Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 12-13-2020, 10:01 AM   #71
Senior Member
 
Pntyrmvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: GTA, Ontario
Posts: 1,101
Check under the hood for the sticker showing what the van was built with. If legible you may see weight rating and gear ratio of axle.

Most times that sticker is missing or faded. If faded take a photo of it with and without flash on. Sometimes the letters will show up on camera, but not to the naked eye.

__________________
"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."
Pntyrmvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2020, 11:53 AM   #72
Senior Member
 
Pntyrmvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: GTA, Ontario
Posts: 1,101
Here's photos of the gear ratio tag, and the BOM in 2 different zoom levels.

Note how faint the BOM stamping is. Expect to do some sanding or use a powered wire wheel. Still haven't found the BOM on the front axle.Click image for larger version

Name:	20191125_125344.jpg
Views:	5
Size:	161.1 KB
ID:	37419Click image for larger version

Name:	20191125_124742.jpg
Views:	4
Size:	61.6 KB
ID:	37420Click image for larger version

Name:	20191124_125202.jpg
Views:	3
Size:	70.5 KB
ID:	37421
__________________
"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."
Pntyrmvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2020, 07:36 PM   #73
Senior Member
 
campism's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Richmond VA
Posts: 317
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pntyrmvr View Post
Suggestions:

Find the axle ratio tag on your rear axle housing. Usually bolted to the differential cover. If not find the BOM stamped into the passenger side axle tube. Usually faces rearward about halfway from differential cover to the spring pad. Can be very faint. Use google to lookup Dana Spicer BOM decoding.

Get good at using car-part.com

I punched in zip 23220 and 1992 Dodge 350 van and got this:

Attachment 37418
I'll give that a look. I have the information from the axle tag but could not find the BOM on the axle housing.
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8673.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	105.1 KB
ID:	37434

Got a referral for a rebuild kit vendor and prices for those parts with gears seem to equal prices for used axles. I'll have to decide on that eventually.

Bought three swivel seats and a door-mount spare carrier, pieces I've been wanting. Did not expect to find three matching seats.

Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8763.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	135.0 KB
ID:	37431
Click image for larger version

Name:	velour.jpg
Views:	3
Size:	114.0 KB
ID:	37433
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8777.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	168.8 KB
ID:	37432
__________________
The gone-but-not-forgotten project.
campism is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-15-2020, 05:55 AM   #74
Senior Member
 
Pntyrmvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: GTA, Ontario
Posts: 1,101
One note on replacement rear gear sets.

The cheaper the gears the noisier they will be even when properly installed.

Some people hear them and are okay with it, others wish they'd bought higher quality gears initially.

Your call.
__________________
"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."
Pntyrmvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-15-2020, 06:41 AM   #75
Senior Member
 
campism's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Richmond VA
Posts: 317
Yeah, I noticed quite a spread from cheap to not-cheap. Thanks for that tip.

Bought a third doghouse for the van with the second accessory console. The first was found at my old neighborhood junkyard and came out of a van that had been spraybombed metallic blue inside and out. I figured I could clean it up when the time came but found a better one at the new place.

The original.
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8788.JPG
Views:	4
Size:	105.3 KB
ID:	37454

The blue one.
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8794.JPG
Views:	5
Size:	141.2 KB
ID:	37455

The best one.
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8789.JPG
Views:	5
Size:	119.9 KB
ID:	37456

I also started cleaning up the swivels.
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8787.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	134.7 KB
ID:	37457

Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8792.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	145.3 KB
ID:	37458
__________________
The gone-but-not-forgotten project.
campism is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-15-2020, 10:32 AM   #76
Senior Member
 
Pntyrmvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: GTA, Ontario
Posts: 1,101
Wow that doghouse console sure is blue.

If you use those swivels up front be aware they are not symmetric about the center of the base plate meaning there is a left and a right version needed to clear all the obstructions as you spin it.

They always need a bit of monkeying around pre spin to get the seat in the sweet spot to allow rear facing. Great find as that doubles your seating when camping. How about a post mounted table between them?

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

[emoji604]
__________________
"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."
Pntyrmvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-15-2020, 04:35 PM   #77
Senior Member
 
campism's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Richmond VA
Posts: 317
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pntyrmvr View Post
If you use those swivels up front be aware they are not symmetric about the center of the base plate meaning there is a left and a right version needed to clear all the obstructions as you spin it.

They always need a bit of monkeying around pre spin to get the seat in the sweet spot to allow rear facing.
Found that out right away. Test-fitted the first one before painting the pedestal just to make sure it would be worth the trouble. Put it on the passenger side first and that was wrong so moved it left. I could drive it as is but would like more seat height and more leg extension, and I should be able to fix both of those with little trouble.

Swiveling means getting the armrests up and the seatback leaned forward, then swivel. When backwards it has a bit too much forward tilt but camping beverages might skew my perception of that problem.
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8812.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	102.7 KB
ID:	37460

Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8813.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	96.5 KB
ID:	37461

Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8814.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	127.2 KB
ID:	37462

Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8817.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	96.3 KB
ID:	37463
__________________
The gone-but-not-forgotten project.
campism is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-16-2020, 07:58 AM   #78
Senior Member
 
Pntyrmvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: GTA, Ontario
Posts: 1,101
Camping beverages. I will steal that phrase.

Thank you.
__________________
"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."
Pntyrmvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-16-2020, 11:22 AM   #79
Senior Member
 
campism's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Richmond VA
Posts: 317
Here's the passenger seat slid all the way back, as it is most likely to be used. Allows passage past the doghouse and the right armrest clears the door armrest but the seat interferes with easy in- and egress through the side doors. It would need to be slid forward to improve that, and also for swiveling.
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8827.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	111.2 KB
ID:	37466

Driver's seat fully reclined with the dog's seat spaced back to allow that. Way too much space wasted on a setup unlikely to be used once a bed is in the van.
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8828.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	108.5 KB
ID:	37467

Here's the third pedestal that is stenciled "Universal" and this one is only tacked down in the van for now. It's secure enough for the dog to ride on but will be bolted in place later when its position is finalized.
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8829.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	131.9 KB
ID:	37468

This seat position makes more sense for us; the dog can squeeze in and it leaves us more build space behind it.
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8831.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	107.1 KB
ID:	37470

Our new home! They'll be removed again for upholstery cleaning, pedestal painting and lubing, and so I can rip out the old flooring for the start of the interior work. The driver's seat will likely get washers under the swivel base and under the mounts for the seat rails on top of the swivel base (looking for +1"), and I'll try to mount those rails more rearward, all for more legroom.
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8830.JPG
Views:	3
Size:	96.8 KB
ID:	37469

The bride is interested in trying out the single-armrest grey buckets in the Coachmen van still in the junkyard. I'm going back for some more interior pieces and some other junk so we can test them, but I suspect that their mounting bolt spacing is similar to the stockers and they won't fit the swivels without too much work. For that much effort I'd want better seats but I wouldn't be as picky about bolt-ins.
__________________
The gone-but-not-forgotten project.
campism is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-16-2020, 12:55 PM   #80
Senior Member
 
Pntyrmvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: GTA, Ontario
Posts: 1,101
Interesting sight on those buckets. They might be from a position further back in a van as they have both armrests. Most conversions only use the inner armrests and rely on the factory door armrest for outer armrest.

Eliminating the outer armrest helps move both driver and passenger closer to the doors. Driver more at steering wheel center and passenger legs further from doghouse.

I had to figure all this out to put a console/bench setup in mine.Click image for larger version

Name:	20191223_131919.jpg
Views:	3
Size:	51.7 KB
ID:	37481Click image for larger version

Name:	20200623_194140.jpg
Views:	4
Size:	102.9 KB
ID:	37482Click image for larger version

Name:	20200623_193935.jpg
Views:	4
Size:	93.3 KB
ID:	37483
__________________
"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."
Pntyrmvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:27 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.