I did receive replacements for my unforunate spelling issues...
I also posted this over on the Two Wheels thread, but wanted to post it here as well.
Today I am heading out to Colorado to run the Colorado Back Country Discovery Route. I’m running it with my usual group of nine adventure buddies. We are planning on ten days on the trail, including running the Alpine Loop.
First big trip on my new T7 - here it is all kitted up for the trip.
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If anyone is interested, I always post to instagram about these trips. My handle over there is jeff_doster if you would like to follow along.
Today is all about the drive from Nashville to Denver, so we are doing a lot of staring at the back of the trailer holding our bikes.
View attachment 344546
I also posted this over on the Two Wheels thread, but wanted to post it here as well.
Today I am heading out to Colorado to run the Colorado Back Country Discovery Route. I’m running it with my usual group of nine adventure buddies. We are planning on ten days on the trail, including running the Alpine Loop.
First big trip on my new T7 - here it is all kitted up for the trip.
View attachment 344542
If anyone is interested, I always post to instagram about these trips. My handle over there is jeff_doster if you would like to follow along.
Today is all about the drive from Nashville to Denver, so we are doing a lot of staring at the back of the trailer holding our bikes.
View attachment 344546
Well so far, sunshine and rainbows.
I expected to be able to set the box in place, fabricate an additional mount, and be done. But the new box had other plans.
Clouds are rollin' in.
The big-bore gear is identical in exterior dimensions - except for one. On the original box, the end cap is flat and flush with the body of the gear, but on the big bore box the end cap is curved and extends 1/8" past the end.
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That does not seem like much, but in my current setup the box tucks in tight against the cross member,
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and that 1/8" creates enough interference to keep the mounting bolts from lining up.
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%&(*^##!!
That sucks. You think you'll be able to put a dent in the crossmember deep enough, or will you need to cut and weld a piece in?
heat n donk.
...
it's 1/2 way there, just mount it next to the winch..........Man, you guys are too quick....
So on to idea #3: Ahhhh....heat n donk it.
I run the SwayLoc inside of a 2" OD x .120 wall DOM cross member. The diameter of the outer torsion bar is 1.5" - that means I have just over 1/16" (5 thou over, to be exact) clearence between the wall of the tube and the bar. So not enough room to donk an 1/8" without contacting the torsion bar.
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But, I do have a 1/6th available there, and I think I can safely take a 16th off the cap, and between the two I should be able to get it in.
To donk just a 16th out of the cross member, I didn't think I needed to resort to heat. But man, that DOM is tough. I must have donk'd that thing a coupld of hunder times with a 3 pound hammer to get it to move. But, move it did.
I then took a flap disc gently to the end cap, and that did it. Here it is finally bolted in place.
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I originally thought that I would have to french the sleeve into the frame as I had to do with the rear top mount, but as it is it sits flush with the top of the frame. I need to give it a bit more thought, but I think I can weld it right where it sits.
it's 1/2 way there, just mount it next to the winch..........
if you can work the linkage to be clean i'd mount it over the frame .......the game is clearance.
After getting the steering all back together and bled, all that remained was to clearance the bumper for the new mount.
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I had previously cut a slot to clear the top of the steering gear, and all I had to do today was extend the cut to clear the mount.
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That would have been fine, and most of that sits behind the winch anyway so no one would even know it was there....
...but of course, I would. So I spent a little time boxing it in.
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And then a little paint.
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Man do I know how to turn a small project into a big one...