What have you done to/with your van today?

[redfury]

Airshocks ... found an interesting place to put the air valve....

Where? ...


Lump

Patience OWO, I have pictures a comin', I just have to finish all these projects on the van. The skeeters are back in force, and they brought friends. It's realtively mild out ( low 80's ) but I think the sweat drive's them crazy.

Got the front shocks on, had to make a run to the hardware store for a new garbage disposal since ours kicked the bucket after 5+years of hard teenage use. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get the old grease zerk that somehow broke off my new lower ball joint out without popping the whole thing apart again. I got a good screw style extractor, but clearance required me to modify it shorter and I don't have anything I can get a real good grip on it since my hands are pretty wore out from the last 60hr work week of sanding hardwood floors. That's what I get for buying the "basic" ball joints instead of ordering teh MOOG problem solvers...

Oh, and I'll also post a video of that exhaust. I've got a couple on Youtube already under the same alias if you want to search for it in the meantime

[Jasen]

Unloaded 250-300 lbs of tools I won't be needing for the new job, and did some reorganizing, putting the stuff I use most often at easier access, hung my 1st aid kit up. Stole the MIL's DW cordless drill seeing the clutch pack is going out in my Makita after 6 years of abuse, just need to get to payday to get a new one. As I slid the door closed I could here the rest of my tools crying, why did you put that yellow thing in here, all we've ever done is give you 100% sense the day you bought us.

You know when you get to the job you will need something you unloaded

Better not Not going to need wrecking bars, 3lb hammers, framing hammers, drywall tools, tin snips, elec. tools, stuff like that.

[ccookie66]

Better not Not going to need wrecking bars, 3lb hammers, framing hammers, drywall tools, tin snips, elec. tools, stuff like that.

What about the BFH?

[Jasen]

3 pounder is BFH, FBFH is 18 pounds

[ccookie66]

3 pounder is BFH, FBFH is 18 pounds

Oh, I didn't know there was a FBFH.

[TDMobile]

Better not Not going to need wrecking bars, 3lb hammers, framing hammers, drywall tools, tin snips, elec. tools, stuff like that.

Isn't it a framing job? no framing hammers necessary?

[daytonboi]

Been busy this weekend. Got my overhead console installed right this time and have the DIC working all the way. Now I need a new mirror that doesn't have the compass and temp in it but is dimming or I might keep mine...still undecided. I also swapped out my basic vanity mirrors with the uplevel models with the lights and dual visors. Got my door lights from an LT put in. Rigged up some HID foglights wired to the rear wiper switch...which my van does not have (Cargo doors). And finally I put on a new front sway bar and energy suspension end links.

[Jasen]

Setting cabinets, hanging doors and trimming out.

[chevymaher]

Setting cabinets, hanging doors and trimming out.

Sweet you liking the new job?

[TDMobile]

Setting cabinets, hanging doors and trimming out.

Ah, good fun stuff. I couldn't do it though. I don't like to measure anything ever, just roll with whatever looks good HAHAHAHAHAHA

[Jasen]

Yea I'm liking it. Setting a 30 cabinet kitchen right now, should have it done tomorrow. I'm a little slow right now, it has been about 3 years sense I've set a full kitchen, but it's coming back to me. Told the boss/wner I felt slow and he said no problem, the work is looking good and we'll give you some time to get in the groove. He seem like a decent enough guy and he earned his stripes working as a finish carpenter. I tell ya, I was getting tired of the people telling me how to do my job only knowledge being a graduate of ITT school of construction management

[redfury]

air fitting for airshocks mounted behind drivers rear tire in body molding.

There's the fitting, here's the spot on the van if you can't make it out.

The new Gabriel HiJackers Air shocks

The new Front Shocks ( Gabriel Max control )

And finally the Video of my noisy V8 dual exhaust with terrible mufflers ( Xllerators )

[Shad0wXCalibur]

What do you think of those Max Control shocks up front? Mine still ride great.

[ihatemybike]

Took Grumpy wheeling with the Jeeps at Bundy Hill Off Road Park in Michigan this weekend.


My wife in her Liberty with a little three wheel action.


Victim of a tree stump ninja attack.


Van did really great. Really impressed with how much the limited slip rear differential allowed the van to get though things on street tires.

[redfury]

What do you think of those Max Control shocks up front? Mine still ride great.

So far so good. I haven't really driven it more than a few miles with them on, but I'd have to say that they didn't stiffen the ride up so much that it felt like night and day. The old shocks were bad, the drivers front was leaking oil and I could compress and extend the rear shocks with little effort.

I put 75psi in the air shocks ( they need a minimum of 25psi ) and the van rides much nicer. It still wants to track to the left, so I'm gonna have to get it into a good alignment shop one of these days and just bite that bullet. My podunk front suspension repair ability is pretty much at it's limit and I have only been able to replace worn out components that were obvious..time to bring in the pro's.

[ihatemybike]

My wife uploaded her pics today.

Grumpy three wheeling. I was leading the group at this point and got the van pitched forward quite a bit. Even though I made it through the rest of the group continued on towards a slightly easier line.


The boxy vehicles playing follow the leader.


Being led down into a small rock garden.


Working our best not to slide into the rut.

[chevymaher]

I sprayed the headlight rings today. Boy to much wax and various oils on them. They are some fisheyed fools. So I will wait a few days and sand the snot out of them and primer them real good. Grill turned out decent. I will sand it and give it another coat.
I had alot of work today so I was very crazy busy. Anytime I got a break I worked on the stereo. I got it in. Still got to get the parking brake signal straightened out to get video but everything else working. And dash back in. They sure were not doing anyone any favors when they designed that din and a half stereo in there. Or the mounting method. Nightmare on Elm Street getting it to fit. We do have concert hall sound now. 52W per channel. They working those 150W speakers in the rear door. Volume half way up it is ridiculously loud now. Up all the way it starting to rattle the doors in back. I am very pleased.

First pic my custom mounting bracket made from 2 aftermarket brackets, the astros stereo mounts. And lots of JB Weld and plastic shims I cut off a rear view mirror.

[Leeann_93]

The brake parts and blower motor came in Sat from RockAuto (I got them yesterday when we got back).

Picked up a bottle of brake fluid and 2 bright low beam headlights for it on my way home from work.

Tomorrow I need to run through the car wash and remove the bug remains from the trip. Man, is it nasty...

[DRZ]

I returned to the Rockford, Il. P&P J/Y to get all the LT stuff I took off the project van to put on the white '04 cargo. Kinda slim pickings as the Gen 1 Astros out number the Gen 2s now. Opened up a rear door and promptly got stung by a hornet or wasp or some irate insect with a bad attitude. Did get everything I was looking for except the upper dutch door shims I somehow lost during the build. Guess I'll hit the GM stealer for those. I found out the "flow thru" ventilation plan of driving with the dutch door open is a bad idea as I started getting a head ache and I "never" get head aches. I wouldn't have guessed the exhaust would get pulled in from all the way in the back of the van but that seems to be the case. I've just got the Caddy tail lights duct taped in position so I can drive it and work out any bugs before I carve up a block of wood to make a pattern for the tail light surrounds that get welded to the van. So far this thing is everything I could have hoped for. Mostly just tieing up loose ends now.

[ccookie66]

I sprayed the headlight rings today. Boy to much wax and various oils on them. They are some fisheyed fools. So I will wait a few days and sand the snot out of them and primer them real good. Grill turned out decent. I will sand it and give it another coat.
I had alot of work today so I was very crazy busy. Anytime I got a break I worked on the stereo. I got it in. Still got to get the parking brake signal straightened out to get video but everything else working. And dash back in. They sure were not doing anyone any favors when they designed that din and a half stereo in there. Or the mounting method. Nightmare on Elm Street getting it to fit. We do have concert hall sound now. 52W per channel. They working those 150W speakers in the rear door. Volume half way up it is ridiculously loud now. Up all the way it starting to rattle the doors in back. I am very pleased.

First pic my custom mounting bracket made from 2 aftermarket brackets, the astros stereo mounts. And lots of JB Weld and plastic shims I cut off a rear view mirror.

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Looks good Randy! Introducing new technology to the older gen 1 vans.