Radioactiv's 15 DCLB4x4 - 35s - DIY fab projects galore

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Let me start off by saying I'm still not sure which direction I want this truck to go. I'm not even sure if I will take to the point to where it needs its own build thread. I do like to have the mods and timeline documented though.

I started off wanting a mall crawler ( I was looking at 2wds with 6" drop brackets and 35s) That was in 2014 @ 20yr old; I would like to say my wants/needs matured a good bit as I did. I started shooting alot and my family picked up a small farm so I have found my self in some mild situations were my faithful 99 explorer was struggling.


So I started the search for a DCLB 4x4 (long bed for my brothers race bikes) and after about a month I found the truck I wanted in SC. Carmax had it which was a bit odd that they had a truck priced this well @ 27k OTD. I couldn't find any glaring issues other than one small dent in the lower left of the tailgate. 1 owner, 55k miles


Current Mods:
Bilstien 5100s @ 0"
Falken Wildpeak AT3W p285/70 17
Level 8 Mrk 6 Wheels 17" Gunmetal 0 Offset
Front Windows Matched @ 28%
Debadged & Depinstriped


Inprogress:
Sliders
Learning to park this thing
RTI holster mount onto inner console



Future Mods:
Done- Prisnu Style carbon steel roof rack (Finishing the explorers first)
Done- Retro Fit Headlights
Done- Color Match Grill surround + mesh insert
Camper shell- Bed Rack ( Not sold on this one yet)
Build Low profile front bumper


Down for more mod ideas! Sling them at me!







The day I picked it up, stole the Explorer's parking spot. Good thing too, hit a skunk the next night in the Explorer and it got parked down close to the pasture.





Tires came in 2 days later. Falken AT3W Wilpeaks P285 70 17



Also started sliders for me and a friends 07 DCSB. I'm a purchasing agent at a fabrication and machine shop. Someone gets a new grinder and I got frame plates.

Cut these on a 20 year old CMC plasma table. These are in the DIY slider thread.



Got the wheels mounted, balanced and TPMS swaped over @ Discount Tire. Got to figure something to do with those centercaps.




Then the fun started (3/28/17) So happy I went with the coil+ AAL lift, it rides like a cadi compared to my friends SB with spacers.

 

Save this one for later

 

Nice truck my man; keep it up! Any plans for what's next? We all have em

 

sliders for sure, I'm the paranoid guy parking in the back of the parking lot. I could grab some step bars but while I have access to all the equipment to build them I dont see why not.

Then a roof rack.

 

Nice tires. I just got some of those myself and am pretty happy with them. What coils did you get? OME? Rig looks real good. If you are looking for a different look with your center caps, I've read that the TRD center caps fit your Level 8's. You might have to paint them a bit to match, but they look nice IMO. I was going to do that with mine, but they don't fit in the Method NVs....

 

Yeah its OME 887 coils. I ordered some TRD stickers that are black and grey to cover them up, we will see how that works. Level 8 didnt really hit the nail on the head when it came to color matching the center caps to the wheels either. I wanted bronze but they looked more gold in person.

 

Did some cutting yesterday and put on some Lami-x yellow fog light covers.

285s seem to clear fine up front with mini flaps and long flaps removed.

CMC will be next since its a easy mod for the piece of mind.

http://imgur.com/tcS9LRJ


Shes at the tire shop for alignment at the moment.

 

Just spent most of the day in the garage working on various projects. color match grills surround, get Gcode RTI holster mounted, work on the explorers roof rack.

First issue, didnt realize until I got the clear coat on the grill that I ordered black sand pearl (209) not black (202) so now I have a grill with ALOT of flake in it. Deff learned alot painting over the chrome that way. May try a differant primer to see if I can get a stronger bond.


RTI wheel mount was simple. Ruined the first strip since the cleaning shit from when I bought the truck was on the plastic. Cleaned it well and it stuck fine. Used 15lb velcro and I can still swap my holster over to my range belt. Need to get some more 9mm Federal HSTs.



Last project is a Prisnuish style steel roof rack for my explorer. Cut out of 1/8 sides and .75 sq tubing it weighs around 60lbs I would say. I got it tacked up but really didnt feel like welding after wrestling the side pieces square. If I like this one i may make one for the truck, if not ill just order a alum prisnu. My plasma cant touch the laser cutting he has done. I think tomorrow is going to be a spring cleaning day for the garage. I really want to get a fabrication table set up behind the drag car, no room to do anything at the moment but itll get there.

 

Grill turned out alright even though it was the wrong color code. Will probably respray it when I get a mesh insert in for it.

 

We fleshed out the slider measurements today. Also trying to find a issue with my truck post lift that feels almost like a brake grabbing around sharper corners around 30-40mph
Red truck is a 07 DCSB SR5 manual
He's had it since we turned 16 and I've always wanted one. Its a farm truck mostly

Grill surround is getting painted and the insert is getting done this weekend also.

 

Repainted the grill (again) and worked on the roof rack this weekend, Also got the grill insert in

 

Got my drawings done for the sliders, got to order 1 more stick since they are going to take around 24' of round material.

For anyone wanting to bend a similar design for a DCLB ill attach the dwg file. Thanks @wisDOMination for the inspiration on the awesome design!


Worked on setting up some more plates on my friends range so I took the time to snap some shots of the truck in some better scenery.

 

Looking like a proper bro yesterday. Went and traded my brother's clapped out 2016 250f for a 2015 KTM 250f with a FMF exhaust and aftermarket suspension. He still perfers the 150sx over the 4 strokes.

 

Went to check out the 750yrd range since the pipeline company is close to done. Some narly waterbreaks they put in making me wish I had a shorter wheels base for a few seconds.


I think a exhaust reroute will be in order next. Sliders material is here and the design is finalized. I just have to get to cutting on them.

 

Progress on the rack. Got to do some shooting this weekend also. Rack weights 40-50lbs not horrible but its no aluminum rack. Had to make a less then ideal jig to frame on since we are basically out of garage space.


Sliders are on hold till our tube bender gets freed up at work. Hopefully within the month.

 

I'm also designing a set of sliders but for a DCSB, CAD guy with fabrication/welding background. Thanks for the CAD file, I have a couple questions on your design. The points south in plan are going to attach to a rail that follows the body line and then has outrigger to the frame? I measured ~10" from the frame to the "roll" of the body. I'm going to make some mounting plates to weld to the body, will you be welding yours on or bolting? I attached the CAD file with my questions.

Thanks!

-Tony

 

I'm building a set for my friends SB also. I think we measured 8" from the plates. Then using 2" sq tubing to tie it together. I was mainly worried about how the bends will work out

 

is your friends a DCSB? i measured ~ 80" on my DCSB '15 for the approx length of my sliders, your design is coming in at ~ 87.5.
Bends? You wouldn't bend the 2" square at all, just 45 the ends so everything stays closed up?

ALSO your 45's in that drawing aren't 45's, your angular dimension tolerance is set to whole numbers, everything is off a few degrees here and there.

 

The truck model is from online, its a helux, but its pretty damn close to our trucks. the sliders are based off real tape pulls from my truck and your cad files. using all 2" square tubing i come out off the frame 11" to the inside of the start of the angle. Then its up at a 22 degree angle. The total height difference is ~3" at the narrow and 5.5" at the kick, which may wind up being an issue with the back doors. I gotta get some better dimensions with the truck on a solid surface, AKA not my dirt driveway! I hold the front outrigger back 6" from the front, there is something attaching to the frame to avoid, and 16" from the back, the front of the leaf spring attaches to the frame in that area.



https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzDKTZCsjTIgVHQ0WFQtci1CMGc

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzDKTZCsjTIga2Y5TjA0b18tVW8

 

Yes the 80" ones we have are for his short beds. Mine are for my long bed. The 2" square stays straight and the 1 7/8" round will be bent and welded to the sq. Keep in mind i'm a purchasing agent at a fab and machine shop so I'm more a hobbyist that anything.

I am going for something like this.