Yeldarb's 2014 Raptor Adventure

[Yeldarbraptor]

A new exhaust is a "repair", isn't it?

Hey that's not a bad idea haha

 

[Yeldarbraptor]

Update - I passed emissions!

I wasn't too worried, but I have no idea how old the stainless works headers and cats were, so I was crossing my fingers that they would be okay. Turns out that they only wanted to hook up to my obd2 to check that I didn't have any CELs and that my sensors were all running correctly.

Maintenance update:
Yesterday I drained and filled my transmission fluid from the pan using a topsider. The topsider just sucked the transmission fluid out, and then I replaced what was taken out. I know I need to drop the pan and replace the filter, but the stainless works headers are reeeeally close to the bolts on the rear end of the transmission pan, so I'll have to come up with a creative solution for removing that pan. Once I do, I'll replace it with a pan that has a drain plug.
I also added a magnefine inline magnetic filter just to clean up the fluid as best I can until I'm able to clean the pan magnet.

I also drained and filled the front diff using the topsider. I refilled it with 75w90 royal purple gear fluid with friction modifier.

The truck is definitely shifting smoother with the new fluid - I'll be doing another drain and fill on the transmission in a few thousand miles so that I don't risk shocking the transmission with all new fluid. I don't think it would really affect it that much, but I'd rather not run the risk.

Happy Monday, y'all.

 

[Yeldarbraptor]

Small update after the holidays:

Took the truck up to the mountains for a week. It handled the snow and cold well!
Ordered some parts to refresh a few things:
- front door speakers (front passenger is blown - just discovered this on this trip)
- sound deadening / insulation foam (want to cut down road and exhaust noise in the cab a bit for long trips)
- stubby antenna (still have the long stock one)
- transfer case fluid (changed the fluid this weekend)
- retractable tonneau -- I'm pretty excited about this one. going to try to build a rack above the tonneau eventually for camping gear and kayaks.

That's all so far. I also think I might need to replace my driveshaft u joints here soon. I'm getting a harmonic vibration, and I've checked the driveshaft - there's a small amount of play in the rear u joint. Looks like once I get the right parts and tools, it should be a pretty straightforward fix.

Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[Yeldarbraptor]

New goodies update:

Ordered a retractable tonneau and some off road led lights from offroad alliance. Both installs went pretty smoothly. The lights took some tweaking but they work well so far. I wired them up to my aux switches - feels good to have something hooked up to those! I'll need to make some adjustments to the tonneau soon, but so far I'm pretty pleased with the tonneau. Eventually I'd like to get a rack that installs into the rail channels so I can mount some kayaks or a tent above the tonneau. Gotta pace myself though - I feel like I've been working on the truck non stop since thanksgiving lol.

Sometime this week, I'm going to take a stab at installing the new speakers, and possibly more.

 

[Yeldarbraptor]

Another update! Finally installed my new shifter from B&M. My stock shifter had the chrome flaking off and had seen better days. The install was easy, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out!

Also I was able to snag some used rebuilt shocks from a fellow member. I'm going to run these for a year or two while I decide whether I want to buy new stock shocks or get some pricey king/icon/fox 3.0 style shocks.

Going to try to get these installed this weekend!

 

[Yeldarbraptor]

Finally got started on replacing my shocks this last weekend. I think I'll need a couple more tools before I tackle the fronts. I was surprised by how easy it was to replace the rears. Judging by how well the truck rides with the rears replaced, I'm very excited to replace the fronts! In other news, the wife and I are getting closer to buying a trailer, so I also ordered a set of sumo springs to use for towing as well as a new hitch.

Happy monday, y'all!

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

Finally got started on replacing my shocks this last weekend. I think I'll need a couple more tools before I tackle the fronts. I was surprised by how easy it was to replace the rears. Judging by how well the truck rides with the rears replaced, I'm very excited to replace the fronts! In other news, the wife and I are getting closer to buying a trailer, so I also ordered a set of sumo springs to use for towing as well as a new hitch.

Happy monday, y'all!

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if you need help with the fronts, i have all the tools needed.

 

[weimer]

Nice job on you truck so far.

I did new factory struts and geiser springs on mine by myself in my driveway. It wasn't too bad. A second set of hands would've been a huge help. Truck rides much better and even got ride of the infamous "clunk". Wife even noticed. LOL

Going to do the rear eventually. Planning to go with new leaf springs (deaver or icons)as well as new factory shocks.

Do you know if you're front shocks have ever been rebuilt or replaced? If not, they are way past due for rebuilding or replacing. You will see a huge improvement in ride.

 

[Yeldarbraptor]

Nice job on you truck so far.

I did new factory struts and geiser springs on mine by myself in my driveway. It wasn't too bad. A second set of hands would've been a huge help. Truck rides much better and even got ride of the infamous "clunk". Wife even noticed. LOL

Going to do the rear eventually. Planning to go with new leaf springs (deaver or icons)as well as new factory shocks.

Do you know if you're front shocks have ever been rebuilt or replaced? If not, they are way past due for rebuilding or replacing. You will see a huge improvement in ride.

Thanks! Yeah right now I'm just waiting for a good warm day to get the front done.
I don't know if they've ever been replaced, but if I'd had to guess I'd say no.

Looking forward to getting it done!

 

[MrGable27]

Update:
Got new wheels and tires installed today. I think 20's with all terrains can look great if done right, but I just wasn't digging the setup that this truck came with. The tires were pretty loud and the wheels were heavy -- no bueno for long trips or the off-roading we want to do. The new setup is more quiet, handles the bumps and other BS in the road better, and helps the truck feel a bit more cushy.

Here's the details on the new setup:

The wheels are Motegi MR150 Trailites in Bronze, 17" x 8.5" with 0mm offset. They're forged, so they only weight 24.5 lbs each. The tires are 35/12.50/17 BF Goodrich All Terrain KO2's.

Enough rambling - here's the best shot I have from my drive home.

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Always been a fan of black and bronze. Good choice