Introducing - The Clone - (AKA The Sleeping Panda) Build Thread

Its on the books to do, hopefully this year. I really want to camp on the beach but dont know a whole lot about the area. Had a buddy move there last year, maybe 2 years go now. I need to get out. You know good areas?

 

Exciting new things in the works! Stay posted for sneak peak

 

Ill Just leave these here, all thanks to @JeepAndrew for making this install a breeze

 

how do you like the 1.5" body lift? Any diffrence in ride or anything? would you do it over again?

 

I love it and I would do it again in a heart beat. Although I would debate between 1" and 1.5"
No ride difference noticed. And it's made doing suspension work much easier. The only issue I have encountered is no one wants to make bumpers adjusted for a bl. I'm going to have to chop the mounts to raise for the BL. But is not a big deal IMO. Been prepping for getting a rear made

 

Sweet, I'm thinking of going 1 inch on too of my 3inch ome lift. I have access to a welder so I'm not to concerned with the back bumper and from what I hear the front has enough adjustment room to move it up to factory position. Do you use gap guards at all in the wheel well? Also with a 1inch kit do I need steering extension?

 

No gap guards here, tho I just ordered EPDM to make a new splash guard for the fronts and will proly make rare too. Gap guards are a waste fur the price, make your own. Tho I'm going on 2 years without any.

No steering extension either. I got the kit from 4xcrawler, his bolts were American and the new cab bushing for the 13 has a shaft through the bottom bushing so they didn't fit. You either have to open them up to size or order metric bolts, that's what I did. Although I gave him all my feedback as I was first late modrel second gen to Mount his, he may have revised since. Also I made some spacers to fill the gap from trdor tow package to rear bumper and utilize the original bed bolts. (I also made some brackets to raise factory bumper) I also removed and reused the factory washers as the one with the kit were not as big or thick. If also recommend a bed mat, as the new bolts will not have the button head style cap, they will be hex bolts, the mat covers them up from catching things.

 

Notes and Complications:
1.5" Body Lift:

Extend ABS sensor lines for front two tires.
Had to make a rear bumper raiser bracket.
Made pucks to support rear bumper on tow hitch

Used OEM Bed Screws for these bolts​

Bed Mat strongly recommended and bolt heads are not rounded
Re-Used all factory washers
Welded my sliders in a higher position, essentially can never remove Body Lift​

 

How did you extend abs sensor lines?

 

They tore out when I lifted to install the Body Lift. Didnt know untill I drove around and saw the dash lights. I pulled the clip off, un-pinned them, got some longer wires the same color, soldered them to the mounted wires where they tore out, then re-pinned them into the clip and re connected clip. All was well.

You can also just remove clip from body and let wires hang. Actually, if you disconnect from body before lifting to install BL, they should be able to clip back in once the BL is installed. I didn't know this going into it and when I lifted the body ~2" to make placing the pucks in easy, that over stretched them.

 

PattyCakes,

How did you pick the right Bilstien 5165 shocks 11" stroke? I see that there are 4 options and the valving varies for all of them. I imagine that they also required a lift for example, I have ICON aals giving me 1.5 lift but If I add the overload it can go to 2 and if I add a shackle flip I may get another 3/4 for a total of 2.75. Could I install the 11 or 13 stroke?

 

I will answer and expand on this one I get back from the rick therapy road trip! I did a great deal of research, and will gladly share with you after the 5th

 

Rock Therapy Road Trip Photo Dump
Grand Canyon South Rim, Havasupai Point

 

Marble Canyon


Horseshoe Bend


Coral Pink Sand Dunes


Gooseberry Mesa



Bryce Canyon

 

Thank you. I am looking forward to it. Have fun on your trip.

 

@el_turks to answer you question about how I determined which length bilstiens to go with. I did a basic lift calculation based on the documentation. APExpo leafs give you 3"-4" lift, the ator shackle flip, with factory shackles give you 3/4" lift (I will most likely change this out eventually) totaling between 4"-5" lift. With that lift I wanted to have ride height at mid shock length (5*2=10"). The second was figuring out valving, 255/70 valving is very close to stock valving, thus I went with the 255/70. The last piece was to calculate in the adapter for the eye mount up top. The adapter is ~1.5" in length, so that must be added to the collapsible length of the shock. The 11" stroke is ~16" collapsible length, adding the 1.5" makes it 17.5". Stock coll. length is ~14", I ran a calculation to determine how many shims I would need with the wheelers bump stops, 1/4" shim was all that was needed.

Once I got it all installed, the collapse length was perfect, I dont bottom out the shocks, however, my limiting droop factor is the shocks, they dont allow full droop of the leaf springs with the shackle flip.

I will tell you, if I were to do it all over again, I would go with 14" stoke shocks and relocate the top and bottom shock mount. I am planning on doing that hopefully this winter but we shall see. For the time being, I haven't anything that has cause my rear end to not have complete contact with the ground, its pretty awesome.

 

Moab

 

Thank you much for the info. I now need to do some research to make a decision. 14" seem like a great idea. How much lift do you think its needed for the 14s?

Your pictures are pretty cool.

 

If you relocate your shock mounts, 4" should be plenty. You want to make sure you don't bottom out the shocks, the longer the stroke, the longer the collapsed length is.

It was the most amazing trip i have done yet, cant wait to do more!

 

Love your build man! Couple questions.
1. How do you like your road shower? Been thinking of getting something like that.
2. Where did you get your hood vinyl? Also been looking to do this because my roof light bar lights up my hood at night lol