Belafonte Reboot....Ambulance to 4x4 Camper Conversion
- Thread starter tgreening
- Start date
rlrenz
Explorer
I've also seen it when the old owner dies, and they have to clear the yard to handle the owner's estate
Tires/wheels due in tomorrow sometime. Awwwwe-some. Didn't get to pick up the tranny I was after today, but did manage to snag this....
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Out of a 2004 F-250, supposedly 140k on it. We shall see. Only bad thing was I wasn't watching the yard worker when he loaded it and he stuck it in my truck with the breather down. Fresh (looking) tranny fluid allll over my nice clean bed now. Bath time tomorrow I guess.
Pieces/parts coming together. Need to get that tranny and take it to my tranny guy and get that rolling. Realllly wishing the springs and spacers would show up. I could at least get the rear end up in the air and have a good look at how she's going to stand.
Patience might be a virtue but it for sure isn't my strong point. :/
Out of a 2004 F-250, supposedly 140k on it. We shall see. Only bad thing was I wasn't watching the yard worker when he loaded it and he stuck it in my truck with the breather down. Fresh (looking) tranny fluid allll over my nice clean bed now. Bath time tomorrow I guess.
Pieces/parts coming together. Need to get that tranny and take it to my tranny guy and get that rolling. Realllly wishing the springs and spacers would show up. I could at least get the rear end up in the air and have a good look at how she's going to stand.
Patience might be a virtue but it for sure isn't my strong point. :/
Apparently so. At least it's not popping the breaker anymore.
Updates: Got my tranny sourced. I bought a core E4oD 4x4 version for $175. I figure to use the one in my vanbo I would have to buy the xfer case adapter and an output shaft. Plus since it disassembles from the front the whole thing would have to be gutted to put the new output shaft in. That being the case you might as well rebuild it in the process since it's only added expense is the cost of the rebuild kit, and I end up with a tranny of known condition.
Basically I got the adapter and output shaft for $175 vs the almost $700 to buy outright, and my van won't have to be down while the tranny is being rebuilt. It's at the rebuilder now.
And what's thissss?
Good grief those things are heavy. I have another set on a J-truck but dang I don't remember them weighing so much. I was going to re-gear with 4.56s but I think I might go 4.88s just to give the ol' 7.3 a helping hand getting those pigs moving.
Got my spacers in, but need to get 'em painted because raw steel just isn't going to cut it. They sure are shiny though. And I got word back from Chris that my springs should be shipping within a few days. That should be the last of the stuff I ordered. I'll still need to decide what to do about a 4x4 shifter, and what shocks to run, but that should be pretty much it. Time is the issue now, as in not enough of it.
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Ujor site says I should be using 8", but I went with the 6". I'm a fan of absolute minimum lift for the tire chosen. There is plenty of wheel well clearance up front. Actually more than I'd like, but 4" is a no go according to Chris due to clearance issues underneath. Bummer. Out back I'll need to whip out the saw to create some clearance and I'm totally fine with that. Don't like that semi-round wheel opening anyway.
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patoz
Expedition Leader
I agree, those high lifts put a lot of stress on your drive shaft u-joints, but I'm sure Chris knows what he's talking about. In some cases, longer shafts are required, but then you knew that right? 
If things go right, mine is headed to the 'chop shop' tomorrow to get cut in half and a tongue added. We have a weekend camp trip and cookout planned for the middle of November, so I'm trying to get it road worthy and a tag on it so I can at least use it to sleep in. It won't be pretty but it beats the high rates to rent a small one bed cabin.
If things go right, mine is headed to the 'chop shop' tomorrow to get cut in half and a tongue added. We have a weekend camp trip and cookout planned for the middle of November, so I'm trying to get it road worthy and a tag on it so I can at least use it to sleep in. It won't be pretty but it beats the high rates to rent a small one bed cabin.
cjken
Explorer
Damn!!! Its gonna be sweet rolling on those!!
If I remember the 4" UJ lift cant run the better steering system so I'm sure 6" will be perfect.
I think that mine is right around 4 3/4 - 5 inches. The extra inch will still keep the height reasonable..
I think that the green UJ flatbed had 6" w/37's. I always liked the stance of that thing.
Most really functional offroad trucks keep the lift to the necessary min. I'd bet 90% of the jacked up pickups and jeeps you see on the road are for show and never/rarely see dirt. The exception being some mud trucks.
I'm no gear expert, I think if I regeared my PSD I would go 4:56, but the IDI may be better with 4:88's
Chris built a blue IDI van at one point you should find out what gears that ran. It was a regular van so probably much lighter.
Anway you slice it that thing will be awesome!!
If I remember the 4" UJ lift cant run the better steering system so I'm sure 6" will be perfect.
I think that mine is right around 4 3/4 - 5 inches. The extra inch will still keep the height reasonable..
I think that the green UJ flatbed had 6" w/37's. I always liked the stance of that thing.
Most really functional offroad trucks keep the lift to the necessary min. I'd bet 90% of the jacked up pickups and jeeps you see on the road are for show and never/rarely see dirt. The exception being some mud trucks.
I'm no gear expert, I think if I regeared my PSD I would go 4:56, but the IDI may be better with 4:88's
Chris built a blue IDI van at one point you should find out what gears that ran. It was a regular van so probably much lighter.
Anway you slice it that thing will be awesome!!
If I recall 4:56 with these tires will give about a 100rpm drop, give or take a bit, where the 4:88s will have me rolling about 100 or so rpm more. I plan to do a turbo conversion at some point so I struggle a bit with the gear choice. I know the hp/torque boost would more than make up for the rpm drop, but I'm not sure it wouldn't be a good idea to go with a bit deeper gear just for a little more help getting the additional weight rolling.
If I recall it's about 9200# as she sits. Adding another axle, transfer case, drive shaft, etc is going to bump that a fair bit. I think the heavier tires might be a wash because I'm yanking 6 and only adding back 4. What to do, what to do.
I know it's not much, but right now it's all I got. I don't really want to dig into it till I've got the bulk of the hard parts on hand. New tranny is at the shop blown apart and waiting on it's new guts. Should be here by tomorrow and done sometime next week. The spring guy is killin me! Still waiting on those buggers so there's no chance of getting any part of this pig up in the air till they show up. Good LORD I've having a hard time waiting.
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Wheres. My. BREAKFAST! (Done in his best 300 voice)
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Wheres. My. BREAKFAST! (Done in his best 300 voice)
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patoz
Expedition Leader
'Waiting'...is a sore subject with me right now!
Here is where I am with mine ... My welder has been out of a job for some time now, so plenty of time to work on my project...or so I thought. We towed mine 70 miles to his house last Friday, with the impression it would be cut and the tongue installed by Sunday night. The steel supplier closed early at noon Friday, so I didn't make it in time to get what we needed. Then my buddy gets a call Friday afternoon saying he has gotten a job he applied for, and needs to start Monday morning. Now, he's working 10 hrs. a day on a bridge, and has no energy to work on mine at night.
I'm going to pick up the steel tomorrow morning and hopefully we can get it done this weekend. Meanwhile, I've sat here all week twiddling my thumbs, when I need to be working on the inside, so I can use it for my weekend camping trip in the middle of November.
Here is where I am with mine ... My welder has been out of a job for some time now, so plenty of time to work on my project...or so I thought. We towed mine 70 miles to his house last Friday, with the impression it would be cut and the tongue installed by Sunday night. The steel supplier closed early at noon Friday, so I didn't make it in time to get what we needed. Then my buddy gets a call Friday afternoon saying he has gotten a job he applied for, and needs to start Monday morning. Now, he's working 10 hrs. a day on a bridge, and has no energy to work on mine at night.
I'm going to pick up the steel tomorrow morning and hopefully we can get it done this weekend. Meanwhile, I've sat here all week twiddling my thumbs, when I need to be working on the inside, so I can use it for my weekend camping trip in the middle of November.
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Mountainunicycler
Observer
Patoz, your second pic looks like it's about to become a rat rod ambo...
96Delica
Adventurer
THAT is awesome.