Devastator's upgrade
- Devastator
- Posts: 3493
- Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:51 am
Re: Devastator's upgrade
Thanks guys. I staged that wheelie for my daughter's camera on her phone. Just as I was about to slowly let off the gas, the EFI fuse wiggled loose and I came crashing down and making an early lunch out of the dune.
I think that the steering problem I'm having is a result of a bent spindle. I bent it, (camber direction), when the rail fell off the trailer and hit a guardrail. I believe I also tweaked it a little more when I hit a witches eye that I didn't see, at all, until plowing through it. Hit it hard enough that my GF's knee hit the windshield bar. She glared at me and I'm still apologizing for that one.
I also think that my rack and pinion is getting loose. It sure feels that way anyway. I'm tempted to make my own as I don't agree with how they are built. All of the load is on a bolted on lid. I know this is cheaper to machine, but it sucks from a design standpoint. Also, there is no adjustment to get the pinion gear closer to the rack and remove backlash. I looked at electric power steering, but steered away from it after seeing the price tag. See what I did there?
My daughter drove the truck and trailer back from the dunes which gave me time to make a list of things that need upgrading, replaced, or fixed. That turned out to be a long list. Part of the list is already in my hot little hands though. I ordered a light bar to replace the HID's and some 2X2 LED lights to replace the bullet lights on the front.
Pics and light bar review to follow.
I think that the steering problem I'm having is a result of a bent spindle. I bent it, (camber direction), when the rail fell off the trailer and hit a guardrail. I believe I also tweaked it a little more when I hit a witches eye that I didn't see, at all, until plowing through it. Hit it hard enough that my GF's knee hit the windshield bar. She glared at me and I'm still apologizing for that one.
I also think that my rack and pinion is getting loose. It sure feels that way anyway. I'm tempted to make my own as I don't agree with how they are built. All of the load is on a bolted on lid. I know this is cheaper to machine, but it sucks from a design standpoint. Also, there is no adjustment to get the pinion gear closer to the rack and remove backlash. I looked at electric power steering, but steered away from it after seeing the price tag. See what I did there?
My daughter drove the truck and trailer back from the dunes which gave me time to make a list of things that need upgrading, replaced, or fixed. That turned out to be a long list. Part of the list is already in my hot little hands though. I ordered a light bar to replace the HID's and some 2X2 LED lights to replace the bullet lights on the front.
Pics and light bar review to follow.
Last edited by Devastator on Tue Dec 09, 2014 10:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
Devastator's Build Thread
Sandrail
2.4 liter, supercharged Chevy Ecotec
"If everything seems under control, you're just not
going fast enough."
Mario Andretti
Sandrail
2.4 liter, supercharged Chevy Ecotec
"If everything seems under control, you're just not
going fast enough."
Mario Andretti
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- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2001 12:01 am
Re: Devastator's upgrade
I'm looking forward to your review of the off brand light bar. I'm thinking of putting one on my Christmas list.
Remember even the USA assembled light bars have Chinese made LEDs and power supply components.
Lots of the reviews on amazon mention the cheap bars seem to interfere with RF communications. Since I don't talk on a CB at night it isn't a worry for me.
Remember even the USA assembled light bars have Chinese made LEDs and power supply components.
Lots of the reviews on amazon mention the cheap bars seem to interfere with RF communications. Since I don't talk on a CB at night it isn't a worry for me.
Steve
My Baja Build
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- Devastator
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Re: Devastator's upgrade
Here's the light bar I ordered. :
I hooked it up the my hooptie daily driver and my GF said "Holy sheepsh!t! That's bright!" It lit up the parking lot better than the lights on my hooptie.
I really liked the adjustable clamps because they let me run a light bar that is longer than my current mounts. Current mounts are 21" center to center, but roof is 32" wide. 30" light bar should be perfect, even if it has lesser quality lenses, (as I understand it), it has 3X more LED's than a 20" light bar does. The other negative things I've read about Chinese light bars is that they allow moisture between the lens and LED. I'm not at all concerned about that, but am wondering about dust in there making things not work as well. We'll see.
I feel sort of guilty not supporting American Manufacturing, especially since I am in that industry, but, $850 for a 20", single row, end mount only, light bar? That's not worth it to me. I think Rigid could make decent money selling replacement lenses for Chinese light bars. I would do it if I knew diddly squat about acrylic LED light bar lenses.
I hooked it up the my hooptie daily driver and my GF said "Holy sheepsh!t! That's bright!" It lit up the parking lot better than the lights on my hooptie.
I really liked the adjustable clamps because they let me run a light bar that is longer than my current mounts. Current mounts are 21" center to center, but roof is 32" wide. 30" light bar should be perfect, even if it has lesser quality lenses, (as I understand it), it has 3X more LED's than a 20" light bar does. The other negative things I've read about Chinese light bars is that they allow moisture between the lens and LED. I'm not at all concerned about that, but am wondering about dust in there making things not work as well. We'll see.
I feel sort of guilty not supporting American Manufacturing, especially since I am in that industry, but, $850 for a 20", single row, end mount only, light bar? That's not worth it to me. I think Rigid could make decent money selling replacement lenses for Chinese light bars. I would do it if I knew diddly squat about acrylic LED light bar lenses.
Devastator's Build Thread
Sandrail
2.4 liter, supercharged Chevy Ecotec
"If everything seems under control, you're just not
going fast enough."
Mario Andretti
Sandrail
2.4 liter, supercharged Chevy Ecotec
"If everything seems under control, you're just not
going fast enough."
Mario Andretti
-
- Posts: 7400
- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2001 12:01 am
Re: Devastator's upgrade
Some of the amazon reviews mention lining the seam where the clear cover meets the body with silocone sealer to keep water out.
Pics?
Pics?
Steve
My Baja Build
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- Devastator
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Re: Devastator's upgrade
I may seal mine. I'm not sure yet. I only have a picture of it out of the box. Will start mock-up of it on the sandrail tonight. I might be able to compare it to some of the others in my dune group. 2 of them have high dollar Light Bars. That won't happen until the end of the month though. I will take before and after light bar pictures when I install it. I'll also take before and after pics of the bullet light replacement.
Devastator's Build Thread
Sandrail
2.4 liter, supercharged Chevy Ecotec
"If everything seems under control, you're just not
going fast enough."
Mario Andretti
Sandrail
2.4 liter, supercharged Chevy Ecotec
"If everything seems under control, you're just not
going fast enough."
Mario Andretti
- TimS
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- Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:11 pm
Re: Devastator's upgrade
Looking forward to the comparison. I had many of the same thoughts as you... mounting, seal the unit, more led's for the $$. For a wider light bar costing upwards of $1000... $100 is a good risk to take and a good compromise. Through enough light forward and it's bound to light up something. Thanks for the link and description.
Don’t ever yield your gift of dream; Your knack for gumption, too. For “It’s the crazy ones that have all the fun," if dreamers yearn to do.
- CentralWAbaja
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Re: Devastator's upgrade
I will have to check with the kid. He just ordered one for the GF's dads RZR. It was a 40"ish and in that $100 range. And then the GF's parents bought him a couple of the 4" KC sq pods for his pickup. At about $150 while the RZR bar will be great in the woods around here out in the open it really has no distance at all. It is a combo bar also, but in my driveway it would light up the fence well at 50-60ft the trees pretty good at 150 the second fence at 250-300 but was not really lighting up the trees across the street at 500. the 2 4" KC pods are floods only and while they did not throw a massive wide beam like the bar at 50-100 it would light the trees at 500 better then the bar did. I do not know what any of that means as these are the first ones of these of any kind I have seen in my hands. Looking forward to the end of the month to see my buddies BD OnX bar on his rail. We should start a LED light thread and get this stuff in one place.
It is not Mickey Moused.....It's Desert Engineered!
- Leatherneck
- Moderator
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Re: Devastator's upgrade
Can add it to here once somebody lights the fire.
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=117177
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=117177
- Devastator
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Re: Devastator's upgrade
Done:Leatherneck wrote:Can add it to here once somebody lights the fire.
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... 5#p1206055
Devastator's Build Thread
Sandrail
2.4 liter, supercharged Chevy Ecotec
"If everything seems under control, you're just not
going fast enough."
Mario Andretti
Sandrail
2.4 liter, supercharged Chevy Ecotec
"If everything seems under control, you're just not
going fast enough."
Mario Andretti
- Devastator
- Posts: 3493
- Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:51 am
Re: Devastator's upgrade
Another dune trip in the books.
Cracked an exhaust pipe and had a relay malfunction...repeatedly, which shut the whole sandrail down for a few minutes randomly.
The friend of mine that wired my sandrail for me, set it up so that EVERYTHING electrical is connected to a single relay. From there, every accessory has its own relay and fuse. I didn't like this idea when he did it and dislike it even more now. He still thinks it's a dandy idea and is hesitant to help me alter it. I think his new GF is also a contributor to his hesitance as well. So, I'll ask you guys: I want to change the relay setup but am a little "dangerous" in the world of wiring. Should I add a busbar and alter the relay situation or just alter the relay situation?
Cracked an exhaust pipe and had a relay malfunction...repeatedly, which shut the whole sandrail down for a few minutes randomly.
The friend of mine that wired my sandrail for me, set it up so that EVERYTHING electrical is connected to a single relay. From there, every accessory has its own relay and fuse. I didn't like this idea when he did it and dislike it even more now. He still thinks it's a dandy idea and is hesitant to help me alter it. I think his new GF is also a contributor to his hesitance as well. So, I'll ask you guys: I want to change the relay setup but am a little "dangerous" in the world of wiring. Should I add a busbar and alter the relay situation or just alter the relay situation?
Devastator's Build Thread
Sandrail
2.4 liter, supercharged Chevy Ecotec
"If everything seems under control, you're just not
going fast enough."
Mario Andretti
Sandrail
2.4 liter, supercharged Chevy Ecotec
"If everything seems under control, you're just not
going fast enough."
Mario Andretti
-
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- Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2013 3:02 pm
Re: Devastator's upgrade
I like busbars. The relay sounds over worked so maybe add another and split the duties, have one just for motor things and one for lights and such. Also in my old job we had some Mack dump trucks that were wired so that everything ran off one continuous duty relay and those relays were rated at 200 amps so you my want to look for something like that to replace the relay you are using. Hope you get it worked out before the next outing.
Ed
Ed
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Re: Devastator's upgrade
Dev, I've mentioned before that I break things down into separate circuits so I can get back to camp if one area has a problem. I also wire some things hot and others switched. Works for me.
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Re: Devastator's upgrade
You never mentioned if it was the main relay, or the other smaller relays giving the problems.
Steve
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- Devastator
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Re: Devastator's upgrade
It felt warm to the touch and I believe the problem lies in the wiring going to it and not in the relay itself, as I replaced it once and the same problem arose.no1clyde wrote:The relay sounds over worked so maybe add another and split the duties,
The top lights, bottom lights, EFI, and WBO2, all have their own individual relays and fuses, but are powered by a single "Main" relay.Ol'fogasaurus wrote:Dev, I've mentioned before that I break things down into separate circuits so I can get back to camp if one area has a problem. I also wire some things hot and others switched. Works for me.
It was definitely the "Main" relay giving me the problems.Steve Arndt wrote:You never mentioned if it was the main relay, or the other smaller relays giving the problems.
Devastator's Build Thread
Sandrail
2.4 liter, supercharged Chevy Ecotec
"If everything seems under control, you're just not
going fast enough."
Mario Andretti
Sandrail
2.4 liter, supercharged Chevy Ecotec
"If everything seems under control, you're just not
going fast enough."
Mario Andretti
-
- Posts: 7400
- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2001 12:01 am
Re: Devastator's upgrade
Finding "big" relays that are rated for 100% duty cycle isn't always easy. I found a big 70 amp relay on ebay that suits me now. I was overheating smaller relays before because they weren't up to snuff.
I have two extra fuse blocks in the bock of my car. One is always hot, and the other is relay switched with ignition. I like having both options. If the big relay ever gives me problems it is only two connections to bridge 30 to 87 on it and eliminate it from the circuit.
I have two extra fuse blocks in the bock of my car. One is always hot, and the other is relay switched with ignition. I like having both options. If the big relay ever gives me problems it is only two connections to bridge 30 to 87 on it and eliminate it from the circuit.
Steve
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