(Another) Forest Living Suburban Build Thread
- Thread starter Burb One
- Start date
Trasharoo. We love it. After a few years of hard use one of the straps broke and they replaced the bag no questions asked. Love that. Only thing I would say is get another color other than black. Sitting in the sun all day it fades after a year or two...
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rayra
Expedition Leader
PERFECT time of year. This was always my favorite sweet spot on the calendar, right now. After the schools are back in session, after Labor Day weekend, and before the first major snowfall. Concessionaires are all still operating and you just have busloads of foreign tourists to contend with. You can actually hike the valley trails and sometimes not see another person for whole minutes at a time.
Ashton
Newbie
Thanks!
Agreed, looking forward to it. The spot we were going to camp outside of the park looks like it was overrun by a fire a few months ago, ranger office closed today, going to call tomorrow.... Between the fires and beetle infestations, so many closures!
So, started by a purchase of 35's a few weeks ago and the insusing bumper trimming.... decided to just get on with it on the Friday off after Thanksgiving. With my carboloaded state, got this done!
I'll get more photos soon, but I am really happy. Definitely my best welding job so far. Also really happy with the 35's... almost no loss of pep or MPG's surprisingly. I think the 4.10's with 35's is perfect gearing, with the 33's the revs were always high on the highway.
Also, the bumper weighs about the same or maybe a a little less than stock, as well as allowing the winch to sit back about 6 inches from before (As close to the radiator as allowed by the bumper being in between) My approach angle is much, much better now!
I'll get more photos soon, but I am really happy. Definitely my best welding job so far. Also really happy with the 35's... almost no loss of pep or MPG's surprisingly. I think the 4.10's with 35's is perfect gearing, with the 33's the revs were always high on the highway.
Also, the bumper weighs about the same or maybe a a little less than stock, as well as allowing the winch to sit back about 6 inches from before (As close to the radiator as allowed by the bumper being in between) My approach angle is much, much better now!
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Hey Thanks!
Yep. I measured, 3d printed and tested and was going to have someone CNC'd some spacers..
Then found these
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HFRMJ32/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2 stacked on the driver side, 1 on the passenger side. I like easy off the shelf parts, that I could have primed anywhere in the country next day. Been much heavier on the throttle off road, no problems at all now for 5 months. Very happy.
Yep. I measured, 3d printed and tested and was going to have someone CNC'd some spacers..
Then found these
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HFRMJ32/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2 stacked on the driver side, 1 on the passenger side. I like easy off the shelf parts, that I could have primed anywhere in the country next day. Been much heavier on the throttle off road, no problems at all now for 5 months. Very happy.
Thank you!
Love reading about your build thanks for taking the time to document everything. I've gone from wanting to leave everything stock on our new to us 2003 z71 to coil overs and a lift. Especially after seeing your trip to Moab. Would love to see some detail pics of your front bumper.
Love reading about your build thanks for taking the time to document everything. I've gone from wanting to leave everything stock on our new to us 2003 z71 to coil overs and a lift. Especially after seeing your trip to Moab. Would love to see some detail pics of your front bumper.
rayra
Expedition Leader
looking good but why so much driver side droop? What lightbar did you go with? I'm looking on the cheap knockoff end but trying to find something that won't fall apart. Just can't stomach the idea of $500+ for a light. Thinking about the curved combo ones too.
Still intending to get something done about the fuel tank 2nd skin, but it's gonna be March at least before I get to it. Got a lot of other stuff I want to get to.
Still intending to get something done about the fuel tank 2nd skin, but it's gonna be March at least before I get to it. Got a lot of other stuff I want to get to.
Thank you for the words! The coilovers really make a huge, huge difference.
I'll post some detail pictures of the bumper!
Not sure.... I think it's just an optical illusion. There's no droop in person or the other picture.
So some updates, been super busy with work and holidays.
Details on bumper. Not much you can't sen in the picture. Ground the end of the chassis extension flat and welded 1/2 plate to the end, as well as some down the length of the chassis. i left the stock weak extrusions as a "crash structure" The rest is 3/16 square tube that I just went with. bolted up the pieces to the 1/2 plate and just finished one side and replicated it on the other. Super light and SUPER strong. Can't bend at all when jumping on the extreme ends. Very happy.
Went up to the Sierras twice in the past month. This last weekend put the truck in a position to "test the bumper"
Passed with flying colors. Only thing I need to do is weld in a little tab inside the receiver mount so the winch doesn't tilt/ rattle and maybe shorten the windshield wiper fluid reservoir so it doesn't hang below the bumper. Don't see myself getting up to a rock that big, but I have it on my list...
On to some pictures....!!
Love this picture, too bad I left the hood open (for turning the winch elec. cutoff)
Super Red sky:
The trail here in the summer is easy, last litle part to a nice openeing for camping. However, with the snow and RAIN (this area is usually 2-3 feet of snow at this time of year) the area was that type of mud that pulls your boots into the ground. With "Burb Two" behind me on some nice ground, figured mine as well try to get up the "trail river bed" and we can winch if we get stuck. Also wanted to test out my new mounts on the bumper. On the way in, we had to winch up the hill (it's pretty steep, maybe 10-15 degrees, hard to tell in pictures. This made going up in mud difficult. For coming out I thought we would have to winch up the hill for the last part to where the other truck is. However with the new confidence that my 14 bolt and 2500 running gear isn't going to break, power solves things
Also, not aired donw, since it's less than a mile off a well worn gravel trail, and kept the sway bars attached..
Details on bumper. Not much you can't sen in the picture. Ground the end of the chassis extension flat and welded 1/2 plate to the end, as well as some down the length of the chassis. i left the stock weak extrusions as a "crash structure" The rest is 3/16 square tube that I just went with. bolted up the pieces to the 1/2 plate and just finished one side and replicated it on the other. Super light and SUPER strong. Can't bend at all when jumping on the extreme ends. Very happy.
Went up to the Sierras twice in the past month. This last weekend put the truck in a position to "test the bumper"
Passed with flying colors. Only thing I need to do is weld in a little tab inside the receiver mount so the winch doesn't tilt/ rattle and maybe shorten the windshield wiper fluid reservoir so it doesn't hang below the bumper. Don't see myself getting up to a rock that big, but I have it on my list...
On to some pictures....!!
Love this picture, too bad I left the hood open (for turning the winch elec. cutoff)
Super Red sky:
The trail here in the summer is easy, last litle part to a nice openeing for camping. However, with the snow and RAIN (this area is usually 2-3 feet of snow at this time of year) the area was that type of mud that pulls your boots into the ground. With "Burb Two" behind me on some nice ground, figured mine as well try to get up the "trail river bed" and we can winch if we get stuck. Also wanted to test out my new mounts on the bumper. On the way in, we had to winch up the hill (it's pretty steep, maybe 10-15 degrees, hard to tell in pictures. This made going up in mud difficult. For coming out I thought we would have to winch up the hill for the last part to where the other truck is. However with the new confidence that my 14 bolt and 2500 running gear isn't going to break, power solves things
Also, not aired donw, since it's less than a mile off a well worn gravel trail, and kept the sway bars attached..
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