4xFort Build Thread - previously Frame Swap

Cantilever almost done and LT kit and ADS coilovers arrived!


Just need a couple more pieces of hardware to complete it (some misalignment spacers, the bolts for the leafs, and shackles)




Some spindle gussets that I'll deal with later when I do the bearings. I figure welding them on now would jack up the wheel bearings, right??


Then some components for setting up lighting and electricity in the sleeping arrangements in the bed

 

You can weld them with the spindles completely on the truck just don't go crazy with the heat.

 

You can!? That's excellent! It won't screw up the wheel bearings??

Also, debating what to do about the alignment tabs. The very front set of the driver side, the inner tabs were knocked flat like someone had broke them. Didn't realize how bad the were. We have the gussetted kit, it just hasn't arrived before powder coating had to happen. Are those all welded on? It kinda looks like it might just be three rivets to drill out?

 

Yeah they should be welded together and then welded to the cam slots. I had gussets installed on the truck two years ago and no trouble with anything since. Here's a fly-by of the whole install.

 

Thanks! Yeah those look way more beefy than the stock ones. Dang. I wish that they’d arrived before powder coating since removing that will add a fair amount of time lol

 

I dig it! I wanted to go cantilever and keep the bed for soo long, just never had the courage to attempt the math and geometry for the arms.

 

Yeah, I'm not sure that I 100% grasp the concepts, including the entire category of suspension geometries. There are so many variables. But, it's also not an aspect that I'm incredibly interested in spending a significant amount of time learning about. I'll leave that to someone else... at least for now! Way too intimidating.

A bit more work today. Was able to put the front tires on to roll it over closer to the welding station! Of course they'll be coming back off for adjustments and painting of the axle and other various unfinished parts. The cantilever is coming along quite nicely! I'm regretting not going with SUA swap, and that I basically got custom made leafs for no reason since they're actually just stock 98 sizes and arching. I might as well have purchased the OME and been done with that since I'm going to have a lot less travel back there than I'd expected. Also, the frame is not actually a 98 in regards to it's suspension. The leaf hangers do not match up with what would be expected and are about 5 or 6" longer...


Running into an issue with the ADS coilovers and the solo motorsports LT kit. The axle hits the coilover. It's like they need to be the King style where I'd have the 1" shaft lengthener on there to make it be up just enough to clear... Any suggestions?


The final hiccup for the day is with the driveshaft. With the leafs being in different than expected mounting points, the driveshaft slip yoke is over extended. I'm going to pick up a driveshaft extension plate tomorrow hopefully from LowRangeOffroad...


The goal for tomorrow is to get the cab on and start re-connecting things. See if I can get it to a place where I can turn it on! Gotta figure out if the MAF conversion is going to work or not...

 

Yeah you need the raised spring seats.

 

Hmm I wonder where I can find that locally! CRAP
Would that throw off the geometry, and compress the coilovers?

 

No - you have plenty of thread at the top - it'll just move the spring up the shock body.

https://www.nexgenoffroad.com/product-p/25301-003.htm

You could buy them from filthy motorsports too if you just tell them you need a raised coil plate or spring seat. Take some pictures and email solo as well - ask if you need just the different seat or a longer rod end. You can get the part number for it from king if you call them too - call ADS to see if they make one too.

For your own investigation, move the spring up the coilover by unscrewing the retainer at the top and take the nitrogen out of the coilover. Cycle the suspension up and down and see how high the spring has to be in order to not hit the axle. You should also align your suspension with an angle finder - PM if that's something you'd want help with.

 

It looks like I have the raised spring seat.

 

What leafs did you go with?

 

I had Alcan make me a set. Basically stock 98 springs since I thought this was a 98 frame (it's not since the hangers are like 5" too far forward) with a 2" lift to give them more uptravel. And they're built to 600# over stock weight due to the fiberglass topper, the carpet kit camping setup that remains in the truck at all times, and other things (new rear bumper soon with a swingout, triple secondary battery bank, solar, water tank, tools, spare parts, etc etc.)

Today we finished the cantilever. It is freaking perfect. It sits exactly where we had planned it to, it gets 15.5" of travel from these springs, and one loaded back up with the bed and everything, it's going to sit precisely in the middle of it's range of travel allowing for about 7" up and 8" down



**Way to go Mike Simmons! You nailed it. (mine is a prototype for a bit on our weld on kit he's going to be releasing soon for these first gens) if I'd done spring under like I realize I now should have, it is capable of pulling 22" with no change except mounting points and the leafs.

Had to do some alterations to fit the hardware we were using. Just a taste of some of the fun..


Body is back on! She can sit on her own four wheels again!


Got the manual brake proportioning valve in!

Finished installing and mounting up the Solo Motorsports LT kit and ADS coilovers. The passenger side UCA heim joint threads hadn't been cleaned from the powder coat so that was fun to find a place to help on a weekend in Utah since we didn't have 3/4" fine threads chasers. Also ended up just taping everything to get the axle and tie rod spacers painted up. Which you can see as all blue in one of the photos.

But it's so close! Tried to start it up tonight a d it turns over like a boss, but it just doesnt fire up!!! NOOOOOO!!! Rechecked all the wiring, fuel lines (the pump is pumping) and will have to check for a spark tomorrow. Damn I was so stoked. Just so ready to hear her purr again.



Man, she sure is going to ride quite high! Not sure if I'll be able to park in the garage at work!

 

Daily dose of update: she starts, she runs! Just as suspected, there was a plug that was almost completely in but not quite, even though it had been checked at least four times by three different people. Although it was a waste if a day, it's running.

Hopefully, I'll drive it away tomorrow with just some minor finishing work needed.

Also, if anyone is interested in that cantilever set up as a kit, PM me and I'll pass on the designer's contact! He's making some changes to the way it will mount to the frame since we ended up welding it on. He wants it to be boltable (obviously one could weld it in place if they so desired...)

 

Haha surprise! I didn’t get to drive it away today ;( we missed the alignment time because of the holiday and didn’t get to do a solid test drive and off-roading check. But everything is basically done except: bed, shell, and front bumper need to go back on, and both ends still need to be limited. The rear almost doesn’t need limit straps, but there’s only like 3/8” of the shock piston left when the axle is hanging. If it was to be a more violent/real life ground departure, it seems likely that it’d over extend.

It feels so nice to change out all the fluids and know they’re all nice fresh Redline gear oils. It’s also real nice to have a repaired/rethreaded tranny fill plug so I know water and debris can’t get in around the ghetto rubber plug that barely fit.

But dang dude, she’s got a pretty aggressive stance now! Once the advanced glassworks fenders arrive, it’ll be perfect.

 

Did you swap to a 1 piece rear driveshaft? No clearance issue going to come up by leaving the center support in place when you stuff one of the rear tires?

 

Yeah my center bearing and rear u joint on the OEM driveshaft went out last spring so I swung by and grabbed a ton woods shaft. I haven’t been able to see any point when there’s be a clearance issue. There’s a significant amount of room around the shaft before it’d contact anything.

I’m a bit bummed that the axle is actually shifted back another inch or so with this leaf pack. It’s definitely not in the right position. Might just take some trimming and bending for now. Maybe new bedsides later. There’s no way I want to go back to the short 95-97 spring. Plus that’d throw off the geometry for the cantilever a bit.

 

Make sure the leafs are on the right way! haha, but its coming together well, Im excited to see this thing finished and see that rear end in action!

Oh, and make sure to check that exhaust after doing some towing/hauling. I had mine dump before the axle, about a foot forward of it, and noticed that after a trip to the desert with the bed loaded, it melted halfway through a limit strap, and noticeable exhaust on the axle and shock!

 

Haha yeah they’re definitely on the right way, just that the frame actually seems to maybe be late 97 called a 98 so, before the change in leaf mount points. Might just punch a hole 2” forward per Alcan and mount the axle forward a bit to correct.
Ended up doing the MAF conversion to the new Denso style and using the newer air box because that plastic weld didn’t hold. The air intake pipe was also starting to split and threw a new one of those on too.
Checked over everything. The brakes kept leaking, so I just ended up removing the manual proportioning valve and hardlining it in to the master cylinder. Works great now! Just need to figure out why the valve is leaking then I’ll put it back in.
Did some testing and an alignment. Then went to Death Valley for a handful of days. On the way down, the toe alignment got worse and worse so fixed that in Vegas.
Everything was going great until almost to butte valley where I discovered the LBJs never got cotter pins put in by having the passenger side unscrew and rip the bottom few threads out with it. Fortunately we were just barely moving when it went, and good thing my fiberglass fenders arrive this week. With a file and a new castle nut, we were all good though.

The toe alignment keeps drifting either in or out. Has anyone else heard of this? There’s nothing else going off, so the LCA alignment bolts stay put. It’s like the tie rods are adjusting themselves equally on both sides... maybe just as the new suspension settles? Going to have to research more...
The leafs are a bit stiff, but once up to a good fun speed on the dirt roads, she handles like a dream, almost not even feeling the brutal washboard flying by below.


Ready to roll!


Breakfast at Rhyolite. Still needs a bumper... haha



Titus canyon.


Bad.


Some sketchy jack stand action.