Spaceball 1: 1997 E350 V10

[FROADER]

Looks good. Even with only 2" of lift, the 285's on mine look "normal" after being on for a couple of weeks.

Thanks. Yeah, there is plenty of room for 285s on these things.

Its looking great with the new wheels and tires! I Look forward to you putting some fun miles this Ocotillo Cruiser suspension Kit. Send me lots of pics for our site!
We want to start a new photo gallery of WTD van adventures.

Thanks again for the business.

Jeremy

I appreciate it. I'll get some pics of the Ocotillo Cruiser kit in Ocotillo next to some Ocotillo trees!
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It doesn't look quite "off-roady" enough for me, so I'm either going to paint the wheels black or save for some different wheels. It might just be the hub caps too, so I'll have to take those off to see how I like it.

 

[FROADER]

Having looked at almost every 2nd row seat option, both in what I can afford and what I think will function how I want it to, I came across these locally on the phone app "Offer-Up."

From what I saw on eBay, craigslist, etc... the cheapest I could find was $400. Unfortunately, they don't match my grey interior and I think I may have enabled a couples' drug use, but I couldn't pass the deal of $80! I just need to get some mounts (which I'm hoping to trade my stock mounts and my last bench seat for) and want to have them installed next weekend.

Then I'll be able to start my rear interior build.

 

[sakurama]

...and I think I may have enabled a couples' drug use, but I couldn't pass the deal of $80!

Very funny.

That's just what I'm looking for - are those Sprinter seats?

Gregor

 

[M35A2]

285/16 tires and 3.73 gears are very happy together. Good highway cruise rpms and you have lower gears when you need them.

 

[FROADER]

Very funny.
That's just what I'm looking for - are those Sprinter seats?

They are '16 or '17 Transit seats.

285/16 tires and 3.73 gears are very happy together. Good highway cruise rpms and you have lower gears when you need them.

I'm much happier with the shifting points and RPMs now. I may get a tuner to dial things in a little bit, though. I'm going to see how it does towing before I think about changing gears, too. I don't really plan on towing more than 4K lbs. so we'll see.

 

[villageidiot327]

lookin good colin!

 

[FROADER]

lookin good colin!

Thanks!
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I took the hub caps off which helped it look a little tougher.

I'm pretty sure I'll be getting different wheels in the long run, because of the look I want (bottom photoshopped pic) to go for.
Then eventually a desert tan or olive drab color to replace the white.

 

[FROADER]

Update:

Got a chance to install the Transit seats today. Good news is my floor is in good shape, with no rust to worry about. I put it where there was decent leg room, but also be able to still get to the back through the side doors. It also gives me just over 8' behind them to the rear doors. My son also likes being able to sit in the middle.

Another positive is I talked to the local van surplus place (the spot I traded my doghouse console) and they said they would swap out my black seat for a grey one, no charge! :costumed-smiley-007









I'm going to go to Home Depot tomorrow hoping to get the sound deadener (need to do a little research unless anyone has suggestions/recommendations) and some 3/4" plywood. I'm really looking forward to that part because I didn't really notice a difference in road noise from when the stock carpet was in there. It must have been pretty worn or something being 20 years old.

I also found out that the 2 big rear side windows are leaking. I went through a car wash and it was soaking wet on the floor by the wheel wells.

Once I get the floor in and the leaking windows fixed, I can start my build in the rear. Still not 100% on what I'm going to do, but I'm getting there.

 

[Raul]

I also found out that the 2 big rear side windows are leaking. I went through a car wash and it was soaking wet on the floor by the wheel wells.

Once I get the floor in and the leaking windows fixed, I can start my build in the rear. Still not 100% on what I'm going to do, but I'm getting there.

I had the same problem on my old van and just got it on the Rig Runner. I use high flowable silicone. Applied very easy through the top gap and flows by itself to the bottom of the body/glass gap.
You can find it at any auto parts store for $7 to $10.
Before applying it, it will be good to tighten the nuts that hold the glass.

 

[philos]

Don't use tar based roofing sealant as a sound deadener.
Buy actual butyl and it won't stink, melt, or get all over your hands working with it.
I like to layer the butyl with reflectix and Harbor Freight neoprene puzzle flooring adhered with 3M Spray 90. Affordable, durable, effective.
+1 on the flow able silicone. Fixed my third brake light leak.


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[FROADER]

I had the same problem on my old van and just got it on the Rig Runner. I use high flowable silicone. Applied very easy through the top gap and flows by itself to the bottom of the body/glass gap.
You can find it at any auto parts store for $7 to $10.
Before applying it, it will be good to tighten the nuts that hold the glass.

Don't use tar based roofing sealant as a sound deadener.
Buy actual butyl and it won't stink, melt, or get all over your hands working with it.
I like to layer the butyl with reflectix and Harbor Freight neoprene puzzle flooring adhered with 3M Spray 90. Affordable, durable, effective.
+1 on the flow able silicone. Fixed my third brake light leak.

I appreciate the info, guys. Now that I think of it, I've had a rattle on the passenger side that I haven't been able to track down. I wonder if it's my window since they obviously have room to move if they are leaking.

Today didn't go as planned. I was going to get all of the stuff and try and get the floor finished today. I did go to the stores to buy the materials, but was only able to get the plywood and sound deadener (they didn't have what I wanted but I found something that will work fine)... I couldn't find the bolts I wanted anywhere and I was over it, so I didn't even look for the high flow silicone. I'll slowly collect everything now, and hopefully two weeks from now, I'll have a weekend to go at this again.



A quality day with my family got in the way of actually working on it, which I'm ok with. My step-son (left) is in AP Physics this year as a junior, and they had their boat day at another high school. Their confidence of being fully clothed was rewarded as they made it all the way across the pool without a drop inside the boat.

 

[philos]

Physics is phun!


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[BlackGuns]

Curious to see what you did about the sway bar brackets. Did they get lowered to line up with the new ibeams?

This is a great thread FROADER. Got me scratching my head again on what to do with my rig from a leveling/lifting perspective.

On a side note I have two bucket seats in the second row and removed the bench. I don't have an extended rig. Then I put a cot along the drivers side in the back and put camping gear and what not underneath it. Been camping that way for a couple of years now.

Ed

 

[FROADER]

Curious to see what you did about the sway bar brackets. Did they get lowered to line up with the new ibeams?

This is a great thread FROADER. Got me scratching my head again on what to do with my rig from a leveling/lifting perspective.

On a side note I have two bucket seats in the second row and removed the bench. I don't have an extended rig. Then I put a cot along the drivers side in the back and put camping gear and what not underneath it. Been camping that way for a couple of years now.

Ed

Thanks, Ed.

The front sway bar is gone. With the new set up, it is more stable than it was with the sway bar and stock suspension.

I didn't want to spend as much as I did on the suspension, but I'm glad I did. Having owned multiple I-Beam/TTB trucks and SUVs, I know what I have performs better and is a better ride than just the Moog 880s and Bilsteins.

 

[BlackGuns]

All makes sense FROADER. Thanks for the help. I have another thread on this topic and think I will use that to capture three options for lifting the van. First being coils and shocks, second being the WeldTech kit and third being some u-Joint hybrid. Obviously each with escalating costs and additional benefits. It's all a trade off of $ vs. performance.

Thanks again.

Ed