Good ole axle stress test there!
Water crossings-How deep is too deep ?
- Thread starter 77f250diesel
- Start date
dont know how, but both axles are BONE STOCK down to the factory ford hubs. i been abusing this thing for years now, never broke anything axle related. a few twisted driveshafts and an occasional u joint in the front shaft but thats it.
Man. Good times.
i do need more video of the shenanigans i do with that thing.
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
Another thing to consider. This is on the bull noses. The plastic flex tubing that runs between the air intake beside the radiator to the air cleaner says "disconnect for fording" on it. Seems like Ford was counting on them seeing deep water. I can remember this because we used to joke " isn't it always Fording"?
compressionignitionrules
Full Access Member
as long as you are pulling lots of air it will go through a lot of water, I had a temporary snorkel on my 6.9 that went into the cab and I only hooked it up when I was going deep. yes it was fricken loud but it wasn't hooked up all the time. my truck was basically a 1983 F150 shorty with dana 60 front open and dana 70 detroit locker rear on 38/12.5/16.5 belted TSL stock F350 leafs and 3" body lift(got it that way>I didn't put that in!) I had it up to the bottom of the headlights several times finding the bottom of the big holes when they were watery.
my buddies made me the lead because I could always find the bottom of the hole. powertrain worked great except for the bellhousing, and I finally pulled the frame apart. would have lasted with an actual F350 frame
. use what you got.......................
edit: had no problems with exhaust manifolds , but the mud sure got baked into the valley.
my buddies made me the lead because I could always find the bottom of the hole. powertrain worked great except for the bellhousing, and I finally pulled the frame apart. would have lasted with an actual F350 frame
. use what you got.......................edit: had no problems with exhaust manifolds , but the mud sure got baked into the valley.
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Yea I struggle keeping the valley and the glow plug holes cleaned out. Mud gets baked in them bad. But I also don't have inner fenders or a hood.
compressionignitionrules
Full Access Member
I jammed the GP holes with high heat antiseize and that seemed to keep it out of the GPholes/threads. I don't think I could have gone as deep with mine if I didn't have the complete body on it.
I had the really wide but not very deep rad which I think helped me from overheating things. I couldn't believe how much abuse the NP208 and NP435 trans took all the abuse , I used to thrash it pretty hard and somebody has video of my cab and box smacking at the top as I push through a deep hole back and forth until I finally high centre on a big rock outcrop . stock axles in mine other than the detroit locker, no breakage. just my frame and bellhousing
. amazing how good you can get at shifting a 4spd manual when you can't release the clutch
I had the really wide but not very deep rad which I think helped me from overheating things. I couldn't believe how much abuse the NP208 and NP435 trans took all the abuse , I used to thrash it pretty hard and somebody has video of my cab and box smacking at the top as I push through a deep hole back and forth until I finally high centre on a big rock outcrop . stock axles in mine other than the detroit locker, no breakage. just my frame and bellhousing
. amazing how good you can get at shifting a 4spd manual when you can't release the clutch
needlenose
Full Access Member
Depends on how fast the water is moving. Lost a friend about two years ago who tried to cross a bridge that had about 10" of moving water on it. Pushed her right off and evidently rolled the vehicle. Neighbors could hear her screaming. They went out with lights but couldnt find her. Authorities found her body the next day.
If the water is moving, just go a different way. Moving water has an incredible amount of force. Especially when your average truck tire has about 3"x8" patch of contact.
If the water is moving, just go a different way. Moving water has an incredible amount of force. Especially when your average truck tire has about 3"x8" patch of contact.
79jasper
Chickenhawk
They say 4 inches of rushing water can sweep a vehicle away.
I've gone through flooded roads with standing water. But rushing water, I'll turn around.
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I've gone through flooded roads with standing water. But rushing water, I'll turn around.
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Problem w water especially on roads....
Never know if u may just suddenly drop into a 8' sink hole or something is buried and effs yer ride....
Moving water cuts nice so a deep channel cut may go un-noticed untill you find yer 35" tyre suddenly swallowed w no wait out.
Never know if u may just suddenly drop into a 8' sink hole or something is buried and effs yer ride....
Moving water cuts nice so a deep channel cut may go un-noticed untill you find yer 35" tyre suddenly swallowed w no wait out.
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
Needlenose, last year on Labor Day Weekend, we had horrible rain. There was any where from 11 to 14 inches in about 3 hours. Just west of town, a lady tried to drive through the water. It floated her car over the guardrail , but it only floated about 1/4 mile before it got hung up in the trees. The thing about this bridge is that there's normally no water there, just run-off from the fields. The bridge is 10-12 feet above the bottom and the guardrail is another 3 feet or so.
BR3
Full Access Member
In the 2010 Nashville flood I repeatedly went through water deep enough to wash my windshield. No ill effects. I was going fast enough to keep it out if the cab too so that was a big bonus.
On my dually now with all my bellows breathers and well sealed snorkel, I'd be willing to go as deep as I could still see. If all your fill ports and tubes are sealed up
(Power steering,oil fill, tranny vents ect ect..) then the only thing you have to worry about is if you mind soaking your interior, because that will come long before getting to the intake.
We can all see how diesel crawler feels about his interior, or lack there of
On my dually now with all my bellows breathers and well sealed snorkel, I'd be willing to go as deep as I could still see. If all your fill ports and tubes are sealed up
(Power steering,oil fill, tranny vents ect ect..) then the only thing you have to worry about is if you mind soaking your interior, because that will come long before getting to the intake.
We can all see how diesel crawler feels about his interior, or lack there of
i am a little cranky about my 700 dollar suspension seats getting ruined. but i can still buy new covers for them. but yea not much to mine. dash consists of aluminum diamond plate, with three gauges. temp, oil psi and pyro. factory headlight switch is still working and mounted there too. for now the factory keyswitch still works, so that will stay until it dies, then off to marine toggles and push button.
BR3
Full Access Member
Probably won't ever kill that one.(ignition that is) I'm not sure if your familiar, but the ignition switch on bull nose trucks is just a rod that runs through the column to a pack of thick awg wires at the base acting like a mechanical contactor. Hard to go wrong with that haha. I suppose it could though if you pack enough mud in there.
On the seats however, I think I'll stick to my $30 pick yard bench, I would get my feelings very hurt if I dropped a French fry on a $700 seat. I would like to see the suspension system in action though, sounds cool
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On the seats however, I think I'll stick to my $30 pick yard bench, I would get my feelings very hurt if I dropped a French fry on a $700 seat. I would like to see the suspension system in action though, sounds cool
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