Limited slip, new E350 front end, and some spacers
The title pretty much says it all. Since John at Quadvan NW takes new E350 2wd vans and turns them into 4wd vans he happens to have a few new 2014 complete front ends laying around.
With a trip out of town for an Xterra race last weekend, It was the perfect time to get it into the shop for some new parts. The brakes/bushings etc on my van were pretty worn, and the cost from John to just swap a take off front end from one of his vans was a good value.
While he was at it, he installed some spring spacers to give the front some lift and then some 2" blocks for the rear. The van sits nicely now, raised but not obscene. I think im going to end up calling it a prerunner setup. It will have that look when completed. And with limited slip and a winch I think i can get most anywhere.
John had an eaton limited slip that he installed in the rear so that I could get a little farther off the beaten path and deal with the snow we get when headed to the mountains. Its a good thing that he was working in there as my rear pinion bearings were worn and needed replacement. Perfect timing.
Ride quality is much improved with the new front end, and the brakes are massive compared to what I originally had. It has great pedal feel. John also installed the newer style front sway bar so it feels much tighter. Renewed life on the old van. It feels more confidence inspiring on the freeway, and the limited slip hooks up when any wheel spin is detected. Im really happy with it so far.
Next stop is to start building out the back end with camping gear. Ive been running with a bed frame that I made from some spare materials and a ikea foam mattress, but its not ideal.
till next time.
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