Off Roading Work in progress, pics inside

[MMiller]

Thought maybe you guys would like to see what I've been working on. This is my 90 CTD, just swapped the 307's for 410's. Stil looking for a 70 rear, there is a 60 in the rear for now. I have a detroit for the front dana 60 to install, and a detroit for a dana 70 rear when I find one. I just finished bobbing the tail(16" off the bed and 10" off the frame) and covering up the taillight holes. I'm going to mount some brake/taillights up in the bed, so I can't tear them up off road. The truck will never have a tailgate on it again. I've also chopped the front fenders to clear the 38" swampers, still need to work on them. Enjoy.



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Michael

 

[MRosinski]

What springs are you using?

 

[MMiller]

I wish I knew, I bought the truck with the springs already in it, and a set of 305/70r16 mounted on it. If I had to guess, I think they are skyjackers, and I also guess its a 6" lift. It has the stock blocks under a newer pack in the rear. Sorry I can't say more. I just took the clamps off the rear pack a little while ago, and am going out to flex it up again to see if the rear is more free.



Michael

 

[JMalliet]

I like it. Looks like a brother of my Dakota. It's red with a 8 foot bed that was bobbed to 6. 5 feet, same big dent in the right bedside, locked D60's, and 39. 5 Iroks. Badass truck, keep up the work. I want to see some pics of it out on the trails when your done.

 

[MMiller]

JM, thanks for the compliments. I see you are from Wisconsin. The plan is to take it to Dresser WI, Memorial day weekend. Haven't been there for two years, but the two years prior we were. www.memorial4x4.org I hope to soon find a dana 70 for it, or else I'm going to have to baby the 60 rear. I am sure it will be a 60 snapping machine. I also hope to have a pair of stacks up behind the bed before then too. That way I can tickle the leaves on the trees with diesel smoke.



The crossover steering is functional, but I think I'm going to swap on my 4" pitman arm instead of the 2. 5 thats on there now. I measured up for shocks today, so I gotta figure out how I'm going to relocate the ones I have so they will be long enough. This is just the short list of things to do!



Michael

 

[JMalliet]

I hear ya about the 60 rear. I have a 30 spline 60 rear also, that is my weak link right now. I would like to find a 70 so I have 35 spline shafts front and rear, but funds are low now that i'm 4 linking the rear suspension.



Is that Dresser event all organized trail rides? Or can you go out on the trails with your own group of friends and run them? I was told that it was organized, that's why I goto McCaslin Mt. That way I can run with my buds at our own pace, we like to play on the rocks and take breaks every now and then.

 

[Simplysmn]

rearend for the 90 ctd

try bolting up a corpt 14 bolt from a chevy thats what i used on my crewcab its held up pretty good so far and other then brakelike change around it was a direct boltin along with driveline change plus alot stronger .





val

 

[MMiller]

Dresser is organized, but only to the aspect of trail times. This month or maybe next month you will need to print off registration forms, fill them out and send them in with your fees. Send all the registrations from all your friends in the same envelope. As long as you have less then 10-12 trucks in a group, you all will get the same trail time. You show up to trail head at your time, choose one of the three trails and ride it to the end. The trails are easy enough for a fairly stock 4X4 to make, but they have obsticles off the trail, anything from mild to wild. It takes better part of a day to make the trail end to end, if you try some of the obsticles. You can trail ride Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Just make sure you print off the tech rules, they tech inspections are quite thorough, and they make sure the truck is safe. It is limited to 1000 trucks and 2000 campers. You MUST preregister, you can't show up Friday and expect to be let in. I think you can show up on Monday and ride the trails for a smaller fee, but call and find out before you show up.



It is a good time, you should enter up and meet us there. Look up the cite I have above for information.



I have been offered a few 14 bolts. I already have a detroit for a dana 70 rear laying in the garage, this is the main reason I 'm looking for a 70 rear. I have a buddy up north that will find one sooner or later.



Thanks for the comments guys.



Michael

 

[MRosinski]

McCaslin Mt. sure is nice, me and about 5 other trucks are gonna head up there some time soon, once my new trailer comes in.

 

[MMiller]

Well, I thought I'd update this a little. I did get another rear diff, but it wasn't a 70. For some reason I could not find any local, or that were priced very resonable. I got a detroit locker and 14 bolt from a buddy real reasonable, cut off the spring pads and welded them in the "proper" place as chevy did not know were to put them... ... . Then installed the detroit and my 410s. I have a 1410 yoke ordered, hopefully be here this weekend. Last night I got the front end tore down, and detroit set in there, but back lash was . 015, needs to be . 004-. 009" :{ Now I have to pull the carrier bearings, and move some shims around.



The exhaust is all hooked up and done, just have to trim the dual 5" flat top stacks and slip them in. Also have to finish up the front fender wells, and make up a rear bumper/hitch. Oh yeah, still have to mount the fuel cell, but its all plumbed in a working. I had to pull out a crossmember to make the exhaust work up through the bed, so I welded in a couple tubes for a new crossmember. They may prove to be a good mounting point for an upper link later down the road.



When I get a little time, and get closer to completion, I'll update my pics, and this thread. Oh yeah, before it hits the trail, the pump will be adjusted for the ability to run smoke from the stacks! :-laf



Michael

 

[ESchoon]

Keep the updates coming--I really like what you have done so far! Look forward to seeing the pics.

 

[MMiller]

Updates

Here are some pics of the riding we did at Dresser. We did not bring any wives this time, so video footage was poor, and pics were not the best. Here are a few of my truck in action. I'm waiting for my buddy's video to get here. For some reason, my video has a large quanity of his truck on it, and his video has a large quanity of my truck on it. We should have traded video cameras before hitting the trail



The truck worked better then I had hoped. I wheeled it stock fuel settings the first two days. It was so nice to wheel over stuff and not have any carb choking, gagging, or any other assorted reflexes of a gasser. It always lit well, started easy. The 4. 10gear/727/38" tire combo worked well. There was only one time I could not spin the tires off idle, and I had three of the tires wedged in between logs. The only thing that was going to happen would have been broken parts if there was any lower gears. I'm wanting to go to a wider tire, probably a 38X16 TSLs or 39X16 Boggers. I also need hydraulic steering assist. The crossover worked well, but some assist would be better. After some fuel setting changes, as always the cummins came to life, and really opened some eyes. Even on the sandy hill climbs she went right up with no problems. I was happy with the project so far. Oo.

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Here's what she looked like when I aquired her. Most of the changes to the truck have happened since the first of the year.

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[MRosinski]

Were where you guys wheelin at?

 

[MMiller]

The action pics were taken at Dresser Wisconsin. Here is the web cite with more pics, www.memorial4x4.org and directions to get in next year.



We also run once a year at www.miobi4x4.org near Knoxville Ia. We were talking about some place out in Illinois, but I understand they have a wheel base limit, and its fullsize unfriendly.



Michael

 

[MRosinski]

cliffs insane terrain, and rockport are the only 2 in illinois that i know of, both have some real good trails. Cliffs has a 110" wb max, and rockport has a 115" or less wb. req. We usually head up to mcauslin mt. in the spring/fall and they allow anything there.