nitro_rat
Lunchbox Lockers
Beat me to it!!!
Guess who's back!?! Atl-atl's K5 Blazer + Four Wheel Camper "The Crawlin Cabin" documentation thread!
- Thread starter Atl-atl
- Start date
Beat me to it!!!
Atl-atl
Adventurer
When you say not "correct" does that mean its actually doing harm? Or just that its not original? Should I put something else on?
Interesting, thanks for the info @Oilbrnr and @nitro_rat is there science behind this? Just common knowledge about these vehicles? Currently it runs really cool (even with AC on) like lower than the middle mark on the temp gauge, its been 85 degrees, sunny and breezy. City and highway driving. With the old radiator and the new one.
nitro_rat
Lunchbox Lockers
Yes, common knowledge for automotive engineers and hot rodders/car builders. Fan should be 1/2 in, 1/2 out.
GM made a shroud to go with that radiator that's shallower to keep the fan 1/2 in, 1/2 out.
Common knowledge backed up by the fact that I know the factory made a different part for your specific application.
GM made a shroud to go with that radiator that's shallower to keep the fan 1/2 in, 1/2 out.
Common knowledge backed up by the fact that I know the factory made a different part for your specific application.
zoomad75
K5 Camper guy
They both are right on the money. With the fan too deep or too far out it can't draw air through as efficiently. Oilbrnr was with me on beef basin road outside of Canyonlands. The 5.3 in my Blazer started overheating driving slow uphill. I was using the stock fan for a 5.7 serp drive with the stock 350 radiator and shroud and the fan was mostly out of the shroud. Only way to keep it cool at that point was getting in front and hauling tail to keep the speed and airflow up. Temps were pushing 100° there.
I moved to a 6.2 diesel radiator and shroud with stock fan for a 6.0 LS with an HD clutch. Fan spacing still was not ideal as the 5.3 sits a little closer to the cowl than the 350 did. I extended the shroud with some plastic landscape edging.
It won't matter if it's out of a c or k truck as long as it has the HD cooling with the thicker radiator like you installed.
Keep this in mind the front clips differ from '80 and down vs the '81 and up front clips. So keep your search down to the '80 and older variety so what you do get should bolt in without modifications.
The '87 air cleaner is fine to have on the truck for the larger filter. It won't hurt anything. The vacuum diagram probably isn't spot on to a '77, but it's close.
I moved to a 6.2 diesel radiator and shroud with stock fan for a 6.0 LS with an HD clutch. Fan spacing still was not ideal as the 5.3 sits a little closer to the cowl than the 350 did. I extended the shroud with some plastic landscape edging.
It won't matter if it's out of a c or k truck as long as it has the HD cooling with the thicker radiator like you installed.
Keep this in mind the front clips differ from '80 and down vs the '81 and up front clips. So keep your search down to the '80 and older variety so what you do get should bolt in without modifications.
The '87 air cleaner is fine to have on the truck for the larger filter. It won't hurt anything. The vacuum diagram probably isn't spot on to a '77, but it's close.
Atl-atl
Adventurer
Thanks for all the tips on the fan shroud guys.
A bunch of stuff showed up from LMC truck yesterday A new grill which I accidentally ordered badgeless. I got one of the sweet reproduction bowtie's and I cant put it on now.
Also all new door seals, window seals, door hinges and some other misc. stuff. Man these hinges are an incredible pain in the ass. I literally spent the entire day just on the passenger door and its still not close. Im half tempted to take it to a body shop and pay them whatever they want to do the drivers door and align the passenger side. They're probably all slow right now with nobody on the road crashing into each other. Also removed most of the side mounted spare tire carrier and installed the bulb seal I had laying around on the camper which really cleaned up the look.
A bunch of stuff showed up from LMC truck yesterday A new grill which I accidentally ordered badgeless. I got one of the sweet reproduction bowtie's and I cant put it on now.
Also all new door seals, window seals, door hinges and some other misc. stuff. Man these hinges are an incredible pain in the ass. I literally spent the entire day just on the passenger door and its still not close. Im half tempted to take it to a body shop and pay them whatever they want to do the drivers door and align the passenger side. They're probably all slow right now with nobody on the road crashing into each other. Also removed most of the side mounted spare tire carrier and installed the bulb seal I had laying around on the camper which really cleaned up the look.
Atl-atl
Adventurer
I think the upper hinge bolt is busted. Also I cant seem to get to the "post" that mounts on the body to remove it. I think the camper has to be off and that isnt happening any time soon. You are welcome to have it as soon as I get all the parts off the truck.
At first I thought the holes were wallowed out beyond what a new pin/bushings would fix. I still think they might be but I just put the passenger door back together after a day and a half trying to align it and only got back to where it was with the old hinges. Unreal. I might try to replace the pins on the drivers side. I have a new set I can use. If not itll be going to a body shop. For the time being, I need to work on something else hahaha. Front wheel bearings and driveshaft u-joints are in order.
Sorry about the instagram tags
Buddha.
Finally in expo white.
I've never checked U joints like that. Normaly I grab onto the drive shaht and spin it clockwise/counterclockwise and see how much slop is in the joint.
Your check of the front axle's U joints isn't correct IMO. You're just showing how much the axle shaft will wiggle around, not play in the joint. That movment is normal, IMO.
Your check of the front axle's U joints isn't correct IMO. You're just showing how much the axle shaft will wiggle around, not play in the joint. That movment is normal, IMO.
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Atl-atl
Adventurer
I just happened to be laying on the ground with a pry bar so I wiggled stuff around a little. As for the driveshaft u-joints, I see what youre saying. For the axle shaft u-joints, you do appear to be correct that the joint doesnt have any play, its the shaft moving inside the spindle. I figured the shaft would be snug inside the spindle. I pulled the spindle nuts, snugged up the wheel bearing and assembled it and checked it locked and unlocked and it has the same amount of play so ?♂️
Maybe the wander it has is due to the worn/inverted leave springs causing not enough caster.
Buddha.
Finally in expo white.
It could be a lot of things. Play in all the steering links, in the gear box itself, or could be the frame is cracked under the steering box,
nitro_rat
Lunchbox Lockers
There's a "spindle bearing" inside the spindle that supports the outer axle shaft. It's probably toast!
You have to remove the wheel, brakes, hub and wheel bearings, and spindle to get at it. I do all that, plus axle joints and ball joints all at once, it's a pain to go back in there!
Atl-atl
Adventurer
Steering links are all in good shape, steering gear is brand new, frame around gear is not cracked, steering stabilizer is brand new, ball joints have no or minimal play using the "grab the top and bottom of the tire and move back and forth as much as you can" method, after checking both wheel bearings they were slightly loose but nothing that would cause the driving characteristics I have. The passenger side outer lockring was completely loose just now when I pulled the Warn hub off. The last person to work on it did not install the washer correctly so the nipple wasnt settled into a hole so the lockring was just lose in there. The inner lockring was still relatively tight though.
Whats most interesting is the passenger side Warn hub innards are different than the driver side. One has a metal backer on the spring and one has a plastic backer. Also the side with the plastic backer has a lot more movement of the parts than the side with all metal. For example, between the small gear that rides on the axle shaft and the c-clip that holds it on, there is a 1/4" gap whereas the driver side has basically no gap. Parts have definitely been replaced in the past but I dont know whats original Warn and whats not. I forgot to get a picture of the driver side with the metal spring backer. I might pull it apart again just to learn.
If that bearing were toast would it cause the truck to wander? Im trying to imagine it and I cant see that happening because the wheel rides on the outer side of the spindle which is firmly bolted to the knuckle. Either way there is definitely enough play for me to think that bearing is toast. The passenger side has more play than the driver side, even after tightening the wheel bearings. After pulling all this apart tonight Im really starting to think its the inverted leafs. Which is fine because I plan on replacing the suspension anyway with a full ORD setup. I was planning to swap the axles later on down the road so Ill see how the truck behaves with new suspension and then decide how quickly to source and build a 60/14.
Here is a random selection of pictures from today ha.
The plastic spring backer and c clip I mentioned earlier.
My wonderfully inverted front leafs. The passenger side is on a jack stand so its about 2" higher than normal but its not "flexed out" to make things looks different than they actually are. The front suspension basically has zero movement.
Driver side disassembly
nitro_rat
Lunchbox Lockers
Your suspension setup is fairly normal. Looks like you have the HD 3 leaf pcks. Mosk K5's have the 2 leaf front springs.
Inverted front springs don't cause wander in and of themselves. You look like you still have a fair amount of travel before the bump stops too. Wander is a factor of front axle caster and short wheelbase. Ride quality will be improved by going to a spring with a positive arch. Wander will be reduced by getting the caster to between 5 and 7° negative.
I would recommend Tuff Country 2" HD's up front and 3" Ez Ride in the back. Alternatively you could go to a 56" 3/4 ton rear spring and run a 2-1/2" shackle flip. Add a 1" zero rate add-a-leaf or longer rear shackles if it looks saggy in the back. Lots of good shock options out there depending on how much you want to spend and weather or not you want to fool around with relocating the mounts.
Warn has changed up the design on their hubs several times over the years, I'd start over with a new or used matching set and stash one of yours for a trail spare.
Inverted front springs don't cause wander in and of themselves. You look like you still have a fair amount of travel before the bump stops too. Wander is a factor of front axle caster and short wheelbase. Ride quality will be improved by going to a spring with a positive arch. Wander will be reduced by getting the caster to between 5 and 7° negative.
I would recommend Tuff Country 2" HD's up front and 3" Ez Ride in the back. Alternatively you could go to a 56" 3/4 ton rear spring and run a 2-1/2" shackle flip. Add a 1" zero rate add-a-leaf or longer rear shackles if it looks saggy in the back. Lots of good shock options out there depending on how much you want to spend and weather or not you want to fool around with relocating the mounts.
Warn has changed up the design on their hubs several times over the years, I'd start over with a new or used matching set and stash one of yours for a trail spare.