works , no binding . Thanks everyone for your input !

After installing the AC 2" lift with AC 1" strut spacers and Mile Marker locking hubs on my 1996 XE 4wd , it seems that the right (passenger) side CV axle is binding but the left side is fine ? Just got off the phone with my mechanic friend who has the truck up on the lift right now . I'm going to look at the problem in a few , but as he explains it , when he turns the right wheel with the hubs locked the shaft binds about 3 times for each revolution of the wheel , causing the differential to move each time it binds . Both CV axles were changed out when the lift was installed using new EMPI parts from Rockauto . I'm thinking I might stop by NAPA on the way over and try switching the right side out with a NAPA part . Any suggestions other than that ? The mechanic seems to think that the angles on each side are the same , could it be something to do with the Mile Marker hub on the right side ?

I just went through the whole tire shopping deal . While I accumulated parts over a period of months , I'll bet I looked at just about every major internet tire site . In the end I went with a local chain store and I don't feel I would have saved much if any $$$ doing otherwise . The combination of shipping , mounting , and balancing fees pretty much ate up the approximate $40.00 I'd have saved on each tire . Add in the convenience of buying face to face 2 miles away from my font door and also keeping a few bucks circulating "locally" . I live 25 miles away from a Tirerack warehouse and the shipping was still $118.00 , then I had to find an installer and pay them .

Yeah , I figure I'm just about there . I believe I found the correct hub centering rings , once they come and I'm sure they fit I think I'm going to have a set made from high grade aluminium . Ordered the bushing kit , still need to check the CV's . I'm thinking I may take out the strut spacers , I like the look but if they're a problem I can live with the rake .

Who sells the adjustable rear links ? I saw Fleurys made them and had it in my mind I'd buy them from him if needed , but it seems he's not building them anymore . The bushings are shot , both upper and lower and they're next on the list . Think they may be adding to the axle looking pulled forward ? There are bugs to be worked out but I'm pretty much past the point of no return . I do like it even with the glitches still needing addressed , it's a completely different vehicle thats for sure !

Thanks ! Had you driven that truck before all the recent work you'd understand the name....

You think its the CV's making the noise ? I had a torn boot on the right side before replacing them , it was torn for a long time . When I'd use 4wd and make a tight low speed left turn I could hear what sounded like the splines clicking/chattering on the right side . This sound is different , and you can feel it through the pedals . I locked the hubs and put it in 4h , got the front wheels on some uphill gravel and turned the wheel to full lock right and left while slowly inching forward and there was no noise like before . Then I put it back in 2wd with the hubs locked and drove it about 30 yards on pavement . It sounded different , more like something interfering in the hub , once per each tire revolution . One thing I noticed about the hubs while locking and unlocking them , was that there is a clear click when moved to the unlocked position but no click when they were moved to the lock position . The CV's are definitely angled more than before . No camera right now (dropped it in an old cranberry bog duck hunting) , took those pics with low tech phone . I'll see if I can get a decent pic of the CV's when the sun shines tomorrow . Thanks for the compliment on the new look !

Dog cookies.... I have a rep with every dog I've ever met , they know I always have a box ! Varmints they are , varmints....

Took some pics today , for some reason my computer won't accept the one taken of the view from the front though . I never did get any "before" shots , but she looked like any other R50 with a sagging suspension . Had to take off all the mud flaps and still need to do some basic trimming . Still things to do like the trailing arm bushings , trying to find out what the correct sized hub centric to lug centric spacers are , find out what the "click" is from the new hubs when they're locked (in or out of 4wd) , hit the bumpers , tire carrier , and maybe the hubs with Plasti Dip , etc..... Side.... Rear.... Rear tire in relation to flare.... Front tire in relation to the flare.... Different angle of the side view , kinda fuzzy 'cause of the crazy Beagle that kept jumping up on me looking for cookies....