Idaho BS thread in the PNW

Ahh haha yeah, no boxing plates would make it kind of hard to use the shock tubing...

I've always thought that the frame boxing made more sense versus reinforcement plates anyways

 

eh, one is easier than the other. but fully boxing it is stronger. the plates are for the front though, so still does me no good for the back.

 

I didn't need an alignment after I installed my expos

 

The height of the rear definitely has in impact as rctoy pointed out. The caster changes with the height of the rear. If all you care about is tire wear, you will be OK but if you care about driveability too, align it after lifting the rear.

The reinforcement plates are definitely a compromise. The boxing involves a lot more work. On my truck there would have been a lot of stuff that would have had to be removed and later remounted somehow. There is what looks like a lot of fuel/emissions stuff mounted on the inside of the frame behind the gas tank. The brake proportioning valve is also in the way.

Not sure the amount of effort is worth it. But then, I don't intend to turn my truck into a rock buggy. The reinforcement plates will be plenty for the extra weight I will carry off the back.

 

I'm not sure how accurate Trail Gears instructions are, but they show that only the brake proportioning valve, tire carrier, and shock mounts need to be removed. I'd be removing the tire carrier and shock mounts anyways. Then just drill a hole into the boxing plates to install the proportioning valve in the relatively stock location.

 

My whole way to drill this morning I was doing 50-60mph on the interstate and flying by the few people that were out there. Most of them were truckers doing about 15-20 mph. It wasn't even snowing, the roads were just covered in deepish snow (deep for my car haha) and a little icy/slushy in spots.

It warmed up so much about 12 hours later that on my way home almost all of the snow was completely gone (even off the sides of the road) and I was doing 80 mph home and I was practically the slowest vehicle on the interstate...

 

Yeah, I saw those instructions too. The truck in those pics may have been an older one. Monte's '96 and my friends '97 didn't have all that fuel/emissions crap mounted back there either. I was surprised by how much shit there was that would have to be removed to weld plates along the inside of the drivers side frame rail.

Correction. That stuff is not behind the fuel tank, it is on top of it. Almost impossible to see until you take the bed off.

 

Ah, so it looks like after 97 they moved that fuel management stuff from the back of the driver side wheel well in the engine bay to right on top of the fuel tank...

 

This is why I probably won't be boxing my frame. I wouldn't be surprised if I have even more stuff to relocate, It's like a rat's nest back there! We already had to relocate a couple things for the towers.

I'll probably just box it in a couple spots and run a couple new crossmembers there.

 

I'll probably still use that frame boxing kit. By the time mods like that come around I'll just take my time and take it step by step haha

 

TG kit also doesn't fully box the entire frame.

 

Yeah, thats what it looks like.

Not surprised. You probably a lot more emissions stuff than we do.

Didn't seem worth it to me.

I know the TG instructions didn't say this, but it almost looks like to be safe, the fuel tank needs to be removed too. I know that some have done that.

 

is this the croatia trip?

 

For sure do the Heineken tour. They make like ten different kinds of beer, and there is an open bar at the end. It's one of the few family friendly things to do there lol. If you can sneak off by yourself the sex museum is pretty cool, but the red light is kinda over rated if you're not a doper. There are also some nice art museums.

 

Does any kit out there though? Haha

 

Nope. Hence why if your gonna do it. Just do it custom

 

True. Depends on if you have the tools I guess...

 

Pay someone to do it.

Plus if i do that..i'll want it TIGed. Hopefully i can do mine TIGed. Don't have to worry quite as much about heat.

 

Pay someone to do what exactly? Weld in custom plates or just cut the plates? I'd prefer to just weld them in myself whenever I do finally get a welder. And if I'm welding them myself, it would be a pain to try to go back and forth with measurements and have somebody then cut the metal out.

How much farther do you really need to go anyways over the Trail Gear kit?