Project "Autonomous" F-350

pappawheely

Autonomous4X4
Just ordered my Centramatic balancers. I've used Dyna Beads before and they were ok. Thanks for bringing them to my attention.

Glad to share my discoveries. I have learned so much here on the portal. Pick any subject and you will get creative thought and valuable first hand experience.
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
Just ordered my Centramatic balancers. I've used Dyna Beads before and they were ok. Thanks for bringing them to my attention.


What tires and wheels will you be using them with? Please post your impressions after they are installed, and let us know how well they do!
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
Right now I have stock steel wheels and Treadwright 245/75R16 tires.


I'm running Michelin LT285/75R16/E tires on Ford OEM Aluminum rims on an F250, so your results should be helpful to me. We had a discussion on here about my problem awhile back, and the general consensus was the Centramatic balancers wouldn't help, so I'm just curious.
 
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pappawheely

Autonomous4X4
I fabricated fuel filler lines for both tanks using 2" .062 tubing using the old muffler machine in the shop. That machine kinks the hell out of the tubing when it bends, not sure why. I figured, nobody will see it once the box is on and the inside of the cab extension is finished out.



Even though nobody would see it, it bugged me. I went back and re-did the lines using mandrel bends and welding the sections together. I did a better job of routing too. Glad I took the time to do it right.

 

b dkw1

Observer
That machine kinks the hell out of the tubing when it bends, not sure why.

Next time try putting a couple pieces of paper around the tube so that it can slide in the dies better. Learned that trick from an old guy with a muffler shop. He kept a phone book next to his bender. Couple of pages on either side worked wonders. See, old phone books are useful..........
 
Exhaust tubing benders have to shrink the inside of the bend because of shorter distance, it also stretches the outside because radius is longer. Those results in first pic of an exhaust tubing bender. You did right by getting mandrel bend tubing. Looks like you did an excellent job.
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
Looking good Mike!

If you're like me, not having the fuel fill tubes right would have kept me awake at night. Even though no one would see it, you knew it was there and it wouldn't have felt right. Almost like you were trying cover up something, or con someone. So, I know you'll feel much better knowing you went back and did it right.
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
had thought there was going to be a pass-thru, doesn't that long slope fuel pipe interfere with that?
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
ah. A sort of 'escape trunk' rather than a central hallway. Very interesting.

I've been doing some contortions while working on my storage platform and drawers and am freshly reminded that I'm much bigger and much less flexible than the me of decades ago who casually slept in his trucks on motocross events and other desert excursions. I can get a full-size air mattress deployed on the platform in the Sub, but it will be like one of those claustrophobic Japanese coil-op sleep modules. I can't imagine getting from your driver's seat thru such a passway into your box accommodations.
 

pappawheely

Autonomous4X4
ah. A sort of 'escape trunk' rather than a central hallway. Very interesting.

I've been doing some contortions while working on my storage platform and drawers and am freshly reminded that I'm much bigger and much less flexible than the me of decades ago who casually slept in his trucks on motocross events and other desert excursions. I can get a full-size air mattress deployed on the platform in the Sub, but it will be like one of those claustrophobic Japanese coil-op sleep modules. I can't imagine getting from your driver's seat thru such a passway into your box accommodations.

You got that right. Besides, my freshwater tank is mounted against the front wall of the box, right in the way.
 

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