I'd love some input (thatswhatSHEsaid)...

One company makes a lift for my Expedition - it's 8" over stock (about 4-5" higher than my truck is now), but its $3700. Plus brake lines. Plus tires. Maybe drivelines. Yikes.

DTS near me quoted $1300 for rear truetrac install (unit, bearing/whatever kit, labor, and rear-end juices (ewww)) on my 9.75 IRS. (any mechanic guys here do that sorta work on the side?)

My daughter is gonna want a truck soon.

here I sit, broke, but planning.

$1300 for rear true-track and $3000 buys my daughter a pretty slick little truck (she likes lifted bronco IIs or other small, but not girly trucks). As an aside, here's my daughter when she was 14, learning to slide the truck for fun.



What are my goals/wants/needs with the truck?

I don't want to get stuck in my back yard, or in a snow-filled ditch around my place (live 1.4 miles from pavement). I'd like to be able to get through at least 18" of snow (depending on how wet/dry the snow is, maybe more/less).

Last year my truck was stuck for THREE DAYS about 300 feet from my house, as it sank into a drift where my garden was; the hot engine melted the snow, which re-froze. Two other trucks nearly got stuck trying to rescue me. Took a tractor and yet a 3rd truck to get me out. I hate that. I hated the front/rear wheels spinning when the LSD thought they needed to vs when I wanted them to.

As I type this I realize I'm sort of answering my own question...

Here's the caveat - the place who makes the kits has THREE left and then they're gone.

Another option - convert my rear IRS into a solid-axle set up by grafting in springs, shock mounts, etc, from a wrecked 06ish F150. That'd solve the lift issues, and while it'd decrease center ground clearance would help solidify the truck.

Eventually I'm driving this truck to Deadhorse, Alaska via the Dalton (Haul Road). In the Winter (well, october). Of some year.

So - TrueTrac and another vehicle to help pull me out if I get stuck...
OR

Lift, keep the rear LSD, and spend $2000 on taller (can fit 40s with the lift) tires and rely on the winch. Except last year? there were no winch points around. Ugh.

whatever. I have a sickness. Need more car crap.



Thanks for reading.

 

Oh, you are going to fit right in here.......

I am not sure if adding a true trac will really get you what you desire if you have LS rear already maybe it needs to be rebuilt (new clutches~very easy to do), if not then some sort of posi will allow both rear tires to spin at the same time. But keep in mind on ice (or extremely slippery surfaces) all you will do is spin both tires. The winch is a good thing, regearing may be a better option to get the power to the ground.

 

Thanks Rich -

I'm pretty convinced the truetrac is a huge upgrade over my standard LSD; have I simply drank the kool aid? Eventually I'm thinking a e-locker or air-locker up front (up front? Why there?? Because when I'd need it, that's the place with the best traction (often) due to the engine over the wheels, vs the empty cargo area of my truck. But you can't turn with a locker!! I could maybe turn ENOUGH...but likely I'd just want to get out the way I came (backing straight up). Again, not married to it, just my most-recent thoughts), and thought the TrueTrac would be a great compliment.

Ice? Hrm. I don't much worry about slick ice because I can't afford big-***-winter tires (as if they even MAKE them bigger than about 31"?), so I know I'd be hosed. Mostly thinking for muddy and snowy two-tracks or playing around in the yard.

Re-gearing would be a lot of money. I'd thought about 4.11's front and rear (currently 3.73s) or even taller. But it'd be close to $3k for front/rear re-gearing + true track install.

Make any sense?

 

Makes total sense. But also keep in mind that you are taking a tire that may have 650 revs per mile and now going to a tire that makes 500 (just for number sake) You will use more torque to get the bigger tire moving and keep it moving, eventually it'll stop and you're stuck. Lowering the gear ratio and getting the rpms back into the proper range for power is a big key.

I have taken trucks and lifted high and stuffed 44's under them and went out on the sand and could not go up any hills with stock gears, went back after a gear change and had no issue climbing hills and getting around a lot easier.

The key is to get the gear and tire combo to run back in the rpm range that the vehicle was designed to work best at. Adding horsepower after that will just increase the fun. Locker front and rear will enhance even more.

 

Excellent; great points. thank you.

 

The other down side is you sound like you are like any of the rest of us and only want to tear something apart once to make the necessary mods and unfortunately the budget may not allow it. Stages are ok too, or start to gather parts and when you get everything then pop for the labor to swap it all if not doing it yourself.

I have a list as long as my arm for both of my trucks of stuff I want to get done. I nibble away here and there as to what gets done and what has to get done.

 

Thanks Rich - that's why I'm thinking having DTS put in the TrueTrac - that'd give me a more-better traction option until I can swing front and rear dif upgrades, along with the gears and whatnot.

 

No worries. They do good work.

I used Harold Frame Shop for a gear change and a few things on my 07 JK, they are in Novi, so it would be a bit of a drive for you. But fair prices and good work. I was working just down the road at General RV in Wixom at the time. Transferred over to the West side of the state to work the store over here now.

They did gears, and installed front axle sleeve to strengthen the dana 30. I provided parts and I think labor was around $1500. Not sure if that'll help with anything or not.

One other thing, they may have different labor amount it you pull the axle housings and taken them to them that way. I was going to do that, but needed to have a front end alignment and the sleeves needed to be machined down to fit perfectly (hard to do in the driveway at my rental house, so had to pay to have it all done)

 

I'd love to live there - west michigan. You guys have WAY better winters. But...work here; not a lot in my field (emergency management for fed govt) out west.

 

If I was further along on my axle swap I'd sell you my bronco axles. Swapping to an 8 lug so the d44 and ford 8.8 have to go along with the 33s attached.

 

I smell another 7.3 transplant coming soon.

 

That would get the torque numbers up

 

And the value numbers would sky rocket. My truck is 15 years old and still worth more than a brand new one. Why just last week I stopped by the Ford dealer and they offered me a 450 King Ranch crew cab long box dually 4x4 and $20k cash to take my truck off my hands. Of course you know I told them they were really low with THAT stupid offer. So I flipped them off and stormed out.

 

And now we go into our downward spiral........

 

If that happened Mike, Jodi would have punched you in your dongle......