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

[mrk5]

Well poop on a stick! This weekend the lock on my Tuffy console came apart. Luckily this evening I figured out how to open the lid. HOWEVER I installed the damn lever 180° off and now it won't open, AGAIN! I'm going to have to drill it out and get a new lock!

 

[kgblazerfive]

Ammo box

 

[mrk5]

Haha, little late for that. At least now I won't make the same stupid mistake twice!

 

[mrk5]

So I installed an air gauge in the cab.

It occurred to me that I don't really have any feedback on the air system. The compressor rarely runs and there's no noise when the locker engages so it could be not working and I wouldn't know.

I used plastic air line with push-to-connect fittings. It connects to the system at the solenoid manifold with a tee adapter that came with the compressor.

My original plan had been to use the left over plastic line from the ARB (light blue above) but found out it's an odd metric size that's hard to get fittings for. 50ft of the dark blue line and the 2 fittings were less than $20 thru Amazon.

 

[Bent77]

You'll know when it's locked, especially with that much wheel base.
But I like knowing what's going on

 

[GWeakland620]

Looks good.

 

[mrk5]

You'll know when it's locked, especially with that much wheel base.
But I like knowing what's going on

Yeah as soon as i try to turn. Which is why I installed it in the first place.

Actually had an instance on the most recent run when I thought I had engaged the locker but the driver tire wasn't spinning. I started to get concerned until I looked over and saw the switch was off. Although that had nothing to do with system pressure it did get me thinking about it.

That lead to me getting the strap as seen in this photo.

 

[Bent77]

Yeah as soon as i try to turn. Which is why I installed it in the first place.

Actually had an instance on the most recent run when I thought I had engaged the locker but the driver tire wasn't spinning. I started to get concerned until I looked over and saw the switch was off. Although that had nothing to do with system pressure it did get me thinking about it.

That lead to me getting the strap as seen in this photo.

View attachment 199659

It's just an adjustment, all those years of mechanical lockers.

Guaranteed I will do it too, as I'm going ARB rear

 

[mrk5]

Got the new Tuffy lock installed, whew! Hopefully won't make those mistakes again.

After re-installing the steel winch cable I was reminded of why I disliked it so much. I was searching around the Internet and came across the Trail Gear Duraline Exoshield synthetic winch line for sale on Jegs. It was $100 off for 3/8"x100' line. So I picked it up. It had seen it featured on Xtreme4x4 a short while back. It has an abrasion guard over its entire length and a heat wrap for around the drum. The heat wrap is red which will help make sure you don't let too much rope off the drum.

The hook that's included is a monster:

Down side is I can't hook it thru the d-ring holes

I think I'll have to put a d-ring on to hook it too. I don't really like have it pulled up like that.

The 100' is almost too long. The last 3 wraps rub the tie-rods a little. I'm glad the 125' rope wasn't on sale because I probably would have bought it and it wouldn't have fit. Down side is the next step down is just 75'.

I also painted the fairlead to match the bumper Masked off the center since I figure it will probably get rubbed off the rope anyway.

 

[campfire]

Got the new Tuffy lock installed, whew! Hopefully won't make those mistakes again.

After re-installing the steel winch cable I was reminded of why I disliked it so much. I was searching around the Internet and came across the Trail Gear Duraline Exoshield synthetic winch line for sale on Jegs. It was $100 off for 3/8"x100' line. So I picked it up. It had seen it featured on Xtreme4x4 a short while back. It has an abrasion guard over its entire length and a heat wrap for around the drum. The heat wrap is red which will help make sure you don't let too much rope off the drum.

The hook that's included is a monster:

Down side is I can't hook it thru the d-ring holes

I think I'll have to put a d-ring on to hook it too. I don't really like have it pulled up like that.

The 100' is almost too long. The last 3 wraps rub the tie-rods a little. I'm glad the 125' rope wasn't on sale because I probably would have bought it and it wouldn't have fit. Down side is the next step down is just 75'.

I also painted the fairlead to match the bumper Masked off the center since I figure it will probably get rubbed off the rope anyway.

Nice!

 

[GWeakland620]

Very good looking.

 

[Hacksaw54]

Mrk5
Looking good.
Just wondering which front shock do you like better, Bilstein or Doetsch?
Thanks

 

[Jeremy88]

I know Martin is going to be disappointed, but this weekend I pulled the 465 and installed the 700 from the General. After driving the truck with my axles and the 465 for a couple of months, I decided the combo is just not right. If I was going to keep the 465, I'd need to re-gear the axles to 4.56. I did the 5.13 gears because of having the OD.

My brother-in-law helped me bolt the trans and tcase in. Luckily my father-in-law has one of these:

Made the job super easy and we could keep the trans & tcase bolted together. It was pretty straight forward and even with the tcase half-clocked, I have just enough floor clearance. From what I understand, if this had been an automatic trans in the 2wd the tunnel wouldn't have been as accommodating.

I fabricated a new crossmember but I was able to utilize existing holes in the frame.

Started out with 3/16" plate to make brackets notched out for the round tube.

I used a hole saw to cut radius holes in a piece of 6" channel to serve as the mounting platform from the trans mount.

Here it is finished up and bolted in the truck.

I didn't paint it yet. Some point in the near future I'm going to make a skid plate so I need to weld mounting tabs to the crossmember. I'll support the other end of the skid plate with a second crossmember.

I still have a list of things to finish up the project.

• Rear driveshaft shortened with 1410 yoke added
• exhaust
• tcase shifter
• longer speedometer cable
• skid plate

My 87' is an automatic...I've heard about the clearance issues due to the cab. I've heard of people cutting out 2wd tunnel and welding in a 4wd tunnel...seems like a fairly large undertaking. I wonder if the 1" body lift pucks from ORD would solve the issue?!

 

[Kay86K5]

My 87' is an automatic...I've heard about the clearance issues due to the cab. I've heard of people cutting out 2wd tunnel and welding in a 4wd tunnel...seems like a fairly large undertaking. I wonder if the 1" body lift pucks from ORD would solve the issue?!

From what I know on this, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, there is really only one version that has the small tunnel; the 2wd auto's. If its a 2wd manual, or any 4wd auto or manual, then they have the larger tunnel and don't have clearance issues with really any tranny swap (unless going with newer Allison or ZF-6 tranny's, just cause those things are freaking huge). Putting a 1" body lift on a 2wd would to me look goofy (unless I'm not understanding your statement above). In Scott's case it probably wouldn't have been a big deal cause he converted to 4wd

 

[Jeremy88]

From what I know on this, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, there is really only one version that has the small tunnel; the 2wd auto's. If its a 2wd manual, or any 4wd auto or manual, then they have the larger tunnel and don't have clearance issues with really any tranny swap (unless going with newer Allison or ZF-6 tranny's, just cause those things are freaking huge). Putting a 1" body lift on a 2wd would to me look goofy (unless I'm not understanding your statement above). In Scott's case it probably wouldn't have been a big deal cause he converted to 4wd

Yes it would look goofy, I should have stated that I'm gathering parts and information for converting it to 4wd.

 

[mrk5]

Mrk5
Looking good.
Just wondering which front shock do you like better, Bilstein or Doetsch?
Thanks

Too early to tell on the Bilsteins. The Doetschtec shocks lasted me 8 or 9 years. And technically a buddy is still running them in his K5.

The valving between the 2 is completely different. I'm thinking the Bilsteins might be a bit too firm but I'm on the fence.

I'm curious to see how the finish on the Bilsteins holds up. The mag chloride used on the winter roads has done a number on the chrome finish on the Doetschtec shocks; that's my biggest complaint.

My 87' is an automatic...I've heard about the clearance issues due to the cab. I've heard of people cutting out 2wd tunnel and welding in a 4wd tunnel...seems like a fairly large undertaking. I wonder if the 1" body lift pucks from ORD would solve the issue?!

To my knowledge what kays86k5 said is correct. Also don't know if 1" body lift will help. Might try searching some other conversions here, there have been a couple others.

 

[swettysblazer]

I would expect the Bilsteins to look the same as the others in a year or two. That's the biggest complaint I get about those shocks and we sell a metric shitload of them.

 

[mrk5]

I've debated about covering them with a vinyl wrap but not sure if they get too hot. Or if it would affect it's ability to dissipate heat.

 

[mrk5]

Big changes in the works....

 

[fastazz81]

From what I know on this, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, there is really only one version that has the small tunnel; the 2wd auto's. If its a 2wd manual, or any 4wd auto or manual, then they have the larger tunnel and don't have clearance issues with really any tranny swap (unless going with newer Allison or ZF-6 tranny's, just cause those things are freaking huge). Putting a 1" body lift on a 2wd would to me look goofy (unless I'm not understanding your statement above). In Scott's case it probably wouldn't have been a big deal cause he converted to 4wd

I have a2wd 83c10 manual 3 on the tree with small trans tunnel.