CK5
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89 Suburban - The Canyonero: Rear Suspension Time!
- Thread starter nutt7
- Start date
Budget friendly build for General off-roading with an emphasis on camping and self reliability featuring a host of self-built, DIY mods.
I’ve been super slammed, but now that it’s the wife’s turn to drive so I can post. We are currently in Idaho, on our way to Utah, a couple weeks in AZ, then up the 395 and over to the coast and back to WA.
Work have me a little extra shaft for the last couple weeks so my projects didn’t all get done. I did build a platform and removed all the rear seats and layed a deck down for the dogs.
The dogs always get the most space. The lowered deck make it easier for them to get in and out and gives us a place to take off shoes when getting in bed.
Some shots of the main piece. I used junkyard suburban seat hinges, lol. The very last flip down on the right covers additional pieces that drop down off the ledge.
Here are the “dropdown” pieces. They are wider than the bed. There are two pieces so I can opt to install either half of the middle seats for passengers. Not sure if it worked out, lol...I’ll have to check it later to see if they fit. The flat pieces are the deck to level the floor. They wedge nicely under the dropdown ledge. I have yet to properly secure them and the hinges lids (main platform is ok), so I might have to skip trails at Moab so I don’t smash my family if I roll...just ran out of time since work showed me they had a few more inches on that shaft of theirs.
Added some L track tie downs. Left side is on the inner edge of the spare tire well. I added some short ones on top of the fender wells too.
I won $50 from @cybrfire for buying the CK5 calendar. Used it for towards this beefcake: it’s a beautiful piece and fit perfectly.
Break.
Work have me a little extra shaft for the last couple weeks so my projects didn’t all get done. I did build a platform and removed all the rear seats and layed a deck down for the dogs.
The dogs always get the most space. The lowered deck make it easier for them to get in and out and gives us a place to take off shoes when getting in bed.
Some shots of the main piece. I used junkyard suburban seat hinges, lol. The very last flip down on the right covers additional pieces that drop down off the ledge.
Here are the “dropdown” pieces. They are wider than the bed. There are two pieces so I can opt to install either half of the middle seats for passengers. Not sure if it worked out, lol...I’ll have to check it later to see if they fit. The flat pieces are the deck to level the floor. They wedge nicely under the dropdown ledge. I have yet to properly secure them and the hinges lids (main platform is ok), so I might have to skip trails at Moab so I don’t smash my family if I roll...just ran out of time since work showed me they had a few more inches on that shaft of theirs.
Added some L track tie downs. Left side is on the inner edge of the spare tire well. I added some short ones on top of the fender wells too.
I won $50 from @cybrfire for buying the CK5 calendar. Used it for towards this beefcake: it’s a beautiful piece and fit perfectly.
Break.
Last pic above is our gear loaded on the platform. Need to secure some stuff better but I was literally up all night and rested an hour before leaving! 
I also have a house battery to wire up en route...it’s mainly for the norcold fridge for now.
I also did some last minute brake work. Didn’t want it to be, but work... I used to have custom backing plates for 15” wheels, but I changed it back to stock. I also went with new studs, rotors, and jd8 I think or jb8 calipers that matches my hydroboost and aam axle better. They installed ok, but on my test run I heated the snot out of the driver side. Turns out this tab hits the bracket which forces the pad oil to the rotor. Glad I test ran it. I ground it down and now it’s all good.
I also have a house battery to wire up en route...it’s mainly for the norcold fridge for now.
I also did some last minute brake work. Didn’t want it to be, but work... I used to have custom backing plates for 15” wheels, but I changed it back to stock. I also went with new studs, rotors, and jd8 I think or jb8 calipers that matches my hydroboost and aam axle better. They installed ok, but on my test run I heated the snot out of the driver side. Turns out this tab hits the bracket which forces the pad oil to the rotor. Glad I test ran it. I ground it down and now it’s all good.
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Sounds like a killer road trip. Excited to see the details unfold.
If you go through or near Price,UT hit me up. I'm about 20 min south.
Already passed it.
Have fun in Moab!
I have a feeling we won’t get to do much there due to traveling solo and never being there before...we might do Hell’s and bypass everything
Run the whole thing, worst you do is break.......
Days 1-3. So far so good, except my burb is covered in road salt! Day 1 was long we drove from Washington to southern Idaho. We meant to camp in a national forest but the road disappeared in the snow and we were tired. Temps dropped to 9 degrees. We were a little chilly, but ok. Next day I bought reflectix for the windows to add warmth and privacy.
Day 2 we spent a little time around SLC, visited a high school friend in Payson, and got to Zion just after dark.
Day 3 we woke up to some beautiful views. This place is beautiful! We dropped off the dogs at the daycare and hiked Angel’s Landing. That hike is no joke! It gets super sketch but the views are worth it.
The Canyonero is doing pretty well. Not enough power, but she’s running well. I do now realize that my front seats need replacing. My butt hurts. Those cushions are flat!
Day 2 we spent a little time around SLC, visited a high school friend in Payson, and got to Zion just after dark.
Day 3 we woke up to some beautiful views. This place is beautiful! We dropped off the dogs at the daycare and hiked Angel’s Landing. That hike is no joke! It gets super sketch but the views are worth it.
The Canyonero is doing pretty well. Not enough power, but she’s running well. I do now realize that my front seats need replacing. My butt hurts. Those cushions are flat!
Yeah, but I got the wife and dogs and many more days on this trip. If it was a Moab trip, or BB, definitely! We will see though...
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Jelly
Great seeing you getting out and using it as intended! Props to you for the hiking. I’d have never made it that far
The Canyonero survived Hell’s Revenge! We went around the big obstacles but had a great time. Next is Lockhart Basin. I’ll post more pics of the last few days later. Internet is brief.
Excellent Road trip! Looks like fun! I love seeing guys use there rigs like this. I've heard Lockhart Basin is no joke though. Be careful going solo.
You hit some nice weather right now too. I miss the Moab area.
Lockhart was more challenging than Hell’s, IMO. I bypassed the tough obstacles on Hell’s so take that with a grain. We Saw no other passenger vehicles for the whole tough section. Only saw some within 3 miles of the highway on the south end. We saw 3 mountain bikers and 3 razors. We even patched a hole in one of the razrs flat tires and aired him up along the way.
We got no good footage of the tough spots because I was driving and the wife was spotting. I landed on my rear diff a few times, the pinion guard, the bumper, the hitch, wrecked a side step (never got around to removing them for the trip). We never got stuck and hardly spun a wheel, but it was a slow going 20 miles or so. It wore us and the dogs out for sure. I could feel the shocks change characteristics after so many bumps. After the airplane crash site it was easy going wide grated dirt road. We covered almost the same distance in an hour. After 5ish hours of 4 low, it felt like we were flying. Internet’s weak here on Muley Point so pics will come later...
We got no good footage of the tough spots because I was driving and the wife was spotting. I landed on my rear diff a few times, the pinion guard, the bumper, the hitch, wrecked a side step (never got around to removing them for the trip). We never got stuck and hardly spun a wheel, but it was a slow going 20 miles or so. It wore us and the dogs out for sure. I could feel the shocks change characteristics after so many bumps. After the airplane crash site it was easy going wide grated dirt road. We covered almost the same distance in an hour. After 5ish hours of 4 low, it felt like we were flying. Internet’s weak here on Muley Point so pics will come later...
Some pics to catch up. This group is from Chicken Corners to the end of Lockhart Basin Rd.
