Zach's 2013 DCSB Build

Good to know about the factory paint. I’ve considered doing a wrap but my concern was always if I wanted to remove it. Thanks!

 

What brand vinyl? I like that grey

 

3M 1080-G31 – Gloss Storm Grey

 

That’s what I was thinking, Love the color

 

It has been nice. Hides salt and water spots really well and makes the truck look cleaner than it actually is.

 

Yeah I’m looking to do my other truck to keep it nice and was going to use my left over dark gloss grey but had less than I thought so I’ve been looking for a new color

 

Small update but something I desperately needed. I recently installed fiberglass bedsides. I vinyl wrapped them to match the truck as well. Love the fit and the coverage and clearance they provide. My stock bedsides and fenders were getting crushed when the wheel was fully stuffed.

One problem I did have though was the bedsides though is the weak nature of the fiberglass compared to the steel/plastic on the stock bedsides (especially on the caps). Being someone who is constantly climbing in and out of the bed I needed something to protect the large flat fiberglass area where the stock plastic bedcaps used to fit.

I designed some caps and had them laser cut from 1/8" aluminum and bent to fit. Bolted them on last night using the stock bolts that hold the bedsides and cargo tracks and then secured the top using 3m double sided tape. They added a good solid surface I can step on now without putting all the weight on the fiberglass.

Prepping, you can see the fiberglass and the grey vinyl over it.



3M tape. I installed it on the edge of the vinyl to hold the vinyl tight on the edge but also secure the bedcap to the fiberglass.



One side done. Fit turned out pretty close to where I wanted it.



Both sides done

 

Those turned out great, nice work. Give it a factory-style finish.

 

Thanks, I thought they turned out nice as well.

 

Looks good Zach!

 

Yeah that looks amazing man! May have to pick your brain on them when I get my rear

 

Small update, my truck vault was pretty beat up on top from being uncovered all summer and having my sons quad on top of it every time we took it will us on trips, so I redid the coating on the top last night. Original surface was line-x which held up pretty well considering the use it took. I cleaned and scuffed up the surface and did an overcoat of rustoleum truck bed liner.

Despite the poor quality of the photos (due to the lack of light in my garage, you can see how much of a difference it made.

 

Just an FYI, Raptor Liner is a great alternative to Line-X, and is DIY.

 

Yeah I have seen it used a few times. I have had really good luck with the rustoleum brand though (used it on some trailer fenders) and it is cheaper.

 

Not sure if you solved your leaf spring issue, but I've been pretty happy with my Deaver pack. I got the one based on the U402, but with some extra leafs for 700+lbs over stock weight ("Expedition III" or something like that). I have only had them for 10,000km but they ride quite well "empty" (steel bed rack, RTT, steel HC bumper w/ swingout, reinforced tailgate...) and also handle the extra weight of my camping gear or an ATV well. I shed a tear of sorrow when I paid, but shed a tear of joy the first time I put them to use.

 

over here waiting for pics & feedback of the new front kit like

 

I saw the in-progress truck a little while back. Zach isn't messing around with that front end.

 

It’s on but still dialing in a few things. I took it through one break in trip and haven’t been able to get enough caster out of the alignment for it to feel great on the highway and I am all over the cab mount and firewall at full stuff.

Pretty sure my LCA mounts are bent on one side since the other side i was able to get like 4 degrees of caster. So I am modifying the uppers by adding heims and then I should be good to go to get it all dialed in.

Overall impressions without messing with shock valving too much is the smaller bumps and washboard roads it rides about the same or maybe a little worse than my mid travel. But when I get up to speed and hit the big bumps I wasn’t prepared for it soaks them up great

 

I doubt that your LCA mounts are tweaked honestly, talk to any alignment shop and they will tell you that these trucks are not the same from driver to pass side. Heck just go to a dealership and crawl under a few trucks and you will see the cams in many different positions to yield the same alignment #'s. If I set my cams the same on both sides my suspension would look like ...

 

Haven't updated this thread in awhile. I have been out playing in the truck through the summer dialing in the front long travel kit. I have plans to do a SUA long travel rear in the next few months along with a custom add on for more practical uses such as towing and hauling heavier loads. Should be fun. In the mean time here is a poser shot of the truck from the other day when we were getting some family photos done and the photographer snapped one of the truck.