Big Red Pile 91 W350 Build Thread

[CumminsPower59]

I figured I would work on the pile for a bit today, trying to eleminate the "pulsing lights" that my truck has...

All grounds have been cleaned to bare metal, and wire terminals have been scuffed up a bit to make good contact.
I put a new, blue Mopar voltage regulator on it when I was rebuilding it, this is supposed to be the "cure-all" for NON-IC light pulsing...blah blah blah, it doesn't eliminate the light pulsing, it slowed the intensity down, but it's clearly still there.

I've thought about putting the "sense" lead on a relay that comes from the battery, and not through the iginition switch, but getting the signal wire from the ignition switch to throw the relay. My thinking is, less resistance (shorter circuit), smooth charging instead of the "on/off/on/off/on/off" charging now. From what I have read online, the "sense" lead/circuit comes through the ignition, therefore creating resistance and causing the voltage regulator to go into the "on/off/on/off" mode...

Has anyone found a definitive solution to these "lights pulsing" issues?

[TheSilverBullet]

Glad to see my 5 speed went to a good cause. Did you sell it? Details on the samurai

[cmann250]

Has anyone found a definitive solution to these "lights pulsing" issues?

What do your battery cables look like? I think I accidently fixed my issue when I went to new cables. I also went a size heavier on all the leads coming off of the cables and the cables themselves are now 2/0 ga.

I have my headlights on relays and my voltage regular is the higher grade from O'Reilly's.

I just went out and turned them on to check. I don't think they pulse anymore. They were bad about pulsing previously. I nearly gave you and Jake a seizure at SOP

[CumminsPower59]

Glad to see my 5 speed went to a good cause. Did you sell it? Details on the samurai

Still got The Pile, but the Samurai is up on c-list...

[CumminsPower59]

Has anyone found a definitive solution to these "lights pulsing" issues?

What do your battery cables look like? I think I accidently fixed my issue when I went to new cables. I also went a size heavier on all the leads coming off of the cables and the cables themselves are now 2/0 ga.

I have my headlights on relays and my voltage regular is the higher grade from O'Reilly's.

I just went out and turned them on to check. I don't think they pulse anymore. They were bad about pulsing previously. I nearly gave you and Jake a seizure at SOP

My cables are in decent shape, I was thinking of upgrading to some big welding cable I have. I am using a blue Mopar voltage regulator, and have the headlights on relays....

[CumminsPower59]

Well, here's the latest and greatest. Been having some four wheel drive line issues. With the hubs locked and in 2WD, there is minimal vibration. Now, shift it into 4WD and it growls and howls something fierce at speeds above 20mph. It wasnt like that not long ago, it had some vibration before from all the slop and chipped pinion on the rear drive line when coasting in 4WD, but it was tolerable at 50mph. The day I gelled up bad, I had to put part of the truck in a shallow ditch as there was minimal shoulder room and I didnt want my are hanging out in the highway. When I went to pull back out onto the highway, I put it into 4WD and got on the throttle....well a couple quick and hard bangs and I let out of it, shifted back into 2WD and stood on the go pedal to get out of the ditch. I thought i blew apart the front driveshaft or something. I was maybe a hundred yards from a driveway so I pulled in and checked out the driveshaft and front axle, finding nothing wrong. If ran the rest of the 30 miles to work vibration free. I checked the hubs, pulled the front diff cover and took a good look at the driveshafts and can't find anything out of the ordinary. I used 4WD this morning, and it popped a few times then worked as normal, just with a lot of noise and vibration. Not sure where to go from here other than the transfer case...

Thoughts?

[bgilbert]

Didn't you rebuild your 29 spline 205 before installing it? Do you still have the noise while in 4wd and hubs UNlocked?

[dazedandconfused]

Like I had the same thing happening in the Ford and it was a universal. It was dry and causing my popping/grinding noise.

[RCCUMMINS89]

On my lifted trucks........I can usually drive around with the hubs in but not in 4 wheel drive with minimal (if any) vibration. Once in 4 wheel drive it is usually awful. When the case is NOT putting power through the driveline it doesn't have the vibrations and harshness as when it is. Loose joints (and even tight ones) aren't enough for the power and big angle.

So, in a non lifted truck.......a little bit of u joint movement would act the same.

[CumminsPower59]

I put the thing up on jack stands and couldn't feel any binding joints, catching, or really anything...

Bill, I didn't rebuild that case, just looked it over inside and out and ran it. It seemed really tight.

Andy, I guess it could be a U-joint, I made the mistake of running non-greaseable Spicer units, should've got the greaseable ones. They all seemed tight to me...

Eric, my pile is lifted 2-3" or so, and running a non-CV front driveshaft. I've always had trucks with some vibrations or whatever, nature of the beast to say. This thing is weird...after I changed some gear lube, I took it out for a spin, vibes weren't as bad, it would growl at 30mph for three seconds or so, and go away for five to ten seconds, and come back for three or so seconds...it did that pattern four times then quit...this thing is weird.

As long as I got four wheel drive for Tuesday, as 18-24" of snow is forecasted....

[bgilbert]

Bill, I didn't rebuild that case, just looked it over inside and out and ran it. It seemed really tight.

Nixon case eh?

As long as I got four wheel drive for Tuesday, as 18-24" of snow is forecasted....

The Facebook weathermen are forecasting 36" for us ..

Sounds like a tcase issue. I suppose you could unbolt both driveshafts from the tcase, put it in 4Hi then run it threw the gears. That would eliminate everything else.

[RCCUMMINS89]

I feel Bill might have years and years of pent up "feelings" that are now free to come out.

[PToombs]

Ike, put it up in the air and run it with the brakes on to simulate load. In 2wd or off the ground there is no load, so no strain on anything, thus, no vibrations.

[CumminsPower59]

Bill, I didn't rebuild that case, just looked it over inside and out and ran it. It seemed really tight.

Nixon case eh?

Actually no, I got a number from Val and got a really nice unit from Southern California for a very fair price. If I had ended up getting that unit from mark, by the time I got the machine work and other parts, I could've bought a eBay unit. No thanks.

I got to thinking, last time I pulled the rear shaft out, one of the U-joint caps fell off, it had grease in it, but had a little rust mixed in. I'm thinking there might be an issue there...kinda hard to flush the joint when there isn't a grease zerk

[bmoeller]

Has anyone found a definitive solution to these "lights pulsing" issues?

Have a bad ground? Or, the grids doing something funky?

as for u-joints, I've had some that felt good (not sloppy), til you took the shaft off and moved the joint by hand. Was stiff in places and had a dry cap, despite getting greased every week.