(Another) Forest Living Suburban Build Thread

[rayra]

yeah that's a nice tank mod, really tucks up nice and high.


I keep looking at that exposed expanse of factory poly tank and doodling ideas for covering it with an aluminum plate. Just want to add it as a skin / double hull sort of thing. Can't figure a way to make it truly 'structural' - something you could high-center on - without a lot of tubular framing. Might just make it like the shield on the driveshaft side of the tank, just something to increase penetration resistance, close fitting. There really isn't much vertical room below the tank, it sits less than 1" above the bottom of the frame rails. Trying to figure ways to suspend a plate without it winding up shoved into the tank in a high-center situation. And I don't think there's any room to move the tank upward.

Might settle for suspending the plate from the tank straps themselves and very close to the tank, keep it above the frame rails. Turn the plate edges upward so they won't snag on anything. Few more photos and sketches and I'm on to the 'cardboard aided design' stage. Another one of my long-lead-time slow motion projects. But I post it here figuring you guys might be interested in something like that (too).

 

[Burb One]

Ya, it's really up there. The hitch acts as a great "skid" for it as it is a good 4 inches lower than the tank.

Ya that's one area that I can't seem to figure out. I had plans of putting some large steel cross beams across in hopes of trying to ward off cracking it, but it wouldn't hold the truck confidently, and I can't decide whether would cause more damage if bent in. The tanks are surprisingly durable and deform when pressured without leaking, so I think I may eventually go with just puncture protection, which will as a side benefit at least weigh a lot less than the other ideas I had.

At this point, I still haven't had anything meaningful touch the tank, and that's with having now done some more serious trails with the truck. There are some scrapes, but I'm honestly not sure where they came from. I swear most of them were from shops accidentally putting a lift there, because I seem to recall seeing them before I ever started offroading the truck.

Let me know what you end up doing, but I may end up just putting a thin 1/8 aluminum covering over the whole thing to keep from gouging the plastic if it ever happens to and to save on weight, and be mindful of the tank on tricky situations.

 

[rayra]

That's about what I'm thinking, 1/8 or 3/16, something similar to the factory front plate. I just can't get over how much plate metal prices have increased in recent years.

 

[PGW]

I've considered the same thing on my 2003 2500 Yukon XL. The main tank is just too vulnerable. My thoughts so far are to have a 3/16 or so full steel skid with 1 or 1.5" square tube runners (or upside down angle) like ribs to give it some structural integrity. It will hang down some but there is no other way to get bending resistance than to give it some 3-d shape. Don't know if the half tons are that different but on mine, I can tie the front corners of the skid to the crossmember behind the t-case, the back DS corner to the frame rail, and the back PS corner will have to be tied into the shock crossmember somehow. Like Geron mentioned earlier, the tank can take some abuse so if you have a catastrophic hit on the skid which bends it a little you should still be okay. I'm not sure the skid can be made to be bulletproof without being stupid heavy.

 

[rayra]

yeah, I agree. But I'm thinking more about running over ladders / debris on the L.A. freeways and the shattered thighbones of BLM protesters, than belly-grinding over some granite boulders in the Sierras. So I'm thinking the lighter support structure will do. My tank seems to hang a bit low in the middle, really not a lot of room to put anything in there and keep it above the frame rails.

I'm thinking maybe anchor one edge on the frame rail itself, using rivnuts and those carriage-bolt-head-shaped allen-drive bolts and have the rest on a smallish tubular frame attached to a longitudinal member that parallels the driveshaft, that runs between the crossmembers you mentioned. Some sort of truss-frame depending from it, to support the inboard edge of the tank plate. I might whip up a mockup using 1x2s or sprinkler pipe and pressboard, sometime later this Fall. The PVC sprinkler pipe would be easy to manipulate and modify on the fly, and some simple notched ends would make it easy to take in and out.

 

[Jelorian]

yeah, I agree. But I'm thinking more about running over ladders / debris on the L.A. freeways and the shattered thighbones of BLM protesters, than belly-grinding over some granite boulders in the Sierras. So I'm thinking the lighter support structure will do. My tank seems to hang a bit low in the middle, really not a lot of room to put anything in there and keep it above the frame rails.

I'm thinking maybe anchor one edge on the frame rail itself, using rivnuts and those carriage-bolt-head-shaped allen-drive bolts and have the rest on a smallish tubular frame attached to a longitudinal member that parallels the driveshaft, that runs between the crossmembers you mentioned. Some sort of truss-frame depending from it, to support the inboard edge of the tank plate. I might whip up a mockup using 1x2s or sprinkler pipe and pressboard, sometime later this Fall. The PVC sprinkler pipe would be easy to manipulate and modify on the fly, and some simple notched ends would make it easy to take in and out.

Just thinking out loud here, but maybe an alternative could be some spray on bed liner like Line-x? I believe some of the side by side ATV guys are using it on their plastic parts. Maybe not the solution you were looking for but maybe it could work?

Maybe it will flake right off the first time you run over a rock or stump, but who knows.

There is a video online showing how it protected a cinder block wall from a simulated IED blast vs a normal unprotected wall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixjfmZcO1Fk

 

[rayra]

That's not a bad idea at all, would certainly up the abrasion resistance. I did something similar when I discovered my last batch of blow-molded Aquatainers were really thin on the bottom. Can't really see it too well in this pic, I scuffed up the bottoms and sprayed a couple coats of bedliner-in-a-can on them.

It's held up ok over several years. But I went ahead and got some LCI MWCs instead (and looking to buy several of the newish Scepter 'civilian' water cans, if I can still get them on sale at Tractor Supply). Would definitely have to find a bedliner product that would adhere to the poly tank material, which I presume is HDPE2.

 

[Burb One]

Pepboys has the civilian water cans for like $12 bucks each (theyre website always has 30% off coupons) I really like them (THey have blue marked potable water ,red and yellow)

I've also stumbled across this:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/general-4x4-discussion/931768-hdpe-skid-plate.html

HPDE (or UHMW ?)may be good solution. The thinner grades won't be too heavy (probably between the weight of 1/8 aluminum and 1/4 steel and should be bendable enough to not break and puncture/ spread the load if really pressed... also thin enough to not be lower down than the frame rails. I might go to tap plastic and get a sheet to check it out. I think the hard part will be figuring out the mounts. After staring at it for a few minutes last night, I don't think the weight for making something that could support the truck would be worth it....

 

[rayra]

hah. giant cutting board. hmmm 24"x84"x3/8" comes out to $108, lot cheaper than aluminum, around here.

I'm thinking of mounting methods that use straps looped up over / thru the two tank mounting straps.

With some fiddling the barrel / screw of the ladder clamps could be positioned in the void between the tank strap and the shielding piece, so it doesn't stick out to snag on anything. And they could be driven via the holes in the shield that the ladder clamp itself is passing thru.
Then just draw the shield up to the tank. Or add several crossing spacer ribs, so the skin stands off from the tank by 1/2"-1". Better to absorb a hit without impinging on the tank. Turn the edges / ends up so there's nothing to snag there.

I'll figure something out. I've got a nice big strip of 1/8" pressboard laying around which I can use for a mockup. I'll take a look at our Tahoe too, see if there's anything significantly different, don't expect there will be. And I'll work up a good set of diagrams and measurements. Maybe I can find a place that will sell aluminum plate inexpensively enough. And I can make some cutting patterns and rig something up. There's enough GMT800 folks here and elsewhere that might be interested in such a thing that it could be worth pursuing as a kit idea. My online searches for stuff for GMT800s turn up little more than other people looking for the same sort of stuff, or custom fabricators doing one-offs. with attendant high pricing.

 

[rayra]

Boy there really doesn't seem to be anything out there for Suburbans / Tahoes.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/project-vehicles/129-0608-2002-custom-chevy-suburban/photo-09.html

 

[Atomic178]

This isn't my forte but what about just using some 1" round thick wall tubing basically wraped around the tank from the frame rail up to the top of the tank. You would make a crossmember that runs beside the tank front to back that attaches to the crossmembers in the frame and runs down and turns under the tank to attach to the frame spaced every 6" or so. Could add some between them for extra reinforcement. Would be lighter than using plate, and if you used bolts could be somewhat easily removable.



Of if you are just worried about the bottom, you could use the tubing on bottom and put a thin steel sheet (like 1/8-3/16") over them and run triangulated braces down to those from up higher.

 

[Stryder106]

Hey Guys - first, nice build(s) on your burb(s).

I am VERY interested in Atomic's coil over swap - seriously interested.

Also - as for your cruise control causing your trans to shift down during inclines - my Av was doing the same thing. I mitigated by adding Doug Thorley shorty headers (carb compliant) as they pulled the torque band lower in the RPM range. I also added a Hpertech Flashpaq tuner and use it on tow mode all the time for the torque.

For your fuel tank (we have the same one) I have the same issues and considerations. However, I've been looking at my daughter's Jeep and to protect the poly tank in it, MOPAR put a prebent piece of sheet metal that hinges on one side, then closes over the tank and bolts on the other side. Very light and hugs the tank - no drop down at all. I'm trying to figure out something similar for my Av.

 

[Burb One]

Hey Guys - first, nice build(s) on your burb(s).

I am VERY interested in Atomic's coil over swap - seriously interested.

Also - as for your cruise control causing your trans to shift down during inclines - my Av was doing the same thing. I mitigated by adding Doug Thorley shorty headers (carb compliant) as they pulled the torque band lower in the RPM range. I also added a Hpertech Flashpaq tuner and use it on tow mode all the time for the torque.

For your fuel tank (we have the same one) I have the same issues and considerations. However, I've been looking at my daughter's Jeep and to protect the poly tank in it, MOPAR put a prebent piece of sheet metal that hinges on one side, then closes over the tank and bolts on the other side. Very light and hugs the tank - no drop down at all. I'm trying to figure out something similar for my Av.

Interesting on the headers, I'm going to see how this tune works, possibly get it honed by atomic one more time, but in around town testing it seems to have made a decent improvement. I'm going to hold off on a final say until a few trips.

See mt post in your thread, but the coilovers are 100% the real deal. They are that good. You just need your lift kit and then the stuff atomics kit lists. I would say to go with heavier springs. i have 650 and might go to 700 or 725 at some point, because it's a little grabby on road. Off road it's a dream. Always a trade off there... It's an amazing kit and 100% reccomend if you want more details just let me know. I'm not sure if the cognito UCA work with tgem, atomic may be able to chime in.

Let us know if you ever do fuel tank protection, I'm very interested

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[Burb One]

This isn't my forte but what about just using some 1" round thick wall tubing basically wraped around the tank from the frame rail up to the top of the tank. You would make a crossmember that runs beside the tank front to back that attaches to the crossmembers in the frame and runs down and turns under the tank to attach to the frame spaced every 6" or so. Could add some between them for extra reinforcement. Would be lighter than using plate, and if you used bolts could be somewhat easily removable.

View attachment 370091

Of if you are just worried about the bottom, you could use the tubing on bottom and put a thin steel sheet (like 1/8-3/16") over them and run triangulated braces down to those from up higher.

My worry is any loss of clearance there makes it the lowest point on the belly and if it bends up, it bends into the tank....

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[rayra]

And there is already a factory metal guard on the inner side of the tank, next to the driveshaft. Maybe somethign akin to Stryder's mention, a plate that attaches on the rail edge and does bend up to attach to the factory shield that's already mounted. That gives a second skin, no / very little decrease in ground clearance and using just a plate it's no harm to the tank if you wind up squatting on it.