Sub-Zero SAC

*SAC starts here*

Like many others, I am starting to lose track of everything I've done so I will organize it all here. I also would love to help anyone trying to do any of these mods, which is why I try to post the hardware and details for any tricky steps when I can.

Most things I had to find out the hard way so helping other ppl avoid problems is one of my main goals.

Also, I will admit that i am proud of my truck and the work I've put in so Ill take this opportunity to exhibit my work.
Be warned, this is a long first post with some of my recent life story and is continuously updated.
Quick look, day one / most recent:




Quick mods list:

Interior:
Rubber floor mats
Black Seat covers
Back scratcher
Power inverter
Radar detector
Trailer brake controller
Small fire extinguisher
First aid kit
8 packets of Raman
4 water bottles
Road rage defense:
18" hitch ball wrench in driver's door
Springfield XD 9mm

Suspension:
Ome 886s with 90000 struts
Dakar leaf packs w d29xl aal
Bilstein 5125 14" shocks forward facing
Lower shock mount relocate
Rear f250 shock towers
Subzerofab u bolt flip
Sway bar delete
Subzero and Mohawk fab shackle flip kit

Armor:
4x Innovations weld on sliders with kick out
Steel plate front bumper "the eBay bumper"
Subzerofab 3/16" ifs/trans skid, reinforced
Subzerofab 3/16" tank skid, reinforced

Shoes:
37" Cooper STTs
Subzerofab 17" Wheels
Rock rings

Communication:
Uniden in center console
Dual 4' Fire sticks
Relentless fab hood mount
Pyle Pa speaker behind grill
External speaker under drivers seat

Exterior accessories:
Airflow snorkel
In channel vent shades
Black headlight mod
Color changing halos
Blue Sea fuse box
Plastidipped
-side emblems
-tail gate emblems
-rear bumper
Black mesh front grill
Trailer plug relocate
Led bed lights
Led brake/reverse light strip
2nd Fire extinguisher on subzerofab bed mounts

Recovery:
Smitty 12k lb with steel cable
Snatch block
Tree saver
2 d rings in front
D ring in hitch mount rear
60" hi lift extreme on subzerofab bed mounts
Shovel and axe on subzerofab bed mounts
4"x30' heavy duty snatch strap, looped ends

Drive train:
4.88:1 differential gearing
ECGS Bushing (needle bearing replacement)
E locker full rear axle swap, heavy duty spring perches
Locker anytime mod
Eaton front e locker

Background: my name is Ryan, I live in Frederick, Colorado, but grew up in Middletown nj. I went to school in Colorado which is where I bought the truck. I am a mechanical engineer.

Now the truck:
2006 Double Cab Short Bed V6 6spd Manual
Bought in October 2014 with 50,000 miles.
I became a member of tw shortly after.
Came with color matched cap, hankook Dynapro 265s, brush guard, wired for trailer brakes with controller.
Photo of day I got it:




First time I got it stuck:


First decent sized haul (when i was a motorcycle mechanic):


Snow day:


Hauling the cruiser:


Front yard flexing:



Kept the truck like this for the better part of a year and a half. A few mods here and there (rubber floor mats and seat covers, in channel vent shades). At some point I added the back scratcher mod.


Fast forward to spring 2016, I have moved back to Jersey. I got the leaf spring recall done and the frame coated. I have been searching for trails and ppl to ride with and decide I need to lift the truck to get over moar rocks. I went on a few wheeling trips by my new place and started really thinking about Modding the truck:



Then, I rear end a beamer on the parkway and the front end got a makeover. I had already been thinking about new lights and grill:




So while searching for parts I remembered my tw account and began reading and searching tw for advice and products.

Here's where I started losing my mind.

So I got a new grill, new brush guard, and new lights with halos paid for by my deductible. I also installed a led brake light strip with reverse under tailgate, throws a lot of light. Installed bed lights as well (pictured later with shovel and axe mount):


I then notice the ome group buy and order the light kit with 885s, 90021s, and Dakar leaf packs. Still wasn't planning on anything crazy, hence the 885s.

While waiting for the lift, I did several things.

Installed dual cb antennas, radio, and pa.
Removed last remaining mud flap.
Plasti dipped emblems
Black headlight mod:





I also got a hi lift and then decided to get sliders. Went with 4x innovations weld on with kick out. Thanks to @stairgod for helping get them welded up.


After thinking about all the rocks I scraped across on my first few trips I started thinking about skids.

Then the lift came and @JLink helped me put it on at the end of June. My drive line vibration went away with the lift. I also threw a 35 on to see how it would be... Wasn't planning on 35s for a long time tho. (We see how that worked out)


Then I made some hi lift mounts:


Details on the bed rail mounting hardware:
For anyone looking for an alternative to the t slot nuts for the bed rail, Lowes has spring nuts in the electrical isle. They had 3/8" ones that I got and they fit in the bed rail well, they do not rotate after putting them in, they just snap in as is, I will post a pic. $4 or something for 5 of em . And you don't have to slide them in from the end of the rail.... I'm building a hi lift mount and shovel/axe/fire extinguisher mounts.

It took me forever to find them and nobody that worked at the store had ever seen them before apparently.

http://m.lowes.com/pd/SUPERSTRUT-3-8-in-Straight-Strut-Nut/3284278









Made a ridiculous impulse buy on front bump. Dad took the brush guard.



With Rausch creek takeover quickly approaching, I decided to make a set of skid plates. I used 3/16" steel with 1x1x1/8" angle iron reinforcement. Bends made with an angle grinder and pipe wrench, then I welded the seams (my first real attempts at welding).







Also made fire extinguisher, shovel, and axe mounts.


(Good photo of bed lights):


Then Plasti dipped rear bumper and relocated trailer plug.


Then I went to Rausch creek. While there, I relocated my rear diff breather. And scraped the crap outta my new skids (thank god I had em).





The week after Rausch, I kept with the full idiot trend and found a set of 315/70r17 Dick Cepek Crushers to try and stuff under there.

My ifs skid is sitting at about 9" off the ground. With 886s and 35s I'm hoping for at least 12" to the skid. That's enough for now, sorry for the long post. I'm sure I'll edit this as I remember more mods I've done.

If anyone has any questions on anything let me know!

8/16/16
Well it took me all day by myself, and Damn was it hot out. But I got the bushing and seal in and the 886s. Sitting much better and feels great on road. Phew glad that's over, I had trouble with every step, but learned a few tricks. Used a shop vac tube to tap seal in. Also could not get the axle back in, the snap ring was caught at the beginning of the splines. Put my hi lift handle on the end of the axle and hit it with a sledge, went right in....I figured out the easy way to do most of it after struggling on each step for an hour or so





Installed an oem roof rack I got from a member. He didn't have the hardware so I had to figure that out..
In case any one is trying to find what bolts to use, like I was...these work pretty well.

(6) M6-1.00 x 35mm hex
(4) M6-1.00 x 16mm hex
(4) M6-1.00 x 16mm Phillips machine screw
Could probably use small washers under each, wouldn't hurt

I put Teflon tape on all, hopefully it's sealed

I need to paint the roof rack on the bed cap black to match. Also this pic shows the front end sits way higher with the 886s, about 2" higher.





8/18/16
I've officially gone crazy:
Finished making room for 35s...

this weekend should be fun.

Thanks to Tim for letting me work at his place so I don't have so much to do over the weekend.

Thanks to Mike, @cynicalrider, I used the same plastic trim, and emblem adhesive stuff you did to finish the fenders

Also thanks to Josh for letting me use the spare to fit test.






8/21/16
This weekend got the tires mounted on the new wheels. I tried to dismount and mount the new tires myself but I new it was a losing battle. Used my truck to break the beads, that's as far as I got.

Then I had sears do the rest. I had to bore out the wheels with a Router because they were the wrong size, hopefully that works out well. They seem to fit great and look like they were done on a CNC.


I also cleaned them up and painted the bead lock rings and d rings. Then I sprayed all the wheel wells with matte black paint to help it blend in better. I think it looks much better.





8/23/16
Installed 1.25" wheel spacers.

D rings are also blue now










8/29/16
*Be warned, I'm about to unload too many photos*

Well... here we go, before and afters...
Gotta say, I'm pretty happy with it

Don't mind the missing bolts in the rings, still have to helicoil a few

#dirty5s












Had to remove 1.25" spacers because they caused bad rub on cab mount. Doesn't seem to rub ucas and frame much if at all without spacers so I may be ok. If anything, I think 1/2" spacer will do the trick. There will be more cmc in the future tho.

Baby test flex after removing spacers





10/8/16
Did more cmc and banging.
Flares are cut and plastidipped, also realized my exhaust dented my bedside, so I chopped the exhaust to dump after the axle in the parking lot at Rausch, thanks Tim for the grinder.



11/14/16
Update, I re soldered and re routed my cb Mic plug to be permanently mounted in the front of the console



12/17/16
Roof leak fixed
Redline Hood struts installed (thanks @Tatts521 )
Halos re paired and re soldered.
Then went and did some donuts



#whoneedsaproprod

1/1/17
Got the e locker axle welded up, cleaned up, new brakes, and got it installed with full oem wiring woohoo!





02/03/17
Finally got the airflow snorkel from group buy...installed that night...earlier in the week I installed the smittybuilt x20 12k winch with wireless remote



03/19/17
Did an exhaust reroute so I can have flat belly skids....Idk why more ppl don't do it this way, pretty simple




Also last week @stairgod and i made a shackle flip, still gotta install it.



4/7/17

Got my shackle flip on. Custom made by Jon and I. Came out great! The extended travel shocks, towers, and add a leaf are on their way to my house! Thanks @stairgod for all your help!



4/30/17
Made a u bolt flip, added a leaf to my Dakars, and added 14" bilsteins with f250 shock towers, both shocks in front of axle and lower shock mounts in line with bottom of axle tube. The Dakars limit travel up and down now....about 12" of travel







5/7/17
Weldedup spindles today and added steering gusset






7/18/17
Started work on the high clearance rear with swing out











Thanks for reading.

-Ryan

 

Nice job Ryan!

 

Thanks! And thanks again for your help with the truck!

 

Looking good! I love the picture with the 35 on the front. Just proves you made the right choice with the new tires!

Can't wait to see what's next.

 

New edits with fender cuts.

 

sub'd!

 

This weekend got the tires mounted on the new wheels. I tried to dismount and mount the new tires myself but I new it was a losing battle. Used my truck to break the beads, that's as far as I got. Then I had sears do the rest. I had to bore out the wheels with a Router because they were the wrong size, hopefully that works out well. They seem to fit great and look like they were done on a CNC.


I also cleaned them up and painted the bead lock rings and d rings. Then I sprayed all the wheel wells with matte black paint to help it blend in better. I think it looks much better.

 

Truck is looking great man! those 35s are crazy!

 

Innnn

 

The 35s look awesome. Now I am kicking myself for going with 33s.

 

Updated with photos of 35s and test flex after removing spacers

 

glad I finally did something right the first time lol

 

What's the adhesive do with the flare trim?

 

Helps seal the fender to keep out rust and keeps the trim on

 

Thank you

 

Thanks I'll have to do that

 

Damn. Nice build thread.
I can't believe you did all this in such a short period of time after the Takeover.

 

Me either

 

Subd.