booch
Active member
Great shots from the bridge; the effect of the spotlights going through the clouds is something I never saw in my years living in Williamsburg.
Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Mid-Century Moto Mecca Makeover
- Thread starter sakurama
- Start date
Workspaces between 485 and 705 squarefeet.
Just finished all 137 pages over the past 3 nights. Thanks for taking us along. EPIC story, awesome rabbit holes and guess what I'm having for breakfast after this night shift............m-f'n pancakes! 
Love the MCM style and congrats on rescuing and restoring your home! I respect your skills and and your tenacity!
Thanks for 'liking' my Staintune post on IG! Had Staintunes on my '02 VFR that I'm sending down the road and it sounded amazing. Had to get the same pipe for the minty '95 I picked up.
Looking forward to what you have in store for us next
Love the MCM style and congrats on rescuing and restoring your home! I respect your skills and and your tenacity!
Thanks for 'liking' my Staintune post on IG! Had Staintunes on my '02 VFR that I'm sending down the road and it sounded amazing. Had to get the same pipe for the minty '95 I picked up.
Looking forward to what you have in store for us next
Just finished all 137 pages over the past 3 nights. Thanks for taking us along. EPIC story, awesome rabbit holes and guess what I'm having for breakfast after this night shift............m-f'n pancakes!
Love the MCM style and congrats on rescuing and restoring your home! I respect your skills and and your tenacity!
Thanks for 'liking' my Staintune post on IG! Had Staintunes on my '02 VFR that I'm sending down the road and it sounded amazing. Had to get the same pipe for the minty '95 I picked up.
Looking forward to what you have in store for us next
Thanks!
I feel like the VFR has been a bike I've needed to own at some point ever since I rode on the back of Reg Pridmore's bike at Mid-Ohio and he scared the living daylights out of me. That bike and that ride changed my life and I swore that one day I would be able to ride like that. Took a while but I did it but I still haven't owned a VFR...
Yet.
Gregor
V4's are the best engines in motorcycling! Torque of a twin but spins like an inline. Love the gear whine on the gear driven cams for my NR750 styled 1995! Lucky to see one of those amazing machines on display at Barber.
I love that pancakes became a thing. Too funny.
So I'm bad about updating this when I don't have a specific project that I'm working on. More than that I feel like I need to be sure it's a project that I can complete and lately I've been rather scattered. Mostly it's due to the fact that work has been very busy so my free time has been limited.
Nonetheless I'll persist!
So first some recreation. The camper has been a one step forward and two steps back sort of affair - the van more like two steps forward and one back. Together it's three steps forward and three steps back. That's exactly how it feels too. My sealed window leaks - not as bad but that's frustrating. In addition the furnace and hot water heater are not really working. The van is doing very well but I need to finish the rear tire carrier and I've ordered some steel for that.
A friend invited me to go with them to Timothy Lake and J's job has precluded her from any vacation all summer but I'm not going to miss the chance. Especially when the friends have the reservations. Besides, my best memories were of camping and the kids love it. The van, the trailer, living in Oregon - all of that is about giving the kids the best possible childhood and memories so camping is the priority in my book.
And I also learned something new - always a plus in my book.
A new way to make a campfire called the "upside down fire" and since i fancy myself as a capable fire maker I was a bit surprised to not know this method. It's basically what it says - big stuff on the bottom, tightly packed and smaller as you go up. You light it and the coals fall down to the larger wood and it feeds itself and can burn for hours with no tending.
Of course I like tending a fire so I felt a bit deprived.
I have also taken some time to try to get that BMW R100RS I bought back to life. I didn't want that bike to become a project, I just wanted to get it on the road and sell it, but I have a hard time leaving things alone. Big surprise there.
Bringing a bike back to life after 18 years of sitting is surprisingly (only to me I'm sure) not as simple as you might think. The tank was rusted and flaking, the airbox was a squirrel pantry, the carbs were...
...ugly. That's a before and after of a rebuild. All new gaskets, o-rings and seals and then a full cleaning, ultrasonic and finally a bead blast and soapy water bath. The nice part is that once the battery was in and the valves adjusted she started right up, settled into a perfectly quiet idle and I became smitten.
What happens to me is I have these big projects that seem daunting but I relax by going into the shop and I want to do something so I collect small projects. They take the time away from big ones but give me some sense of accomplishment that helps give me some energy to tackle the big project. Or so it seems in my head. But they also relax me.
I've got another post that is really for my sister but I'll tackle that tomorrow. Sorry Lara, one more day.
Gregor
So I'm bad about updating this when I don't have a specific project that I'm working on. More than that I feel like I need to be sure it's a project that I can complete and lately I've been rather scattered. Mostly it's due to the fact that work has been very busy so my free time has been limited.
Nonetheless I'll persist!
So first some recreation. The camper has been a one step forward and two steps back sort of affair - the van more like two steps forward and one back. Together it's three steps forward and three steps back. That's exactly how it feels too. My sealed window leaks - not as bad but that's frustrating. In addition the furnace and hot water heater are not really working. The van is doing very well but I need to finish the rear tire carrier and I've ordered some steel for that.
A friend invited me to go with them to Timothy Lake and J's job has precluded her from any vacation all summer but I'm not going to miss the chance. Especially when the friends have the reservations. Besides, my best memories were of camping and the kids love it. The van, the trailer, living in Oregon - all of that is about giving the kids the best possible childhood and memories so camping is the priority in my book.
And I also learned something new - always a plus in my book.
A new way to make a campfire called the "upside down fire" and since i fancy myself as a capable fire maker I was a bit surprised to not know this method. It's basically what it says - big stuff on the bottom, tightly packed and smaller as you go up. You light it and the coals fall down to the larger wood and it feeds itself and can burn for hours with no tending.
Of course I like tending a fire so I felt a bit deprived.
I have also taken some time to try to get that BMW R100RS I bought back to life. I didn't want that bike to become a project, I just wanted to get it on the road and sell it, but I have a hard time leaving things alone. Big surprise there.
Bringing a bike back to life after 18 years of sitting is surprisingly (only to me I'm sure) not as simple as you might think. The tank was rusted and flaking, the airbox was a squirrel pantry, the carbs were...
...ugly. That's a before and after of a rebuild. All new gaskets, o-rings and seals and then a full cleaning, ultrasonic and finally a bead blast and soapy water bath. The nice part is that once the battery was in and the valves adjusted she started right up, settled into a perfectly quiet idle and I became smitten.
What happens to me is I have these big projects that seem daunting but I relax by going into the shop and I want to do something so I collect small projects. They take the time away from big ones but give me some sense of accomplishment that helps give me some energy to tackle the big project. Or so it seems in my head. But they also relax me.
I've got another post that is really for my sister but I'll tackle that tomorrow. Sorry Lara, one more day.
Gregor
elvee
Well-known member
Gregor, thank you for the updates. My son is about to turn six, and I am struggling with finding ways to get him into the outdoors more. Mailing progress, and your posts like this one help me get ideas and tell me I am thinking about the 8 parts t things.
As far as the small versus large projects...totally get it. Being able to look at something being “done” when other stuff feels like it will never get wrapped helps. Some days mowing the grass is enough. And rebuilding carbs has been one of the most relaxing tasks I can do. Friends have walked into the shop to the sound of Verdi and he smell of carb cleaner. There is a kind of zen there...
As far as the small versus large projects...totally get it. Being able to look at something being “done” when other stuff feels like it will never get wrapped helps. Some days mowing the grass is enough. And rebuilding carbs has been one of the most relaxing tasks I can do. Friends have walked into the shop to the sound of Verdi and he smell of carb cleaner. There is a kind of zen there...
I thought I was the only one with those tastes! My students refer to me alternatively as "the snobbiest redneck we know" and "High-class white trash."
I've got a Finzi song cycle and a book on chicken coops waiting for me at home...
Gregor, thanks for the update. Many of us greatly enjoy and are inspired by your posts and projects. Thanks for taking the time to share.
Vertigo Cycles
Well-known member
Always love the updates.
On the upside, with an upside down fire, it burns so hot that you get to add a lot more wood a lot more often even if you don't get to roll the logs around as frequently. I taught my girls how to build a fire this way because it seems to light so much easier than the way I learned to build a fire as a kid.
Kriesel
Well-known member
That's the scandanavian way to make a fire. Here's a podcast about it, and other wood burning stuff I found interesting a couple years ago:
https://www.artofmanliness.com/arti...ophy-practice-building-fire-scandinavian-way/
sean Buick 76
Well-known member
Very cool!!!
I always love seeing this thread in the updates. Whilst going through my own work/renovation/play schedule I always wonder how you fit in documenting things on here (and other forums). I'm truly grateful that you do find the time though.
Leica shots of NY are gorgeous, I've been playing with a friends Leica M monochrome, gorgeous camera.
Leica shots of NY are gorgeous, I've been playing with a friends Leica M monochrome, gorgeous camera.
Glad that this remains entertaining even when off topic.
So I had prepared some images of another small project but was feeling like it was another rabbit hole that maybe didn't warrant jumping in - then my sister sent me a text showing me some cool old cast iron cookware that was my fathers and she wanted to know how to restore it.
So here we go.
My kids love junk shops and so do I. For them it's the crazy variety of things and for me it's the chance to find some old tool, fan, axe or whatnot. Or a nice cast iron pan. Cast iron as you most likely know is the original non-stick cookware. I've owned a lot of it over the years and like my fans I have come to appreciate a certain genre - older Griswold with the large logo is my jam. Old cast iron is very high quality, much lighter and typically much smoother as they took the time to finish them.
On our way back from camping we stopped in a shop and I found a nice #6 Griswold pan for $15. Deals are still out there. I have a #8 and for that money I figured it would be fun to fix up. So here's my process - pay attention Lara!
Things to look for on old cast iron is warping and cracking which is pretty rare. If it doesn't wobble too much on a flat surface and you see no obvious cracks you're probably good to go. Check ebay for a sense of what they're going for. And for Griswolds here's a good link or this one. This pan was really well used but it was the larger cross logo that I like and I hoped it would clean up well.
To get all the built up carbon off there's two methods. The first is to spray it with oven cleaner and place it in a plastic bag for a few days. Oven cleaner is basically lye so the second method cuts to the chase - a lye bath. Drain cleaner is typically lye or if you bake German style pretzels you might have some pure food grade lye which is the best option. I use a couple of tablespoons per gallon and always add the lye to the water. If it's rusted you can do a vinegar bath, coke bath or my favorite is phosphoric acid but unlike the lye don't leave it unattended or it will eat the cast iron. Lye is harmless to the metal but not skin or eyes - wear glasses and gloves and rinse it each time it comes out of the lye.
First dip of a few hours and the handle is pretty clean.
Second dip is a few more hours and then a few minutes of scrubbing with a retired wire brush.
My trusty 5 in 1 tool goes to work scraping the heavy deposits. Often the sides aren't cleaned as well as the inside so they have the heaviest deposits.
Getting closer.
Inside is very good now save for a few stubborn spots so I go to the bead blaster to get the last bits and the lettering.
Next step is to just wash it out with some soap and water.
There's a million opinions about how to season cast iron but don't get caught up on which is best.
The whole point of cast iron is that it thrives on abuse and gets better with use. Add a little bit of vegetable oil (any kind) to the pan and wipe it all over inside and out until it's coated and then take off all that you can. The less on there the better. Put it in your oven at 450-500 and leave it for an hour. That's enough to get you started as the oil will cross-link and polymerize creating the non-stick surface you're after. You can keep wiping it down every 30 minutes with super light coats and keep putting it back but now the best thing you can do is to start using it.
It's not fully black again yet - that will take a while longer - but it's pretty close and already working well. Cooking bacon is great as there's a lot of good fats there - same with brats. Anything that goes with beer really because you deserve one. Wipe it clean and don't worry about it. Unlike non-stick cookware it gets better with use not worse. You can use soap - it won't destroy the surface but if it gets really messy just let it soak in hot water for a bit then scrub it clean.
So, Lara, that's how you clean up Dad's cast iron dutch oven. Good luck and I'll send you a good bread recipe when you're ready.
And since we're on kitchen stuff I thought I'd show you my newest knife. Ben and I went to the Blades Show West as we love knives and are Forged in Fire fans and after looking at every knife in the entire show we both decided our favorite knives were made by a 17 year old smith named Bennett Snipes. Ben was his first ever customer and I was his second. He doesn't really have a website quite yet but he does have this Facebook page: Snipes Bladeworks
Since he's just starting out I wanted to get him a very cool photo to help him get going.
Too many of the custom knives were blingy, polished, fussy or mall-ninja but this guy had great restraint and great lines. It's really beautiful and feels amazing in the hand and it's my first Bowie knife. I want to make some knives myself but I'm happy to support some young talent.
Maybe Ben can post a shot of his as well but I encourage you to give Bennett a follow on IG or FB.
Gregor
So I had prepared some images of another small project but was feeling like it was another rabbit hole that maybe didn't warrant jumping in - then my sister sent me a text showing me some cool old cast iron cookware that was my fathers and she wanted to know how to restore it.
So here we go.
My kids love junk shops and so do I. For them it's the crazy variety of things and for me it's the chance to find some old tool, fan, axe or whatnot. Or a nice cast iron pan. Cast iron as you most likely know is the original non-stick cookware. I've owned a lot of it over the years and like my fans I have come to appreciate a certain genre - older Griswold with the large logo is my jam. Old cast iron is very high quality, much lighter and typically much smoother as they took the time to finish them.
On our way back from camping we stopped in a shop and I found a nice #6 Griswold pan for $15. Deals are still out there. I have a #8 and for that money I figured it would be fun to fix up. So here's my process - pay attention Lara!
Things to look for on old cast iron is warping and cracking which is pretty rare. If it doesn't wobble too much on a flat surface and you see no obvious cracks you're probably good to go. Check ebay for a sense of what they're going for. And for Griswolds here's a good link or this one. This pan was really well used but it was the larger cross logo that I like and I hoped it would clean up well.
To get all the built up carbon off there's two methods. The first is to spray it with oven cleaner and place it in a plastic bag for a few days. Oven cleaner is basically lye so the second method cuts to the chase - a lye bath. Drain cleaner is typically lye or if you bake German style pretzels you might have some pure food grade lye which is the best option. I use a couple of tablespoons per gallon and always add the lye to the water. If it's rusted you can do a vinegar bath, coke bath or my favorite is phosphoric acid but unlike the lye don't leave it unattended or it will eat the cast iron. Lye is harmless to the metal but not skin or eyes - wear glasses and gloves and rinse it each time it comes out of the lye.
First dip of a few hours and the handle is pretty clean.
Second dip is a few more hours and then a few minutes of scrubbing with a retired wire brush.
My trusty 5 in 1 tool goes to work scraping the heavy deposits. Often the sides aren't cleaned as well as the inside so they have the heaviest deposits.
Getting closer.
Inside is very good now save for a few stubborn spots so I go to the bead blaster to get the last bits and the lettering.
Next step is to just wash it out with some soap and water.
There's a million opinions about how to season cast iron but don't get caught up on which is best.
The whole point of cast iron is that it thrives on abuse and gets better with use. Add a little bit of vegetable oil (any kind) to the pan and wipe it all over inside and out until it's coated and then take off all that you can. The less on there the better. Put it in your oven at 450-500 and leave it for an hour. That's enough to get you started as the oil will cross-link and polymerize creating the non-stick surface you're after. You can keep wiping it down every 30 minutes with super light coats and keep putting it back but now the best thing you can do is to start using it.
It's not fully black again yet - that will take a while longer - but it's pretty close and already working well. Cooking bacon is great as there's a lot of good fats there - same with brats. Anything that goes with beer really because you deserve one. Wipe it clean and don't worry about it. Unlike non-stick cookware it gets better with use not worse. You can use soap - it won't destroy the surface but if it gets really messy just let it soak in hot water for a bit then scrub it clean.
So, Lara, that's how you clean up Dad's cast iron dutch oven. Good luck and I'll send you a good bread recipe when you're ready.
And since we're on kitchen stuff I thought I'd show you my newest knife. Ben and I went to the Blades Show West as we love knives and are Forged in Fire fans and after looking at every knife in the entire show we both decided our favorite knives were made by a 17 year old smith named Bennett Snipes. Ben was his first ever customer and I was his second. He doesn't really have a website quite yet but he does have this Facebook page: Snipes Bladeworks
Since he's just starting out I wanted to get him a very cool photo to help him get going.
Too many of the custom knives were blingy, polished, fussy or mall-ninja but this guy had great restraint and great lines. It's really beautiful and feels amazing in the hand and it's my first Bowie knife. I want to make some knives myself but I'm happy to support some young talent.
Maybe Ben can post a shot of his as well but I encourage you to give Bennett a follow on IG or FB.
Gregor
iron block
Well-known member
Well, there's a third way: electrolysis stripping. If Lara has a big honking battery charger, some sodium carbonate, and pail of water maybe she could give it a try.
964haus
Well-known member
Yet another addition to your list of skills, Gregor. Next you'll be telling us you've entered the Baja Rally....
Matthew.
Matthew.
Actually I always wanted to race Dakar but the cost was too much. I've had a few friends that have done it and I'm impressed by the commitment it takes. With kids the priorities have shifted so I refinish cast iron cookware.
Similar risk/reward situation - lower expense.
I'm back from a trip to NYC and hopeful that I'll have a bit of a break to catch up on a few projects.
Gregor
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Nice save on the skillet/pan Gregor.
I love following along on your thread, you always teach me something.
I love following along on your thread, you always teach me something.
hewey
Well-known member
Thanks for sharing that how to on cleaning the cast iron pans, really interesting.
And good on you for supporting the young guy starting out, that's awesome. And just found you on instagram too
And good on you for supporting the young guy starting out, that's awesome. And just found you on instagram too
Cooks Illustrated claims the best thing to do the first coat of seasoning on cast iron is flax seed oil from your local health food store; it is supposed to form a much tougher polymer quicker than the other oils. Considering flax seed oil is simply food grade linseed oil, this makes sense. In any case, my understanding is that polyunsaturated oils will polymerize quickest, monounsaturated take more doing, saturated take the longest.
That said, I restored all my cast iron using plain soybean oil and keep it going with a lot of animal fats (butter, lard, tallow). It has worked fine for me! A few years of daily use and it is a nice surface now. I have mostly Wagner as Griswold tends to command a higher price.
That said, I restored all my cast iron using plain soybean oil and keep it going with a lot of animal fats (butter, lard, tallow). It has worked fine for me! A few years of daily use and it is a nice surface now. I have mostly Wagner as Griswold tends to command a higher price.
So its ok to leave the cast iron in the lye solution for 24 hrs? I have had a few pieces of cast iron for a few years that I have needed to work on. Your post here finally has gotten me to get off my but and start working on getting them up to snuff.
I took them outside and made up a lye bath to throw them in. So far, they have been in there for ~10 hrs. Just took them out and scraped them a bit. There were some nasty carbon build ups that werer still left on many of the pieces so they have gone back in. I would happily wait to take them out of the lye bath untill tomorrow eveing after work, but dont want to damage the cast iron pans.
I am going to give them a vinegar water bath after this, bake them dry in the oven, then bake on some flaks seed oil since i already had it to use for this project from over a year ago
Thank you for this thread and thank you for spurring me to get this project done.
Honest Bob
Well-known member
I throw my cast iron in the oven and run the self cleaning mode. Creates some smoke but seems to work just as well otherwise. Is there any reason I shouldn't be doing that?
csp
Well-known member
I'm not sure that the electrolysis will work for removing baked on nastiness. It's great for rust, but there's no positive/negative attraction for old food and grease.
If there are 3-4 that need to be taken to bare metal I use the self-cleaning mode of the oven. Singles go in the lye bath.
I too have an affinity for the Griswolds, but have several makes in my small collection, all of which see regular use.
If there are 3-4 that need to be taken to bare metal I use the self-cleaning mode of the oven. Singles go in the lye bath.
I too have an affinity for the Griswolds, but have several makes in my small collection, all of which see regular use.
wingnutthehutt
Well-known member
I don't own any cast iron right now, but last time we went camping/crabbing our friend who is a chef lent me one of his for cooking the bacon. Then we deep fried some bagels in the fresh bacon grease. I'm sold. Time for some cast iron.
I'm not that good at updating for updating's sake. I like to have a real project that I'm working on and hopefully one that I can complete.
Like my dad used to say, "If you're going to start a project, finish the project..." Umm, sorry dad.
First the van. I've been chasing a "mono beam axle shimmy" for a long time and it makes me upset anytime I even have to talk about it since I felt hung out to dry by the builder. Anyway, I've covered it in my van build thread so check that out for more detail.
The short version is that another builder claimed that he had the solution, had tested it and knew the reason for the issue. Hopefully I sent him the $1500 for his update.
We installed it and it didn't change the issue one bit. I got a tip to get in touch with a very talented but retired 4x4 builder. My friend Taylor (who has a similar van with the same issue from the same builder) and I visited Leonard of Leonards Offroad and had him go over both the vans.
He liked the first builders kit more than the new one. Back to the shop and off it came - I would have done better if I'd just opened my wallet while driving down the road and shaken it empty.
The thing I've railed against since the beginning is the "solution" the original builder came up with which is to add two more steering dampers to the van. It is a solution that really bugs me because it's not a solution but a patch. But, having spent a year chasing the issue I was ready to wave the white flag.
I find it funny that people now comment, "I love those steering dampers - looks cool!" Which to me feels like going up to a person on crutches and saying, "Man, love your cool aluminum accessories!"
But, it did mitigate the issue. I have some ideas that I want to try because of course it would be a photographer with no car experience that will solve the issue Ford's never been able to... Strangely, that doesn't dissuade me.
The next thing is that I've been meaning to get moving on the rear tire carrier.
A member here, Paranoid56, got me a deal on a BajaDesigns LED light bar and I'm not sure yet how I'll incorporate that but in the mean time I'm going to try to position the rear tire so that the view of the taillight isn't too obscured. Paranoid - thanks again!
The 4x4Labs tire carrier kit is pretty solid but of course it's just a jumping off point for me. I decided to recut the arm to follow the line of the bumper - no good reason other than I thought it would look nice.
I plan on cutting it flush to the step. Oh, and check out those Oregon plates! They came with a clean Oregon title by way of VT. It certainly took some time but that van is clean and clear with the papers to prove it.
I am just tacking the mount together for now but I'm really starting to understand the way the metal moves with welds. I tacked the mount up in a few spots and saw that it was tipping down so I added the extra welds on the top and it pulled it right back into alignment. When it works you feel like a hero.
I always hated trying to identify bolts and their threads with a thread gauge and calipers so years ago I bought this Bolt/Nut Identifier from McMaster Carr - I think years ago it was like $25 and my friends made fun of me but I have gotten so much use out of it. I keep it hanging near my bench and it's such quick work to check out a bolt. It's now about $36.21 but I still think it's worth it. The thing I love about ordering from McMaster is that they never tell you the brand - but it's always something premium. There's not many places you can order from and not know what you're getting but never be disappointed. Maybe only one.
In this case I'm checking the ball stud that is used for the gas spring that is used to assist opening the tire carrier. 5/16-18 in this case.
You can see the strut is sort of angled from outside to inside. The idea is that as it passes over the center line it goes from assisting in the opening to snapping the carrier closed. Much like the way a kickstand works. And let me tell you - a 150lb gas spring is no joke. That arms snaps open like now! I'll be curious as to how it works with a full tire on there.
So that's some of what's been keeping me busy outside of work. I have a little bit of a motorcycle project but I'll save that until I know if I'm going to set the motorcycle on fire in my driveway or try to fix it. It's a real give and take at the moment.
Gregor
Like my dad used to say, "If you're going to start a project, finish the project..." Umm, sorry dad.
First the van. I've been chasing a "mono beam axle shimmy" for a long time and it makes me upset anytime I even have to talk about it since I felt hung out to dry by the builder. Anyway, I've covered it in my van build thread so check that out for more detail.
The short version is that another builder claimed that he had the solution, had tested it and knew the reason for the issue. Hopefully I sent him the $1500 for his update.
We installed it and it didn't change the issue one bit. I got a tip to get in touch with a very talented but retired 4x4 builder. My friend Taylor (who has a similar van with the same issue from the same builder) and I visited Leonard of Leonards Offroad and had him go over both the vans.
He liked the first builders kit more than the new one. Back to the shop and off it came - I would have done better if I'd just opened my wallet while driving down the road and shaken it empty.
The thing I've railed against since the beginning is the "solution" the original builder came up with which is to add two more steering dampers to the van. It is a solution that really bugs me because it's not a solution but a patch. But, having spent a year chasing the issue I was ready to wave the white flag.
I find it funny that people now comment, "I love those steering dampers - looks cool!" Which to me feels like going up to a person on crutches and saying, "Man, love your cool aluminum accessories!"
But, it did mitigate the issue. I have some ideas that I want to try because of course it would be a photographer with no car experience that will solve the issue Ford's never been able to... Strangely, that doesn't dissuade me.
_________________________________________
The next thing is that I've been meaning to get moving on the rear tire carrier.
A member here, Paranoid56, got me a deal on a BajaDesigns LED light bar and I'm not sure yet how I'll incorporate that but in the mean time I'm going to try to position the rear tire so that the view of the taillight isn't too obscured. Paranoid - thanks again!
The 4x4Labs tire carrier kit is pretty solid but of course it's just a jumping off point for me. I decided to recut the arm to follow the line of the bumper - no good reason other than I thought it would look nice.
I plan on cutting it flush to the step. Oh, and check out those Oregon plates! They came with a clean Oregon title by way of VT. It certainly took some time but that van is clean and clear with the papers to prove it.
I am just tacking the mount together for now but I'm really starting to understand the way the metal moves with welds. I tacked the mount up in a few spots and saw that it was tipping down so I added the extra welds on the top and it pulled it right back into alignment. When it works you feel like a hero.
I always hated trying to identify bolts and their threads with a thread gauge and calipers so years ago I bought this Bolt/Nut Identifier from McMaster Carr - I think years ago it was like $25 and my friends made fun of me but I have gotten so much use out of it. I keep it hanging near my bench and it's such quick work to check out a bolt. It's now about $36.21 but I still think it's worth it. The thing I love about ordering from McMaster is that they never tell you the brand - but it's always something premium. There's not many places you can order from and not know what you're getting but never be disappointed. Maybe only one.
In this case I'm checking the ball stud that is used for the gas spring that is used to assist opening the tire carrier. 5/16-18 in this case.
You can see the strut is sort of angled from outside to inside. The idea is that as it passes over the center line it goes from assisting in the opening to snapping the carrier closed. Much like the way a kickstand works. And let me tell you - a 150lb gas spring is no joke. That arms snaps open like now! I'll be curious as to how it works with a full tire on there.
So that's some of what's been keeping me busy outside of work. I have a little bit of a motorcycle project but I'll save that until I know if I'm going to set the motorcycle on fire in my driveway or try to fix it. It's a real give and take at the moment.
Gregor
Bohdan
Active member
Not sure if this will solve your shimmy problem but here it is for what its worth.
Some time ago I had a Range Rover that developed a real bad shimmy every time it hit a bump or pothole and I managed to solve it.
It was caused by having an incorrect toe out (4 wheel drives have a toe out not toe in). The car was set to spec but it would shimmy at certain speeds. I fitted a spanner to the tie bar and trimmed the toe out as I drove along a particularly bad piece of road. At one setting the shimmy disappeared, the car handled really well and I locked it on that setting.
When I checked the toe out it was really off the spec setting but the car worked so that was where it stayed.
Some time ago I had a Range Rover that developed a real bad shimmy every time it hit a bump or pothole and I managed to solve it.
It was caused by having an incorrect toe out (4 wheel drives have a toe out not toe in). The car was set to spec but it would shimmy at certain speeds. I fitted a spanner to the tie bar and trimmed the toe out as I drove along a particularly bad piece of road. At one setting the shimmy disappeared, the car handled really well and I locked it on that setting.
When I checked the toe out it was really off the spec setting but the car worked so that was where it stayed.
Many people should have that printed on T-shirts, but you & I should have that tattooed.
It's appreciated but I have been working with many experts, and tried many things and I'm up against a problem that Ford can't seem to solve. I don't have the space to list the things we've done but alignment, force balancing wheels, changing wheels - literally everything. Most people give up because extra dampers generally mitigate the issue but, once I have more energy, will continue to beat my head against the wall.
Yeah, backwards across our foreheads...
Gregor
It's funny because everyone told me that as a warning. I think he just doesn't suffer fools. Once he saw that I understood what was going on and that I was being systematic and thoughtful he was super nice. Gave me lots of time and didn't want any money - just thought the problem was interesting.
It's nice to meet people who are really great at what they do and smart about how they do it.
Gregor
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Gregor, it's why we follow you so closely.
The death wobble story is a cautionary tale for anyone building anything mechanical. Many moving parts and many stationary (yet possibly flexy) parts offer a shitload of potential problems. The project being a vehicle in which your family rides most certainly amplifies the intensity.
I can only imagine the frustration and degrees of scared/pissed that the DW triggered... but I was still surprised at the scorched earth option taken on Expedition Portal.
Anywho.. Good luck with the projects. I am still enjoying your dedication to every craft.
I can only imagine the frustration and degrees of scared/pissed that the DW triggered... but I was still surprised at the scorched earth option taken on Expedition Portal.
Anywho.. Good luck with the projects. I am still enjoying your dedication to every craft.
I feel like I'm persona non grata over there. There's two builders who are having a war - the camps are as partisan as our politics and I've managed to upset both sides by being honest. I want to respond but my friend Taylor keeps telling me there's nothing to gain, say nothing and keep solving the problem. So that's what I'm doing...
But yeah, right?
Gregor