'89 R3500 Crew Cab 2wd to 4wd conversion & beyond

[mrk5]

I like it... Every time one of you guys post up a new crew cab build I want to kick myself for selling mine... Excited to watch it come to life...

Thanks. Gotta have the big stuff wrapped up by summer so I can get some trail/shakedown time before Blazer Bash. So hopefully there's regular progress.

I like your rendering. And ive been looking for some wheels like that. I like their look also

Thanks. I jumped on those wheels as soon as I saw them. I was afraid they would get snatched up before I had a chance. I don't think the seller had any idea they were worth so much new. He didn't even know what brand they are.

I sold the wheels and tires that were on the crew cab and threw the Robby Gordon's on:

 

[stan1688]

If you made your outer rings out of steel instead of aluminum, would they hold up better to the abuse?

 

[mrk5]

Probably, but I don't have the equipment in-house to cut steel. Other than hand cutting with the oxy-acetylene torch. We have 1/8" aluminum in stock that I can use our CNC router to cut. I may just have to plan on swapping them out more often than I would with steel.

 

[mrk5]

Been doing some reading and checking other people's builds and I'm pondering the process of shortening the wheelbase for the short bed. Seems like the more "professional" method would be to section 14" out of the frame. However I guess I'm worried about the whole idea of welding a frame back together. Seems like the easier way is just relocate the spring hangers.

Here's what I'm thinking:

1. Section frame
   • PRO:
     1. More "professional"?
     2. Bed mounting points good to go (although this may not be true since I'm swapping to short bed)
     3. For what it may or may not be worth, hump/rise in the frame will still be lined up with the axle
   • CON:
     1. Great percision required in cutting and welding the frame back together
     2. Moving the spring hangers will still be required due to going with 64" springs
2. Move hangers
   • PRO:
     1. Easier to accomplish (especially since hangers have to moved regardless)
   • CON:
     1. May be more difficult getting the bed mounted
     2. Rear most spring hanger may land in the rise for the axle and require additional fabricating to mount in the correct position

Then the next question is fuel tank. I think I may end up with a K5 tank mounted behind the axle just like in a K5 or 'burb.

 

[dirtygoat]

What about problems with electrolysis using a steel ring on an aluminum rim???

 

[82355]

I will confess after replying to your post I've been thinking a lot about keeping it. Not sure it will happen but I think it's worth considering.

Do it! There are far too few cool build threads with a manual.

Martin

 

[mrk5]

What about problems with electrolysis using a steel ring on an aluminum rim???

I would paint the steel ring if I were to do that.

 

[dirtygoat]

I would section the frame...

If the frame isn't badly rusted, you can use it as material to fish plate over where you cut and spliced it back together...

Yeah, it may take a little more time... In the long run I'm betting you'll be happier... You'll look back wishing you sectioned it later on if you just move the hangers...

Just my $0.02...

 

[miniwally]

Been doing some reading and checking other people's builds and I'm pondering the process of shortening the wheelbase for the short bed. Seems like the more "professional" method would be to section 14" out of the frame. However I guess I'm worried about the whole idea of welding a frame back together. Seems like the easier way is just relocate the spring hangers.

Here's what I'm thinking:

1. Section frame
   • PRO:
     1. More "professional"?
     2. Bed mounting points good to go (although this may not be true since I'm swapping to short bed)
     3. For what it may or may not be worth, hump/rise in the frame will still be lined up with the axle
   • CON:
     1. Great percision required in cutting and welding the frame back together
     2. Moving the spring hangers will still be required due to going with 64" springs
2. Move hangers
   • PRO:
     1. Easier to accomplish (especially since hangers have to moved regardless)
   • CON:
     1. May be more difficult getting the bed mounted
     2. Rear most spring hanger may land in the rise for the axle and require additional fabricating to mount in the correct position

Then the next question is fuel tank. I think I may end up with a K5 tank mounted behind the axle just like in a K5 or 'burb.

After shorting the frame on the latest ORD UA truck it's not "as bad" as you might think. Measure five times cut twice, line up and measure ten times.

I would cut the frame but only if the frame coming forward would not create problems with the cab etc. Also keep in mind that you will need to do a new body mount if you cut the frame under the cab like we did on the UA truck. I think I salvaged the original cab mount but ended up making my own mount.

Honestly both ways have their upsides but I wouldn't be scared one bit about cutting the frame and putting it back together.

 

[y5mgisi]

I would say the fact that most people section it, would make me section it. Its been done a ton of times.

 

[sweetk30]

if making it short bed AND 64" spring swap the saddle tanks need to go to short bed before spring swap and after spring swap the tanks need shorter . so basicly its best to do a blazer / burban tank in rear.

then the frame cut down here is what i did in my build with 56" and 133 wheel base. 4ft 6" from cab to back of frame after cut. starting at post 189 http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245582

 

[79rustyk10]

I would section it. I was planning this for my K10, but the longbox doesnt really bother me.

The plus for me is that factory replacement stuff is still a direct bolt on, but with custom spring lengths that goes out the window.

 

[mrk5]

After shorting the frame on the latest ORD UA truck it's not "as bad" as you might think. Measure five times cut twice, line up and measure ten times.

I would cut the frame but only if the frame coming forward would not create problems with the cab etc. Also keep in mind that you will need to do a new body mount if you cut the frame under the cab like we did on the UA truck. I think I salvaged the original cab mount but ended up making my own mount.

Honestly both ways have their upsides but I wouldn't be scared one bit about cutting the frame and putting it back together.

Looking at the UA build is what started me to thinking about sectioning the frame. There's a nice straight spot just after the rear cab mounts that I can get the 14" out that I need without changing any of the cab mounts. I think the only thing I may need to do is move the crossmember(s) for the bed mounting points.

As others have mentioned, I think I'll have the least regrets doing it this way.

if making it short bed AND 64" spring swap the saddle tanks need to go to short bed before spring swap and after spring swap the tanks need shorter . so basicly its best to do a blazer / burban tank in rear.

then the frame cut down here is what i did in my build with 56" and 133 wheel base. 4ft 6" from cab to back of frame after cut. starting at post 189 http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245582

When we first bought this truck I had thought I would doing something virtually identical to what you did. But I decided I really need to have the functionality of a pickup bed.

Thanks for the link, I found some useful information in there. Might have missed it somewhere, but I can find anything on how you did your fuel tank.

By the way, your theft problem got me all paranoid. 6 years ago someone got into our fenced shop yard and cleaned out the interior of my K5. Took the front seats, tools, tow straps, aftermarket gauges, etc. Really sucks when you gotta buy things twice that took a lot of work to get the first time.

 

[mrk5]

I spent much of a day cleaning up some messes left by the previous owner(s).

Doing an oil changed, I noticed a green wire hanging down from the frame running the length of the truck. It was looped up over various things and hanging down in others. So I tracked it up the engine bay and this is what I found at that end:



It was just tied off to the speedo cable. That was easy enough so I traced it back to the other end and this is what I found there:



Some one completely butchered the rear wiring harness to make a trailer connection. I'm guessing the green wire was some sort of manually operated trailer brake controller or basically an on/off switch for the trailer brakes.

I will confess I only pulled the green wire out and left that mess alone. Reason is that I will need to redo it when I swap the bed and it's working now as it is.

 

[82355]

I don't know why people do that when you can buy the connector and harness for a few bucks.

Martin

 

[mrk5]

The truck had a dash mounted tach that didn't work right. After discovering the wiring mess above, I decided I'd better take a look at the tach situation. Needless to say, it didn't disappoint in the crazy-arse wiring category. This is how it was wired into the coil:



That was covered up with a ball of electrical tape. I unplugged the wire from the coil and distributor so I could repair it. I used non-insulated butt connector and marine heat shrink tubing.







Awhile back I picked up a crimper for use with the Delphi Packard connectors. It works great for crimping those butt connects as well. I use the split type so the crimper curls them into the wire.





That wiring method was hardly the best part of the tach situation. I was tracing out the wires used to power the tach. The power wire was connected to a push button that was added to the dash at some point to run the washer fluid pump. The best part was the wire to illuminate the tach face was wired to the other side of the same push button! In other words, when you'd run the washer pump, the tack would light up!

 

[mrk5]

That was all the electrical genius I discovered for the time being, but I wasn't finished fixing previous owner problems. When I test drove the truck I couldn't hardly get the transmission to go into gear. The seller played it off like that was just how it shifted and the fact that it was cold weather was making it worse. However, I also noticed when starting the truck it would lurch a little like it was almost in gear.

I knew the previous owner had recently replaced the clutch. I figured he just hadn't adjusted it properly. I've only dealt with manual clutch linkage previously, so I didn't know hydraulic clutches have no adjustment. Did some reading and it sounded like it probably needed to be bled.

I checked the reservoir and it was empty. That might be a problem. So I refilled the reservoir and bled the clutch.

I followed a procedure I found posted here on CK5. Removed the slave cylinder from the bell housing. Orientated the cylinder so the feed line was held straight up at the 12 o'clock position. Then manually pushed the piston slowly through it's full stroke several times. Bolted the slave cylinder back in place and now the transmission goes in to gear easily and the friction point is at the right spot.

I was concerned that maybe the reservoir was empty due to a leak, but I found no indication of a leak. It's be several days now, and still have seen anything leaving puddles. I'm guess he just put some fluid in and didn't recheck it. I doubt he even properly bled it. Heck, maybe he didn't even add fluid to begin with. Or maybe he replaced the clutch when really it was the same problem all along.

The last thing I checked was the coolant level in the radiator when I noticed there was none in the overflow tank. I wound up adding nearly a gallon of coolant to top it off.

Apparently the previous owner was lousy at electrical work and didn't believe in adding fluids to anything.

 

[mrk5]

I don't know why people do that when you can buy the connector and harness for a few bucks.

Martin

Exactly what I wondered. I guess since they didn't even use something more common like wire nuts, only electrical and masking tape, it was some super-cheap bastard.

 

[Smokinthehippies]

i say since you got the manual working good and bled, just keep that puppy and rock on! eagerly watching this truck

 

[mrk5]

I haven't done any research on it yet, but I'm wondering what's involved with converting a 2wd 465 to 4wd use.