2004 Colorado Mid-travel IFS wheeler(preparing for dunefest)

[Cili]

Cili submitted a new Build:

2004 Colorado Mid-travel IFS wheeler(preparing for dunefest)

I guess I'll make a build thread for this even though I won't be doing a lot of building on it in the near future. Just picked it up sunday, traded one of my other trucks for it.

View attachment 230715

Traded my 02 Duramax, hauled it on the trailer with the 07.

Dropped it off and loaded up the Colorado.

So some details on it. Started life as a 2 wheel drive. Previous owner then bought an early 2000s chevy 2500 and took the rear axle, transfer case, front diff, axle shafts, and knuckles and swapped them to the Colorado.

Custom built the cradle assembly and control arms and built his own tcase adapter. The control arms and most of the front suspension is all tig welded and looks awesome. Has 10 inch FOA coil overs

Just doing some quick measurements looks like it's using about 10-12 inches of travel at the wheels.

Ride height

Almost full droop.

Rear has a 14 bolt semi float with disk brakes. Stock leafs with an add a leaf and longer shackles. Also has FOA shocks, not sure which ones off hand. Has a small bed cage to mount the shocks, no pictures right now though.

Engine and trans are stock 3.5 5 cylinder and 4l60e. That along with 4.10 gears and 37s makes it an absolute dog in high range. 4 low gives it the power it needs.

Needs a lot of things finished, modified, tuned, and what not. But none the less it's going to the dune fest Friday night to see how it performs.

Hope you guys enjoy it!

Read more about this build here...

 

[ashman]

cool! I like it.

5.3 swap in the future?

 

[LIVEAnimals]

I like it

 

[blazinzuk]

I love it man.

 

[Deuling]

Can't wait to see it this weekend. I drooled over the build from the start on gl4x4.

 

[RivMan]

Thought I've seen this before:
Build thread over on GL 4x4.

http://www.greatlakes4x4.com/showthread.php?t=327081&highlight=go+fast

-Rob

 

[scotto0609]

Kool beans!!

 

[GWeakland620]

That thing is sweet.

 

[Cili]

Thanks guys, been a while since I was this excited about a truck. Lots of things planned for the future.

More power for sure, I have a 5.3 in my garage but I'm missing some of wiring and computer and it needs gone through. Also been thinking about some forced induction on the 5 cylinder. Either way it's going to be while.

More worried about tuning the the shocks and fixing the steering. Few other little things.

 

[beags86]

Very nice, love it, nice to see something original. I love my canyon, I went expo style on mine.
The Canyon/Colorado platform is way underrated.

 

[82355]

Odd. Does it do anything other than go fast? I know nothing of IFS rigs.

Martin

 

[Cili]

All of done so far is climb some dirt hills and went over a log. I plan on doing all kinds of wheeling though.

 

[82355]

Boy he didn't have that long. Why did he sale it? Are you going to drive it on the street?

Martin

 

[Cili]

Boy he didn't have that long. Why did he sale it? Are you going to drive it on the street?

Martin

He said he wanted money to build a shop and buy tools, but I traded him a truck so not exactly sure.

I may drive it on the street eventually. Probably next year after I redo the steering setup.

 

[82355]

He said he wanted money to build a shop and buy tools, but I traded him a truck so not exactly sure.

Yeah, I saw that comment in his thread, and was confused. Have you seen your Duramax up for sale?

I may drive it on the street eventually. Probably next year after I redo the steering setup.

What are you doing there? Did he ever do anymore work that wasn't included in his build thread?

Martin

 

[Cili]

Yeah, I saw that comment in his thread, and was confused. Have you seen your Duramax up for sale?

I think he's going to keep the truck, he told me he just sold his duramax a couple weeks ago and needed a truck again.



What are you doing there? Did he ever do anymore work that wasn't included in his build thread?

I think I'm either going to find a more stock type rack and pinion steering setup, or use the parts that are already there but build a more conventional hydro steering.

I don't think he did much else, if anything.

Martin

Got a few more pictures too.

And flexed it out on a 35 on my other junk.

 

[82355]

Not sure how I feel about those axle mounts??? I think u-bolts would be better?

Martin

 

[Cili]

Not sure how I feel about those axle mounts??? I think u-bolts would be better?


Martin

I agree, I'm gonna do something back there soon, just not exactly sure what.

So the dune fest was a ton of fun, truck really impressed me for its first time out! Blasted around most of the day hitting anything I could and it just kept taking it. Caught air a couple of times even.

But as I planned I ran it until I found the weak link and I now need a new front differential and to resign the mounts and work out a few other issues. I'll explain more with pictures.

Started out as just seeing a little bit of front diff fluid dripping on the ground, didn't think much of it though. Was hoping it as puking a little out of the vent, and then we started hearing a real bad rubbing noise. Turned out to be the front yoke rubbing on the crossmember. That's when I noticed the diff mounts/welds broke.

So we loaded it on the trailer and today I tore it apart. Here's what I found.

Broken weld on the extension tube, I know it's welded to cast and I'm going to change that.

Cracks and pieces missing from the differential.

Thought is looked weird when I pulled the cvs out of the way and then it hit me what was happening. Basically the knuckles are too close to the differential flanges and causing the cv axles to bottom out HARD, especially on the passenger side.

Hard to tell in that pic but the is the lower mount for the diff and its bent over to the driver side. So the mounts broke from the axle shoving the diff to the side from bottoming out.

Only good thing about this is that plastic spacer, I'm hoping I can get a thinner one or cut this one down to keep everything happy.

Kinda sucks but I'll get it fixed along with a few other things and see what this truck can really do.

 

[Stomis]

Thats damn cool and different.


Dont be afraid to weld to cast. Preheat, Ni-Rod, and peening are your friend!!!

 

[blazinzuk]

Or if using mig they make a specific wire for it. I beleive it has a high manganese content