red EOD
1/2 ton status
This thread is for the general discussion of the item Another tow/offroad rig. Please add to the discussion here.
CK5
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Another tow/offroad rig
- Thread starter red EOD
- Start date
red EOD
1/2 ton status
Picked the truck up last Saturday, drove down to Del Rio on the motorcycle then drove the extended cab home. Average 10mpg at 70mph with the ac on so not bad for a 454 tbi thats been sitting for 2-3 years. Nv4500, 4x4.
Undecided if sticking with the original bed style or not. Will be doing some offroading with the truck and needs to be able to tow my camper (small 5th wheel, up to 10k pounds). Thinking 2-4" of lift, up to 35" tires, locker in the rear/maybe the front, armor.
Got the windshield replaced today and for some reason the tcase decided now it wants to pop out of high range when letting off the throttle once above roughly 15mph. Linkage looks and feels fine but found a fresh crack in the tcase where the shift rail goes in. Also the front axle actuator decided to start acting up at the same time, yay.....
Do have the dana 60 and np205 from the 82 k30 sitting here........
Undecided if sticking with the original bed style or not. Will be doing some offroading with the truck and needs to be able to tow my camper (small 5th wheel, up to 10k pounds). Thinking 2-4" of lift, up to 35" tires, locker in the rear/maybe the front, armor.
Got the windshield replaced today and for some reason the tcase decided now it wants to pop out of high range when letting off the throttle once above roughly 15mph. Linkage looks and feels fine but found a fresh crack in the tcase where the shift rail goes in. Also the front axle actuator decided to start acting up at the same time, yay.....
Do have the dana 60 and np205 from the 82 k30 sitting here........
SAS?
red EOD
1/2 ton status
Potential, undecided. Replacement 241 tcase and posilock will run about $500, lot less fab work and slow crawling the IFS should hold up.
SAS on the other hand : axle needs kingpin and hub services done, has open 4.10 gears (matches the truck). Tcase will need the nv4500 adapter and shifters. Then front suspension and crossover steering. Figure $2500-3000 if leaf springs or much higher for coilover/airbag.
Not included are shocks, locker since they would apply to both similarly. It'll get wheeled on similar difficulty trails as my last k5 was, just more protective of the body hahaha.
beags86
Eastbound and Down
This is a tow rig rig or a hard-core off road rig?
A tow rig the factory IFS will be fine.
Personally short of a hard-core rock rig the IFS hate for these trucks on this forum is not justified.
The factory IFS is actually plenty strong.
Now if your wheeling hard with big tires it's a different story. Otherwise just leave the IFS alone.
It's an unpopular opinion on here, but I'll keep on preaching it, because I believe it.
Now if you feel you need to be part of the cool kids club and swap a solid just because, have at it.
At least do it with coils and links if you do.
A tow rig the factory IFS will be fine.
Personally short of a hard-core rock rig the IFS hate for these trucks on this forum is not justified.
The factory IFS is actually plenty strong.
Now if your wheeling hard with big tires it's a different story. Otherwise just leave the IFS alone.
It's an unpopular opinion on here, but I'll keep on preaching it, because I believe it.
Now if you feel you need to be part of the cool kids club and swap a solid just because, have at it.
At least do it with coils and links if you do.
red EOD
1/2 ton status
I did state that keeping the IFS is an option and that with how I wheel (crawling not heavy throttle) it should be fine, primarily tow rig with some wheeling capability.
I'd like to see a steel flat bed with some removable sides. stake side.
Definitely needs a flatbed!
Lolz_cats
Uga duga
red EOD
1/2 ton status
Been taking my time with the tcase replacement due to weather and just not being in a rush haha. All thats left is to get the transmission mount out of the way and unbolt the tcase, then install the replacement bw4401.
A steel flatbed or utility bed of some type is what makes the most sense to me for this truck. Since the truck is a dually and will spend time offroad, the bed sides will likely make contact with rocks/trees. Enough storage for it's needs without creating clearance issues with the 5th wheel camper. Really like the contractor style of beds such as the Norstar SD series but with a better departure angle. An idea going through my mind is to take the gin pole bed that was planned for the HD and modify it to this truck instead. Shorten to 7-8ft, shorter underside boxes, and a set of short height boxes to run the length of the sides.
A steel flatbed or utility bed of some type is what makes the most sense to me for this truck. Since the truck is a dually and will spend time offroad, the bed sides will likely make contact with rocks/trees. Enough storage for it's needs without creating clearance issues with the 5th wheel camper. Really like the contractor style of beds such as the Norstar SD series but with a better departure angle. An idea going through my mind is to take the gin pole bed that was planned for the HD and modify it to this truck instead. Shorten to 7-8ft, shorter underside boxes, and a set of short height boxes to run the length of the sides.
Lolz_cats
Uga duga
Do you plan to custom build a bed or just modify a prebuilt setup?
red EOD
1/2 ton status
Likely option is going to be shortening this gin pole bed. 10ft long, almost perfect width match to the duals. Open to ideas but what I'm thinking is shorten it, move the headache rack back to match, place the fuel tank behind the headache rack and drop it down into the bed subframe (or all the way down to sit on the truck frame), then figure out the storage box situation.
That fuel tank is 60in long by 11in wide by 19in tall, roughly holds 60 gallons. The headache rack is built to carry a spare tire on top of it but I'm not determined to store the spare up there. Bed is designed for 2 fuel filler necks on the driver side. The front one should be close enough to use for the stock tank, rear one would be close enough to use a suburban tank in place of the stock spare tire mount.
Why move the fuel tank? What's that bed from?
red EOD
1/2 ton status
Bed was built for a medium duty truck (4500-5500 series trucks) with a 84in cab to axle measurement. These beds are commonly used in the oilfield industry. Gin poles allow you to pick up heavy items while the rolling tailboard lets you drag heavy/durable items on or off the bed (for anyone not familiar with these pics of examples below).
Moving the fuel tank to the other side of the headache rack since this truck is just a typical 1 ton longbed and would have clearance issues between the headache rack and 5th wheel camper. As for moving it down, just an idea. Other fuel tank option would be a second fuel tank under the bed. Suburban at 40 gallons, or a 20 gallon fuel cell I have floating around here. All options are available, or other ideas are welcome.
Couple pics of heavier duty examples that are used in the oilfield.
Gin poles:
Rolling tailboard:
We have a '95 chevy at work that has inboard front gas tank and also rear tank from the factory. It's a cab and chassis. No switch either so I think ecm transfers from rear tank to front tank as there is a pump between the two.
red EOD
1/2 ton status
Have heard about that from others, they say the same thing. Only the front tank is plumbed to the engine, rear tank refills the front by trying to keep both tanks at the same fill level.
Replaced the cab lights with LED's. 2 of the original housings were broken and the upgrade was cheap to do.
Once the transmission jack arrives can swap the tcase out then make the decision on the bed. I like that the stock bed is lightweight, but knowing me I will likely destroy it hahaha. Then onto a posilock for the front axle, locker for the rear axle, front bumper, rock sliders.
A pair of balance tubes should be enough to keep them equal. One low for fuel, and one high for air/vapor.
Lolz_cats
Uga duga
I would opt for a square tube headache rack to match the profile of the bed. The current one kind of looks like a cage.
Lolz_cats
Uga duga
Don't know what happened with the bold letters there. Sorry.
red EOD
1/2 ton status
Accurate description, it essentially is a overly tall cage around the bed winch and a spare tire mount.
1st transmission jack disappeared in shipping, replacement supposed to be here Monday. Figures.
