The Hyperlogos

I have finally concluded the repair of my 1992 Ford F-250's steering system. I say "repair" but "replacement" is a more honest description, as I have replaced everything but the intermediate shaft. I find it interesting that this component is in such apparently good shape (it slides and rotates without any sound or feeling of friction) when everything else in the system was shot, especially since several Diesel Stop members have complained about its failure.

When I bought a 1992 7.3 4x4 with a turbo that leaked from every pore I knew it was going to be an ongoing hassle, and this last week I ended up diving into the steering system. I was having problems with nearly every part of it, and I'm still not done. Right now I'm rebuilding the steering column.

Today I managed a successful test drive of my pickup after reinstallation of the aft fuel tank, in which I have replaced the broken rubber pickup with a short piece of Gates multi-fuel compatible fuel line (3/8" ID.) This time I made it to town and back without mishap. It was actually fairly amazing how quickly the truck started up; I didn't do any air bleeding until after I got back.

For some time I've had replacement headlights for my 1992 Ford F250 just lying around waiting to be installed. These are DOT-listed and apparently OE-spec, and they are identical in most respects save that one of the adjusters is a 6mm hex stud where it was originally a philips screw. The original headlights were both badly clouded, and one had broken glass inside of it. This may be the prelude to a HID upgrade, but first I'll have to see what the lights look like with the new, unclouded plastic lenses.

The wacky axle I've got on my F250 is apparently a super duty axle. If I install one ton springs and a class V hitch then I have all the equipment (but not the legal weight rating) of an F350, and then some. My rear springs need replacing anyway, and the ideal would be to find super duty springs, but I assume they're in short supply. The alternative seems to be to get rear lift springs, which is a somewhat spendy proposition; indeed, they are almost as expensive as the rest of the lift put together!