'98 Reg Cab 3-Link SAS

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Nice. Hopefully I see this thing on the trails around here in the future.

 

Tks man. It's getting there, still more to do!

Not sure yet when they shakedown run will..but I'm certainly eager to hit some trails

 

That is incredible. Great work is obvious. Looks awesome just sitting still.

 

Isn't it so "worth it" now that you can see the finished project? I mean compared to when it was started....not knowing how those axles will fit....how anything will fit?

.....for me, it was the steering config. I had trouble seeing the finished steering. It bothered me but when I was almost complete with the steering then it was so relieving...and a no-brainer.
Hey , what's on the paperwork on the right front fender?

 

It has been a huge relief to see what the final product will be like. dealing with those big axles was an anxiety producing task. The steering was a challenge. With those big axles there's little room for anything down there.

The paperwork on the fender is the to-do-list

 

Love this

 

Badass dude! I love reg cabs with big ass tires, i REALLY want to build one!!

I would not worry too much about the little shit, i halfassed mine compared to yours and my punch list that im working on isnt bad, it certantly doesnt keep me from driving or wheeling it. Having a pro built ride i would imagine its nothing more than some tweaking and stuff like that over a few weekends.

 

Thanks! Yea, there's something cool about small reg cab pick up trucks with big ass tires haha. Though it's a bit of a pain to go on loooooong road trips with a reg cab.

The builder is really doing great work. I'm sure it will not be as bad at the end as you said....but there's always something that comes up! So I want to be prepared mentally

 

A few more pics of the leg flexing with the fork lift:

The drag link and panhard very parallel. Also the oil pan had to be massaged with big ass hammer to make room for the steering linkage



Rear flexed better than I had expected. Again, those are 40" tires - though in some pics they look like 37"s. Front tire is stuffed pretty good as the rear stretches



Can't really be seen on this pic, but the shackle mounts were built through the frame with some plating. I'll try to get some pics later on. Also, the front spring mount were moved farther forward than the factory location. These springs are longer than factory springs.



This pic shows the flex potential of the rear suspension. Again, those are big ass tires. Please ignore the old shocks in the pic. Those will be replaced with new bilsteins in a /\ configuration.



Can't remember what ended up being the lenght of the lower links....43" something inches i think (need to measure again to confirm)



Another pic of the 2spd Atlas. As you can see, the 2spd atlas is not that much bigger than the factory chain driven case. It actually sits 1" higher than the factory case was lol.

 

Is that draglink bolt on the pitman arm getting some double shear treatment before all is said and done?

 

... yeah, I thought the same thing. I'm at 6.5 months and no longer feel that way.

This build is awesome. That shop is on point for sure.

 

That's my hope Opinions vary but it seems like a good idea to do it with heim joints

There's still work that needs to be done. Now that the main parts are built the "dialing in" begins.

 

Hey 1999---
Regarding the rear shocks.....the 12" bilsteins might work just fine in the factory staggered config....you still have leafpacks back there and 12" of travel just might cover the range you need. They say the staggered front /rear axle config helps on axle wrap and might offer some sway resistance. Something to think about.

 

Interesting. I didn't know that the staggered shock design can help prevent axle wrap. However, The leaf springs mounts are not in the stock location anymore. So if I keep the shoks staggered I'll have to move upper shock mounts anyway.

On the other hand, i've read that setting the shocks in the /\ configuration makes for a better ride and allow more flex. Don't really know...

I'm going with 12" Bilsteins by the way.

 

Ya, you need to have the fork lift lift the wheel again and measure the spot where the shock would be on the compressed side and also on the drooped side......





Tape measure time.....
For example, if you measure 19" on the compressed leafpack side and 29 on the extended side then the staggered config is ok to use with no loss of droop. By the way, excessive droop is over-rated.

the heavy duty valved shock is the

$89 33-185569 Shock, 5100 Series, Monotube, Steel, Zinc Plated, Rear, 6 in Lifted, GM Fullsize SUV / Truck 1975-91, Each

33-185569 part number fyi

 

Thanks for the info! Good stuff.

Excessive droop is not good in many aspects of life

 

Truck is coming along nicely! Looks good!

 

Progress pics look great man. Wish my rebuild was at that point.

 

Thanks for your words guys; really appreciate it.

Truck has been at the "dealing-with-little-stuff "-phase" for a while: brakes, drive shafts, air locker connections, trimming sheet metal, etc. As you know, the "little stuff" is what kills you on these projects

Also dialing the final ride height. When the truck was on its own weight the first time (fork lift pics) it had a frame height of 27". That's actually pretty good for the first measurement with those 40" tires. It can come down another 2" easily. Well, easier to do on the front