CK5
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budget beater - . . . HOLMES 220 single line boom wrecker install starting ..

i got the front springs almost 15 years ago i think from a friend parting square bodys . he got them well used from a truck .

if i had to guess from all the info i have seen and read there rancho 4" lift and 6leaf pack . i have pulled 2 leafs and they ride better / flex better / sit a hair lower .

so if i was to replicate the stance i would do 2" lift range from these being so old / used / worn / flexed / snow plow weight .

this truck is sbc350 all iron / th400/203/205 true k30 and 250lb range of fisher snow plow frame work .
other k30
454 all iron aluminum intake / 4l80/203/205 true k30 and no plow frame yet has tuff country 3" hd fronts i purchased new and used 1 season .

all my leaf springs run ORD greasable poly bushings so no worn out poly or rubber deflecting the readings .

budget beater axle tube to bump stop frame mount is 11.25"
plow machine build axle tube to bump stop mount is 13.25"

hope this info helps @beags86
 
i got the front springs almost 15 years ago i think from a friend parting square bodys . he got them well used from a truck .

if i had to guess from all the info i have seen and read there rancho 4" lift and 6leaf pack . i have pulled 2 leafs and they ride better / flex better / sit a hair lower .

so if i was to replicate the stance i would do 2" lift range from these being so old / used / worn / flexed / snow plow weight .

this truck is sbc350 all iron / th400/203/205 true k30 and 250lb range of fisher snow plow frame work .
other k30
454 all iron aluminum intake / 4l80/203/205 true k30 and no plow frame yet has tuff country 3" hd fronts i purchased new and used 1 season .

all my leaf springs run ORD greasable poly bushings so no worn out poly or rubber deflecting the readings .

budget beater axle tube to bump stop frame mount is 11.25"
plow machine build axle tube to bump stop mount is 13.25"

hope this info helps @beags86

Yes, TY
 
What year van tank do you buy? They are 20 gallon and they fit in the factory saddle tank mounts?
For fuel injection.
 
van tank ? they are a hair fatter than blazer/burb . i had a good van big gal tank at one point i always wanted to use but didnt with my custom made trailer hitch and DIY4X gooseneck hitch in the bed .

i used 87-91 square body tbi tanks was all .

spectra premium GM1C = 20 gal long bed
or the GM11C = 16 gal short bed
 
i talked about it over the years a few times .

i did do a 31 gal blazer tank in 1 project not done yet .

but this truck wount get one with my custom hitch and 2 20gal tanks gets me 40 gal .
 
you had something about van tanks here. I didn't know what you meant.
I know he mentioned van parts in a thread a couple of days ago but not sure it was tanks.
I have a 44gal van tank that I want to use.
It will not fit between the frame rails without a little trimming and the tank is flat no taper in the back.
The van frame is wider.
 
time to remove winter nose and install summer nose . 8 bolts and 2 plugs and 1 zip tie and we are summer mode .

ever seen one of these @diesel4me ?

so i tried to install my 35x12.50x16.5 bfg at/ko's on 9.75 wide rims and they were around 1" from the fenders tips so i figured not today . just a rotation was all the truck got . i am not saying they wouldnt roll for dd use but any offroad flexing i would be kissing fenders and messing up my body patina .
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doing what a k30 work truck should be doing . hauling ash and hard maple . now to fire p the splitter and pop it apart .

i did find out i need to redo my rear shocks a bit and add the timbren bump stops for heavy loads . she was riding low and bottomed the shocks a time or two .

loaded i had 21.5" for hitch to ground and 8" ubolt plate to frame bolt bottom .
empty i had 26.5" for hitch to ground and 11" ubolt plate to frame bolt bottom .

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I have seen one of those Fisher plow brush guard things,but at the time I didn't know they were Fisher built,I thought they were just something someone made up themselves..

My plow frame upright I think came off a C-60 series,its a lot taller than most others I've owned or seen--when I bought the truck,all it had was a home brewed push frame lower mount,no upright,so I bought that one at a salvage yard for $20,piston & all.....it has never leaked a drop and still is tough to collapse all the way in to hook the chain up..I can really stack snow well with it too,plenty of lift height..

Sometimes its annoying having the plow lights right in my field of vision,but after 16 years of driving it that way I have become accustomed to it,and actually use the light as a guide to keep the truck centered in the right lane..

My front springs are dead though--they are only 2 leaf light duty stock ones,and with the 6.2's weight and the plow,they are very fatigued,even without the plow on it the rubber bump stops are nearly touching,and it bottoms out so badly I have ripped off 2 sets of the bump stops--now the angle bracket they bolt onto on the drivers side is starting to bend upward,the metal bracket has been whittled away from rust to bad its only about 1/16" thick now--I'm going to have to invent a new heavier duty bracket for it I guess..

Truck rides like crap up front.like a dead axle..rear end ain't so bad,but I cringe every time I see a bump coming..

I am thinking of making a bracket that would allow a coil overload spring to go between the bump stop bracket and the U-bolt plates,I already have a suitable spring,I tried stuffing them in there and it improved the ride a great deal,but the frame brackets will need beefing up to use that idea.
I see they do sell Timbrens for the front of square body 4x4's now,but I can buy a pair of new springs for about the same cost or less...

I noticed this morning my drivers side inner fender is about 50% missing-from the center of the wheel arch back is completely GONE..
Only the part holding the battery and plow control valve is intact,and only because I hastily drive screwed some thick sheet metal onto what remained of it..passenger side is not far behind it also..

Since a diesel doesn't have spark plugs to worry about getting wet,I am tempted to use a pair of galvanized casement window wells I have as inner fenders,rather than have to blow another $100 on tiwan inner fenders that likely wont fit for crap..when the front fenders are equally rotted & dented..it could use a whole nose,actually..hood is the best part..:doah:
 
no more riding bottom . today was the day i finished and installed my timbren bump stops on my custom mounts . i set the truck up on 2 jack stands and pulled the tires so i knew were ride height was .

i marked and drilled 2 1/2" holes to line up with kirts DIY4X gooseneck hitch side plate so my mount sandwiches the frame with the g-n hitch and my setup .
next was drilling the center cup hole from what ever these were from and making it oval shaped so it would drop down on the center pin and clean the u-bolt nuts and i held it on with a nut .
then the 2 chunks of c-channel were drilled / fitted / side gussets made / and all welded up to 1 whole mount for each side .
next i read the directions for a kit for the square body trucks and it said 1/2 and 3/4 ton = 1" gap empty or 1ton or c&c trucks 1/2" or zero gap empty . so i set mine at 1.5" so i still ride real good and only ever hit them when loaded with my 3/4 ton springs i used in the build . but if i need to all i have to do is add in a few more shim plates to close he gap . i had to do the timbren 1" shim puck and 2 3/8" shim plates per side already . if i had had a longer chunk of c-channel i could have had the mount drop lower but i didn't want that so i just planned for shim to the gap i wanted .

in a bit i just need to go to the hardware store and get 2 bolts to install the bushings and shim plates as i didn't have 2 the correct length . other wise she is ready to roll .
next up will be another reason i set the gap 1/2" extra . i am installing the dump insert for a bit so i can use it until i get the pickup trailer modified for full time use of the insert .

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I like your idea of leaving some extra gap. I don't mind some rear squat when it's loaded heavy, then it should ride better empty.
 
on the otherside of the coin i know a guy who use to have a HUGE rv flat nose front should of been a diesel pusher but wasn't . he installed 4 of them 1 per corner 2 pair . then he had them shimmed for full pressure on it at ride height . he said that rv handles like it was race car after . no more sway / body roll . @6872xtc

i left the extra gap cause i like the ride now and dont want to start hitting them until a good load .
 
Those are pretty typical in RV applications. The w-20 to W-24 chassis from workhorse used a similar assist spring. We had different versions depending on the weight, but same idea. The marketing team kept using "like air suspension type ride" in advertisements. Most RV'ers thought it was an issue to have them sitting on them when loaded. Lost track how many times I had to explain that's exactly what it was supposed to be doing.

Smart setup for sure dude!
 
timbren shows in there install paper heavy duty applications it will be in contact empty or even under preload already . so they are designed to go open gap or full contact . i like them for a more diy install who woun't use them much but need help . for a person doing lots of different work and lots of weight needs i like air bags .
 
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