Looks like I will be joining the club...
Transit AWD build overland style-I'm back in a van
- Thread starter coguzzi
- Start date
Excellent, what you end up with
2020 148" High Roof EcoBoost with a few options I wanted (Extended Fuel tank, Privacy Back/Side Windows, Black Vinyl seats, Hitch...). They happened to have one in stock. $6k off MSRP.
Super excited. We probably won't be able to pick it up until Jan as we will be leaving here shortly.
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been slow going lately, paying jobs getting in the way. BUT, finally got the Van Compass AWD topo lift installed that has been sitting on my shelf for months. i had the Bilstien B6 struts ordered since July, finally just cancelled my order and kept the stock ones. I was wavering on that upgrade anyway and saw a couple people having issues, so....
out with the old. i kind of forgot how much i dislike doing suspension work on the ground, and the transit is kind of extensive since entire hub assembly has to come out. done close to 100 lifts probably on customer trucks, personal trucks and my vanagon syncros, this is one of a lamer ones
shiny new RED springs
back together, this is where my back said it had enough and i was glad i had a customer upholstery project to do
and finally got back to it and banged out the back. nothing unusual here past the high clearance shock mount trimming. i plan to do a leaf pack in the future vs block--because i kind of hate blocks. kind of want to see how it weighs out and sits before i do that.
new stance on stock tires, fixing the 1 shortcoming of the transit in my opinion, ground clearance. i actually wish we could get it a little higher to help approach/departure some more, but... I'll make an appointment to get an alignment and tires once i get more weight in it, which will effect alignment. havent driven it since i parked it to build anyway--might as well wait. tires will give me a lill more clearance as well
out with the old. i kind of forgot how much i dislike doing suspension work on the ground, and the transit is kind of extensive since entire hub assembly has to come out. done close to 100 lifts probably on customer trucks, personal trucks and my vanagon syncros, this is one of a lamer ones
shiny new RED springs
back together, this is where my back said it had enough and i was glad i had a customer upholstery project to do
and finally got back to it and banged out the back. nothing unusual here past the high clearance shock mount trimming. i plan to do a leaf pack in the future vs block--because i kind of hate blocks. kind of want to see how it weighs out and sits before i do that.
new stance on stock tires, fixing the 1 shortcoming of the transit in my opinion, ground clearance. i actually wish we could get it a little higher to help approach/departure some more, but... I'll make an appointment to get an alignment and tires once i get more weight in it, which will effect alignment. havent driven it since i parked it to build anyway--might as well wait. tires will give me a lill more clearance as well
86scotty
Cynic
Those lift blocks aren't bad. This may show my ignorance on AWD Transits but are they all 250's? My Transit 350 would hardly squat until I had a ton of weight in it, many times literally. I could live with stock rear springs and those blocks personally if you don't lose your lift to squat from build out weight.
transits come in 150, 250, 350 and 350 HD i believe. that said i think rear spring part numbers match until the HD. to me blocks are just kind of a band aid. when i was building overland trucks i always steered people to properly rated leaf packs for the job at hand (some custom) that added lift, or air bags with day star cradles to carry weight if they didnt want lift. for example in a tacoma, go from stock 3 leaf pack on a TRD to an old man emu 10 leaf pack. carried the weight better but also allowed much more flex because of multiple leafs and gave 2" of lift. for some reason transit and sprinters have 1-2 gigantic leafs, so they offer zero flex really.
i might leave the block and do air bags/cradles as well IF i need to. im trying to keep the weight down to a minimum. ive just always been a proper spring vs block guy. got to remember im not gonna be out flexing this thing to hard--ha
86scotty
Cynic
I’m with you, I know regular Transits are ,1,2,350. I was asking whether AWD’s came in all 3 and also what yours was. I didn’t notice a badge in your pics.
But, I also agree from being around a few Transits that there isn’t much, if any, difference in springs on any of them
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But, I also agree from being around a few Transits that there isn’t much, if any, difference in springs on any of them
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ahhh-got ya, AWD have the same designations, mine is a 250. Need to look at the stickers for exact numbers, but remember the cargo capacity is way higher than my Ram 2500, both 3/4 tons. But, my ram is fully loaded Laramie-with goodies that take away from capacity
Thanks for the update. FYI I spoke with someone at Method Racing wheels and they say they have something coming up for 2021...that's going to be high on my list with this lift kit.
86scotty
Cynic
more paying jobs slowing me down on the van build, when it rains it pours they say. finally getting caught up on that and got my floor installed finally.
first thing was run the big wire from CCP1 and my ignition signal for my Red Arc manager 30 from C33-E connector. runs from driver seat to passenger wheel well where all my electrical cabinet will live. I had to order the C33-E connector which came empty, i populated 9 of the 10 pins (10 pins in 2020 and #10 is empty) for future expansion ease, then wired IGNITION from pin 6
then i glued down with 3/8 ply runners, loosely filled the voids left over with a minicell insulation which also had a reflective heat shield layer, (left over from another project) and covered that all in a closed cell foam, including the metal ribs to avoid "squeaks". to me this is a good compromise in insulating with out building up a super thick floor. there is plenty of air pathways for it to dry if/when it gets damp under there which is inevitable. thermal bridges will be stopped/minimized by the closed cell foam. this is actually more insulation than i initially planned or have done in the past, we will see how it works.
then my 1/2 russian birch ply was glued and stapled to the ply runners, its not going anywhere with zero screws or holes drilled in the floor. groove in the back is for L-track, so that of course will have to be thru bolted, no choice there.
i then cut the diamond plate vinyl, and laid it in the van and let it relax for several days (mostly because i got busy) and then glued it down with vinyl cement and 1/16" grooved trowel. worked it into the routered out cuts i made and installed the factory sill plates i put on my order when i ordered the van. ended up pretty clean i think
i also installed a Remora side ladder, again, an excellent company to deal with and really refreshing these days. i really wanted a rear door ladder, and maybe tire carrier if i needed to (prefer not to ). i prefer ladders on the back to not snag branches when on the trails. i wasnt 100% sold on the 2 options (aluminess and prime design) and considered buying that tube bender once again to develop my own. decided it was more important to actually finish the van to use vs spending the time developing a new product. i might revisit this in the future since side ladder is bolt on.
first thing was run the big wire from CCP1 and my ignition signal for my Red Arc manager 30 from C33-E connector. runs from driver seat to passenger wheel well where all my electrical cabinet will live. I had to order the C33-E connector which came empty, i populated 9 of the 10 pins (10 pins in 2020 and #10 is empty) for future expansion ease, then wired IGNITION from pin 6
then i glued down with 3/8 ply runners, loosely filled the voids left over with a minicell insulation which also had a reflective heat shield layer, (left over from another project) and covered that all in a closed cell foam, including the metal ribs to avoid "squeaks". to me this is a good compromise in insulating with out building up a super thick floor. there is plenty of air pathways for it to dry if/when it gets damp under there which is inevitable. thermal bridges will be stopped/minimized by the closed cell foam. this is actually more insulation than i initially planned or have done in the past, we will see how it works.
then my 1/2 russian birch ply was glued and stapled to the ply runners, its not going anywhere with zero screws or holes drilled in the floor. groove in the back is for L-track, so that of course will have to be thru bolted, no choice there.
i then cut the diamond plate vinyl, and laid it in the van and let it relax for several days (mostly because i got busy) and then glued it down with vinyl cement and 1/16" grooved trowel. worked it into the routered out cuts i made and installed the factory sill plates i put on my order when i ordered the van. ended up pretty clean i think
i also installed a Remora side ladder, again, an excellent company to deal with and really refreshing these days. i really wanted a rear door ladder, and maybe tire carrier if i needed to (prefer not to ). i prefer ladders on the back to not snag branches when on the trails. i wasnt 100% sold on the 2 options (aluminess and prime design) and considered buying that tube bender once again to develop my own. decided it was more important to actually finish the van to use vs spending the time developing a new product. i might revisit this in the future since side ladder is bolt on.
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Farfrumwork
Well-known member
Sweet floor! clean, clean, clean install.
Any previous experience with gluing the whole floor structure down? Could vehicle flex put stress on it? Though it's almost another structural member now (wall-to-wall 1/2" Baltic)!
Any previous experience with gluing the whole floor structure down? Could vehicle flex put stress on it? Though it's almost another structural member now (wall-to-wall 1/2" Baltic)!
im using siki 291, marine adhesive which remains flexible and good for vibration. if you have ever tried to removed something glued with it--- other good choice is windshield adhesive, but hard to get for good $$$$ here in a Cana-duh. so the ply wood runners are glued to the van floor, then the 1/2" floor sheet is glued to that as well as stapled. i personally prefer this way vs tons of self drilling sheet metal screws which is a nightmare for any mechanic in the future under there--shop where i worked is doing it this way from mine and another employees recommendation (used self drills before!!!) some people leave the floor totally floating to. technically once i install the L track, it will be bolted down--in 1 area