Mr. Pickles

Oh, there's one more disclaimer: if you use the recommended high temp RTV to replace the gasket, you'll need to plan 24 hours drying time before putting in the gear oil. No biggie though. I went that route, cause the local stealer didn't have a stock gasket for the diff in stock, and said it would take a week to order one. So just plan around it. Either get the gasket ahead of time, or maybe install the locker say on a Sat. morning, then let it dry till Sunday evening before putting in the oil

That sucks, good luck man. Kinda scary with a Hyundai, cause they tend to total them out in almost any wreck beyond a simple fender bender. By the way, South Hill Auto Wrecking in Puyallup usually has a few Pathy's in stock in decent shape. You might wanna look there for parts.

From the body damage on both sides, and the somewhat shady looking welding down below in one of the pics, it almost looks to me like the guy might have had it mounted, wrecked the truck, then cut off some bent mounts and it fabbed to fit again. There's a good chance that maybe I'm up a tree here, but at $515 to start, I wouldn't want to find out the hard way.

I took many breaks, and from what I've heard, my troubles getting it out of the axle are not normal. But what is normal for me? Excluding wasted time and stuff, going straight through with no issues, I'd say 3-4 hours. Mind you, I did most of the dissassembly/reassembly, other than the lifting and grunt work, by myself. As for the ice questions, I'd go to 88 on that. We rarely get ice out here on the "left" coast, so it wasn't much of a concern for me. About the only time I'd run into frozen stuff is the very occassional local snow or going skiing, and even then most of the time they plow and clear the roads. I've only driven it a bit so far, on dry pavement, dirt and gravel. That said, it is fairly easy to break a tire loose when under power around corners and stuff, so I can see where that might be an issue for some people. But you probably just need to adjust your driving style a bit.

Yeah, already did that. :o I'd heard to expect that, but it still makes you grit your teeth for a sec.

I put it in over the weekend. All went well, except for it being a pain to split the 3rd member from the axle. It just wouldn't let go after a pulling, pushing, BFH, crowbar, jack, etc. Finally had to work in an old putty knive all the way around to break the gasket loose. Luckily, I was careful enough to do no damage. Other than that, I couldn't really add anything that hasn't been covered on these 2 sites: Lockright install #1 Lockright install #2 It's good so far. Gonna take a little bit to get used to the few new jerks and sounds, but nothing bad. The main thing is just being gentle in low speed and tight turns. I've barked the inside tire a few times now, mainly trying to pull out into traffic on busy roads. sssh All in all, I'd say most anybody could handle this install with basic tools and some patience. It sounds much tougher than it really is. Now I can't wait to get it off road, as I've only taken it to a construction site and gravel parking lot so far. Fun! sly

What he said /\. Has anybody found poly bushing kits for them? I haven't, but haven't exactly looked too hard. Mine were looking kinda tired. On the front, the Energy Suspension kit replaced the links and everything in the kit, so that might be an option for you too if they do the same for the rear.

Double check the fuses just in case. Also check and see if you marker/parking lights are working. There is one that powers the turn signals and marker lights, and I think the dash too. I don't remember the name, but I think it was something generic like "tail" or "stop."

Sounds like a rough time for the near future! Have fun! Regarding the tires, aging and cracking of the sidewalls is an obvious risk, although only 7 months on properly inflated tires would probably be fine. Like has been said, if you have anybody you can trust back home, have them fire it up from time to time. A regular drive around town or to the grocery store even would help. There is nothing to prevent aging like regular use.

Next time, try soaking them in a penetrating lube like PB Blaster or other. Shoot them before you start working, or even the night before. Matter of fact, take a can with you to the wrecker if you go that route. It can ease your pains somewhat. Today I removed the same swaybar and pulled the 3rd member, and am most of the way done with a locker install. I've been converted to this new religion of liberally spraying anything I'm about to work on. Its all about getting the right tools, and letting the tools (including lube) do the work if possible.

I'd suggest your local wrecking yard. It should be only a few bucks and few minutes removal there to score one (or 2).

The Jeep GC springs are great and pretty easy to install. And if you can't find a donor truck, word is it isn't too expensive to just buy new JGC springs in the first place. Check it out.

Are they separate pads? Sorry, I have drums. Anyways, the point being, they very well may be a dealer only item. We had a Camry like that, and even the brake shops couldn't get them except by ordering them from the dealer and waiting a few days. That's a PITA for sure, but good luck!

Slow and no sudden movements, either gas, brake or steering. Low pressure couldn't hurt either, and having your tires siped is a definate plus. And for more practice, find yourself a nice open parking lot to let 'er rip. sly

You've already got your May issue?!?! I was just in "the office" flipping back over previously read stuff in my April issue. Grrrrrrr... I've been tempted to send them some pics too. Maybe on the April WA run, everybody could get some action shots and then bombard the mags.

If rubbing and highway driving is your concern, maybe some stiffer torsion bars and poly swaybar bushings could help firm things up to minimize the amount of roll and suspension compression (and extension) around town. I've done both, and added Rancho 5000 shocks as well, although only with 31" tires (oh, and also with the 3" body lift). It rides quite well, corners fairly flat even at highway speeds, at least for a lifted truck, etc. But it can still compress and travel just fine when slow-going off road. I've got it cranked until about half and inch before the bump stop at rest. I guess the point of all this is, as mine is set up, its firm enough that you're not banging on the bump stops and floating down the road, but at the same time its soft enough that you don't get beat up and bounced around.

I've got AC, no problems on install.

Yeah, there's a continuous Tire Review thread with tons of input.

No, new shocks probably won't help much. They absorb impacts and such while driving, but don't support the weight of the truck. The torsion bars do, like leaf or coil springs in other vehicles. You'll most likely need to crank the passenger side torsion bar a bit to level it out. They tend to settle in old age, but its very easy to do.

No, you shouldn't really need longer hoses and stuff, but the kit's instructions will cover that. Yes, it can be done by a first-timer, as I did mine by myself and it was my first body lift. No, you don't need new shocks, as a body lift has nothing to do with suspension. Hence, BODY lift, not SUSPENSION lift. Finally, as probably the next 10 guys will end up posting, try searching for something like "body+lift+install" on the forum.

Yeah, 2 white or reflective white for me too, whichever way the crowd goes works for me. Black doesn't work with my limo black windows though.

Man, that sucks, happy healing! It was your lucky day. Maybe you should buy a lottery ticket. :Magic:

Man, I could go into the whole "how many does it take to screw in a light bulb..." thing, but I'll be nice. Remove the panel in the cargo area of your truck behind the dead brake light light. Twist the offending burned out bulb's socket to remove it (probably about a half turn). It will probably be pretty tough to remove if it hasn't been out in a while. Then locate a replacement bulb, and back in it goes. Easy squeezy.

Pretty beastly. Now you've gotta finish it off with the winch to fill in the gap. Good job.

It seems to me that GI Joes has downsized the auto parts in the last several years in favor of sporting goods. The Puyallup one seemed to have a lot more "stuff" years ago. I go to the Kent one by work, and it still has a decent selection. And they carry a small selection of these LED bulbs, as well as a decent selection of driving and fog lights from cheap to expensive.