Random thoughts thread

Accumulator said:
Gearhead_1- Hey, great that you`ve mounted the Hellwig!

You do just the rear or the front too?

Gotta get my Hotchkiss ones on the Tahoe some day...
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Already had some upgraded bushings on the front and didn’t have a complaint. That said, the front Hellwig bar is a solid bar and the OE is a tube. I’ll no doubt change it.
 
Gearhead_1- Sometimes a seemingly odd front:rear combo works fine, never really know until you try (although you oughta be able to avoid really awful mismatches).

Never really know how/if the hollow vs. solid will work out either..

I just wondered, if you only did the rear, whether it made it prone to snap-oversteer under some conditions. Guys do [certain combos] on some of my vehicles that I *KNOW* are downright unsafe, but ya can`t tell `em anything :rolleyes: And then when it bites `em they expect sympathy for a wreck that "they couldn`t have avoided".

Is the Hellwig (rear) adjustable? The Hotchkiss has three options and I`ll probably go with the middle one, though I`d recommend that most people use the "mildest" choice in a Tahoe and leave the others for Subs.
 
Nothing particularly odd about a tube/solid combination. I’ve driven vehicles that use one of each swapping front to rear configuration depending on the vehicles needs and according to track. I have a little hands on experience with these on a Fox Body including a splined radial tension rear bar. In a nutshell and in my opinion, given the same diameter bar, the solid piece was simply stiffer than the tube.

I’m at 2” of lift on the front end (Bilstein 5100’s) on a 4X4 with fairly high center of gravity, just need to see how it feels once I get a few miles on it. Tuning a suspension for the masses is just a different ball of wax than setting one up for individual tastes and driving ability.

Hellwig has 3 available positions on the bar and threaded links with at least 3” of adjustability available in the links. You can set these bars pretty much wherever makes you happy. Keeping in mind this is a vehicle that will never see the track. I’ve started out with a pretty light position and will adjust according to my taste. Their front bar is not adjustable and I haven’t seen others for this set up that are.

I’ve run Hotchkis bars before (Mustangs) but they don’t seem to play the F150 4X4 game, in fact not a lot of manufacturers seem to. I know Hotchkis made bars for the Lightning but the one instance of which I’m aware, seemed to cheap out on the lower U-Bolt saddle, wasn’t heavy enough. It would bend and twist before you really got the saddle and bushing mount to meet. Friend had one and had a hard time keeping the saddle from shifting pulling into his driveway through the gutter. I can’t remember how he resolved this issue.
 
Will do but I gotta be honest with you, I’m not into big lifts on pickups. I like a truck that sits level but don’t really go up from there.
 
Gearhead_1- Huh, sorta surprised that Hotchkis doesn`t make `em for yours since they were the only game in town for my Tahoe.

[See, I know so little about the brand..or anything "truck" in general... that I didn`t even know how to spell it despite seeing the box here for ages!]

Oh gee, hope their stuff for the Tahoe isn`t as [crappy] as what your friend got!

Sounds like your setup adjusts the same as mine does (or "will" when I get it on). I`ll never track the Tahoe either, but got my VDI SUV Certification in a Suburban of the same vintage and thus know what I`d want.

Speaking of Track vs. Street- if I pump the Tahoe`s tires up to 42-44psi cold (same as we used at VDI), it corners like it`s on rails. Amazing difference even with the stock suspension. (They did demos with different psi at VDI and my experiences have exactly mirrored those.) But Oh Man does it wear the tires out fast when used as a Daily, so I begrudgingly dropped it down to 38 and even my wife immediately noted the differencew. Compared to higher psi, 38 = horrible sidewall deflection, slow response, and much lower limits, but at least the tires last a while. Sigh..trade-offs....(Same with the Crown Vic, though it does best with exactly 42 cold).

And I`m with you on the Lift Kits...I`m lifting the inside front tire on some offramps as it is, don`t know how anybody corners with a lifted truck. Oh yeah...they do it *slowly*..holding up the rest of us and failing to avoid accidents. Sometimes they even flip over, especially when running low tire pressure :rolleyes:
 
Accumulator, I get it on the air pressure adjustment. Truth is pumping up the tires is essence does much the same thing as putting a larger diameter wheel on the vehicle while keeping the overall outside tire diameter the same. It takes some of the flex out of the side wall while the shorter shoulder tire simply has less sidewall flex to begin with. Both options make the vehicle feel tighter in the corners and ride a bit harsher in everyday driving. I quite like the OE 20’s on the F150 but I’ve never had the chance to drive the OE 22’s. On one of the truck forums that I follow people are always wanting to get a 17” Raptor wheel based primarily on the the Raptor look. I wouldn’t even think of trading my 20’s handling for the look of the Raptor 17’s. Since I’m not a big time off roader there is simply no benefit for me given the way I drive my truck. Of course anyone that actually used their Raptor as intended would be nuts to put a 20” wheel on it unless they were going dramatically oversized on the tire.

A little side note, I did an oil change on my truck today and drove it around for a bit. I like to on a monthly basis put the transfer case in all it’s various configurations and let it sling some oil around on the bits that are seldom used and to keep the front differential and hubs in the game. The F150’s have been known to have front hub problems for axles that remain partially engaged. Using them once in a while helps prevent this and is a good idea.

I took the truck to a part of the county that has a wide, open, not yet developed and unoccupied culdesac, no one around for a mile on either side. Yeah, I’m rationalizing here. I locked the E-Locker in for much the same reason as the transfer case, just to make sure things work correctly and to sling some oil around inside the differential. I did a couple of burnouts in both 2 and 4 wheel drive with the locker engaged and then did a couple of burnouts both in and out of 4 wheel drive with the locker disengaged. This in effect gives you an open differential when unlocked. I went back and looked at the tire marks that went on for a approx. 150 feet. These little Twin Turbo Tigers get with the program. With the locker disengaged both tires printed dark and heavy for the entire distance. It looked identical to having the locker engaged. I have no explanation for this. To my way of thinking I should have been printing only one tire.

I know the locker was disengaged because I turned the truck around and I wasn’t dragging a tire. I’m sure there are a lot of guys that would pay good money to have a best of both worlds “limited slip/locker” differential for their truck but I’m not aware of any being produced for a 9.75” 12 bolt Ford rearend. I thought my non-scientific results were pretty interesting. Anyway...
 
Hey GearHead and Accumulator if you think you don`t like lifted trucks now, climb in and out of them a hundred times a day, 5-6 days a week for a couple years.

Your distaste for them will grow exponentialy.
 
Strong66 said:
Hey GearHead and Accumulator if you think you don`t like lifted trucks now, climb in and out of them a hundred times a day, 5-6 days a week for a couple years.

Your distaste for them will grow exponentialy.
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You hit the nail on the head. With all of my artificial pieces, climbing up and down is a real concern. Sadly, I hate to admit it when you don’t have feeling in your left foot the fun of a standard transmission is also an issue.
 
Strong66- Yeah, and I always feel for women I see who are obviously driving "their guy`s" lifted truck. Though every now and then I spot a gal whose manner of doing it suggests that it just might be *her* truck, and set up exactly the way she wants it.

Gearhead_1- Right on the sidewall stiffness and its practical effect.

You touched on wheel diameter/tire aspect ratio...I still don`t get the ultra-low profile tires on huge rims. Leaving aside how I think it looks on some vehicles (esp. trucks), how do people avoid bending rims all the time?!? Can`t "just avoid the potholes" when an entire section of pavement is sunken 6" and we have all sorts of streets like that. I don`t mind doing a slalom as long as I can stay mostly in my lane, but that`s just not always possible (I have the Written Warnings to prove it ;) ). This is why the Crown Vic keeps 55-series tires and steel wheels and why the S8 (35-series) is seldom the right car for the job.

Sigh...manuals and physical challenges...although to be honest, my initial "oh [crap] I have to quit driving a manual over my L knee" quickly dissipated to "glad I quit [messing] with those!" Just *not* doing dozens of dbl-clutch spread matches on every little errand is a genuine relief. Accumulatorette thinks so too, and she *swore* she`d never drive an auto, didn`t even want the A8 when I first bought it for her because (that one Benz excepted) all of her Dailies had manuals (and she never wore out a clutch or synchro, even with 6-digit mileage).
 
Accumulator said:
You touched on wheel diameter/tire aspect ratio...I still don`t get the ultra-low profile tires on huge rims. Leaving aside how I think it looks on some vehicles (esp. trucks), how do people avoid bending rims all the time?!? Can`t "just avoid the potholes" when an entire section of pavement is sunken 6" and we have all sorts of streets like that. I don`t mind doing a slalom as long as I can stay mostly in my lane, but that`s just not always possible (I have the Written Warnings to prove it ;) ). This is why the Crown Vic keeps 55-series tires and steel wheels and why the S8 (35-series) is seldom the right car for the job.
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While I have no experience with large/stiff tires on a truck you are spot on regarding tires. I have 40 series tires on my VW and I could not imagine going any smaller. Suspension set up has a lot to do with the overall harshness, but I find the sidewalls make a world of difference in the high frequency vibrations you get into the car when going over things like expansion joints or irregularities on concrete road surfaces.

The huge wheels are just way too much unsprung weight. I wonder if people realize they aren`t gaining any performance advantage with those 20+" wheels and are actually making their vehicle drive, accelerate, and brake much worse.

Sigh...manuals and physical challenges...although to be honest, my initial "oh [crap] I have to quit driving a manual over my L knee" quickly dissipated to "glad I quit [messing] with those!" Just *not* doing dozens of dbl-clutch spread matches on every little errand is a genuine relief. Accumulatorette thinks so too, and she *swore* she`d never drive an auto, didn`t even want the A8 when I first bought it for her because (that one Benz excepted) all of her Dailies had manuals (and she never wore out a clutch or synchro, even with 6-digit mileage).
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I`m a three-pedal lifer for now, but occasionally start to wonder why I bother driving a manual anymore. A buisness trip in some car with a miserable slush-box auto or, even worse, a CVT has always reminded me of how life is "on the other side" and I come back around. My next car may end up being an auto, but the list of acceptable auto`s makes the list of candidates pretty short.
 
Desertnate said:
..I`m a three-pedal lifer for now...
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Heh heh, my wife felt *exactly* the same way, only without your knowing qualifier of "for now" :D

I *will* say that my Security Driver Training helped put the nail in that coffin though (along with killing off a lot of other misconceptions I`d picked up at other Driving Schools). There are some good reasons why Security Vehicles always have automatics, even when the drivers are manual-savvy.

And hey, you jogged my memory about Big Wheels = weight. I`m so used to extremes (steel wheels vs. forged aluminum) being the only diffs I pay attention to that I`d forgotten about that. Yeah, even the 16" vs. 17" on the Tahoe (smaller oe for summer, larger leftovers from my Yukon for winter) is a diff that I can tell when I`m mounting them.

I really do think that huge wheels with rubberband tires on a truck, let alone with tiny little rotors and 2-pot calipers, looks silly. But eh, I seem to find most vehicles kinda silly these days :o [Shoot] I actually *LIKE* seeing plenty of sidewall on most of our vehicles. Good thing, since that`s what we`re running!
 
Accumulator said:
Heh heh, my wife felt *exactly* the same way, only without your knowing qualifier of "for now" :D

I *will* say that my Security Driver Training helped put the nail in that coffin though (along with killing off a lot of other misconceptions I`d picked up at other Driving Schools). There are some good reasons why Security Vehicles always have automatics, even when the drivers are manual-savvy.
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They surely have their puprose and service vehicles of all shapes sizes and missions are a great example. In college I drove heavy duty vans (with 3-speed column shifters!) and some heavy trucks equipped with manuals...not fun. The crew leads would play all sorts of games to get the vehicles with auto`s. I can see LE/pursuit driving being another area, as you mentioned.

I was really coming around until I drove a new rental Camry last week. Not a bad car, but the transmission was awful.

And hey, you jogged my memory about Big Wheels = weight. I`m so used to extremes (steel wheels vs. forged aluminum) being the only diffs I pay attention to that I`d forgotten about that. Yeah, even the 16" vs. 17" on the Tahoe (smaller oe for summer, larger leftovers from my Yukon for winter) is a diff that I can tell when I`m mounting them.
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I was suprised at the difference I could feel when swapping between equally sized, yet different weighted wheels. I can`t imagine if I moved up to some much heavier, regardless of asthetics. When I was wheel shopping, I was really surprised at the weight difference between sizes. There are some performance wheel companies like OZ and BBS where the 18s and 19`s are pretty similar, but for many going over 18" really adds a lot of weight.

I really do think that huge wheels with rubberband tires on a truck, let alone with tiny little rotors and 2-pot calipers, looks silly. But eh, I seem to find most vehicles kinda silly these days :o [Shoot] I actually *LIKE* seeing plenty of sidewall on most of our vehicles. Good thing, since that`s what we`re running!
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Cars too. I never understood the narrow sidewall craze. I`m sure it was originally based in autosports and then headed downhill. Looking at any open wheel, drift, NASCAR, GT, or Prototype race car you still see healthy sidewall. There is a reason for that and weight concerns aside, its part of the suspension!

Each time I see some crazy low profile tired vehicle, I wonder if the owner has a dentist on retainer to handle all the loose fillings or cracked teeth from the horribly harsh ride.
 
644291aa71068de7d1029be9ae6080f4.jpg


How I get free DI water. Need a dehumidifier in the basement anyway - & there’s a drain in the floor

No rocks in the sky here - so I think it’s legit
 
Accumulator said:
You touched on wheel diameter/tire aspect ratio...I still don`t get the ultra-low profile tires on huge rims. Leaving aside how I think it looks on some vehicles (esp. trucks), how do people avoid bending rims all the time?!?
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Accumulator, I too do not get the ultra-low look that many owners seek. That said, in my opinion the definition of ultra-low has shifted a bit over the years. In the early 80’s a 50 series tire was considered to be a really low profile tire, 70’s, 75’s and even 78’s were the norm. You had a pretty special (read hot) car if it came with a 60 series tire from the factory. Now days people are running around with 20’s and 30’s. Manufacturers for the most part put tires and wheels on that look normal to a specific vehicle. The aftermarket however seems to get carried away. Plus Two sizing used to be a big jump when buying tires and wheels. It’s not unheard of now to see Plus Three and even Plus Four sizing.

When talking truck applications, running a 50 series tire, given the common widths of tires (10” or more) still gives you about 5” of sidewall. That in most cases is plenty of cushion for a decent ride on trucks running around on the streets. Any serious off roader no doubt wants more sidewall. I no longer consider a 50 series tire to be a low profile tire. Many newer F150’s come off the shelf with a 50 series tire and 20” wheels, these look completely normal to my eye. Ford makes one specific wheel style in both an 18” and 20”. Just looking, I usually can’t tell which size I’m looking at without looking at the trim level of the truck. The lower trim levels (XL, XLT) tend to run smaller diameter wheels but that isn’t always the case. I do however take a second look any time I see a 22” wheel on these trucks. I did this last night while looking at my neighbor’s brother’s new F150 LIMITED, hated the wheels. Although this is also a factory but optional diameter rim, my head just says that’s a lot of wheel, especially on a 4X4. As another consideration, the cost of tires going from a 20” to a 22” inch rim goes up significantly (in the neighborhood of 50%). For me, just an average Joe, I see nothing positive in opting for a 22” over a 20” wheel when ordering a new truck.

You mentioned pot holes and bending wheels, I see a lot of members on another forum saying the same thing on one of forums I read. I don’t really know how to relate to this. I consider Utah to have pretty poor roads over all but in over 35 years of driving on Utah roads I have never bent a wheel or had a blow out. Our roads must be reasonably good relative to other states.
 
I don`t meet to sh1t on the poster asking for help , but what`s the point of putting a coating on PPF.

Reminds me of the cases they make for the Apple headphone case. A case for a case as a analogy....

PPF dials back the clarity 2 notches IMO. You can say it does not cause you just paid the PPF guy north of 2500 to install.
And then to put a premium product ontop ?

Just came back to the forums after a sabbatical. What am I missing here.

---sidenote-- I`m a huge advocate of keeping PPF sealed. It sucks/soaks up more grime than cured paint. But to use a uber premium coating when the clarity is already mitigated with the PPF ontop ?

:wacko:
 
Desertnate said:
I`m a three-pedal lifer for now, but occasionally start to wonder why I bother driving a manual anymore. A buisness trip in some car with a miserable slush-box auto or, even worse, a CVT has always reminded me of how life is "on the other side" and I come back around. My next car may end up being an auto, but the list of acceptable auto`s makes the list of candidates pretty short.
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Heh, I used to be in the same boat, but quickly rethinking my decision. Both the truck and GTI are manual, but the Camry obviously is an auto. Used to drive all country roads with little traffic, but now my new job takes me through a couple busy little towns. While the GTI`s clutch is ok the one in the truck feels like it`s out of a semi! 3rd gear and 5th gear are real finicky and you have to double clutch for both up and down shifts. Feel like I`m doing leg presses on my daily commute. Switching between vehicles I almost put the clutch of the GTI through the floor a couple times I`m so used to the truck, lol. Going to be like that today, its been raining the past several days and it has been parked. First day in a while and no rain...

Drove the Camry this weekend and just put it in sport and went about my day. Realized how easy that was; I think I`m just getting lazy...
 
Swanicyouth- Be sure to keep the dehumidier`s tank nice and clean. Even though "it`s just distilled water" mine usually (OK...always) get too nasty for me to use their output on anything that matters so I just toss it down the drain while spending $ for distilled :o
 
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