Project MULE - Expedition build on a 1991 1500 4x4 Suburban

PMA4x4

Adventurer
Ya know... You gotta have a little fun in life.

centerconsole-065.jpg
 

jerrysull2

Master Lurker
Compliments on the AMAZING console! I love the zombie lights idea haha!

1 question... that is a LOT of switches! What's going to be hooked up to them?
 

PMA4x4

Adventurer
Updates:

Well, I've been busy with our business and botht the wife and I have got back into dual sport bikes so thats been eating up a lot fo our time.

During our trip to Minnesota Bridget decided to back into a very old very large oak and bent the swingout spindles so I am slowly trying to remove them from the bumper without hacking the bumper up. This initially is not going as planned since I did to damn good of a welding job.

The 3/4 ton springs we got earlier this year were real soft... like half tona soft so I was able to warranty them out last week and I upgraded to 1 ton springs. They sit about 3" higher now but once we get the drawer system built and the rear bumper re-assembled it should drop back down.

Engine project:
It's waiting until tax refund time. The heads are bagged on my shelf and the block and crank are at the machine shop with all the machining done (except the decking). I was able to get the correct ECM from one of the guys from the Gearhead efi forums that EagleMark runs.

Body:
We will be repainting the body in White with a single stage Urethane with a black trim. Kind of getting the color scheme idea from Larrys Polarbear. We hope to be painting the body once it warms up.

Interior:
The switch panel was fun but we need more room for camera gear and other items while on the road so I am going to redo the switch panel and make it more conservative. but add more USB power ports.

The drawer system is still being worked on but it looks like now the drawers will only go forward enough to the back of the back seats. Since we have got back into Dual sports bikes we have been going to more bike events with friends in the Mule so we have decided to keep the back seat. That shortens the over length of the platform in the rear.

Tires:
Sometime in the spring. Still locked on the Cooper Discoverer ST MAXX in 315-75-16

discovererstmaxx.png



Thats pretty much it for now.
 

PMA4x4

Adventurer
Been a while since I posted, Everything has been running fine and the truck has been doing great... until now. Started getting a howl in the rear. Found the rear left axle seal was leaking. Pulled it a part and it was not pretty. I got 6k miles on these new National bearings and seals and this happens! I still have to pull the right side to verify that side is still good.

axles-025.jpg


axles-026.jpg


talking with the manager at O'reilly in the morning.
 

chilliwak

Expedition Leader
Sorry to see that carnage PMA. I have had the same problem before and even after multiple replacement of seals and bearing it turned out that my axel shaft was bent ever so little that meant that I kept burning out bearings and seals. I hope you get that beast back together soon. Cheers, Chilli..:ylsmoke:
 

PMA4x4

Adventurer
Well the shaft that was in there is just before I did the bearings so I suspect it was the bearing or a bad seal that allowed the bearing to grind in on the shaft like that.
 

PMA4x4

Adventurer
Pulled the pass side yesterday and found it was starting to do same thing. Scored a whole other axle for $50 and Oreilly is warranting the bearings, seals and the brake shoes. so I am just out time and a couple extra qts of gear oil I had on the shelf.

not sure what caused it. bad batch of bearings, not enough fluid. did the seal leak and cause the fluid to get low enough. I drained 1.5qts of a 2qt diff so whos knows. I will install these shafts then pull them in 1000 miles and check then.

I have a 14B FF but dont have finances to rebuild it. Motor coming up here soon and tires.
 

Renntag

Adventurer
Sucks to have this issue. Odd that both bearings failed. I have axle upgrades ahead as well. Hoping it all goes smoothly.
You have any pinion whine?
 

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