- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
Nah - too heavy and it would have to stay out to get used. The one-gallon jugs work great - take one out to use, fill water bottle or cooking pan, stow it back when done.
Urban 'burban
- Thread starter Boyink
- Start date
Nah - too heavy and it would have to stay out to get used. The one-gallon jugs work great - take one out to use, fill water bottle or cooking pan, stow it back when done.
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
Finished with the sound deadening yesterday. I'm not surprised at how long this took because of all the "while Im at it" stuff I've done.
Currently waiting on my back to quit complaining before putting the interior back together.
Black spots are paint where I cut out two second row seat bolts that stuck up.
I wasn't quite sure how this ductwork came out so chose to work under it.
Kick panels have heavy rubber pieces already so I chose to leave them alone. This also meant I have a full box of material remaining that I can sell off..
Padding all back in place, next step is to reinstall carpet:
Currently waiting on my back to quit complaining before putting the interior back together.
Black spots are paint where I cut out two second row seat bolts that stuck up.
I wasn't quite sure how this ductwork came out so chose to work under it.
Kick panels have heavy rubber pieces already so I chose to leave them alone. This also meant I have a full box of material remaining that I can sell off..
Padding all back in place, next step is to reinstall carpet:
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
Got the interior all put together this morning and took it for a test drive with MsBoyink.
I ran a dB meter before starting the sound deadening and ran it again today. It's tough to be too scientific about it - sound level is affected by wind, road type, tire noise, etc so the level is always jumping around. And dB is a logarithmic scale so it's tough to map the numbers you see to what you are experiencing.
But - pre sound deadening the dB's pretty well matched our speed - 75db at 75 MPH, etc. This time the sound level seemed to stay the same (low 70's) from 55 MPH up to 80.
Experientially, it's much improved. MsBoyink didn't have her hearing aid in, I had the stereo playing loud enough to hear it well, and we could still have a normal conversation.
So, worth it, yes.
But man, that was laborious.
I do note the material cost went up - my first order was $55/box. It's now $70. I used 7 boxes total, 140 sq ft, and about 100lbs altogether.
I ran a dB meter before starting the sound deadening and ran it again today. It's tough to be too scientific about it - sound level is affected by wind, road type, tire noise, etc so the level is always jumping around. And dB is a logarithmic scale so it's tough to map the numbers you see to what you are experiencing.
But - pre sound deadening the dB's pretty well matched our speed - 75db at 75 MPH, etc. This time the sound level seemed to stay the same (low 70's) from 55 MPH up to 80.
Experientially, it's much improved. MsBoyink didn't have her hearing aid in, I had the stereo playing loud enough to hear it well, and we could still have a normal conversation.
So, worth it, yes.
But man, that was laborious.
I do note the material cost went up - my first order was $55/box. It's now $70. I used 7 boxes total, 140 sq ft, and about 100lbs altogether.
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- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
Thought to check tires yesterday. Spec is standard Chevy 3/4 ton - 50 psi front, 80 rear. Even with my old Silverado I'd air down the rear if we weren't towing.
'Burb was at 65 psi front, 70 rear.
Went down to 50 front, 55 rear.
It still rides like a 3/4 ton truck that probably needs shocks, but boy is it smoother over all the little pavement joints, etc.
'Burb was at 65 psi front, 70 rear.
Went down to 50 front, 55 rear.
It still rides like a 3/4 ton truck that probably needs shocks, but boy is it smoother over all the little pavement joints, etc.
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2003
Would be interesting to have a frequency spectrum before and after.
You'd need a PC with a sound card, a microphone, and some freeware (REW maybe).
From your comments, I suspect that the damping was better in the range of speech (few hundred Hz).
You'd need a PC with a sound card, a microphone, and some freeware (REW maybe).
From your comments, I suspect that the damping was better in the range of speech (few hundred Hz).
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
Could be. Some of the materials that were supposed to dampen better were like 1" thick - and I can't give up that much interior room in an already-cramped space.
Given my constraints I'm happy with the results. I have a better understanding of the truck now that I've had all the interior out. I found and replaced speakers with cracked foam surrounds. I installed some theft prevention. And I got the interior rear hatch and window releases done.
Given my constraints I'm happy with the results. I have a better understanding of the truck now that I've had all the interior out. I found and replaced speakers with cracked foam surrounds. I installed some theft prevention. And I got the interior rear hatch and window releases done.
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
With some cooler weather coming in I'm getting my head back into this build. I'll buy wood tomorrow to begin the rear platform / cargo drawers.
I also came across https://makerpipe.com/ - fittings that let you use conduit to build things. They're much cheaper than the 80/20 aluminum connectors I was looking at. I'm going to experiment with the makerpipe stuff in hopes of using them for the interior cabinet and a roof basket.
Anyway - I got the truck detailed out again this week.
I also came across https://makerpipe.com/ - fittings that let you use conduit to build things. They're much cheaper than the 80/20 aluminum connectors I was looking at. I'm going to experiment with the makerpipe stuff in hopes of using them for the interior cabinet and a roof basket.
Anyway - I got the truck detailed out again this week.
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2008
Makerpipe is what @Wirework used for his canvas top frame.
http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/150242/
http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/150242/
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
Just ordered all the connectors for a roof platform. Decided I'd start there and see if I thought it was needed to be a basket.
Question for the hive-mind:
I'd like to mount LED lights on the rear and sides of the rack. I'd like to run the 12V wires through the conduit. Any good ideas for exiting the wire from the conduit without using a big ugly junction box thats as big as the light, all for what amounts to speaker wire?
Question for the hive-mind:
I'd like to mount LED lights on the rear and sides of the rack. I'd like to run the 12V wires through the conduit. Any good ideas for exiting the wire from the conduit without using a big ugly junction box thats as big as the light, all for what amounts to speaker wire?
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
Not following...I see a Weego brand and a Wago brand....but...
There won't be an open conduit end by the lights. The outer rack will be one loop of conduit with 90 degree elbows at the corners.
So the wire has to exit the side of the conduit.
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
Roof rack redo phase 1 complete - stock Z71 rack in place of standard rack. Added lights in the rear corners where the factory intended to but got shut down. Lights not wired yet - have more to wire in when I do phase 2 (flat platform).
I wasn't originally a big fan of these racks - I always thought the big plastic corners were kinda cheesy. What finally sold me on it was:
I wasn't originally a big fan of these racks - I always thought the big plastic corners were kinda cheesy. What finally sold me on it was:
- It sits about 2" higher than the standard rack, and allows for straight crossbars.
- It has a roller bar at the rear, and I do plan on an inflatable tandem kayak that will sometimes get carried up there (campsite to launch, etc).
- It will make a better base for a custom full-length platform (or basket if I decide to go that way).
- It was a cheap upgrade - if you can find these locally they go for $75 - $100. I paid a bit more to get it shipped but I still consider it a screaming deal over anything custom that attaches right to the roof (the only real aftermarket full replacement rack/platform option is $1800. It's nice, but man..)
- And now that I've removed the standard rack I'm happier yet - that standard rack is much lighterweight than I expected. The side rails don't even weigh a pound.
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- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
Got the new foglights installed this AM. I bought the "black" ones, if I had to do it again I'd buy the chrome. These kind of disappear when not lit up, and I kind of like seeing them anyway. But, not enough to return. The replacement units are much heavier, felt like cast metal as opposed to stock plastic units.
I'll get a photo after dark to show what they do - in the daylight photos they don't look much brighter. I'll have to swap out the headlights to LED soon too because I don't like the different color temps.
New and old:
Both new:
Turned off:
I'll get a photo after dark to show what they do - in the daylight photos they don't look much brighter. I'll have to swap out the headlights to LED soon too because I don't like the different color temps.
New and old:
Both new:
Turned off:
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- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
Roof rack progress. Bit of a mid-stream redesign to avoid the plastic rear corners. Bought a bender...but might as well have been on one. Didn't turn out well.
I'll add one more crossbar up front, then run supports down the middle. It'll get clamped to all the factory crossbars. If that isn't enough I'll attach it to the siderails.
Front will get a deflector to fill that gap.
I'll add one more crossbar up front, then run supports down the middle. It'll get clamped to all the factory crossbars. If that isn't enough I'll attach it to the siderails.
Front will get a deflector to fill that gap.
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
Some rack progress - getting the center support mostly done. Design change meant I had to order more T-ends. Once those are in I'll prep and paint it.
Decided that I'm going to use portable solar panels instead of panels hard-mounted on this. Prices have come down, and portable solar means I can park in the shade and put them in the sun, drape them across the windshield, or even up on this rack. We won't be as solar-dependent in this rig anyway, with our planned DC to DC charger.
Putting this under "best workbench upgrade yet" - not having to juggle a pencil, a part, and a tape measure is awesome. So glad I broke the tape measure this came from...
Decided that I'm going to use portable solar panels instead of panels hard-mounted on this. Prices have come down, and portable solar means I can park in the shade and put them in the sun, drape them across the windshield, or even up on this rack. We won't be as solar-dependent in this rig anyway, with our planned DC to DC charger.
Putting this under "best workbench upgrade yet" - not having to juggle a pencil, a part, and a tape measure is awesome. So glad I broke the tape measure this came from...