My D-Max Build
- Thread starter tmentzelo
- Start date
I would add a Merchant Auto support brace to your list.........
http://www.merchant-automotive.com/transmissionrearhousingsupport.aspx
http://www.merchant-automotive.com/transmissionrearhousingsupport.aspx
May be a silly question, but you do have your tires off the ground - truck frame on jackstands when cranking the torsion bars right? They should be fairly easy, at least all the ones I've ever encountered are. I'm loving my Cognito UCA's. No issues with ball joints so far, just keeping them greased.
Well,
My problem cranking the torsion bars came from the Pro-Comp Torsion Bar Adjustment tool. It is made with a fairly small diameter u-bolt, and I must have tweaked it slightly when trying to torque the t-bars.
I had the front wheels off the ground for this adjustment.
I ended up using a floor jack (Dangerous) and a part of the Pro-Comp tool, and it was a piece of cake. I'm fairly disappointed with the $100 pro-comp part, needless to say.
I'm quite careful how I use these things, I just believe the tool is underbuilt.
Photos to follow...
My problem cranking the torsion bars came from the Pro-Comp Torsion Bar Adjustment tool. It is made with a fairly small diameter u-bolt, and I must have tweaked it slightly when trying to torque the t-bars.
I had the front wheels off the ground for this adjustment.
I ended up using a floor jack (Dangerous) and a part of the Pro-Comp tool, and it was a piece of cake. I'm fairly disappointed with the $100 pro-comp part, needless to say.
I'm quite careful how I use these things, I just believe the tool is underbuilt.
Photos to follow...
Looks like we have similar goals, I also want to customize my rig to further support my dirt bike riding and camping excursions.
I have an NNBS 07 1500 ECLB 4x4, so our trucks are a bit different but I'm still hoping to learn a thing or two from your build.
How do you haul your bikes? Is your RTT high enough to load the bikes in the bed still?
I'm trying to figure out how to optimize my camping for comfort and ease of set up. While still not towing a trailer (be able to drive higher on road speeds).
Currently I have a cheap target or walmart tent for my vehicle camping...trying to figure out my next move.
I have an NNBS 07 1500 ECLB 4x4, so our trucks are a bit different but I'm still hoping to learn a thing or two from your build.
How do you haul your bikes? Is your RTT high enough to load the bikes in the bed still?
I'm trying to figure out how to optimize my camping for comfort and ease of set up. While still not towing a trailer (be able to drive higher on road speeds).
Currently I have a cheap target or walmart tent for my vehicle camping...trying to figure out my next move.
I need some help:
What tires should I get?!
It's driving me crazy.
I have 5 17" H2 take-offs, and I would like an AT tire measuring around 34"
I really need decent snow (and ice) traction, as this is what we experience here for about 7 months of the year.
I hunt in the fall, and need half decent mud/snow traction in temperatures of around 0 Celsius.
I like the idea of BFG ATs
or Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs
Any other suggestions?
THanks!
What tires should I get?!
It's driving me crazy.
I have 5 17" H2 take-offs, and I would like an AT tire measuring around 34"
I really need decent snow (and ice) traction, as this is what we experience here for about 7 months of the year.
I hunt in the fall, and need half decent mud/snow traction in temperatures of around 0 Celsius.
I like the idea of BFG ATs
or Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs
Any other suggestions?
THanks!
locrwln
Expedition Leader
Nitto Terra Grapplers 285/75R17 is what I'm running. They measure out to 33.8" tall when new.
I had a set on my LC80 and put a set on my H2's for my truck. My 80 weighed around 6500lbs loaded and the truck weighs roughly 9200lbs loaded. I have roughly 50k miles on both sets and have ran them over every kind of terrain and thousands and thousands of miles offroad. My wife uses my truck as her winter vehicle when the snow flies and the truck is very stable in the snow. The best part is I have never had a tire failure of any kind and they still are butter smooth on the highway. They are extremely round and quiet. I have roughly 24k miles on the ones on my truck and they are down to 9/32nds, which means they aren't the longest lasting tire, but they have been great in every other way.
Jack
I had a set on my LC80 and put a set on my H2's for my truck. My 80 weighed around 6500lbs loaded and the truck weighs roughly 9200lbs loaded. I have roughly 50k miles on both sets and have ran them over every kind of terrain and thousands and thousands of miles offroad. My wife uses my truck as her winter vehicle when the snow flies and the truck is very stable in the snow. The best part is I have never had a tire failure of any kind and they still are butter smooth on the highway. They are extremely round and quiet. I have roughly 24k miles on the ones on my truck and they are down to 9/32nds, which means they aren't the longest lasting tire, but they have been great in every other way.
Jack
Done, for now.
BrianV: My RTT is high enough, and forward enough, to haul the bikes + camping gear in the bed of the truck. The tent opens to the side, so I can sleep up there with the bikes loaded. I run into some issues when carrying more than 2 bikes, but its because of the way I built the roof rack (it was all scrap metal and meant to be a temporary solution, but I keep using it).
I've finally finished the lift, but I'm still adjusting the torsion bars. Right now the CV angles are sitting flat, and I should be able to fit up to 35s on my H2 rims.
A couple of problems/observations:
1 - At full droop, the shock contacts (or is extremely close to touching) the Cognito "non-torsion bar drop" bracket right on the weld below the bumpstop. I can't say I'm happy with this, but the kind of off-road driving I plan on doing will rarely/never involve wheels off the ground.
2 - Without larger wheels/tires this chevy barely looks different at 4" of lift up front. How bad is it to squeeze another inch out of the torsion bars. Anyone with engineering or real world experience to shed some light on how much more wear there will be with the CVs at a slight angle? I know the Cognito UCAs are supposed to reduce wear on the balljoints when driving with the bars cranked higher than level...
3 - I replaced my Intermediate steering shaft less than 20,000 kms ago, and it's noisy/clunky already. This is a very annoying GM problem. I'm thinking of dropping the coin on the upgraded Borgeson shaft. Anyone else have experience with this?
The truck rides way better now - and I still need an alignment! Can't wait to get some new rubber on it.
BrianV: My RTT is high enough, and forward enough, to haul the bikes + camping gear in the bed of the truck. The tent opens to the side, so I can sleep up there with the bikes loaded. I run into some issues when carrying more than 2 bikes, but its because of the way I built the roof rack (it was all scrap metal and meant to be a temporary solution, but I keep using it).
I've finally finished the lift, but I'm still adjusting the torsion bars. Right now the CV angles are sitting flat, and I should be able to fit up to 35s on my H2 rims.
A couple of problems/observations:
1 - At full droop, the shock contacts (or is extremely close to touching) the Cognito "non-torsion bar drop" bracket right on the weld below the bumpstop. I can't say I'm happy with this, but the kind of off-road driving I plan on doing will rarely/never involve wheels off the ground.
2 - Without larger wheels/tires this chevy barely looks different at 4" of lift up front. How bad is it to squeeze another inch out of the torsion bars. Anyone with engineering or real world experience to shed some light on how much more wear there will be with the CVs at a slight angle? I know the Cognito UCAs are supposed to reduce wear on the balljoints when driving with the bars cranked higher than level...
3 - I replaced my Intermediate steering shaft less than 20,000 kms ago, and it's noisy/clunky already. This is a very annoying GM problem. I'm thinking of dropping the coin on the upgraded Borgeson shaft. Anyone else have experience with this?
The truck rides way better now - and I still need an alignment! Can't wait to get some new rubber on it.
mccustomize
Explorer
You won't have a problem with the CVs an inch higher on the tbars, but any higher than that and the ball joints will hate you. I always ran the BFGs in 315/75/17 flavor so I could pick up H2 spares on the cheap.