SAS: GEEMONS Goes Under the Knife

[buffy]

Good Afternoon Folks,

I'm about to move forward with the SAS on my '96 Tahoe (GEEMONS) two Mondays from now. I play enough with my truck to warrant additional performance and strength. I have already upgraded the rear end with a 14 bolt SF w/ Detroit and chrome-moly shafts. I run 35s and plan to run 35s until the rig dies. I'm building an "all-around" trail rig. Something that can articulate admirally and stay together through some basic rock crawling. I don't hammer the happy pedal. I would like to hear your feedback on the products I've chosen and the direction I'm going. I'll post pics when I'm done. Here's my purchase list:

Rebuilt 1979 Ford F250 Dana 44 Front Axle w/ Chevy/FSJ Style Dana 44 Flat Top Knuckles
Warn Premium Locking Hubs
Spicer 5-760x U-joints
Chevy Style Hubs, Brake Calipers & Rotors
Larger Master Cylinder
Proportioning Valve
High Steer Setup
Detroit Truetrac
4.56 Dana 44 Reverse Rotation Gears
ORU Solid Axle Swap Kit
Custom Front Shackles for Better Angles
BDS 3" or 4" Front Springs
Bilstein Shocks
ORD U-bolt Flip Kit
ORD 4" Shackle Flip Kit
Alcan 3" or 4" Rear Springs
Reworked Exhaust

[b454rat]

Sounds good, except for the ORU stuff. I'm not really knocking them, their stuff is good, but the price is just rediculous. $850 for SAS brackets when I had a set made for $100??? You can do all the work yourself, just as good, for a 1/4 of the price. Bout the only thing I would change is run a full float rear, wether it be a 14 or 60. By the sounds of the wheeling that you do, a Dana 60 FF will hold up fine.

[gauder]

Getting ready to do one myself. Good luck.

[bggrnchvy]

Get the MC out of a 80's K20...maybe a K30 with those Ford dual piston calipers.

Im happy with my Wilwood prop valve.

If you get longer front shackles, your going to need longer front springs than the typical 47" to get good shackle angle. Just longer shackles on the stock lenght springs will perpetuate a bad shackle angle problem.

You are going to want to move the axle forward about 1" from the stock position to clear the rear of the front fenders when stuffed as the axle will move backwards as it travels upwards. You are also going to have more than enough lift for 35's. With the amount of lift you have you can clear 37's with no rub with a little trimming and a zero rate...I clear 38x14.50's with only 1" more lift.

[buffy]

Originally Posted by bggrnchvy

If you get longer front shackles, your going to need longer front springs than the typical 47" to get good shackle angle. Just longer shackles on the stock lenght springs will perpetuate a bad shackle angle problem.

You are going to want to move the axle forward about 1" from the stock position to clear the rear of the front fenders when stuffed as the axle will move backwards as it travels upwards. You are also going to have more than enough lift for 35's.

What is your exact front spring/shackle configuration, and how did you find out about these problems with the ORU setup?

The ORU kit already moves the front axle position forward 1 inch. Are you saying I need 2 inches?

[bggrnchvy]

The location of the axle from the ORU kit is to far backwards. Jason towered over 39.5's to make them fit, not mention it looked weird having the axle so far back in the wheel well.

My exact configuration is:

An alcan leaf pack based off the 47" spring, but with 3" added oast the center pin to make an offset 50" spring. Loaded this spring ends up being 52" eye to eye. I had Jason build me a set of shackles that are 7" long.

I found the problems with shackle angle from asking everyone who has the ORU kit on there rigs, the shackle angle is perfect for no lift running the stock inverted chevy springs, where the shackle pointing forwards would be right. Having the spring bulging down binds this shackle as the spring wants to expand as it takes bumps but the shackle is in rigid compression between the hangar and the spring.

This is because the distance between the hanagars is to far, unfortunatly theres no good way to move them closer together, so a longer spirng is the answer.

My axle is moved forward by the kit 1", then 1.5" by Jasons old zero rates for 2.5" and thats perfect for my 38's in the wheel well.

[gauder]

If you stay with a disc/drum setup, why the need to change the master cylinder?

[bggrnchvy]

Quick take up valve MC vs. non quick take up valve MC.