Improving the ride...

[ENafziger]

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Привет!

Добро пожаловать на форум! Можете ли вы перевести на английский язык, прежде чем сообщение?

Спасибо!!

Эрик

 

[dlmetzger]

WTH over? Have we been hacked?

 

[HHhuntitall]

Я сожалею, я не могу читать ваши письма или диалекте?

(What dialect?!? I can't read it!?!?)



То, что вы говорили о плазменной горелкой?

(What are you saying about a plasma torch?!?! )

 

[ENafziger]

Quick update...

I was under the truck poking around this weekend, and it looks like the passenger side upper shock mount is in need of attention. The welds didn't break... rather, the crossmember that the shock support is welded to is nearly cracked in two!!! The amount of valving in these shocks is incredible. I plan on taking the bed off this Friday and seeing what's going on, and re-designing things.

In other news, it looks like about 54 mph is about as fast as I can go jumping the double train tracks. Any faster than that, and I'm pushing completely through the valving on the front shocks and bottoming. I'm thinking I may need to add some 4" travel Bilstein bump stops

Updates to come this weekend...

--Eric

 

[HHhuntitall]

Hmmm, I wouldn't have thought it would have given you any problems unloaded... . have you bottomed the shocks out? Age could be a contributor, too, I guess. Shouldn't be hard to fix with the bed off!!

 

[ENafziger]

Hmmm, I wouldn't have thought it would have given you any problems unloaded... . have you bottomed the shocks out?

No, I haven't bottomed the rears. The mount that broke is cantilevered off the crossmember though, as opposed to the driver's side shock mount that is supported on each end by a crossmember. I knew it was the weak point, but I didn't expect it to let go so fast!

It's somewhat common for the 3rd gen trucks to rip an upper shock mount off in the rear as well. Well, I mean common for Carli mobbin type folks

--Eric

 

[HHhuntitall]

I went back through the thread to take another look... . I see. I didn't remember you doing that, so it was kinda fuzzy in my mind... ... kinda like static on an old B/W TV..... if you're old enough to remember those... :-laf:



Yeah, that's a lot of leverage out on the end of that tubing. I can see how it did it. Hopefully, it didn't bend the bed when it bent!! That might require a little re-engineering, but it won't be hard for you, seeing how well you've done so far!! Hey, if you didn't use it, you'd have never known it was a problem, right!?!? Still think it's a top notch build up!!

 

[ENafziger]

Yeah, that's a lot of leverage out on the end of that tubing. I can see how it did it.

Yup... exactly right! I knew it was the weak point before, but thought it'd hold up to these puny 2. 0 Bistein 7100s!

Well, here's what it looked like with the bed off. It actually just ripped the metal apart in multiple places!

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Dad welded up everything that cracked, and we added a couple more braces.

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We added a support near the upper shock bolt that attaches to the frame with a little "foot" underneath to keep the mount from wanting to rotate upward again.

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While we had the bed off again, we finished a couple welds that we couldn't reach before while bracing up the rear frame / trailer hitch receiver.

Notice the added crossmember at the very back of the frame. For anyone wanting to strengthen the frame, this crossmember is a direct fit. It's simply the stock crossmember from like truck flipped around. I happened to have one off of a truck I parted out years ago.

#ad

--Eric

 

[ENafziger]

And, in other news, a set of step-up-bar-rock-rails are in the works! With the wife being 6 months along now, it's a chore for her to crawl up into the truck by herself :b

I wanted to make them heavy enough to protect the truck in the event of an offroad mis-hap, but didn't want them overly heavy or low hanging either. I decided to make a step to help with getting in the tool box as well. I found some scrap 2" x 4" x 1/8" rectangular tubing that seemed to be up for the job!

The steps are low enough to help getting in, and allow a steel toed boot to fit between them and the body. The steps are still 1 1/2" higher than the transmission crossmember, so they shouldn't pose any clearance problems offroad.

Warning!!! Don't look at this first picture unless you have your welding helmet on!!!

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Hopefully tonight I'll have a chance to start fitting them up to the truck, but here's a rough idea of what they'll look like.

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--Eric

 

[Grey Wolf]

Nice Eric, it seems like our trucks are always a work in progress

 

[pwerwagn]

Haha nice!! Glad it broke, that means its tested!!! I ripped the drivers side mount off my 04 and shoved the shock through the bed.

I think Im going to keep the stock shock location on my RC conversion. I think Im going to go 2. 5" FOA's though. I was set on the 7100's initially but the FOA's keep calling me for some reason. I cannot kick either shock back since the RC tank is in the back. I can put them both forward... but I don't really have the desire to.

I got the rear leaf's in (did something a little different this time for the rear spring hanger... I wanna see if it holds up, ill post pics). I'm contemplating the front. I think I am going to try to run 52" rear leafs up front and see how it works. Cheaper than Alcans, potentially equal ride, and I have 4 or 5 sets of 52's that I can play with for the ride height. I am also going to push the front axle forward ~2" or so to help the wheelbase a bit and give more tire clearance. Im hoping to also stay around the 3" range, keep the COG low.

 

[ENafziger]

Haha nice!! Glad it broke, that means its tested!!! I ripped the drivers side mount off my 04 and shoved the shock through the bed.

I think Im going to keep the stock shock location on my RC conversion. I think Im going to go 2. 5" FOA's though. I was set on the 7100's initially but the FOA's keep calling me for some reason. I cannot kick either shock back since the RC tank is in the back. I can put them both forward... but I don't really have the desire to.

I got the rear leaf's in (did something a little different this time for the rear spring hanger... I wanna see if it holds up, ill post pics). I'm contemplating the front. I think I am going to try to run 52" rear leafs up front and see how it works. Cheaper than Alcans, potentially equal ride, and I have 4 or 5 sets of 52's that I can play with for the ride height. I am also going to push the front axle forward ~2" or so to help the wheelbase a bit and give more tire clearance. Im hoping to also stay around the 3" range, keep the COG low. <!-- google_ad_section_end --> <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

I'm looking forward to your build!!! I've had an old W150 that I've been building up as a rock crawler for awhile, and have 52" leaves planned for the front too... although I'd rather see someone else do it first!

I'm going to push my front axle forward significantly too. I'm thinking about using the factory rear fender flares up front, and cutting out the fenders to match. The rears are a good bit larger opening than the front fender wells.

The 2. 5 FOAs ought to allow some good rompin!

 

[ENafziger]

Little update...

Well, we got the step up bars / rock rails installed over the Thanksgiving weekend. I still need to work on the wiring for the light strips under the doors. Overall, they turned out alright for working off the back of a truck with scrap metal!

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--Eric

 

[Grey Wolf]

Looks good, are you about ready to put it back to work

 

[ENafziger]

Looks good, are you about ready to put it back to work<!-- google_ad_section_end --> <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Thanks Grey Wolf!!! Yes, unfortunately, the old blue truck is the only one running right now, so it has to stay in running/working condition. I also daily drive it ~ 350 miles / week, so it gets some good use

--Eric

 

[pwerwagn]

I'm looking forward to your build!!! I've had an old W150 that I've been building up as a rock crawler for awhile, and have 52" leaves planned for the front too... although I'd rather see someone else do it first!



I'm going to push my front axle forward significantly too. I'm thinking about using the factory rear fender flares up front, and cutting out the fenders to match. The rears are a good bit larger opening than the front fender wells.



The 2. 5 FOAs ought to allow some good rompin!

Yeah if I ever do a 81-93 I will do that with the flares for sure. My RC is a 79, so its the older body style. Im planning on basically cutting the front fender at the same line as the bottom of the front valence, and then cutting out about 3". I dont want to go all the way to the body line. The rear I am not sure about yet... I pushed the axle back 1". I hope it wasnt a mistake. I am going to set the RC body on the 1 ton frame this weekend and see how it all lines up.



For the 52 fronts, Im gonna start with the rears I have out of the 93 since its a 1 ton. Then go lighter from there. I went opposite in the back... used 2wd half ton chev leafs to get it as light as possible. Im guessing I am going to have to run sway bars f/r to make it "wife streetable". We shall see!!



Ill start a thread... one day... soon-ish... maybe? haha

 

[Grey Wolf]

Thanks Grey Wolf!!! Yes, unfortunately, the old blue truck is the only one running right now, so it has to stay in running/working condition. I also daily drive it ~ 350 miles / week, so it gets some good use



--Eric

Yeah I'll bet it doesn't complain much, mine always enjoys working and I enjoy driving it too!



pwerwagn, Yeah you should step up to the plate, I for one would enjoy seeing your progress

 

[HHhuntitall]

Yeah I'll bet it doesn't complain much, mine always enjoys working and I enjoy driving it too!



pwerwagn, Yeah you should step up to the plate, I for one would enjoy seeing your progress

Me, two, too!!!

 

[pwerwagn]

Ill finally stop cluttering up your thread buddy.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...-cummins-ramcharger-pop-top-build-thread.html

--Jeff

 

[ENafziger]

Ill finally stop cluttering up your thread buddy.

Doesn't bother me!!! ... well, as long as there's still a little progress shown along the way, unlike BSchwarzli and the ultimately never finished W350 thread

All in good fun, Robert!


--Eric