TNCave Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 Well it's been a mixed few weeks with project Comancheap...there was an incident. This is my busiest time of the year for work so I've mostly been ordering parts and making plans. Parts have been piling up nicely in my shop and I did get a new set of shoes installed: Kenda Klever M/T's. So far I really like them, $600 tax and all for 31x10.50's. Two weekends ago I pulled the truck out of my shop to work on something else as I didn't have much time. I worked for a couple of hours and heard a weird bang outside. I looked out and Comancheap was gone. Another look...the truck had rolled down my drive, across my yard, across my patio, down a hill, across the road, through a ditch, through my garden fence, breaking two 8" cedar posts at the ground, and finally came to rest in my garden. My truck is banged up, garden fence busted, patio roof on the ground, etc. Well that will ruin your day. On the up side, the truck was 8" from hitting my house, but didn't and my 4-year old son was in the barn with me and not in the path of the truck. Comancheap is a 5-speed and the parking brake cables have been cut for unknown reasons. It must have jumped out of gear while sitting. I'm in the hills and the only flat ground on my 20 acres is literally my concrete pad in the barn/shop. When I returned to the shop, the new cables were on top of the parts pile mocking me. Seriously. Anyway, the truck didn't suffer too badly, a few new dings, busted windshield, and my rusty bumper is now really disintegrating. I've already replaced the windshield and ordered a cheapo Roxolid Armor winch bumper. Last weekend I had some time and figured I'd better start working on this thing so I can drive it more. For the record, the newly balanced Kenda tires took care of all of my vibrations and seemingly the death wobble, but everything still feels a bit loose. I installed the brake cables first of course, followed by the upper and lower control arms and a steering damper. Nothing too complicated, but I thought I'd throw up some notes. I used '99 WJ LCA's and it worked out great. They are beefy and boxed and I can now turn full lock without rubbing. The UCA's are Chinese replacements and seem a bit flimsier than original, but that may just be 25 years of crust making the originals seem heavier. For the record, everything came from Rock Auto. The LCA's were super easy to cut and install. The big end steel bushing insert needed to be cut flush and the small end needed about 1/8" cut off each side. A vice and reciprocating saw and it was easy-peasy. I left the tires on and replaced the control arms one at a time. The driver's side was simple remove and replace. The passenger side required some manipulation of the axle to make everything line up. I used a heavy duty ratchet strap to pull the axle from the top or bottom depending on which arm I was installing. I've included a photo of the axle being pulled forward from the bottom. Enjoy the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Man! No matter how low or how high you lift these trucks...just add some a/t or m/t tires and they pop...looks good man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNCave Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 Well, I'm pretty long overdue for an update. Once I started using the winch and working this thing in the woods, I was having problems with overheating. I decided to make it simple and replace the radiator with a later model, so I did an "open" radiator swap. The whole thing was really easy and I did it on the cheap. I purchased a new radiator for a '92 from Rock Auto. They have a ton of radiator options, and I went with the H-D replacement. It's a cheapo aluminum and plastic radiator, but it was $90 and it performs beautifully. The radiator swap was very straightforward and without drama. I did eliminate the heater control valve and installed adapters in the heater hoses to maintain the correct direction of flow. I installed a universal overflow tank where the old plastic bottle used to be. Luckily I had this laying around from a previous project. My auxiliary fan was previously wired to come on with the ignition switch, by the previous owner. I installed a rocker switch in the dash and rewired it through the fan relay. So far, this setup has been awesome. It seems to stay at 210F. I never seem to need the auxiliary fan under normal driving conditions, but I use it when in the woods, climbing hills, and winching. I haul a lot of firewood and this truck is awesome. I've been cutting a mountainside property that was recently logged. I can drive to the prospective firewood, wherever it is, then winch tree trunks up the mountain to my truck. It couldn't be any better. As you can see, I still haven't installed my fender flares. They are sitting in the shop awaiting me to take an hour one day and install them. I want to note that my field truck for work is a 1999 Toyota Tacoma TRD 4x4 Ext. Cab. I have driven the Toyota 140,000 miles and through some pretty decent trails. Even with the axle locker in the Toyota, the Comanche is far superior off-road for my needs. The wheelbase is shorter, the ground clearance better, approach/departure angles are better, and the turning radius on the Toyota is atrocious. Of course the Toyota is a stock machine and my Comanche has 2 inches of lift, but both carry 31" tires and I've been very surprised by how much more I prefer the Comanche. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNCave Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 For some reason I can't get my photos to load. I'll try again later. Cory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNCave Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Here we go: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minuit Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Beautiful truck, man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knucklehead97 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 May be a stupid question to ask. But does any one know where I could get one of those rubber floor covers he got? I know his was from a pull a part (lucky!) But I would love to have one if anyone knows who makes and sells them. Otherwise great looking truck and cheers to someone else whose Manche rolled down a hill due to parking brake cables :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 May be a stupid question to ask. But does any one know where I could get one of those rubber floor covers he got? I know his was from a pull a part (lucky!) But I would love to have one if anyone knows who makes and sells them. Otherwise great looking truck and cheers to someone else whose Manche rolled down a hill due to parking brake cables :yes: Rockauto sells them I got mine for about $140 shipped.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minuit Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 What's the quality like on that? It doesn't look as heavy as the stock one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 What's the quality like on that? It doesn't look as heavy as the stock one. I didn't even have a rug in mine at the time... But it makes a huge difference and it gets used and abused....mud, water, parts, and etc. no rips or tears yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now