88 c30 2wd to 4wd SAS *NEW TELLICO WHEELING PICS!

[originalspanksta]

well I started it thursday, pulled the bed off and began cutting. I started in the rear, cause it was easier.

I moved the wheelbase up to approx. 116" from standard 131.5" , I moved the front hangers up halfway under the front bed mount.( about 15") I put on the shackle flip I took off my blazer, and the long shackles. I swapped out the 6 leaf 1 ton 63's and put in a set of 1/2 ton 63's (3+1 leaves). The flip brackets got mounted at a point so the shackle would have a good angle (45 degrees or so, Im going for a droop monster. ) I have a tow hitch I'm going to mount between the frame rails immediately behind the shackle flip brackets, and the rest of the frame behind that will get cut off. Im estimating I'll lose 1.5-2 feet of frame off the back.

Heres the only pic i have online yet, it's the flip bracket. You can see the old rear hanger at the back, and get an Idea of how much shorter the wheelbase will be. i took more, ill try to get them up tonight.

Oops, found another. You can see the front hanger in this one.

Gotta go get started on the front axle now. More updates later.

 

[divorced]

Gotta go get started on the front axle now. More updates later.

Be sure to post pics on how you do the front. Looks good so far

 

[originalspanksta]

yeah ill get more pics, i have a bunch already from yesterday, just dont have them online yet.

 

[sweetk30]

got this pic somewere cant remember but try this. frt crossmember setup.it bolts where the bumper brackets are and the 2 bottom holes for the tow hooks.

 

[k5 krawler 50]

Awesome, I can't wait to see the front.

 

[originalspanksta]

alas, no new pics tonight. f***ing camera/computer interface problems, my buddy is getting me a disc of them tomorrow, so I'll have major pics sometime tomorrow. I took a sh*t load today.

as far as progress goes: I got the passenger side front rear hanger done and in, and the drivers side started. I used the front(rear) spring hangers from an 85 dually crewcab we had here to be scrapped. Looked great all was well till i mocked it up and the hangers were not giving me 31.5" on center like they should, I was getting 33.5" . I got all wound up thinking this was due to my 2wd 1 ton frame ( a little different than other IFS trucks, IE heavier and wider) So I looked at a few of the other trucks around the place (we have a few) and it turns out that the offset on the hangers from the dually were different than the ones on all the other 1/2 & 3/4 ton trucks we had, by 1 inch. (Side note: this explains why the spring perches are different in 77-87 1 tons, the difference is actually in the hangers, not the frame itself)

So the problem was that I had 1 ton hangers and needed 1/2 or 3/4 tonners. (which i didnt have any available for use) Since im taking up valuable garage space and i dont want to wait longer than neccessary to get this done, I looked around the scrap steel rack and found some 1"x2" 1/8th wall box tube, that I can put behind the dually hangers to space them out. Now this meant more drilling, and a few headaches trying to align a bunch of holes going through lots of different things, but I got the passenger side hanger fabbed up, painted, and mounted.

Moral of the Story: If you are going to do this using stock hangers, make it easy on yourself and get them from a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton pickup, not a 1 ton. Blazer hangers are the same as the 1 tons as far as the offset goes, so they're out too.

The stock exhaust Y pipe had to come off due to interference with the hanger, but there is still plenty of room to make something work. I have a stock rear shackle hanging there now, but I think I want to make longer shackles, like 5-6"s or so, to work with the 52"s I'm putting up front.


Ill have pics tomorrow, i swear.

 

[k5 krawler 50]

I thought gm axles were 31.5" center of spring pad, but i was reading the dana 60 bible on Pirate, and it said that the GM 60's were 32"?? So i dont know if your using a 60 or a 44/10B, but you mite wanna double check the center of spring pad. Anyways can't wait to see some pics.

 

[originalspanksta]

I measured the 8 lug 10B ill be using till i get a 60, and it measured 31.5", however, even if it is 32" thats only 1/4 inch on each side, and im sure you could just push the bottom of the springs till they line up. the difference will be taken up mostly in the bushings. no big deal i think.

 

[k5 krawler 50]

Yea, i guess its not a big deal, just thought i'd point it out..

 

[originalspanksta]

PICS!!!!!!!


Rear spring, front hanger closeup, im gonna put a few more bolts in these...

Front IFS stuff removed. all the remaining brackets will eventually get cut off.

all the old stuff...

And then the new. using the 8lug 10b for now, (free!) saving for the ford 60 and doubler.

 

[originalspanksta]

This is the hanger off of the dually. the correct hanger to use has 1" more offset from the frame side. I also cut between 3-4" off the top of these because it would have stuck up past the top of the frame.

Since i didnt have the correct hangers on hand, and because time was of the essence, i put 1/8 wall 1x2" box as spacers behind each side of the hanger.

here is the spot on the frame where the hanger will mount. since the cutout extends to where i have mounting holes, i left the rear side of the hanger longer to span the opening. you can see the holes on the frame where I drilled for the mounting bolts. (this step was a major pain in the ass, tired arms, hot burning metal falling on you etc.)

 

[originalspanksta]

here is the hanger mounted on the frame. the hard ware is all 7/16". Because I used spacers i had a hard time finding bolts long enough to go through.(I drilled allthe way to the outside of the boxed frame for peace of mind.) it turns out that chevy smallblock engine mount bolts are the perfect length, so i found as many as i could, ill be getting more for the rest of the job. ( of course i could have avoided that dificulty altogether if I had used the correct hangers )

Here it is with the shacke actually hanging. Like I said before, im using 52's up front, so im going to lenthen these shackles about an inch-2 inches eventually. since getting to the nut for the shacke bolt would have been a pain after it was mounted, i welded it to the back of the hanger first.

nothing really hanging lower than the frame but the shackle. Just the way I wanted it. You can also see in the pic where the bolts came through the frame.

42's anyone? these are the plan eventually.

I still have to do the other side from this and then the fron hangers, ill put more pics of that stuff when I get them.

 

[sweetk30]

one big problem i see is the bolts threw the box of frame. it will cruch the frame together if no spacer tubes are used in the open section of the boxed frame. just a fyi for ya to be totaly safe. looks great tho. keep the pics coming.

 

[originalspanksta]

yeah, I thought about that, I decided not to bother with them beacuse 1) i have several bolts going the length of the frame (top to bottom) not just 1 in the middle of the frame, 2) since i used the 1x2" box as a spacer, it would be trying to crush more than 1 box, (the spacer adds a little stiffness), and 3) none of the bolts are really getting tightened down hard enough to do any real damage to the frame. They only have 75lb/ft or so on them, and the 1 ton frame is HEAVY. it has to be 3/16 to 1/4" wall on both sides of the box. I'd have to tighen them down alot before I saw any major deflection.


Ill keep an Eye on them for the first few times i take it out, and if it seems like the frame is crushing or the bolts are coming loose, then ill pull the bolts out and make some spacer sleeves for inside the box, but For now I think it will probably do allright.

 

[K5MONSTERCHEV]

I thought gm axles were 31.5" center of spring pad, but i was reading the dana 60 bible on Pirate, and it said that the GM 60's were 32"?? So i dont know if your using a 60 or a 44/10B, but you mite wanna double check the center of spring pad. Anyways can't wait to see some pics.

32" spring center I thought. I rememebr the ORU kit comes in 32" and 36" kits. But like he said, he can push the springs out and they'll line up no problem.

 

[k5 krawler 50]

Looks like its coming a long pretty good. Couple questions, Are you goinging to cut out the coil buckets or are you just going to leave those in? Also what are your plans for the engine crossmember, cuz it looks like it hangs down a bit? Any ways, your truck is looking good, cant wait to see some more pics.
cory

 

[originalspanksta]

Ill cut out the coil buckets and plate over the hole eventually, but for now they will stay. ( i dont have any O2 in the torch either, so i have no easy way of doing it anyway. )

I think the engine crossmember will be in the way as well, it should be okay at ride hight once the axle is in, but any stuff will put the diff into the x member pretty hard i think. I was thinking Ill cut the whole think out just inboard of the motor mounts, and then put tube between whats left, or something to that effect. Once again it comes back to the fact that I dont have an effective way to remove it right now so it will stay for the time being. I do think the rear lower control arm mount has to come off now because It will interfere with the spring once it is hung.

 

[R72K5]

"offset on the hangers from the dually were different than the ones on all the other 1/2 & 3/4 ton trucks we had, by 1 inch. (Side note: this explains why the spring perches are different in 77-87 1 tons, the difference is actually in the hangers, not the frame itself)"


you didnt know that ?

hum

interesting mods/converting there

alot of work man

good luck

 

[divorced]

I was thinking Ill cut the whole think out just inboard of the motor mounts, and then put tube between whats left, or something to that effect.

I saw pics of a 2wd to 4x4 conversion similar to this and they cut the bottom of the crossmember off and put a big plate across it, kind of like a shave job that some of the low rider guys do so they don't smash thier crossmembers.

 

[k5 krawler 50]

hey divorced, could you post up a pic or two of what your talking about. I kind of get it, but i'm a visual type of person, and would like to see some pics, if you can find any. Thanks.
cory