CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

Bed skins:

http://www.norcalbigdawgs.net/Gallery/albums/album74/MVC_899F.jpg

Bed Removed:

http://www.norcalbigdawgs.net/Gallery/albums/album74/MVC_902F.jpg

Tubin!

http://www.norcalbigdawgs.net/Gallery/albums/album74/MVC_906F.jpg

New shaved 14 bolt in...

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/Misc/MVC-011F.JPG

Rear shot showing new axle in place and all the unnecessary stuff removed:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/Misc/MVC-012F.JPG

Whats left of the bed, hauling to dump in a bit...

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/Misc/MVC-015F.JPG

I'm also tubing out the back half of the truck along with the 4 link. Actual suspension work starts tomorrow evening, stay tuned!

Hope you paint your driveshaft. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

What's your fabrication schedule like? I may have to come down for a few hours and check this shiznit out /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Paint my driveshaft? That things brand new, just a bit dirty... Anywho, I'm heading down south tomorrow to pick up some tires but I'll be working on it all day Sunday!

what are your plans for it, what type of tubing are you using,dom,hrew, just curious.i plan on tubing the rear of my k5. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Todays Progress:

Rear axle bridge:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/553.jpg

Upper link axle end mounts:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/556.jpg

Overhead shot:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/554.jpg

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/557.jpg

Upper link frame end mounts:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/555.jpg

Finished:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/558.jpg

Another angle:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/559.jpg

Links are .25" wall right there and I have another .120" wall tube to slide over them so they will be .375" wall when done... I may make the lowers .500" wall just incase but I'm not sure yet...

On the frame end mounts I'm going to cap the top and bottom of them for more strength and add a few gussets as well. Not going to finish weld everything till everything is done.

Get the lower links done tomorrow and hopefully get the shocks in place...

I'm using HREW for the bed... I have always used DOM for everything and vowed to never use anything else but DOM. But now I'm broke and need to get this done /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif It was 1/2 the cost so welded seem sounded good at the time... The way it will be built it should offer plenty of strength other than the actual denting it will get when being bounced off things... Oh well, dents are cool /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

On this picture:
http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/559.jpg

Are the holes for adjusting if you have to tune the setup?

Looks pretty good, just clean that frame up, jeez it's dirty /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

No, I put them in because I was reading on riceownz.com that each "gofast" hole adds 7hp and 14ft/lbs of torque...



Yes they are for adjustability. When I designed the 4 link I figured out my COG but now that the bed is gone and I'm tubing it out the COG has changed so I need the extra tweakability...

You are only putting one point of adjustment per link? I realize the price jumps when you use threaded ends and the threaded adapters at all pivots and I would do the same as you. Just wondering how hard it will be to get everything strait and in line? Are the solid pins in the axle links just for place holding? (I assume bolts will be used when finished) Looks great so far.

Well a 180 turn of the one heim only moves it out or in about 1/32"... Thats plenty small enough adjustment for me...

Yes they will be replaced with 1" Grade 8 bolts, the bolt place was closed today so I used 3/4" EMT conduit I had laying around /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Okay sound like enough adjustability to me. 1/32 on a long wheelbase like yours might not even be worth it (try 2 full turns to get anything you'll notice /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)

As always, you do really nice work. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

However, that's got to be the tallest bridge I've ever seen on anything other than a top-loader! /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif Should give some interesting numbers...

Yeah I wanted to get my roll axis as high as possible... And if I went any higher than that it would hit the gooseneck hitch at full compression... Once the lower links are done I get to go back and gusset and brace the poop out of that thing...

Looks good, Looks very good. Just curious what's the shear rating on the 1" bolts your usings and what size Heims are you using and are those the Rubicon Express joints on the frame?

Yep, large RE joints on the frame and 1-1/4" heims at the axle.


As for shear strength, not sure on the exact spec of the bolt but assuming a 95,000 psi ultimate strength rating with a cross section of 0.7854^2" I get a single shear strength of 74,613 or a double shear strength of 149,226 assuming it's doubled.

Today!!!!

Lower link axle mounts:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/561.jpg

Lower link frame mounts:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/562.jpg

Overhead shot:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/563.jpg

Suspension compressed to bumpstops, pinion rotation is perfect throughout travel:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/564.jpg

Flexy flexy, could go farther but the concrete hindered my progress...:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/565.jpg

Absolutely zero axle steer, this is why it pays to learn and design a proper 4 link system!:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/566.jpg

nice man, that thing just get sweeter.

Very nice. You work shows the amount of time you spend in research and design. What values did you end up getting for your roll axis, anti-squat and the other ones I dont know the names of right now? /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/gallery/albums/album06/pcc_susp5.jpg

I probably don't need to chime in on this, but are the mounts a little too thin? Or is it kind of an optical illusion due to the shear size of the joints. In no way I am doubting you or you ability to fabricate. Just curious about those mounts. I have seen some of the projects you've done and they are awesome!

Yep, they are thin! 3/16" plate /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif

But! I am confident that as long as the unit is designed correctly thinner material can work successfully. Once you see the gusseting and bracing you will understand /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

AWESOME!

Looking good Jason!!! /forums/images/graemlins/pimp.gif

It's always nice to see an axle travel the way it should with a link setup. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Great thread Jason!

Do you have anymore information on the joints your using?

You are going to do a write up on this, right?!? /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

BTW, awesome work. That is becoming a work of art!

Today I got the new fuel tank mounted, the main hoop behind
the cab built, and I cut the frame off behind the axle /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

You can see how the frame was cut off then the last 16" was bent in to clear the shocks:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/567.jpg

Overall view of bent in frame rails and the fuel tank and hoop:

http://www.industrialoffroad.com/phpBB2/albums/568.jpg

that thing is sweet. i cant get over the fact that thats only your tow rig. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

anyway, while im thinkin about it, i noticed your tires are pretty worn, which got me thinkin - how many sets of tires have you gone through since you did the SFA swap?

Those are my origional tires...

Why did you cut the frame?

Cause uh, didn't really want 30" of frame hanging past the rear tires... Kinda hinders my forward progress when dropping off of boulders...

So no more bed at all?

Not in the traditional sense no...

I noticed your bed skins are 8' long still though. How are you going to have it appear that you have 8' of bed if you're missing the last 4' or so of frame?

give him time, he'll prolly just trim them. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

[ QUOTE ]
give him time, he'll prolly just trim them. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm thinking he's still going to have it look like it has a long bed on it....that's why I'm trying to figure out here how he's going to accomplish that.

When I saw the bed skins, I was like, oh, cool, he's gutting the bed, then now I see the frame rails hacked and I'm not sure what to think yet.

What are you going to use for springs? I'm assuming coilovers, but of course everyone wants to know what kind, how much travel, etc.

k your right i didnt think about that, maybe leave the bed sides on the street for appearances, but remove them offroad?

[ QUOTE ]
k your right i didnt think about that, maybe leave the bed sides on the street for appearances, but remove them offroad?

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. But mainly for legallity on the street... I'd rather run around with just the tubin /forums/images/graemlins/pimp.gif

As for shocks, 2.5x18 Sway-A-Way's with tripple rate coils.

I envy you, You should bring the thing down to the dealer I work at down here and see if they take a look at that mysterious noise you have in the rear diff. /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

Absolutely Awsome! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/pimp1.gif /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif

Showoff! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Question... Since it's going to be linked now anyways, and I assume that you're going to fabrimicate some facy tubey deal to support the shocks, why not lose the frame right behind where the links attach? Seems like it's just going to get in the way of the coilvers anyways.

Nope, can't do that... My gooseneck hitch is welded very heavily to the frame and I'm keeping it so the frame stays to... This is my tow rig after all /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

Are any of the houses near you for sale? I think i should be your neighbor. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Very nice work!

So are planning to link out the front anytime soon? I only ask because I would be interested in the ORU leaf spring conversion if you go all coil. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Actually yes, but not for a while. I have all the RE joints that I would need to do it and such and the tubing but I don't have the coilovers, the expensive part... That will be a little while.