The Frankenstein Build! LT/Expo/Trail rig..and BS

Haha!!

Shit..

But I like my bed space..


If only I was a double cab...

 

Nice work on the drive Jon! I'll be doing the same drive at the end of June. I-90 is the worst part!!!

Interested to see how these plastic skids work for you Monte(if you go with them). If it's anything like the uvpe plastic some nalgenes are made of it should be nice and slippery!

 

Yea supposed to slide real nice

The more I look at it the more I think my belly will be 3/4-1" UHMW but the front 3/16s steel just so I don't loos an 1" of ground clearance haha


Also just traded my dad his Ultra Guage for my AEM Wide Band O2 sensor. Apparently the ultra Guage screws with his Uconn and I'm not using the wide and. So cool!

Now ill know my real speed an mpgs.

Jon also inspired me to get off my ass and do something with the truck again.

So, trying to get my steering rack bushings vs in right now. Not sure ill be able too due to only having one 22mm socket.

And I'm going to try and finally put my solid tranny and motor mounts in and see if I like them.

 

You rang? I just happen to have that build bookmarked Ultimate Adventure by the way.










I believe they did use 3/4". I really like the idea of the stuff being slick on rock instead of grabby like steal more than anything! But I think it would be damn near impossible to do these skids right other than a flat belly setup like this guy did. Not sure how well the stuff would mold and my skids are pretty odd shaped. I mean to some degree it would be doable, but it either wouldn't be quite as protective as steel due to gaps or it would require lots of random crossmembers and such, unless you truly could melt and mold/form this stuff.



Also Monte, your weight is getting up there like mine. I recommend going 1/4" if you do steel. From what I have read, I was worried I would mangle up 3/16"...

 

3/16 up front is more then enough since there is shit behind it to help keep it strait.

The belly tho I was gonna do 1/4 steel. But now I think ill just use 1" UHMW. it won't be flat belly(not till tcase is clocked and crawl box is in) but it'll be from the front of the tranny to past the tcase.

I'm gonna make a cool crossmember setup that ties into the old sway bar hook ups for a front crossmember.

 

I believe SilverSeven's old rig used that stuff...

 

Yep. I remember seeing that pic before. I wonder how he bent it like that. I don't know much about the stuff but I would think it would involve heat and I would think heat would weaken it.

 

That stuff looks thinner so it probably just did that after being bolted down

And yes using heat and heated properly won't make it weaker. Works well actually. Just gonna know how to do it right.

 

k call me crazy, but is that the stuff they build terrain park boxes out of?

 

Possibly..

Just not as thick

 

I think you need ped a bigger pic lol Jesus haha

And ya could be

 

So the Ultraguage was interfering with the Ucon? That seems kind of odd.

 

Yea well the truck just randomly died twice while driving. Called gadget and I guess he said his wife's did that with it plugged in too. He thinks it has to do with that they both monitor the same things at the same time so the and width get used up or something

Either way my dad took it off and hasn't had an issue yet..

 

Well that sucks... I like having my ultraguage. Although I don't forsee myself going that route anytime in the near future. haha

 

Yea he has an LCE II thing so he can monitor a lot of other stuff anyways. Plus the Ucon hopefully in the future will allow logging and monitoring.

 

Where did you get the Elite Off Road decals for the side of the bed?

 

Had them custom made by Sockmonkey.

 

Thank god!!!! Just got my solid motor and tranny mounts done!! Holy fuck what a PITA. Spent way way too much time on these. Idk why I just could not get the motor mounts off..then couldn't get then news on...Jesus.

Anyways..

Tranny mounts.



Super easy to put it



Motor mounts...NOT easy to put in. Holy piss.



Installed finally



There are more vibes during idle..but..hardly. Not that bad I think.

One thing is for sure I'm not putting the stock ones back in just cause it sucked so much.

So they are gonna stay.

Haven't driven it yet so no comment on at as I am finishing my steering rack bushings.

So should be a whole different truck soon. Probably do the steering shaft bushing weld mod too this year.

 

What exactly is the point of solid mounts monte? And are those the trail gear mounts?