Chevy & GMC Vans

Learned something new this Father's Day. Must be something to do with Dear Old Dad always teaching me one thing or another.

I have the body lift in front, and thats it. No new torsion keys, no ball joint relocation.

I got cross axled, twisted up pretty good on a rocky section of a hill climb today and suddenly began hearing a loud whining as if a bearing had gone or something. I stopped the van right then and there. (video to follow as soon as its sent to me) After a first long inspection found no evidence of anything, I started it again for a short moment. We then saw that the main pulley was rubbing on the steering gear. Yeeow.

Later the same day, my videographer saw sparks when i got'er twisted up good again for a short moment.

I think that disconnecting the front stabilizer bar could help but not fully remedy the problem.

Would it be wise to put spacers under the motor mounts?

Has anyone had this problem? Any known remedies?

Oh, and I answered my own question about riding on three wheels. I rode with my back passenger tire about 1 ft and a half off the ground for ten ft before my buddy could get a picture of it just before touch down. He was excited.

http://s232.photobucket.com/albums/ee25 ... =slideshow

Like a dog on a hydrant,lol...nice pics Tom

T.Low wrote:Has anyone had this problem? Any known remedies?

The SPB did this all the time. I did not have a way to fix it unless I was to make a complete new center link steering arm. Once the SPB went to solid axle, I bent the drag link to clear the crank pulley.

Oh and I am EXCITED to see someone else has finally taken their van far enough and hard enough off-road to get the pulley rub! Lockdoc's van doesn't count...his had the V8 so his crank pulley was further forward so no issues there. I KNOW his van was off road in the same basic trails the SPB went on.

I think there might have been a little pulley rub in your avatar pic Dean,lol

Great pics Tom! Thanks for sharing again!

Looks like dean has the answer for you slap a V8 in and it will put the pulley farther ahead and out of harms way.

lol i like that solution

Just for the record I had lift and 4WD before the V8 and I DID have the pulley rub blues. I was always scared the sharp edges it left would cut the belt.

AWESOME Bill! Don't know why I didn't know that but that is cool...sort of. Definitely gotta watch out for the sharp edges.

Kidhauler wrote:Looks like dean has the answer for you slap a V8 in and it will put the pulley farther ahead and out of harms way.

Oh sure! Any chance you and Sanj and your brother can take a long lunch tomorrow and we'll do it then?!!
You're thinking Stroker, aren't you?

Will Phrisk go up Vedder or is he afraid of the Pacific Northwest Pinstriping on Princess? Cause Vedder will customize you paint job, thats for sure.

Hmm. Well, glad to see I've been accepted into the Pulley Rub Club, anyway.

lockdoc wrote:Just for the record I had lift and 4WD before the V8 and I DID have the pulley rub blues. I was always scared the sharp edges it left would cut the belt.

Thats not actually a comforting thought for me, ya know.

astrozam wrote:I think there might have been a little pulley rub in your avatar pic Dean,lol

I think you were right zam! LOL

Worn idlers seem to exacerbate the issue. If you could watch the front tires whil you are climbing rocks or mud you would see them go in and out like the tie rods were about to fall out. It would appear there was inches of play in them.

What. You think your some smart guy saying words like "exacerbate"?

Sory T.Low. Didn't mean to scare you.

Actually Bill...that is the biggest word I know!

LiftedAWDAstro wrote: Actually Bill...that is the biggest word I know!

Only because he hears them from his extremely intelligent wife and then he remembers them or asks her again what they were.