[Dieselwrencher]

Yep, you guys know the story. She still isn't done yet. I've been doing some other odd jobs making extra coin, cleaning and scrapping, and of course working on the Ex. I decided to replace the front leaf springs with X code ones which will raise the front 2". I had to do this to get clearance in between the bump stop and leaf spring. Excursions had dearched leaf springs to get them to fit into standard garages. This project turned into new ball joints, new axle U-joints, seals for the axles, and inner axle seals as well as a ring and pinion swap. The cost of the seals on these front axles is rediculous! $125 for 4 seals my cost, and the inners are $44ea my cost. Plus you have to make or buy seal drivers to put them all in. I decided to purchase the vac seals and I got by without an installer for the inner axle seals. The ring and pinion swap was another PITA! Dana uses a long crush sleeve on 4.30 gear sets in a D50, but on 4.10 and down they do not use one. Guess what, like 0 people knew this. Yee haw.



I painted the RH battery tray. Got tired of the crusty look.



The inner axle seals are a PITA to get out. You just can't drive them out from the axle tube because these SOB's have a plastic seal saver that presses in from the axle tube side and you'll damage them. My LH axle seal saver was broken so I just knocked it all out. The RH side was a fiasco. Here's how I got the RH side out.




So now I have the vac seals installed, ball joints installed, axle u-joints installed, inner seals installed, and finally the 3.54 ring and pinion installed and set up. Now I can put the front axle back together and try to get this thing wrapped up. I wanted to drive it before Christmas, but I am thinking if that happens, it won't be totally finished. At this point I'm good with that.