Colinb17's kinda sorta build thread

They may have had it as a bundle option?? I see some 3rd party vendors selling a package deal currently, but it's the same price overall as buying the parts separately directly from factor 55

 

Tire boys were fast!
Really looking forward to having 2 permanently mounted spares.

 

All this work and your keeping the stock axle? I was expecting a 9" or something a little stronger.

 

I had just junked a d60 too. Could've had rear steer.

 

Maybe some day, but with the internally trussed 8.4, plus the new external trussing, I think this will hold up well.

Another 10k for a new axle and it's treatments just didn't make sense for me right now. I'd rather screw around with geometry and tuning on a (relatively) cheap housing. Once that's dialed, it's easy to copy and paste to a new axle.

 

Now that's enticing! I'd surely screw it up though. The TMR truck at KOH this year was the only one with rear steer, and the blew it all of the way up.....and they're the pros.

 

I had swap as some lame tech left the nut on the lower bj off and made the hole too large. Kinda wished I kept it but the front d60's go for about $400-700 over here. Incase you do feel like entertaining it. I believe it would benefit your truck very well.

 

Ugh, and your ball joints are on the knuckle, so it wasn't as easy as just getting new knuckle huh?

 

Sadly it was on the housing side so got a assembly to fix the issue. I got these ball joints to make that job easier in the future.
https://youtu.be/2rsWOt8HX0g?si=6GVIoeRLJx6n7fbg

 

I dig it. It's like the johnny joint of ball joints

 

minus the mounting points for everything, the axle truss is done. next is to weld it to the axle.

the last bit of the truss was a giant 1-1/4'' thick shackle clevis. this will serve two purposes. of course it can be an additional recovery point as needed in very specific scenarios. it will also be the attachment point for the rear winch to suck down the rear suspension on very steep and technical crawling. i will have a pretty good amount of suspension drop. 9-12 inches most likely. pair that with the front long travel that's coming after the rear is done, and on a steep decline, the truck will pitch forward a lot, making it much harder to control. the rear winch acts as a temporary limit strap that can be lengthened and shortened on the fly as needed to keep the truck in check.

welding the clevis in was a bit tricky. to get the best grab, i cut out the top of the tube and sunk the clevis into the tube. this way im welded to the side of it instead of the edges. the thermal mass of it is massive compared to the tube. i preheated the clevis in the oven for a couple of hours and then hit it with the MAP torch right before welding. two TIG passes, and then back into the oven, to allow it to cool slowly and evenly. the pre and post weld heat treating should keep the welds from becoming brittle due to both sides of the weld heating and cooling at different rates.









I did check the clearance to get the fill plug out, and everything still works.



5 welds to attach the truss. 4 on the axle tubes, and this one to the back of the diff housing.

 

You're just having too much fun with that, aren't you?

 

Water cooled tig torch would have been nice to keep the fingerprints from melting off. Fun other than that!

 

been a bit busy with some family and traveling, but making progress.

no photos, but i've been boxing up the rear section of the frame where the tubing will tie in.

finished up the axle mounted brake lines. stainless tubing and fittings. the lines transition to 3 AN at the 90 degree fittings. braided stainless lines will connect there, run up the upper links to the frame, where they will transition back to the factory hard lines that i have cut down and re-flared.







links will never articulate this far under normal conditions, but they may see this angle when i'm working on the truck with the shocks disconnected, so i wanted to make sure that i didnt't have to disconnect brakes because of a clearance issue. considering adding some no bleed quick disconnects at the frame end though. if anyone has a recommendation for the disconnects, let me know. most of the 3AN stuff is for motorcycles, and only holds 1/10 of the pressure needed for a truck. could always adapt up to a larger size, but i'm trying not to stack a bunch of adapters.

 

Holly Staubli quick dry disconnects.

 

Otherwise, damn good job with the bends. Smart choice with the stainless lines, considering where you live.

 

Any thoughts on where to buy? Other than summit, I'm not familiar with any of the other retailers coming up. Would much rather support a smaller outfit than summit if there is such a thing.

I feel the stainless is a catch 22.... I need it to keep everything from falling apart a year from now, but I fear the fittings have a high chance of gauling, which is why I'm thinking about adding the disconnects.


Totally unrelated, but I figure you'd have an idea. Thoughts on a good wire loom that will hold up to UV and the elements. Everything cab back will be out in the open, and the loom I like for interior and under the hood wiring won't do so great out in the open.

 

https://www.holley.com/search/?q=dry break

Look through there.

And look through there.

https://www.techflex.com/heatshrink-tubing