On Lights, Winches, and Off-Roading: Expert Advice from the Field
April 2nd, 2012 by Greg D.
Here’s a quick blog about the street scene grille from one of our experts in the truck parts and accessories industry. Read more
Author Archive
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Video: Greg Installing a Dynatrac Free Spin Kit
September 27th, 2011 by Greg D.After postponing this installation for a few years now, I finally buckled and picked up the Dynatrac Free Spin Kit. Following my “do it once, do it right” policy, I opted for the upgraded DynaLoc hubs and ProSteer billet ball joints. Pin it to win it, right?
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Greg Installs a BD Crank Case Vent Filter Kit
August 19th, 2011 by Greg D.
The other day, I was cruising down the freeway and needed to pass a slow-moving vehicle. As I accelerated, there was suddenly a huge boom under the hood, followed the roar of pressurized air and an immediate loss of power. Though startling, it wasn’t a surprise. I knew right away that an intercooler hose had blown off. It’s common on the 6.0s, because the oil vapor in the system condenses on the boost tubes, which lubricates them into slipping off. After a few minutes of monkeying around under the hood, I managed to wrestle the tube back on to the intercooler. On the side of the road, covered in grease, I was reminded how much these trivial kinds of things really bug me.
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G2 Axle Ring and Pinion Gears Upgrades
July 18th, 2011 by Greg D.
After installing the BD Diesel transmission, I figured it was time to change out the ring and pinion gears. When I removed the old ones, I realized just how well timed this upgrade was. There were chips and cracks throughout both front and rear sets. The spider gears weren’t in much better shape, and the factory limited slip fell out in pieces. My ninja mechanic (who does these installs every day) saw the carnage and shook his head, saying he pitied my truck and doubted the longevity of anything not labeled “Greg-Proof.”
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Don’t Wait, Replace That Standard Hitch Pin
January 12th, 2011 by Greg D.
For the past few years I have had the pleasure of using Andersen Manufacturing’s adjustable Rapid Hitch to tow my toys around without incident…until a few weeks ago. I had always meant to replace the standard hitch pin with a good locking one but for some reason never got around to it. -
Greg Installs a BD Diesel Transmission
December 10th, 2010 by Greg D.Everybody knows t
hat big tires and heaps of horsepower are hard on your transmission, which is why I wasn’t the least bit surprised when my factory torque converter finally disintegrated. I wasn’t even surprised at how suddenly it happened. I was cruising down the freeway when I noticed the truck starting to decelerate, but the RPMs were rising steadily. I recalled the tranny momentarily slipping once or twice earlier in the week…guess that’s about as much warning as you get. I ended up limping safely to the shoulder and had it towed to my ninja mechanic. Looking back, the only surprise was how long it lasted before self-destructing.
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Greg’s Differential Decision
November 3rd, 2010 by Greg D.Here’s a quick recap on the Ranger situation. I tore up the rear Ford 8.8″ housing and decided to replace it with another 8.8″ I found, but this time I’m using 31 spline axles and installing 4.56 gears with a True-Trac. I realized the damaged housing was beyond repair and the Currie 9″ was a bit out of my budget (for now).
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Greg’s Differential Dilemma
October 27th, 2010 by Greg D.
A while ago I took the Ranger out to the desert and held it wide open for a punishing 300 miles. It did really well and, despite a few close calls, drove under its own power back onto the trailer. Anytime I go out and don’t break the truck (or myself) I consider that a success.
Well, apparently success has its price. While inspecting the truck (something I highly recommend before and after every outing), I found the rear backing plate was completely torn off the axle housing, taking the brake line and parking brake cable with it. The before-and-after pictures speak for themselves. Oh well.
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How to Install a CFM Air Intake System on a Ford F-250
August 31st, 2010 by Greg D.In the race to manufacture parts for the latest and greatest, some of the older diesels like the Ford 7.3L are often overlooked when it comes to after market parts. Not to worry, we carry a wide variety of modifications and air flow improvements, including the intake manifold we have replaced here. As the video mentions, the stock cast unit is one piece, and transfers heat from the turbo outlet to the supposedly cooler intake air. The new two piece design separates the two, while increasing air flow and density. This particular brand is currently not available online, but feel free to contact me in regards to this excellent upgrade.
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Putco LED Interior Dome Lights
July 29th, 2010 by Greg D.
Ever been in your truck somewhere at night and needed to read something, only to turn on the dome light and realize you still can’t see a thing? I discovered this oddity last weekend while on the side of a dark mountain road coming back from a friend’s house.
