Vaseline will also neutralize the battrey acid to help avoid corrsion on the post's.

Dave

 

Well I seem to have fixed it. I warmed the battery up inside and used the electric battery blanket on it, cleaned the posts, and also used a battery charger on it. I then re-installed it and tightened the battery cables. Then it started right up basically.
I then drove the truck around today with out issue.
So I have no idea why it died like that while driving it the night before. It was totally dead, no life to it at all. I must have stalled it somehow while shifting and then who knows what happened to it.
At any rate I recommend having a wire battery terminal cleaning device as it came in handy, and using that if the same thing happens to any of you.

 

How are the other problems on your truck doing? Obviously you are still driving it, so it must be tolerable. Did you get working windshield washers yet?

 

Well, one of the biggest problems was the steering. It turned out it need a new steering link kit I think it was called. So i had a mechanic fix that and it made the whole thing much funner and way safer to drive. The lil box thing that joins the steering shaft to something, you can see it when I look in the drivers wheel well its right above the tire. HUGE difference in steering now!!!!!!!!

A guy at work also gave me a simple suggestion to loosen the air filter wing nut in order to make the truck not bog on acceleration. It worked. Just like that. I might even loosen it more, since I can barely detect a slight bog still just at first.

It still has some issues and stuff that need to be fixed that I'm basically just living with. It does often remind me of Adam Sandler's song "Ode to my Car". It definitely is not an ideal winter vehicle the way it's set up.

So once this winter is over I'm hoping to make it into my summer "sportsman" truck. Like use it for camping, maybe tow a lil boat, haul dirt bike etc. with it. It's set up for "racing" but I don't race, so I figure it's good as a "have fun" truck. And then drive something else in the winters (or better yet move somewhere warmer ).

I did get aggressive tread studded winter tires for it that make it seemingly un-stoppable in the snow tho

 

so it needed a rag joint? and just sounds like it needs a new air filter....

 

Is this what I think he is talking about http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Mopar-1979-87-Dodge-Truck-100-350-Steering-Column-Coupler-Slip-Joint-Body-/310865708338?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item48610a4532&vxp=mtrThis is the permanent fix here http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/89...tall-pics.html and here
http://www.customclassictrucks.com/t...ering_upgrade/
Cheapest place to buy is here http://mudflaps.com/i-9745787-borges...FSUS7AodZzoAzQ


I ordered mine last week.
I had one on an 81 3/4 ton and loved it. Just forgot to take it off before junking truck.

Dave

 

I have no idea what that is I was talking about the rubber flange that's on the steering shaft between the column and steering box called a rag joint

 

it could be your battery.. maybe you hit a bump really hard recently and you broke a plate in your battery. then it may have just ran until it quit. id check your voltage regulator too. you could stick a volt meter on it and find out in a couple seconds.

 

If you look at the "This is the permanent fix here http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/89...tall-pics.html link you will see where it goes.
The coupler is usually a much bigger problem then the rag joint.

Dave

 

ahh ok... the links popped up on my computer the last time it just showed the picture...