tacollie
Glamper
There's a debate in our house that I may be losing. Wife wants power steps and I want sliders 🤣
Stormtrooper Build Thread
- Thread starter eyemgh
- Start date
Ninelitetrip
Well-known member
Well obviously just split it down the middle, slider on your side, and power step on the other, and then just put the potholes on the slider side....
Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
Why do they need to be power steps? Could a solid step / slider combo be a good compromise?
With our climate, I'd never get power boards. I don't know how many I see that get jammed up with snow, slush, ice etc then break.
Pretty normal around here in winter to see a truck with one side up and the other stuck down.
tacollie
Glamper
The current step is over 23" off the ground. Power step would go lower. You really need to run mud flaps with power steps. I'll probably end up with sliders because I can build them in a weekend for $1300 less than power steps.
ITTOG
Well-known member
My power steps have never been jammed in the snow!
Mud flaps are definitely needed but unfortunately they get ripped off when off-roading.
Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
Yep, that's one reason I don't bother with them.
eyemgh
Well-known member
They didn't quote a time, just a price. They do great work though, including building full frame custom rigs. I like the owner a lot too. They'd be the ones to do them if I go that way.
Ninelitetrip
Well-known member
eyemgh
Well-known member
I didn’t. I considered it, even to the point that I had it measured. I decided putting a 10,000 pound, expensive rig in sketchy situations probably wasn’t wise. So, I bought an ‘03 Rubicon for that stuff. 🥳
Ninelitetrip
Well-known member
@eyemgh I see you got the Deaver L18XXHD rear progressive leaf springs. For the King shocks. Did you get the standard off the shelf kit, or did you spec the XXHD tune for the shocks?
17-23-ford-f250-350-4x4-xxhd-3500lbs-leaf-spring-kit-1-lift
Carli offers options for the Pintop King 2.5″ Shocks in both Gas and Diesel XXHD Applications.
17-23-ford-f250-350-4x4-xxhd-3500lbs-leaf-spring-kit-1-lift
Carli offers options for the Pintop King 2.5″ Shocks in both Gas and Diesel XXHD Applications.
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eyemgh
Well-known member
Carli and CJC both said to get the XHD for 2000 lbs. constant load. It still sagged a bit though, so Deaver added 2 leaves. It's marked as an XXHD, but it's sort of a custom franken spring. The Kings are tuned for the gas motor. It seems to ride great on and off road.
If I were to do it all over again, I'd build the whole thing sans leaf pack, load it and then take it to Deaver or Alcan for a custom pack. It's too hard to nail the weight based on manufacturer estimates.
Macfly
Active member
After picking up my 'Stormtrooper Replica' a couple of months back I've done almost 1000 miles off-road and 1200 on and find the XHD perfect both on and off-road. So far it doesn't seem to have developed any rear sag and I've been doing a spirit level check at every gas station level ground stop as you'd made me aware of this. Not sure if there's any variability in the springs, or maybe I'm running lighter, but IMHO the XHD & Carli set up has been perfect on my rig so far.
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montypower
Adventure Time!
How is the fuel economy traveling? Curious how the 35s, 7.3L, 4.30, popup combo does...
eyemgh
Well-known member
I averaged 11 mpg for the whole trip including all the off-road stuff in the park.
Macfly
Active member
Wowza, you're getting better mileage than I with the 6.2, I got 9.2mpg from Denver to Alberqueque averaging ~70mph, and from there crisscrossing overland back to LA, mostly off-road and driving mostly under 30mph, I got 10mpg. My old Land Cruiser was half the weight and half the power, and running on 33's got pretty similar milage, so I'm not unhappy about it, but of course would love it to be closer to 30mpg!