MG Metal Works DIY kit knowledge share

[Kendel]

Okay, thanks. My inclinometer says I need a 6 degree correction, so I ordered that version to be delivered Saturday. I'll install them the same time I put on the new shocks (I'm currently running around on the stock shocks, which are very near the end of their travel).

Here's how I solved the brake line connection issue. I took a piece of rectangle tubing, drilled four holes in it, and then cut two corners to give myself two L shaped brackets with two holes in each of them, one for the connection and another to hold the new brake line. To keep the new brake line from swiveling, I popped a tack weld on one side of the mounting hole to flatten it out. The brackets installed with two self tapping screws and there was no bending of the existing brake hard line required. This also avoided having to reroute any of the other electrical or hard lines that mount to the frame and put a proper twist in the new rubber line to keep it from rubbing on stuff.

[Kendel]

Originally Posted by jacobthrock

I went with the Rough Country 5100 track bar, It feels really sturdy and seems to be well made (only time will tell) I just have it mocked up and it seems like it will clear everything.

Based on this, I also bought the RC 5100. However, the bushing is way too large for the bolt that goes through it. So the track bar slides back and forth in the mount.

Did your 5100 fit the MG mount correctly or did you also run into an issue?

[Kendel]

Originally Posted by Lilnuts2

Kennel, you might consider an axle shim to change your angle and give you a little more lift.
https://www.amazon.com/Omix-Ada-1820...56836223&psc=1

Lilnuts, I bought the shims you pointed to and went to install them today, only to find that they're flat on one side and curved on the other, along with having a hole that's way too small and the two of them not being the quite the same thickness. Are these the shims that you used or were you just pointing to a set of random shims? If you used these curved ones.... how did you do it? I'm confused.

[Lilnuts2]

Kendel, I didn't mean to mislead you. I have not used that exact brand. I was only using that as example of your options. I hope you can return them. Look at places like Summit Racing or 4x4 suppliers.

[Kendel]

Originally Posted by Lilnuts2

Kendel, I didn't mean to mislead you. I have not used that exact brand. I was only using that as example of your options. I hope you can return them.

You could not have linked to a worst "example", as it's wrong in width, shape, material it's made from, and intended application. The expectation is that people are sharing accurate, first person information here. You should go back to edit or delete your misleading post, as linking to a random part was the opposite of helpful; costing me time and money.

It's very hard to figure out the correct part on the internet, as descriptions for the parts are very lacking. I visited my local 4WP to look through their catalogs and found only one supplier of three inch wide, steel, flat faced wedge shims. The correct part is Warrior #800067. I used Dorman 660-014 leaf spring center bolts to put the shims into the leaf spring stacks. Not only are longer bolts needed because of the increased stack height with the shims, but the head on the Dorman is a little longer than OEM and gets good engagement with the perch at the six degree angle.

Installing the shims required removal of the leaf springs from the van. The shim has to be drilled to the correct size for the 7/16" bolt. It's already countersunk for the head to sit flat. Because the nut on the Dorman bolt is larger than OEM, the u-bolt mount plate also has to have the center hole enlarged. A step bit is the choice for this task, although I guess a die grinder could be used in a bit rougher fashion.

[ScrapIron]

I think youre a bit out of line blaming Lilnuts considering he was just trying to help, he apologized when it really wasnt his fault. The Amazon link clearly states those shims are only 2.5" inches wide in great big "bold" letters.

Personally im not in the habit of just blindly ordering something someone posts a link to without at least knowing what it is i am ordering .

Everyones time is valuable not just yours, he took time from his day to try and help you out with a problem you were having, for free... He gave you five minutes of his life free of charge to lend you a helpful hand and you bite him because "you" couldnt take the time to actually read the link that was posted to insure you were ordering the correct part.

[Kendel]

Originally Posted by ScrapIron

He gave you five minutes of his life free of charge to lend you a helpful hand and you bite him because "you" couldnt take the time to actually read the link that was posted to you were ordering the correct part.

If I knew the correct part, why would I bother coming to a "knowledge share" thread for consultation? No, if someone is going to conjecture on a thread like this, it should be with the caveats like "I haven't done this myself but I think you might use a part like this". Not having done this type of thing before and knowing nothing, I thought a shim was a shim and they all came 2.5 inches wide. When someone poses as an expert and points to a part to use, I had no basis to question it. You can roll your eyes all you want at me, but I still think it would be better to not post if you haven't done it yourself and don't really know, rather than posting confidently anyway and sending people on wild goose chases. His five minutes of effort that you think was so awesome cost me a lost day that I can't afford right now.

When I finish this build, I will upload a new version of the spreadsheet. There are multiple new entries I've added (such as the absent part numbers for rotating the axle when doing the Sky shackle flip) and I've updated others.

[Kendel]

Originally Posted by Kendel

Based on this, I also bought the RC 5100. However, the bushing is way too large for the bolt that goes through it. So the track bar slides back and forth in the mount.

Did your 5100 fit the MG mount correctly or did you also run into an issue?

Jacobthrock didn't reply to this or to a DM that I sent. I noticed that he never confirmed to the thread that he completed his build with the RC5100, which might be because of the same problem that I ran into.

Turns out that the F-250 mount this RC5100 bar is designed to fit into uses a 7/8 inch bolt and the MG mount re-uses the 20mm bolt from the E-250. That gives approximately 2.5mm (more than 80 thousands) of slop for the bar to move around in. Not good, as it would likely lead to "death wobble".

But the Carli bar is also made for an F-250, right? Yeah, it uses a 7/8 inch heim joint, so also fits a 7/8 bolt. The difference, gleaned from MG and a discussion with Carli, is the inclusion of a steel "misalignment bushing" that allows the smaller diameter 20mm bolt to be used. Hmmmm.... I realize that the Carli bar is much prettier, but an additional $220 for a bushing?

I hunted for a bushing from a catalog but came up dry. The closest I could find was bicycle seatpost shims, made for putting a seatpost of one size into a larger sized seat tube. These are made from 6061 in a variety of thicknesses and could possibly be trimmed down for different diameters, but I was turned off by the combination of dissimilar metals in an exposed to the environment position. I have an F-250 bolt set sitting around and also thought about drilling out the MG mount to accept it, but decided the probability and consequences of screwing that up was too large.

So, what I ended up doing was grabbing some 1 inch Delrin rod and making a bushing. It's really hard to machine something that's only 40 thousands thick, as the heat of machining makes the material creep around and affects the tolerance you get. Maybe on a CNC lathe with a constant flow of collant on the part, it could be a snap. On the ancient lathe I used, with its huge amount of backlash, this was a real challenge and took some time.

In the end, I got a tube bushing made, was able to insert it into the RC5100, trimmed off the ends, and the reinstalled bar now seems snug. I've yet to drive it but will report when I've determined whether this will work. I would feel more comfortable with a steel bushing instead of Delrin, but I worked with what I could.

For now, I would suggest sticking with the MG recommended bar from Carli. It's proven and it works. Also, by the time you purchase a 20mm boring bit and the material for the bushing, plus whatever you spend with a machine shop labor rate ($100-$150 an hour?) to get a bushing made, the RC5100 isn't any cheaper. I would have returned the RC5100 and gotten the Carli, if I wasn't up against the wall on schedule.

[ScrapIron]

Originally Posted by Kendel

If I knew the correct part, why would I bother coming to a "knowledge share" thread for consultation? No, if someone is going to conjecture on a thread like this, it should be with the caveats like "I haven't done this myself but I think you might use a part like this". Not having done this type of thing before and knowing nothing, I thought a shim was a shim and they all came 2.5 inches wide. When someone poses as an expert and points to a part to use, I had no basis to question it. You can roll your eyes all you want at me, but I still think it would be better to not post if you haven't done it yourself and don't really know, rather than posting confidently anyway and sending people on wild goose chases. His five minutes of effort that you think was so awesome cost me a lost day that I can't afford right now.

When I finish this build, I will upload a new version of the spreadsheet. There are multiple new entries I've added (such as the absent part numbers for rotating the axle when doing the Sky shackle flip) and I've updated others.

You obviously didnt even know the part existed before you came to this forum. Nor did you ask how to correct that problem, nor did you ask for a part number specific to your vehicle. That information was offered to you by another member that did know the issue could be corrected. Those degree shims are widely available all over the internet if a person knows how to read and use a computer.
SummitRacing, Jegs, WFO Concepts, and any one of at least fifty other 4x4 suppliers online. Trying to blame others for your inability to read and do basic research is pretty lame.

Full size pickups and vans have used 3 inch wide leaf springs forever. Beyond that, this isnt AutoZone or NAPA where you get to belittle the salesman for giving you the wrong part number. Best of luck with your build, maybe in the future you can hire someone to do research and order parts for you?

But do you know what the most rediculous part of this is? You just did a shackle flip yet somehow still didnt know that your truck uses 3 inch wide leaf springs.

Beyond that 90% of the people on this forum are average users just like you and I. They arent "EXPERTS" at doing conversions. The majority are Sportsmobile Owners and fans, hense the forum name "SportsMobileForum.com". If you wanted an EXPERT to solve a problem you didnt "ask" about in the first place, then you probably should have asked for an expert opinion on how to solve a problem you didnt ask about in the first place.

[Kendel]

Finally was able to do some highway driving yesterday evening. I've been also converting from CNG to gasoline at the same time and was getting pinging under load with the CNG tune in the PCM, so was reluctant to get over 50 mph until I got that straightened out. Hours were spent trying to program the thing before finally tracing all the pins on the OBDII connector to find the PCM line had been cut (and a weird connector spliced in) by BAF. Once I twisted the wires back together, I was able to get a firmware load through Forscan 2.4.7 and the vScan USB interface that gave me a remap.

Anyway, I've got a few little issues remaining with the suspension. For instance, I threw the F-350 steering stabilizer shock on for now and it rubs on the 5.4L lower radiator hose. I've moved the protector to better cover the hose where it would contact the shock and also gorilla taped some pipe insulation so the plastic clip on the radiator shroud will hold it a bit higher until I can figure out a better solution.

Has anyone else had this interference problem? What did you do to solve it? Does the Fox shock sit on a shorter stud than the factory shock or does it have the same interference issue?