Long Travel BS Thread

nice this his helpful

 

Depends on your comfort level cutting into your truck really. I use to cut and repair large holes in commercial aircraft, so doing it to my truck was a piece of cake....others may not quite feel that way. But it is not to difficult of an install....just take your time and plan it out.

 

cut plenty of stuff on the truck so not too bad. if its just the hole saw cuts you noted that's easy enough.

 

Just a quick note though...the core support where the hood pins attached eventually broke and I did repair it putting more metal on both sides. Then finally cut out my core support completly. It looks like this now

 

Looking at tires, probably gonna be upgrading at the end of this year/early year. IDK what falken puts in these tires but my 285s weigh 61lbs a tire. Looking at KO2s in a 295, they weigh 57lbs a tire. Grabber ATXs in 315 weigh in at 63 lbs a tire. So definitely gonna ditch the heavy falkens. I've had K02s before and I like them, but it's super tempting looking at General grabber ATXs. I'm on 4.56 gears already, so thinking why not. Anyone have experience with them?

 

The locking quiklatches are no good. The regular ones are very good i highly recommend them

 

I just got autofab hood pins - cheap, easy to source and super durable. I'll restore my factory latch as well.

https://www.kartek.com/parts/autofa...ssembly-with-q-clip-bolts-and-nyloc-nuts.html

 

Same. Easy to install and look decent

 

I ended up cutting mine, then supporting the star with a short piece of DOM and hitting the stub of the axle shaft with a 20# sledgehammer. That popped them right out.

In retrospect I should have just paid JD Fab to do it.

 

Yeah cutting the axles out is a bit of a pain but not bad. I’ve done 3 sets and never had an issue, just cut them off then take it to a machine shop with a 50 ton press and $20 makes quick work of it. Also been running aerocatchs with aluminum pins and locks for a year and a half and you just gotta clean and lube them every once in a while but never had an issue with them.

 

Well that looks much stronger anyway. These core supports are garbage for heavy use

 

Haha yah I’ve been told to just cut them. I already ordered the TC shafts but then thought of JD and also another company that sells 2 completes both would have been much easier

 

Where about a should I cut? I may just do that

 

As close to the star as you possibly can. I recommend a bandsaw. I did it with an angle grinder last time and I was able to barely cut enough off and nicked some other parts of the axle.

If I had used my bandsaw it would have gone a lot smoother.

This video applies here except we have the shaft coming out which stops the rotation needed. That’s why you want to cut it as close to the star as possible and when you do, you can follow this video

https://youtu.be/3-R11jtnyV8

 

Do not use a bandsaw it will kill the blade. Always use abrasive cut off wheels with hardened steel. I just throw them in the chop saw and it goes right through

 

Yeah but blades are cheap and an angle grinder cutting wheel isn’t large enough to get through in one pass. Plus the chuck on the grinder keeps you from getting close to the shaft.

So I guess I should say “don’t use an angle grinder unless you have surgical precision.”

 

He’s saying with a larger shop saw not angle grinder. This makes sense

 

I know, and not everyone has one of those including myself. I prefer a cold cut saw to abrasives.

 

Yes use the chop saw, you clamp the axle in the jaws and have the blade cut the axle right next to the CV

 

I’m with ya. I don’t have either but can get one. If it’s a blade then makes sense. I was thinking grinder but for the reasons you noted. No band saw handy. or just find a machine shop to cut and press