Colinb17's kinda sorta build thread - now with 4-link and long travel

ain't that the truth

 

Alright, so speaking of a challenge, i need some help fellas.

still on this y-pipe thing, i was doing research, and realized the urd pipe routes differently than i had though, with it going under the tranny, and the high clearance skid i have there, it clears my skids fine, but damn does it hang low. i don't feel like spending $500 on some stainless pipe, just to crush it on my next wheeling trip

for refference:


so that leaves the pipe bomb. this one is routed in a similar fasion to my current setup, with the exception of my crossover being further back as to not cook the u-joints. i cn hear wrap for that though. my concern with the DT pipe bomb is if it will clear my transfer case skid (modified all-pro).

for refference:











I know it's a fairly unique combination (AP skid and pipe bomb), but does anyone have any idea if it will fit???

 

here's a better picture of the pipe bomb. it's just tacked together becuse this was when they were still designing it.

I really do think it will fit, i just want to try to confirm before ordering. this would all be so much easier if i had my welder with me
i gues worst case scenario, i just pring the pipe bomb to a shop to have it altered a little

 

Maybe?

 

I actually cut up my stock one in a similar fassion, but rerouted it behind the transfer case to so i could tuck my skid up higher and use a larger pipe. the reason i'm looking at a full replacement is because i recently managed to crush it in two places, even with it being tucked up in the frame rails. it now has two leaks as a result, one at the bolt-up to the passenger manifold, and another where it actually split the pipe, jsut before the y-collector.

If i had all of my equipment here, i'd just build a whole new one, but i don't

 

Oh I see, well the problem is actually located in the cab, its that skinny pedal, lay off it a bit........

 

this may have also contributed

 

I went the route I showed you so I could fully cover the entire area and create a smooth transition from mid skid to rear skid and out

 

i like that bend up at the end. My entire skid is angled up towards the rear, and has a tube frame, so getting hooked up on rocks while reversing isn't really an issue, but i feel like so many of the other fabricators out there overlook that and just have the skid going straight back, with a 90* at the rear lip. doesn't make a ton of sense when your solution really doesn't take that much extra work.

 

I smell an upgraded gas tank skid in your future

 

Haha, ya. Been trying to get that done for a year now. Soon, very soon

 

aww, come on, that's the easiest one. only two bends and 6 holes

when you do it, make sure to pay close attention to where it passes by the leaf spring retainer. mine's about 1/4'' too wide and hooked on the retainer once and broke one side of the "U" off. no functional drawback, just something that you might as well avoid when building one from scratch.

 

Thanks, ya, I've modified a few for guys that had same issue. I'm thinking I want it a bit different. I want the bolts/nuts recessed. All the ones I've seen just hang down, I don't like that.

 

yeah, if you use the factory TRD OR or budbuilt tank straps you're options are fairly limmited. I do have to say though, my tank skid by far has the fewest scratches on it, and the 4 protruding nuts/bolts are 100% fine (so far). I'd like to say there's some line choice and maybe some luck that has contributed to that, but in all reality, i think it's just the fact that it's 1)tucked up pretty darn hi 2) on the drivers side, and you typically hit fewer things on that side 3) the rear tire climbs stuff pretty quickly, raising the tank out of harms way, relative to the other skids that are further from tires.


interested at how you tackle that though. the easy way would be to space the skid down and recess the nuts and bolts in some short lengths of tube, similar to the way IFS skids are done, but i wouldn't want to do that, which makes a solution a little more complex.

 

I have the Doug thorley y pipe and a stock ATO transfercase skid will hit the coupling where the y pipe meets the section of exhaust pipe going to the muffler.

My solution was to have Kevin (former ATO) to make mine 4" longer to get past the coupling.

 

10-4, thanks! so if mine hits in the same place (different skit), it'd be real easy for my to jsut have an exhaust shop cut out the joint and move it rearward until it cleared.

how do you like the dt y-pipe by the way. i gues it doesn't matte since it's my only option at this point, but i'm curious

 

I was pissed as hell with it at first because I ordered it from jegs which said it was instock, then it had to be drop shipped from DT and they didn't have any in stock and some how it took 2 months to make one, so I ended up waiting like 4 months to get it, then the skid didn't even fit with it.

Probably notice better throttle response and sound... Idk if anything substantial though.

 

Damn, I hope they're in stock now. Just tried calling urd, but kept getting their answering machine. I'll try them again when I finish lunch.

Like I said, I'm not really in it for power, so anything I do get will just be a bonus. As long as the flanges all line up and seal without leaks, I'll be happy.

 

finally got ahold of Gadget. they're out of the pipe bomb, but have a huge production run coming their way around the 23d. Got one drop shipped from that order directly to me, so i should have it in about 3 weeks.

 

unfortunately my current job situation (long term business travel), has me here on my own, without tools, and no ability to have any truck downtime. if i had a set date that i knew i was going to pick up my welder and other tools, i could hold out, but there's potential for that date to be a year from now. if th pipe bomb is crappy, i can just fix whatever makes it crappy when i have the time a resources. anything is better than what i have now though