Jeff Balazs

I see so you were just joking about the mismatched tires....One never knows..... . Have you had a close look at the springs? I am wondering if you have a broken leaf. Jeff

You might want to check your plugs for signs of glazing while you are at it. If they are glazed they will cause your engine to run hotter than normal. May even produce a bit of detonation when hot. Was it a little harder to start when warm? . Also.....any chance at all that your brakes are dragging a bit? Jeff

Paul ? Say it ain't so ....... honestly sometimes you scare the crap out of me. Quit worrying about rake and stance and get it safe before someone get's hurt! Jeff. If no one else is going to say it I will.

Joe; Did you have the cross bed members that came with the bed? Just asking as if you don't or have substituted something different that may be why the bed is sitting low. I actually had to shim my running boards up a bit......just the opposite of what you are looking at. Jeff

Barry; Drooping door handles are not the end of the world. And I certainly don't want to suggest anything that might cause domestic strife. But I have been following your build for quite a while........and it is exceptional. In my opinion.......this is the appropriate time to get this handle fixed. And it is probably easier while the conditions are fresh in your mind. Blame me if it helps at all. Jeff

Barry; I would take Davin up on his offer. These springs are very hard to source......and droopy door handles are not good enough for that beautiful truck you have built. Jeff

I think that is more or less what most of us do. It is a starting point but unless you go through all the procedures in the manual about all you can say is it feels close. And that is a seat of the pants estimation. It is would be a stretch to call it more than just in the ballpark. There really is no way of knowing without the correct equipment. So far it sounds like Ed the only one who has taken this a step farther on a truck. It might be interesting to hear from others who have been through the process as described in the manual. There is no doubt that having spring components that are frozen up and not moving as the should will have a huge impact on how the truck rides. Another area we can look at is the shocks. I just put a cheap set of gas shocks from Napa on mine. They work fairly well but if I could find a set of higher quality aftermarket shocks that were either valved for one of these trucks or were adjustable I probably wouldn't hesitate to make that swap. I have some experience with this sort of ride tuning and when you find the right combination the results can be fairly impressive. Jeff

There is some truth in this. Some of us can get amazingly close just by eye. I don't think it has anything to do with eye color.......just how we use our eyes. Or rather how we have trained ourselves to use them. Jeff

PB Blaster has an aersol product called Corrosion Guard that really works well on these springs and pivots. It penetrates and leaves a heavy protective film. Made a huge difference on my truck. I would think it would help prevent damage from road salts too. Jeff

Don ........Careful now.....just 'cause the phoenix is awakening.......don't mean the owner is. Maybe it is time for a Pertronix.set up?......no gapping required. ????? Jeff

You may have gotten lucky too. As I recall FEF isn't exactly set up for speed either...... There is a whole description of what needs to be done and a specific order in which it needs to be done in the truck manual. As I have said all along my truck will be my daily driver. There isn't going to be another truck or car.....this is it. And it needs to perform safely on our freeways. That means it has to be able to cruise at 70 mph and stop quickly. And here because of the crazy-a$$ traffic ......breaking down can deadly in a hurry. That is why I have done a lot of the stuff I have. 4 wheel discs.....higher ratio rear end etc.... Because it just needs to be as good as it can be. Period. I didn't worry about a few dents or stuff like that Much more concerned with "bulletproofing" and things that have an effect on reliability and comfort. This alignment / ride set up etc... is the last step in a long process Jeff

I wouldn't ever expect this truck to behave just like a modern truck on the road. But that said there is no reason to think it can't be prepped to be fairly comfortable and safe. Also my truck will be my daily driver......and I won't be buying anything else so I want it right. It has been a while since I read through the alignment section but I am certain that the castor is adjustable ......by inserting wedges at the axle mounts. And I do know that my truck was in at least one substantial accident......so really everything needs to be carefully checked. That involves using some special tools. I definitely agree we can do our part of things by making certain all the components that need replacing are done first. Honestly it rides and steers pretty well already....but I can't help thinking there is a bit of room for improvement. I would like to take some long trips with it. And it might as well be as good as I can get it. Jeff

I am not totally convinced that an owner removing leafs in a rather arbitrary fashion is going to result in any significant improvements. It might make some conditions feel less harsh but what does it do to the steering geometry and overall handling? I have known a lot of fellows that went out and bought trucks and then started messing about with the ride height and other suspension elements and it has almost always been detrimental in the long run. And those examples were all modern trucks that had supposedly good aftermarket support. In the case of what we have to work with I think it makes sense to find a specialist shop that really knows solid axle front ends. Someone that is willing and able to go through all the steps required to be certain that it is all working and adjusted as it should be. Someone who actually knows what springing revisions or changes work. And what shocks perform the best for this set up. I am probably in the minority here but I don't think most of us have the tools....skills....and money to complete this successfully on our own. As far as I am concerned I won't consider my truck done until this step has been completed. Jeff

Ah huh. I suppose it is one of those things that doesn't really get the attention it deserves. If you read through that section in the manual.....there is a lot going on there. And none of it too glamorous. It doesn't really show and without all the special tools how would you know how close to spot on it is? And by the time you factor in springs, shackles, shocks etc.....I think the average owner is just happy with OK. I do know that I have had experience on other vehicles where just getting the right set of shocks installed was like a complete transformation. Sometimes it is something simple like that. On a 60 year old truck though I feel like it has to start with making sure all the front end adjustments are as they should be. Also who is to say if the shocks which are commonly available for our trucks are all that good? Just because they are new and fit doesn't mean they are really up to the job at hand. How would you know unless you had the opportunity to try out several different sets of shocks? Jeff

Yes and the fact is that most of us simply do not have all the special tools to assess the condition of all this. At best we can replace worn components but to get all the settings correct? I know that is beyond my skills. If you figure that these trucks are 60 plus years old and probably haven't had any of this truly checked out in a long time.......well then? I know this is something I really want to have a pro look at. I am just guessing but I imagine it ain't going to be cheap. $300? more? Jeff

I wonder how it would respond to a full on front end check like is outlined in the truck manual? You would have to find an old school shop that had the correct equipment and someone who understands the entire procedure. I have read through it and it is very involved and must be done in the prescribed order. I think it is one of those things that most of us never have done but might yield some pretty spectacular results. This and a trip to Deavers spring shop are on my list of things I want done on my truck. I kinda think this is one of those items you really need an old pro for. If you can find one....and then afford it. Jeff

Well I suppose? Hopefully you are right. The skeptic in me is still wondering though. I guess time will tell. Jeff

Hello Kai; The Pertronix kit had a very nice rubber grommet affair on the wires that fits wonderfully in my distributor. Besides protecting the wires it helps keep dirt and moisture out. I really like having a trigger instead of points. Less moving parts and nothing to go out of adjustment. Jeff

Wow! And here we are having the warmest driest winter on record. Go figure. Glad to see you are out having fun with that truck. Never fails to put a smile on my face. Jeff

I am a bit baffled. I just don't see how a broken wire could produce a rhythmic running cycle? I am sure it was a contributing factor......but I would have to think there is more to this. Jeff

Glad you got it running. OK that looks similar to the trigger used in the Pertronix system. It just replaces the points and condenser. Sometimes these are combined with another ignition module in kits. MSD makes a lot of these modules and I was wondering if your system included one. Many of these modules extend the duration of the spark which works fine on modern engines but doesn't always work well on older engines. Can't tell from your photos but it looks like there is no rubber grommet for the trigger wires as they pass into the distributor? If there is not you probably should look at adding one. Also I don't understand the 2 jumper wires .......don't think they are necessary but I could be wrong? Jeff

Don't all these heads use a 3/8" reach plug? Jeff

Well you gotta admit he lobs these opportunities right over the plate at regular intervals I have tried to hold up on them...Lord knows I have tried.....but it's just too "inviting" most of the time. I am certain that he knows I do it all in jest. Jeff

Me too Plymouthy. Jive'n with Paul is just too easy though....so many opportunities.......sorta like shooting fish in a barrel. Jeff

For what it is worth.......I love it just the way you have done it. Long live Dolly Dodge! Jeff