Squeaky Penguin's (Trip Reports) Build Thread

How's it ride? Welcome to the ads club

Think timmy just has his strapped to the frame vertically...he should be on enough to show a photo though. He also has the benefit of running a skinnier tire then yourself.

 

Looks awesome. How do you like the brake upgrade too?

 

Here's how Timmy has his. surprised the hose is long enough really.

FTnBE?-8.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

 

Need to get some more miles on it to get a better feeling. But so far so good. Don't have a local mall to mob, but I did find some speed bumps, which I hit hard, and it felt awesome.

You should take a picture a little further away from the subject matter. I can almost make out what we're trying to look at...

 

I'll keep that in mind next time

 

Very happy with how the truck is performing.

Started today by cranking the coilovers. Coils settled and I was sitting at roughly 22" hub to fender. Somewhat surprised the 650lb coils are having that hard of a time holding up my truck. Several turns later I'm at 23" or so hub to fender. Then played with my HF angle gauge measuring my alignment. Was at -.1° of camber on both sides, and measured 1.5° caster on the drivers side, and 1.8° passenger. Not a ton, but more then I've ever had. Roughly 1/8" toe out. Seems to drive excellent, so I'll leave well enough alone for now.

Also tossed my 295s back on for the season. They feel about perfect with the 4.88s.

Truck is actually fun to drive again!

 

Did you do the calcs to get the caster or did you measure off of something? Almost have my truck back together and ready for a beating, getting the alignment with the heimed uppers dialed in.

 

Measured the camber with the wheels turned at 20° each direction and took the difference, then multiplied by 1.5. Did it twice and got the same result, so must have been doing something right.


Thinking I'll break down the leaf pack and setup bumps next weekend. Would like to go to a nicer 2.5" shock, but not enough time for that before Moab. Need to move my resis in the front, figure out some fuel storage, and get some more miles on my diffs, otherwise I'm ready to get this thing on the dirt.

Spring testing run one of these weekends?

 

Cool, I'm lazy and just take it to Firestone.

For sure, how about Chinaman weekend after next?

 

Sounds like a plan.

Going to have to take the scenic way to and from work everyday to really rack up the miles on the front diff.

 

What are your plans with the rear bumps?

And I think some resi 2.0" will be good out back. Unless you're really going to push the rig for high speed stuff

 

I have another set of Super Bumps. Just need to fab up some mounts to get them to the proper height.

Oh, and, I already have 2.0 resi rear shocks. We'll see how they keep up with the front, but I'm not too confident. Rear suspension > front.

Plus I'd like to see if I can finagle 12" shocks under the bed, without the lower mounts hanging way below the axle. But that depends on what I find for total travel numbers when I break down the pack, but quite sure the 10" travel shocks are insufficient for max travel.

 

Think the best option would be outside the frame with 12s then. But you'll need spacers. Not sure you can get a 12 unless you do another short body 7100 because most 12s will be a lot longer then what you have now by a lot since you have short body 10s now..right? Or are yours just normal ones?

And I know for a fact if you spend some time with valvings th 2.0 will be good. Marc has 2s out back and that's the most planted awesome riding truck I've been in. He does have hydros out back too though. And they are 12" and he has spent a lot of time dialing in valving.

 

I've got 10" short bodies which I only got because they were really cheap. They are about 24" extended length, but I've got room for at least 4" higher up top, and 2" lower on the axle. Getting close to 12" range there. Not going outside the frame, I've got like 1" between the frame and the tire at full flex and I already have 1.25" spacers. Not sure I want to bother trying to valve the digressive piston 7100s, but it all depends on how it keeps up.


Anyways, mounted the resis like Timmy. Little unsure of having them mounted to the body, but I think there's enough play in the hose that it won't present a problem. Cut some sheet metal to try to get them on top of the frame, and that didn't play out either.

 

Rigs lookin good man! Looks like you're about due for some new shoes!

 

Yeah. Thinking I'm going to smoke whats left of them in Moab and then decide what I want to do about replacements.

 

Yeah sounds like a plan lol. What tires you thinkin of?

 

Not sure right now. Getting tired of tire clearance issues, especially after moving the resis like 3 times. Wider offset is a terrible solution IMO. Sometimes think the extra 3/8" or whatever of clearance of the 295s aren't worth it and I should go 285s. More tire choices too.



But, I'll probably continue my ways with a 5lb sledge and get another set of 295 Hankooks. They've been great tires. Messed up this set with a bad alignment and killed some of the life, but overall been very pleased with them.

 

Ahhh i see. I almost went with the handkooks but I figured they wouldnt be a very good winter tire without siping so I went with the st maxx and I am very pleased with on road manners and off-road performance and mosty recently won me over for snow performamce (this weekend trail breaking lol)

 

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