Overlandtowater’s solid axle suburban

[Overlandtowater]

Put my limit straps on the front tonight and since the trucks not mobile I tried to flex it in the shop LOL. Also installed the cure from @ruffstuffdpecialties to try and minimize the tie-rod and drag link flop from having to bend them for clearance.

 

[arveetek]

Looking good! Sorry to hear of your broken rear. Think you'll have it ready in time for Rendezvous in the Ozarks next weekend? I'll be there with my Tahoe.

Casey

 

[Overlandtowater]

Looking good! Sorry to hear of your broken rear. Think you'll have it ready in time for Rendezvous in the Ozarks next weekend? I'll be there with my Tahoe.

Casey

Unfortunately I will not. I am picking up a 9.5” 14 bolt tomorrow but it will probably be a couple of months before I have the funds to build the axle.

 

[Overlandtowater]

Picked up a 9.5” 14 bolt semi floater from a 99 k2500. Plan on cutting all the brackets and brake stuff off the 10 bolt and gluing it on the 9.5. I was disappointed about the g80 I was told it had a open diff. Clean up to begin shortly.

 

[Overlandtowater]

Stripped down and the gouges I made are welded up. The tubes are pitted where the u bolt plates were. .115” don’t think I’m going to weld those they are wide.

 

[Overlandtowater]

Regarding the SAS, I'm starting the same process (D44, Tahoeverlanding) on my 06 Suburban.

Have the axle with 4.10's sand blasted and primed currently. Gathering parts and plan to complete this winter. Going a slightly different route to re-gear the rear end amd plan to simply swap in a SF 14 bolt with 4.10s. (GT5)

My question for you is: Was it worth it?

I wish I could tell you. I’ve only one got about 300 miles on it.

 

[Overlandtowater]

unfortunately I didn’t realize the gmt400 9.5s came in two different widths the axle I have only has a 65.5” wheel mounting surface width. 3 inches narrower than the 10 bolt. The heavy half ton axle shafts I was going to buy to stick in this axle are about 1 3/8” longer per side, so that mean’s I should have looked for a heavy half instead of a k2500. If I run the longer shaft in the narrow housing the bearings will still ride on the bearing surface of the axle but it will protrude past the housing an extra inch. I still think I will have room to weld on the 10 bolt backing plate mounts but the tech from Richmond gear advised against the stick out. So now I’m kinda in a pickle. I guess the only thing to do is eat the cost of this axle and start looking again.

 

[Overlandtowater]

So while sulking in my costly mistake I decided to finish the table portion of my fold out sleeping platform. Working on finishing the sleeping platform in the back of the burb. It mounts to the drawers I built in the back and folds up accordion style. I threw this together one afternoon before a long weekend with @ozarkoverlandoutfitters a couple of Novembers ago. This is the table portion that folds towards the rear, the whole thing will also fold forward. With the third row seats removed and the second row folded down there is room for a 3” full-size memory foam mattress and an area to store your shoes directly behind the front seats. It works great for something thrown together in a afternoon.

 

[Overlandtowater]

Sketchy Driveway flex. A little over 29” under the tire. I think each corner still has about an inch of movement.

 

[Overlandtowater]

Thought I’d flex the rear too. Same stack as the front.

 

[Bret+famx7]

Damn now I have a decision to make ... rebuild the IFS with mid travel hopes or do this swap ... how did it ride on the street? Are you using factory Ram coils or did you have to find something else?

 

[Overlandtowater]

Yes oem coils. Rides great.

 

[Overlandtowater]

As a visual learner sometimes I have to see it before I know if I like it.

 

[arveetek]

What have you decided to do about the rear axle?

Casey

 

[Overlandtowater]

Saving money for a 6 lug 14 bolt. I stopped by a wrecking yard today and painted the one I wanted it’s from a 94 model gmc