2007 Silverado - Buy Once, Cry Once: 1-tons, 40's & a Custom Camper
- Thread starter Andrew_S
- Start date
Andrew_S
Observer
Thanks for the good words guys, no issues with fires here yet.
Some days you move forward on a project and some days you get kicked in the nuts.
This am leaving for work I noticed this small puddle, initially thinking break fluid only to be disappointed and find its gear oil. Looks like I messed up the inner axle seal, I'll be pulling this thing completely back apart now.
I went to install the PPE trans mount this evening, only to be greeted by this beauty as well... Looks like the T-case is coming back out too...
No use in crying over spilt milk, or tranny fluid, or gear oil... Rear end is back in for shock and sway bar mount mock up.
Check out this tentative departure angle, a little over 50 degrees.
and some glory shots to make myself feel better after all the setbacks today brought my way
The stretched wheel base looks just about perfect.
Some days you move forward on a project and some days you get kicked in the nuts.
This am leaving for work I noticed this small puddle, initially thinking break fluid only to be disappointed and find its gear oil. Looks like I messed up the inner axle seal, I'll be pulling this thing completely back apart now.
I went to install the PPE trans mount this evening, only to be greeted by this beauty as well... Looks like the T-case is coming back out too...
No use in crying over spilt milk, or tranny fluid, or gear oil... Rear end is back in for shock and sway bar mount mock up.
Check out this tentative departure angle, a little over 50 degrees.
and some glory shots to make myself feel better after all the setbacks today brought my way
The stretched wheel base looks just about perfect.
ITTOG
Well-known member
It is looking great. Quick question, when you hang the leaf springs do you hang them, talking about the mounting points, with a leaf springs fully relaxed or under load? Just curious how you determine how far apart the shackles will be.
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Andrew_S
Observer
^ Thanks, but don't let the pictures fool you, this thing is definitely built in a garage.
Still trying to sort out what I'm going to do with the front bumper. I grabbed this sierra bumper to test fit, less than desirable, so I'm likely going to run a stock 1500 silverado bumper for now.
Mocking up the exhaust and sway bar and sorting out shock placement. Need to get one connection of the exhaust expanded to fit but it should work nicely.
I needed a win, so I decided to shift gears and tackle the interior.
I stopped counting after 30 pieces of interior came out of this thing. Holy smokes it's a bit of a job taking this thing down to the shell.
Everything out and ready for a wipe down
There must have been 20 lbs of dust & dirt in this carpet.
Getting paid some big money on this job
I've definitely seen worse condition seats, but money better spent now than waiting. Drivers seat was split down the entire side and the foam was really sacked out.
Passenger seat ready for new upholstery
Drivers side, but more work swapping the seat bottom and swapping the heated seat element
They turned out so good. After a couple of weeks sitting in the sun and stretching/shrinking, I'm sure any remaining wrinkles will be relaxed. Nicest GMT 800 seat I've ever sat in.
Took a break that evening and gave this old truck a coat wax. The old lacquer paint still buffs alright for it's age and abuse.
Before I put the interior back together, I decided, "while I'm at it" I may as well add some sound-dampening/deadening. Put down a layer of 80mil butyl mat this evening.
Have enough left over to do the roof & door cards one day, but not today.
Hopefully, get the interior back together slowly in the evenings this week and start back on the rear and redo items this weekend.
Bear with my limited experience, may be best to google this for some actual expert opinions - but, my thought process was duplicate the stock distancing and I would get the stock shackle angles, but reversed because it's a shackle flip kit. It worked out. Without any weight in the rear the shackles are at almost exactly 90*. My understanding is angled slightly forward (80-85* from the leaf is best for ride comfort. Angled back would cause a bind under articulation. Once I add a deck, fuel, camper and gear (nearly 1500-1800 lbs), the back should settle down an inch or two.
I had given this situation more thought than I care to admit... Luckily it worked out.
Still trying to sort out what I'm going to do with the front bumper. I grabbed this sierra bumper to test fit, less than desirable, so I'm likely going to run a stock 1500 silverado bumper for now.
Mocking up the exhaust and sway bar and sorting out shock placement. Need to get one connection of the exhaust expanded to fit but it should work nicely.
I needed a win, so I decided to shift gears and tackle the interior.
I stopped counting after 30 pieces of interior came out of this thing. Holy smokes it's a bit of a job taking this thing down to the shell.
Everything out and ready for a wipe down
There must have been 20 lbs of dust & dirt in this carpet.
Getting paid some big money on this job
I've definitely seen worse condition seats, but money better spent now than waiting. Drivers seat was split down the entire side and the foam was really sacked out.
Passenger seat ready for new upholstery
Drivers side, but more work swapping the seat bottom and swapping the heated seat element
They turned out so good. After a couple of weeks sitting in the sun and stretching/shrinking, I'm sure any remaining wrinkles will be relaxed. Nicest GMT 800 seat I've ever sat in.
Took a break that evening and gave this old truck a coat wax. The old lacquer paint still buffs alright for it's age and abuse.
Before I put the interior back together, I decided, "while I'm at it" I may as well add some sound-dampening/deadening. Put down a layer of 80mil butyl mat this evening.
Have enough left over to do the roof & door cards one day, but not today.
Hopefully, get the interior back together slowly in the evenings this week and start back on the rear and redo items this weekend.
1stDeuce
Explorer
Looking good Andrew!!
Better fix for the bumper look: Swap to a GMC front end.
I am not a fan of the high hood Cat-eye front end. The GMC nose had much better visibility than the Chevy thanks to using the same hood from '99 to 2007.
I love the .22 cal casings (and not yet a casing...) My truck had about a coffee cup full that came out of the dash the first time I took it apart , and some of which were under the driver's door sill. I suspect someone in North Dakota was sniping prairie dogs on company time...
Since your doing mods, you might check into adding a 2nd alternator. It's pretty easy, aside from getting the new serp belt on, which is a PITA. I didn't swap to the smaller alt's that were factory, I added a second of the same size as the first. Kept the old serp belt under the back seat, so now if I have a catastrophic alt failure, I can still get home after an hour of wrangling the serp belt. Plus no more low voltage when you first start it, nor when winching.
Since it's an LBZ, you should also add switches for the exhaust brake and high idle. Both pretty cool features, though I need high idle less now that I have two alt's. Pretty easy, and I think you can buy the pins on ebay now...
Not that you don't have enough to do...
Better fix for the bumper look: Swap to a GMC front end.
I am not a fan of the high hood Cat-eye front end. The GMC nose had much better visibility than the Chevy thanks to using the same hood from '99 to 2007.
I love the .22 cal casings (and not yet a casing...) My truck had about a coffee cup full that came out of the dash the first time I took it apart , and some of which were under the driver's door sill. I suspect someone in North Dakota was sniping prairie dogs on company time...
Since your doing mods, you might check into adding a 2nd alternator. It's pretty easy, aside from getting the new serp belt on, which is a PITA. I didn't swap to the smaller alt's that were factory, I added a second of the same size as the first. Kept the old serp belt under the back seat, so now if I have a catastrophic alt failure, I can still get home after an hour of wrangling the serp belt. Plus no more low voltage when you first start it, nor when winching.
Since it's an LBZ, you should also add switches for the exhaust brake and high idle. Both pretty cool features, though I need high idle less now that I have two alt's.
Pretty easy, and I think you can buy the pins on ebay now...Not that you don't have enough to do...
Last edited:
Andrew_S
Observer
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Thanks for that, it should get a lot better once I move onto the next stages.
Thanks for the good words.
Man, you are a bad influence hahaha.Looking good Andrew!!
Better fix for the bumper look: Swap to a GMC front end.
I am not a fan of the high hood Cat-eye front end. The GMC nose had much better visibility than the Chevy thanks to using the same hood from '99 to 2007.
I love the .22 cal casings (and not yet a casing...) My truck had about a coffee cup full that came out of the dash the first time I took it apart , and some of which were under the driver's door sill. I suspect someone in North Dakota was sniping prairie dogs on company time...
Since your doing mods, you might check into adding a 2nd alternator. It's pretty easy, aside from getting the new serp belt on, which is a PITA. I didn't swap to the smaller alt's that were factory, I added a second of the same size as the first. Kept the old serp belt under the back seat, so now if I have a catastrophic alt failure, I can still get home after an hour of wrangling the serp belt. Plus no more low voltage when you first start it, nor when winching.
Since it's an LBZ, you should also add switches for the exhaust brake and high idle. Both pretty cool features, though I need high idle less now that I have two alt's.
Not that you don't have enough to do...
I was actually looking for a GMC originally, but these cat eyes are growing on me. I might swap to a 1500 hood if I find a truck the right colour.
Yeah the old boy who owned the truck before us was a bridge foreman/bush man. The back of the bed had some weed leafs and a lot of bark in it when we got it. This truck pulled a 5th wheel all over the country and did a lot of miles in the bush hunting before our ownership.
I hear you on the full coffee cup, the center console was completely covered in what looked like coke or Pepsi on the inside....
I've been considering a couple of options for the accessory drive, dual alternators or maybe even a york 210 and a single big alternator. I'm worried the ARB won't have the output for the tires. Leaning hard towards selling it and going the York route.
I'm definitely going to sort out the high idle and exhaust brake stuff once I get it back on the road. Hoping to clean up the sotf mounting location and do the prior stuff all in one shot.
Continued on sound deadening layer 2, picked up a 1/8" sheet of closed-cell adhesive-backed foam from a local supplier and laid it down next.
This was really nice stuff to work with, just the right amount of stretch,
Next layer was my mass, a sheet of 1/8" rubber mat from the same outfit.
Picked up a 1/2 ton bumper locally this aft, need to start cutting it up to fit the warn winch bumper into it.
Sure makes the truck look a lot smaller getting it dressed with some of the normal pieces.
Andrew_S
Observer
Started on the front bumper this late afternoon,
Took some initial measurements to make sure my idea was completely out to lunch.
Next was the gruelling cut a bit, check the fit, cut a bit more.
After about 20 test fits I ended up with this:
This couldn't have worked out better. The dimensions worked out perfectly and I can even use the stock license plate location.
I trimmed the bumper ends for wheel clearance, could likely fit 42's now!
Stoked on how this turned out. I Can't believe I managed to stuff that large frame 8274 behind a stock bumper with quite a bit of trimming. Just need to sort out some brackets for the winch chassis and a hole for disengaging the stop.
Took some initial measurements to make sure my idea was completely out to lunch.
Next was the gruelling cut a bit, check the fit, cut a bit more.
After about 20 test fits I ended up with this:
This couldn't have worked out better. The dimensions worked out perfectly and I can even use the stock license plate location.
I trimmed the bumper ends for wheel clearance, could likely fit 42's now!
Stoked on how this turned out. I Can't believe I managed to stuff that large frame 8274 behind a stock bumper with quite a bit of trimming. Just need to sort out some brackets for the winch chassis and a hole for disengaging the stop.