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Another chevy build

410K views 1K replies 205 participants last post by  cda 
#1 · (Edited)
This is gonna start off more of an evolution thread being my truck is about done. A little back ground on how it got to where it is now.


this is about what it looked like when I got it a few years back.


fastforward thru a couple transformations and tire sizes.


always changing


the best it looked when still street legal, didnt have a digital camera back then so pics were few.


I skipped posting a lot of the mods I did to this point because they were all the normal chevy things, big bumpers, rock sliders, body lifts and normal junk like that. At this point the truck was still 1/2 ton 4" lift, 3" body lift. 38" tires.

The turning point that got me in the direction I am at now would be the tube bed. I got tired of smashing in the fender sides so I built this. It was actually 1 1/4" schedule 40 poop pipe, but worked great. Low budget was the only way I could afford to wheel.


I ran around with that bed all the way up till this year. At this point it was still a daily driver I used to get to work. Shortly after I also built an inside cage out of the same poop pipe. No pics of of that, I will have to dig thru old piles of photos.

I pulled the rock sliders for more ground clearance and before I knew about boat siding a cab I just cut the rockers off and welded some square tubing at the door opening, also cut the rusted corners out and reinforced the corners. These work good, actually still running the cab like that, simple but effective.



Never being able to leave anything alone I decide to tube the front end with the intent of leaving it street legal, I didnt own a tow rig or trailer so I didnt have any choice. So out of more poop pipe I run the cage thru the front firewall and built a pipe core support. That only lasted until I went to put sheet metal on, cause the first thing I did was narrow the front end. So a tow rig was now in order. Anyway fast forward again thru some more boring tech this is where I was at.


some beadlocks and the best upgrade I had done, a Dana 60 14bolt combo.


more to come.
 
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#211 ·
A few more pics.

Here is a little more of the carnage, we had to fix all this so I could get off the trail and get the yellow truck unstuck. made for an interesting afternoon.


My winch had the cable spinning on the drum and wouldnt pull so we got my buddys winch and ran it under my truck snatch blocked to the rear link bracket and back to the front axle to pull the spring back into place.


After that my boy drove it right out.


Had my son pull the yellow rig off the log and we pulled the tire off the bead. A high lift and an air compressor got it back on.


couple more misc shots from that morning.










 
#215 ·
started cutting up the front end. Planning on linking it. Not exactly sure how the links will go just yet.

One question is if 2.5" king coilovers will be enough. 3" are so much more expensive I dont wanna get them if I dont have to. I am sure 2" coilovers are a bit small for a fullsize front end.




 
#220 ·
living in oregon have you had any issues with the cops out on the dunes or in the trails with having your truck dovetailed?

now that i have a car trailer im thinking of doing something like that but 2 years ago up playing in the snow a guy didnt have any bed at all on his truck, trailered it there, and still got multiple tickets.
 
#222 ·
You won't need 3" coilovers, this big bitch runs 2.5" and he beats the living hell out of it without any problems what so ever. I'm not sure how much it weighs right now, but I am willing to say it is probably heavier than yours. Wade
 

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#225 ·
I think I have a better Idea of what direction I am going to go now. I am ording some FOA 2.5 coilovers. 16" should be plenty.

I started tacking up the lower links and was feeling pretty good about it until I tried to figure out what to do with the uppers(without redoing abunch of other stuff).

The more compromises I did the worse it started looking. So I dropped it all on the floor and said Fawk it. The frame is getting cut in front of the forward cab mount and its gonna be all tube from there forward. I went ahead and stripped the front end down.

I think since the trans mount is pretty stout and wont need madified I will leave it bolted up and suspend the eng with the hoist and just start cutting frame rails. Then bend up some tube and redo the eng mounts. This should allow me to triangulate the links more.

I'll take some pics as it starts going back together.
 
#229 ·
I have loved your truck from day 1.
TRUCK IS BADASS!!!!

WHEN MINE IS DONE IT WILL BE CLOSE TO YOURS!
 
#235 · (Edited)
250/175

I sure hope I am in the ball park with the rate. I had to guess what I thought the rig weighed on the front. Its very deceiveing with so much of the original truck gone. I wish I had scaled it before tearing it apart. I have an idea of the total weight of the truck but never got around to weighing front/rear and the corners.
 
#237 ·
Didn't get as much done as I wanted but got a good start. I had to work and go to the U-Pull It 1/2 off sale. Picked up a complete 454ci for $53.50


I got the frame cut off and capped with some 1/2" plate.





Cut some of the old tubes off the front. Need to start bending now.


 
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