TheBeast_88K5
Banned
I cant put into words, the true amount of which I LOVE THIS BUILD.
Its simply: INCREDIBLE.
Its simply: INCREDIBLE.
CK5
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'72 K5 - Greg's @MightAsWellK5 Build
- Thread starter Greg72
- Start date
This is the build description. I will improve this later. (GB)
Yep, to the max
Greg, now that it weighs another pound or two, and you need a jack to get it in position...any chance you can get some bolts in one end of it, and to the frame (so you only need to lift the rear of it) then "swivel" the front up and into position then secured with the fasteners. This way you would only be lifting half the weight? and it would be stabilized by the other end still being on the floor....unless of course the belly is too high to get it there in the first place?
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
Either that or I was going to suggest those ATV jacks that have a bigger flat platform that makes it easy to lift something like that. They are pretty cheap too.
http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb-capacity-atvmotorcycle-lift-69995.html
I have the old yellow one. Has served me well when doing the body lift, rocker replacement, transmission drops, etc.
-- A
Looking good Greg, and I am happy to see you wrapping the top edges of the plates.
For spatter clean up I used to keep old dull files, and grind the one edge like an axe, then add a 1/16" square edge 'land'. The weight of the file does wonders for removing most spatter without grinding.
You should post up how much it actually shrunk when it's finished being welded.
For spatter clean up I used to keep old dull files, and grind the one edge like an axe, then add a 1/16" square edge 'land'. The weight of the file does wonders for removing most spatter without grinding.
You should post up how much it actually shrunk when it's finished being welded.
I love this build! Just awesome 
I too am getting ready to do a flat belly on my build but not nearly of this magnitude.
I am looking at mounting options on my 4 speed Atlas. Maybe I missed it but do you have any details on the trans mounts (pucks) you are using? They look like they would be perfect for my Atlas mount. Any more detailed pics of them mounted?
I too am getting ready to do a flat belly on my build but not nearly of this magnitude. I am looking at mounting options on my 4 speed Atlas. Maybe I missed it but do you have any details on the trans mounts (pucks) you are using? They look like they would be perfect for my Atlas mount. Any more detailed pics of them mounted?
I use a motorcycle/atv jack for removing the doubler and trans from mine...it works real well if the vehicle is low enough...even on 31" tires, I have to use a few 4x6 blocks to make a platform on top of the jacking surface.
Zim, I tried to do only 1/2 at a time but it's just too high up off the floor. The best I could do is getting part of it on some wood scraps then try to tilt the rest but it gets a bit sketchy that way.... with lots of pointy corners just waiting to punch me in the face!
I found the perfect "balance point" for the monolith and can actually raise the whole thing using my existing floor jack and only a couple scraps of wood. It's actually quite stable and doesn't scare me as much as other methods.....Rene, thanks! I pay attention when you spend the time to write me a PM with 4 or 5 paragraphs worth of welding advice!
The welder is set at 22.6V @ 500ipm (which is what I used for the rear axle truss) and that seems to really get the job done. The pucks are from an online streetrod/custom shop. I know there is a weblink buried somewhere on this thread, but unfortunately you'll have to dig a little bit to find it....
UPDATE:
I didn't spend much time last night taking photos.....so you only get two this time. Last night the exchange rate was 3.5 Hours = 4 Rear Link Brackets. Not a bad trade IMHO....
The process (and shape) of these brackets is VERY similar to the front link mount brackets since they are both establishing a heim position at 26" off the floor. The only real difference is that the rear mounts converge more sharply, so instead of two discrete mounts showing on the bottom of the monolith, this rear setup will end up looking like one large consolidated triangle once the final mini-skidplate is welded across the top of the mounts.
-G
Starting to really turn into something, Greg.
Awesome work.
Awesome work.
y5mgisi
1 ton status
So awesome watching this come together!
You gonna put plate on top of the link brackets?
Don't forget to drill holes in the monolith Greg. Think about a hole in the side where you could stick some degreaser and a hose in and then a drain hole.
Sorry just having nighmares of taking out other skids and stuff I have built. One we didn't realize the t case was leaking cause the mount was holding in all the fluid that the case leaked out. That combined with dirt and other crap, was not fun when it hit me in the face taking it out.
cool stuff though and drilling some holes like that won't hurt since you are putting the skid underneath it
Don't forget to drill holes in the monolith Greg. Think about a hole in the side where you could stick some degreaser and a hose in and then a drain hole.
Sorry just having nighmares of taking out other skids and stuff I have built. One we didn't realize the t case was leaking cause the mount was holding in all the fluid that the case leaked out. That combined with dirt and other crap, was not fun when it hit me in the face taking it out.
cool stuff though and drilling some holes like that won't hurt since you are putting the skid underneath it
Yes there will be some additional plating across the front and rear link mounts.
I will drill drain holes before its installed, that will be no easy feat. I broke my expensive 1-1/4" annular cutter over the weekend trying to "freehand" cut a couple of holes with my 1/2" hand drill... The large diameter holes really need to be fixtured somehow. (a magnetic base drill would be good right about now). Ultimately I will probably move my drillpress out into the middle of the shop, then roll my workbench under it so I can drill holes in the monolith that way....
The truck will ultimately have a very large set of skid plates covering most of the underneath (transmission area, rocker panel/ rock slider areas, etc) so its not going to be easy for large amounts of debris to get up and into the crossmember..... But I was already wondering about how I'd ever know if something was leaking. Having a transfer case run completely dry would be an expensive day.....
-G
I will drill drain holes before its installed, that will be no easy feat. I broke my expensive 1-1/4" annular cutter over the weekend trying to "freehand" cut a couple of holes with my 1/2" hand drill... The large diameter holes really need to be fixtured somehow. (a magnetic base drill would be good right about now). Ultimately I will probably move my drillpress out into the middle of the shop, then roll my workbench under it so I can drill holes in the monolith that way....
The truck will ultimately have a very large set of skid plates covering most of the underneath (transmission area, rocker panel/ rock slider areas, etc) so its not going to be easy for large amounts of debris to get up and into the crossmember..... But I was already wondering about how I'd ever know if something was leaking. Having a transfer case run completely dry would be an expensive day.....
-G
The gravity of the situation
Greg,
I am always surprised as I pan through the active build threads and how they seem to be increasing more elaborate over time. This is a truly incredible project, and it is not my intention at all to take away from it or diminish it.
Having said that, are you concerned at all about all of the weight you are adding to the vehicle with all of the brackets, links, crossmemebers, etc? I am not sure what purpose this vehicle is being built for, but in generalities being heavy is bad.
Please keep up the amazing work. Your well thought out designs, phenomenal welding, and crisp metal fab has made me take more time and even redo several projects because I know they will be juxtaposed to yours when I post them (I can probably speak for others as well). Thanks for raising the standard of play.
Greg,
I am always surprised as I pan through the active build threads and how they seem to be increasing more elaborate over time. This is a truly incredible project, and it is not my intention at all to take away from it or diminish it.
Having said that, are you concerned at all about all of the weight you are adding to the vehicle with all of the brackets, links, crossmemebers, etc? I am not sure what purpose this vehicle is being built for, but in generalities being heavy is bad.
Please keep up the amazing work. Your well thought out designs, phenomenal welding, and crisp metal fab has made me take more time and even redo several projects because I know they will be juxtaposed to yours when I post them (I can probably speak for others as well). Thanks for raising the standard of play.
Hey Chris,
No offense taken....
I always appreciate when people speak candidly about the build. My objective is not to simply post up pretty photos and have everyone say "ooooh, aaaaaah!".... it's good to occasionally have someone take me to task on my ideas or suggest a better way of doing things.
Remember, I'm not an expert mechanic/engineer/fabricator. This is my first build. I taught myself how to weld based on advice that came from CK5. Since my mechanical background is limited, it takes me a long time to come up with solutions. (5 years and counting!
) I'll almost always find a way to solve problems, but often times the members at CK5 will be the ones giving advice that gets me moving in the right direction.With regard to weight:
I haven't bothered to do a detailed analysis of how much heavier this truck is going to be over stock. A very LONG time ago (2002) I had the truck weighed on a professional set of 4-corner scales:
L.F. = 1113
R.F. = 1285
L.R. = 1297
R.R. = 1121
Total weight = 4819 Lbs
Weight Distribution F/R: 2398 / 2418
Distribution Percentages: 49.79% / 50.21%
Configuration:
1972 Blazer with Factory Hardtop
35" Tires on Aluminum Wheels
D44 Front / 12-Bolt Rear axles
No Carpet
100Lbs of stereo equipment (amps, subs, etc)
4-point rollcage
1/2 Tank of Fuel in an ~18 Gallon Tank.
No driver
Ideally, I'd like to keep the total weight at 6000Lbs or less, which gives me around 1200 Lbs of "extras" over that original configuration.
On the weight savings side, I have ditched the 350Lb fiberglass top... and that is weight that was perched high above the CG of the truck. The hybrid 404 axles will probably be lighter than the typical "D60/14BFF" setup that a lot of guys run... though I am not sure by how much. The stock leafsprings and all the associated frame hangers are gone, as are most of the factory crossmembers, the large factory torsion boxes have been removed also.... as has the cast iron NP205.
The big "adders" to the weight from the old days will be the larger 38" tires and steel wheels. The "extra" frame that I welded to the stock frame to box it certainly adds weight, as does the more comprehensive rollcage. The monolith will probably end up at around 100#, and the current DOM rear links are crazy at around 40# each for the lowers and probably 25# each for the uppers..... swapping those out for 7075 Aluminum will save me more than 50% of the weight, so ultimately I don't think the link suspension will add a huge weight penalty overall.
Fortunately, a lot of the new "heavy" items are located down low on the truck... if you have to add extra weight that's at least the best place to put it. But most important of all is that the final product has to be rock-solid reliable, and durable. Saving a few pounds of weight on a crossmember (for example) is little consolation if the truck ends up stranded on a trail somewhere with the link mounts torn-out from underneath the truck.....
It will definitely be interesting to see where the final weight of this truck ends up.
-G
If you can keep it at 6k pounds, your 600 ahead of mine. I have not noticed weight being a huge issue. There have been some obsticles where I think it helps. When more traction is the only thing that will get you up and over. The uber light rigs just spin tires.
The key is knowing how to drive your rig, where and when it performs better. With your set up, I doubt there will be a weight issue at all.
Keep building.
The key is knowing how to drive your rig, where and when it performs better. With your set up, I doubt there will be a weight issue at all.
Keep building.
while we are talking about weight, front/rear weight bias has a big deal too in various obstacles from my experiences. Are you aiming for any particular percentage by moving things that are more, well, move-able (battery, fuel, tools/spares, etc)?
The drivetrain setback is about 3" better than stock in an effort to "centralize" the weight a bit. Pushing the rear axle back is going to take away some of that advantage though....
Batteries and other negotiable items will definitely be moved to the rear to keep the weight bias as neutral as possible, but I won't really know how well I'm doing on that effort until I buy a set of 4-corner scales for myself. That's been on my "wish list" for a couple of years now.
-G
so your aiming for more a 50/50 bias I take it?
That would be nice if I can make it happen, but also I just want to keep as much weight LOW as possible as I think that can be equally important.
It will also be interesting to see how the overall weight (and weight bias) changes between "street mode" configuration and "transformer mode".... when I pull off the hood, fenders and rear quarterpanels and tailgate, that should be a pretty healthy weight-reduction.
-G
