The Dark Horse

[Miss Kitten]

sorry guys i know i haven't been posting much. american thunder thank you so much for the comments, and yardape thanks for jumping in too /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

so before getting to the updates on the dark horse i have officially sold the green bronco. it went to a very good home up where yardape lives. so he's been on the look out for it /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

ok here's some updates for everyone

first run out with the dark horse was spent chasing a wire under the dash that kept catching on fire and i burnt up my front winch. both of those problems have been fixed /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

second run out with the truck and i managed to completely explodicate the front driveshaft (yes explodicate is a word it's a miss kitten word). the truck was a little over flexed with me being a tad heavy on the skinny pedal and i blew up the inner ball on the double cardigan shaft at the top. thanks to mike (deejay) the original owner of the truck he informed me that he had BRAND NEW spare front and rear driveshafts for that truck still so i scooped those in a hurry. he sent them home with his parents from bc. so i put the new shaft in for the last run and we're going to rebuild the other shaft. maybe look at a different design to prevent the same problem in the future

over may long weekend we headed out for a day run and on our way to falls creek the seal out the bottom of the steering box decided it had other plans for the day and it left it's designated location. combiantion of previous owners overheating that box too many times and the leak that we knew it had i guess it was only a matter of time lol. power steering sure can fly when all the pressure is released though. there was fluid all up the drivers side of my truck and all the way back to the rear diff

having that seal go was a blessing in disguise though as once my bf and i got the box off we noticed there are quite a few hairline cracks around all of the bolt holes on the frame. if it was left any longer there could have been some serious bad news coming my way. so now i'll get a new seal put in the box, put everything back together, load it up, take it down to see the super duper fantastic superles, and he's gonna help me out and do some plating on the frame to prevent further problems. once we got the truck down to les's house, we go the frame welded and fixed up, changed out all the seals put everything back together, filled the resivour, fired the truck up and ****** power steering fluid all over the walls and floor of les's shop. this is when we discovered a pin hole in the power steering line. and a really bad flare job where the line comes into the box. so we cut the line back to get rid of the hole and i still need to tear it all apart yet again and get that flare filed down.

and as the finale here are the pics of my new decals. it feels great to finally make the truck my own /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> thank you again to cody for helping me put the decals on. it was long over due

and a couple clean pics

i'm patiently (ok not patient at all) waiting to get it back out on the trail again. i know it needs more drive time to get the bugs worked out but god dammit i also want one run where nothing goes wrong lol

 

[BroncoJoe19]

Hey Kitten,

Explodicating the front drive shaft isn't as bad as explodicating the front diff, so I guess it was a good day.

I'm glad you are making progress. Maybe next time out, it'll be nothing but fun! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Miss Kitten]

that's what i'm really hoping for is nothing but fun next go around

i should be out with it next weekend again

if i don't get out i think i'm gonna go stir crazy

 

[Justshootme84]

awesome update, mk!!! Sounds like you need some square tubing driveshafts like I made for my 84 Bronco? Also sounds like you need hydraulic steering, and ditch the pos steering box. Your pics inspired me to wash AND wax the 78 Bronco last weekend. I haven't done that since I bought it 3 years ago!!! Lovin' the pink stripes and rear moniker, too!!! Randy JSM84

 

[Miss Kitten]

thanks randy /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

post up some pics of your 78 all clean and shinny!!!

and i do have the hydro assist steering. the box is an AGR box

we're heading out again this weekend so hopefully i'll have more action pics and it will be a non breakage run :crosses fingers:

 

[Miss Kitten]

well i still have some power steering leaks to sort out. next on the list is gonna be replacing all the hoses and fittings

regardless we still made it out on sat for some wheeling so here's a few action shots for everyone

 

[Justshootme84]

Looks like hella fun!!! Love the pics, JSM84

 

[Miss Kitten]

my name is miss kitten and i have a breakage problem /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

we have to stop meeting like this in this thread lol

so the past couple runs out have found more "weak links" for lack of better words

some of you followed my C6 diagnosis thread. and yes it's true i have the ability to blow up the inside of one of the toughest transmissions made. the front clutch drum blew up. into pieces. if i'm gonna do it might as well do it right :S

holy **** what a P.I.T.A. it has been to get the tranny in and out.

also i managed to complete blow apart the passanger side hub, and pulled my pass side stub shaft out in more then a few pieces. that breakage has now gotten me to upgrade to chryo'd chromo axle shafts on the front and 35 spline block offs (some people call them lock outs) before all that happened i also managed to find a leaking axle seal and i still have problems with leaking power steering. however i have finally traced that problem. the resivour was too small for the ram, so before the truck saw trail for the first time with me behind the wheel we added an additional resivour for more fluid to move throug the ram. right where the two hoses connect is where i'm leaking power steering from.

also i have to do some hammering/filling with my air cleaner and take down two little bumps so it sits flush with the riser that wraps around the carb.

now all this damage on my rig has happened in the past two weeks

and to add insult to injury a week before that my bf took on some heafty damage to his truck too.

his carnage list includes:

-sheered off sector shaft btwn pitman arm and bottom of the steering box (international scout steering box and damn near impossible to find parts for)

-shatterd the heim attached hydro assist steering ram

-both front knuckles in need of rebuild (found passanger side knuckle to be cracked when pulled apart to rebuild)

-torn off bump stop in rear

-torn limiting strap drivers side front

-front seal on 205 leaking (at least we didn't have to drop the 205 and 203 doubler to get that one fixed)

ok that's enough typing here's some pics

******** set up of the rear links and front ra's that we're going to have to find a way to work around to drop the 205 and the tranny. and no we can't get that side of the exhuast out cuz of that damn bracket. so we're going to have fight the exhaust too

the tranny cross member that was obviously built in two pieces then welded in place, cuz guess what it's not coming out either so we have to find a way to fight around that too in order to drop the tranny. oh and the headers that we're going to have to unbolt to get the tranny down

bfs exploded heim

part of my bf's sector shaft

check out the gross mud on that axle shaft

what's left of my hub

more gunky mud

and the stub shaft. there's still random pieces missing from this pic as they are scattered on the shop floor

 

[muddrivermike]

Hi Kitten truck looks great,eventually mine will be back up on 44s again where it belongs. I also have the AGR box and ram on mine,what I did for my resiviour for the power steering was got a straight piece of radiator hose that fit tight into the neck on the pump and put a cap on top so I can hold a little more steering fluid. Havent had a problem with that yet. Also I just want to point something out to you if you havent upgraded it yet,,,The steering bars,the tie rods and drag link. I have my assist ram bracket welded to the tie rod bar. When I was out wheelin one day the bar bent right at the bracket that I welded on,I didnt think nothing about it so I bought a new one. I welded the bracket to the new one. I go out again and after half a day wheeling, My friends and I heard a pop. This time the bar broke right at the bracket as if you used a razor blade and cut it in two(that clean of a break). So to get to my point I found out that you CAN NOT weld to the factory steering bars it makes them brittle like a pretzal rod.I bought an aftermarket setup off ebay which I also moved the tie rod ends on TOP of my knuckles,And the steel tubes are able to be welded to.Everything is adjustable including the drag link.Just thought Id share some info for you that could possibily save you a future problem out on the trail. :lol:

 

[Johnny Reb]

my name is miss kitten and i have a breakage problem /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
we have to stop meeting like this in this thread lol

so the past couple runs out have found more "weak links" for lack of better words

some of you followed my C6 diagnosis thread. and yes it's true i have the ability to blow up the inside of one of the toughest transmissions made. the front clutch drum blew up. into pieces. if i'm gonna do it might as well do it right :S

holy **** what a P.I.T.A. it has been to get the tranny in and out.

also i managed to complete blow apart the passanger side hub, and pulled my pass side stub shaft out in more then a few pieces. that breakage has now gotten me to upgrade to chryo'd chromo axle shafts on the front and 35 spline block offs (some people call them lock outs) before all that happened i also managed to find a leaking axle seal and i still have problems with leaking power steering. however i have finally traced that problem. the resivour was too small for the ram, so before the truck saw trail for the first time with me behind the wheel we added an additional resivour for more fluid to move throug the ram. right where the two hoses connect is where i'm leaking power steering from.

also i have to do some hammering/filling with my air cleaner and take down two little bumps so it sits flush with the riser that wraps around the carb.

now all this damage on my rig has happened in the past two weeks

and to add insult to injury a week before that my bf took on some heafty damage to his truck too.

his carnage list includes:

-sheered off sector shaft btwn pitman arm and bottom of the steering box (international scout steering box and damn near impossible to find parts for)

-shatterd the heim attached hydro assist steering ram

-both front knuckles in need of rebuild (found passanger side knuckle to be cracked when pulled apart to rebuild)

-torn off bump stop in rear

-torn limiting strap drivers side front

-front seal on 205 leaking (at least we didn't have to drop the 205 and 203 doubler to get that one fixed)

ok that's enough typing here's some pics

******** set up of the rear links and front ra's that we're going to have to find a way to work around to drop the 205 and the tranny. and no we can't get that side of the exhuast out cuz of that damn bracket. so we're going to have fight the exhaust too

the tranny cross member that was obviously built in two pieces then welded in place, cuz guess what it's not coming out either so we have to find a way to fight around that too in order to drop the tranny. oh and the headers that we're going to have to unbolt to get the tranny down

bfs exploded heim

part of my bf's sector shaft

check out the gross mud on that axle shaft

what's left of my hub

more gunky mud

and the stub shaft. there's still random pieces missing from this pic as they are scattered on the shop floor

 

[Johnny Reb]

Miss Kitten, you have a nice truck their. Looks like you are really enjoying yourself. One question? With all that mud------how do you see a leak ?hahahaha------Be happy and ejoy yourself. But be safe------so you can have fun tomorrow,Johnny