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The drums have been alright, but every once in a while I have to manually adjust the auto adjusters and the drums will probably be shot by the time the second set of shoes wears out. I've been extremely happy with the 4 wheel disc brake conversion on my Landcruiser. Never having to adjust...

https://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/pinion-leak-and-play-dana-70-dually-97-crestline-ambulance.248874/ As much as I generally don't like to fix things that aren't broken, if you have play in your differential and/or don't have some preload on the pinion bearings, you should pick a good...

Now that the diff is back together with new bearings, the Ambo feels smoother when driving and it is also quieter too. These bearings were living on borrowed time. The guts of the differential: LSD by whatever name.

:D Pulled both axles out 6”, pulled the diff cover, pulled out the carrier, and removed the pinion gear out the back. After repeated trial and error adding extra shims I was able to bring the pinion bearing preload down below 30 inch pounds. Specs seem to be 17-30 inch pounds. At first it was...

I was almost finished buttoning up the rear differential after installing the new bearings and seal, and suddenly the pinion bearing preload went from 20-25 in/lbs to over 45 in/lbs. Now that the new pinion seal is in place I have to pull if all apart, add a shim, and recheck the preload &...

It looks like we’ve been doing far too much driving this summer. The entire front end is plastered in bugs… and probably half were washed off by the rain. It needs a bath. That said, I don’t want to give it a bath until the rear axle is back together and working.

I’ve done some further digging. It looks like disc Sterling 10.5 van axles use the same e-brake shoes as their truck counterparts. Logically, I could then use Van rotors to get the 8x6.5” spacing. The unknown variable is if Sterling van discs could be fit onto either the front of a Dana 70U hub...

Here’s one that’s up for auction. Not quite sure what it was in a former life. 6’6” high inside which is a big plus over an ambulance. https://www.bcauction.ca/open.dll/showDisplayDocument?sessionID=315678209&disID=8623713&docType=Tender&dis_version_nos=0&doc_search_by=Tend&docTypeQual=TN...

Well, it looks like finding a Sterling 10.5 dually van axle isn’t in the cards. So… In case you’re wondering, it’s extremely heavy. I’ll be using a floor jack to hoist it back up between the rear axle and the fuel tank. I’m hoping that I don’t have to experiment with different shims too much...

I'm fairly sure that I've installed transmissions that weigh less than the 10.5" LSD. I'm planning to use a floor jack to lift it up to fit in the rear axle. I'm hoping I don't have to take it in and out many times to get the tolerances right. Rear inner wheel bearing is a perfect fit in the...

$2/mile seems high for longer trip. If I wanted a vehicle shipped from back east it would be $7000 for 60 hours on the road. Probably be done in five days making it $1400 a day. In the past, if you weren’t in a big hurry, transport jobs would posted and different haulers would quote on them and...

I'd buy a ticket and drive it back. This summer I've gone on 3 major trips and over 3000 miles... and all in a 28 year old truck with 250k miles on it.

I’d look it over closely. The last UHaul I drove was a few months old and only had 17,000 miles on the Odometer. I hated it so much. It was loud, gutless, handled terribly, and was loud. If UHaul is selling it cheap, expect everything will need to be done. I’d take my 1997 ambulance over a...

I'm leaning towards rebuilding the Dana 70. I'm hoping that the gearset isn't too far gone. I read a writeup on a disc brake conversion using Sterling e-brake components, disc brake brackets, calipers, and rotors. The only unknown would be which application would have the correct rotors to...

Well, made it there and back and the truck performed flawlessly as always. Pinion seal has a very slow leak but is quiet still. So decision time... try to find a Sterling 10.5 axle that is the right width for the Duallys? Keep the drum brake Dana 70, replace the diff bearings, and replace the...

They simply connect the starting batteries to the house batteries once the alternator is charging. If the charging profiles are different, this could cause issues. For LiPO4Fe (or similar) a DC-DC charger will be a better choice.

If you’ve read any of my other posts you’ve likely heard about my rear diff needing a rebuild… and perhaps even a gear set (Dana 70 w/ LSD). While I have everything apart, I’d like to convert to disk rear brakes… while keeping an ebrake for a 10k Ambulance. Given the amount of slop, I may...

If that’s your initial impression, move on. I’ve found that things seldom improve if they don’t treat you well in the first place. We bought a Toyota from a different agent at the same dealership after being treated poorly by a couple of the salespeople. We have always been treated poorly there...

Had some fool cut in front of me on the highway (60 mph) and he then slammed on his brakes. It’s a good thing my brakes are all in good shape and I had recently adjusted the rear drums as well. He still would have been road kill if I wasn’t paying close attention. 10,000 lb+ Ambulance vs...

I mounted in one that was just like yours. This summer I've been putting it through the paces. We have had two trips across the Rockies (both ways) and one up the Sunshine coast, and it has been a real champ and hasn't missed a beat.