And I'm not even thinking about making my Sierra 4wd lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by ZEUS
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And I'm not even thinking about making my Sierra 4wd lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by ZEUS
Front end is back together and what not. I still need to put the exhaust crossover pipe back on. I'll probably get that done today.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3803086_n.jpg
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I welded a receiver into my tube bumper on the back. I need to finish weld it a little more but I think it turned out pretty good, I also painted the rear bumper a little:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7820078_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6437697_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._8258947_n.jpg
Bumper deff looks better than rusty!
Dude, Wicked sweet. Love the color you chose. Kinda looks like the quicksand color of an FJ. :grino: I know this is only my opinion, but those tires are too skinny. Go with a 12.5". Other than that you rocked that project out. Good job.
I know you are more into functional mods and I really respect your hard work and fab skills, but I have to agree I would like to see some wider tires or wider wheel spacers like you already mentioned, and I wanted to ask if you have thought about taking off or painting over the chrome on the bumper? Since it is the only chrome on the truck it just looks out of place. If you blacked it out or matched the body color and then went with clear corners instead of yellow maybe it would freshen up the front end? Thoughts?
Thanks, I thought so too lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Bob Barker
Thanks alot! I'm happy with the color too. I had a vision in my mind when I was looking for the paint and found what I wanted in an odd color name lol. I'll eventually go with some 12.50's I think but I really liked these 34x10.50's and the deal I got on them was unbeatable.Quote:
Originally Posted by H3_VX
Thanks man. Ya I think a slightly wider wheel spacer would have been better but it's too late now and I'm not gonna spend $ on another set lol. I'll eventually end up with some wider tires but I REALLY wanted to run these 34x10.50's for awhile plus like I mentioned, the deal was great. I have thought about the bumper, I'm debating if I want to paint it or just find a black version at the yard. I'll probably end up painting it though, the only chrome that would be left on the truck would be the lug nuts and the Honda emblem lol. I don't think I will get clear corners, they would look good but it's not a "need" and I'm trying to keep this truck in the "budget" category (yes I know they aren't expensive but I'm being frugal haha). That is an interesting idea about body coloring the bumper, I wonder how that'd look.....Quote:
Originally Posted by LittleBeast
OK, now that we've established you don't eat, sleep, work or see your wife or kids much :laugho:.....ARE YOU MAKING IT TO MOAB THIS YEAR OR NOT?
p.s....sounds like you're in your late 20s...HOW do you know all this stuff from bumper to bumper? :freek:
No, seriously, kudos Dallas! (and all the other peeps that know how to do this stuff)! :thumbup:
How did we establish that, I do all of those things :p Especially my kids, that's my day job lol. And your right about late 20's, how'd you figure that out :happyface No I won't be making the Moab trip, I'd love to but can't get/afford the time off. I spend alot of time (obviously) doing this stuff and it's a huge passion of mine, so alot of hands on studying :yeso:Quote:
Originally Posted by VX KAT
Took the truck to work today (bout 60 mile round trip) and she did great. Rides pretty good at speed, and got the jitters out of my stomach on if she'd stay together :p
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7838514_n.jpg
Left early so I could get an alignment, and realized today why I always do things myself and hate taking my truck anywhere. It sucks when I know more than the guy I'm going to pay to do work. Needless to say i didn't get my alignment done and decided I will just do it myself at home
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I wonder if this pretty Rodeo saw me :)
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._5628307_n.jpg
Saw another one like it when I left work tonight, but the driver was stopped on the side of the road looking at an F150 for sale :mado2:
Took a few snapshots today:
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...3_384031_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4683617_n.jpg
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I love my welded front diff so far. It pops every now and then when turning but that's typical as with any locker. I unlocked one hub and when I was backing out of the ditch it started digging down because the sand is super soft, I walked around, locked in the other hub and she backed right out lol.
Looks like you've got it running pretty good. I expect it will be sold within 2 weeks :laugho:
He's making the world a better place, one car at a time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Barker
I like your train of thought H3! I guess I am :) Nah it'll at least be after my birthday in June before it's gone lol.
Is there something wrong with the steering linkage? You keep running off the road into the ditch! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by RamAirZ
Ya it has this crazy problem of wanting to go into every ditch or up every hill it can find.
Messed around some more today, lifted the passenger side front tire lol.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._1041890_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2339474_n.jpg
You can see the body flex on the frame here, the bumper gap is not like that normally.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._8170265_n.jpg
And this is what I like to see!
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4940967_n.jpg
I worked on the alignment today, you know, the one that no shop wanted to do because they "needed" shims (BS!!)
Before:
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6726023_n.jpg
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After:
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Ya, so no shop would listen to me that you just need to take shims out, well look who was right!
yah the shims can be a pita. having to add them is worse unless u get factory shims, all the aftermarket ones are missing the little tabs to help get them in, so i had to use really tiny needle nose pliers to get my shims in. also threw a wee bit of rubber cement between them to kinda help them stick together while being put in
I just took them out. The shops were telling me they needed to ADD shims to my current setup and that they didn't have any, as you can tell from the before picture, adding shims would have made the tire lean worse. They couldn't comprehend that they needed to remove all/some of my current shims to set it. After them telling me I was wrong and that they didn't need to remove any and that they needed to add more, I said screw it, I'll do it myself lol
nice.. i had the luxury of a shop with an alignment rack, so made my life a bit easier to play with the shims to get it exactly right.. dead center in every category. I'm just glad camber and caster dont change much from daily driving so i dont have to do it again
I will say at my shop we tend to shy away from modified vehicles for warranty reasons, it has to be right time and right customer for us to get involved with a lifted/lowered vehicle
Ya I completely understand that, I told the guy that if he didn't want to do it to just tell me, don't give me a much of BS reasons that I can prove wrong. Had the shop that did my VX tell me that they don't mess with shims and then I told them well you did my VX and it's the same thing! It's just a trail rig and I used a level and some string and got it pretty damn close so I'm happy, saved me money too.
Where's the camaro Dallas?....:_thinking...did I miss you selling that too???
lol ya I traded it to a guy for the Sierra.
lemme get this straight...Mr. "RAM AIR Z" traded his Camaro for a 2WD Sierra? :freek:Quote:
Originally Posted by RamAirZ
just when you think you know someone...sheesh.....:sigho:
Lol its a better tow/family rig than the camaro, worth a lot more too. Don't worry, ill have another camaro soon
My wife is amazing:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._1176093_n.jpg
140amp mig welder, comes with mig wire, flux wire, hook up and gauges for running gas, and will weld 5/16" steel! From most of my research, one of the best you can get without going up to 220. I doubt I'll ever need anything bigger, 5/16 is pretty thick, trail-gear sliders and frame plates are 3/16, and pretty sure that's what ARB bumpers are made out of too.
very cool.. Sounds like a nice welder, mine is similar with what it comes with and the gas/gaseless hookups but a bit smaller I guess, will only do 1/4" which is still plenty for me
you know between the photos you posted and now telling us she got you a welder on a whim, youre gonna have to be careful about bringing your wife to maob or someones gonna try to steal her away! :grinb:
LOL it wasn't on a whim, early Fathers Day/Birthday gift. She wanted to get it without me knowing but she knew she didnt know much about them so she let me pick it out. And ya 1/4" is still thick. And she wouldn't come to Moab, she'd probably go see her dad while I have fun lol
well, its cute. ;)
Not as cute as your amigo
Installed my shieldz today:
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...6_344533_n.jpg
Getting closer to some real wheel time!
I was looking at those a year or two ago... whats the benefit? you dont strike me as the type to do a purely cosmetic mod, they just dont seem like they would offer much more rigidity to the tie rods, why not go with HD tie rodsQuote:
Originally Posted by RamAirZ
I got these for $20 so for one they were alot cheaper than the HD rods (this is still a budget build lol), I also wanted to keep tie-rod availability open since Indy doesn't tell you which vehicle they got the end from and supposedly the HD ones bind up when at full droop, the range of movement on the end itself is less "supposedly". The shieldz are supposed to help distribute the forces along the rod ends and adjuster and the inside of the shieldz have a stepped down section around the adjuster. This thick shield keeps one end of the tie rod unit from bending and breaking since once it's clamped down it can't really bend much in any direction. Also it will help against them on rocks.
http://www.4x4fotos.nl/upload/files/...dbidow1j5w.jpg
Now I can't say for sure that they work, but the guys on 4x4wire always swore by them, and I got them cheap and they came with a spare set of complete tie rod units. I see the theory in them and thats enough for me lol
Hooked up the welder and tested it out today. I think she welds pretty good!
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...51_15925_n.jpg
Hard starting and working on the bead with the gay helmet they give you. Have an auto-darkening one on the way. :bwgy:
Cut my receiver out of the bumper today and redid it. Straightened it out a bit and added some bracing:
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2970836_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6704311_n.jpg
And who said flux welds can't be pretty?
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._8290354_n.jpg
Welding is being done one-handed right now since my other hand has to be holding the stupid mask I have right now.
Question on your receiver:
It looks shallow (not much depth between the receiver pin hole and where the curve of the tube bumper starts). Did you cut into the tube for depth or does the receiver curve to match the tube?
It looks like a clean install & 'it don't make no nevermind to me', just concerned that when you need to use the receiver, the hitch will bottom out before you can engage the pin.
Good eye tom, I actually cut a hole in the bumper (which btw is a thick mofo, took forever) and slid the hitch inside. So it allows room for the Hitch to slide in and also acts as side bracing. I also have the lower section of the hitch tied back into the frame for extra support.
I thought about recessing it in more but this bumper was already on my truck when I got it and cutting through it was VERY difficult lol, it's really thick. Plus I wanted to have the receiver out a bit so when I have the ball installed it's out from the spare tire. Also if I mounted it any higher, the spare would hit it or cover it up so I had to mount it low.
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