Bunny

[BoondocK5]

@obijuank5
What ram mount is that your using?
I remember you saying a friend of yours designed it and made it, and it works really well. Offering enough room to get your spool in and out, maybe even a detroit?
I bought this from barns4wheeldrive.

King Pin 60 Standalone Double Ended Ram Mount

This kit is designed to mount a double ended ram to a King Pin Dana 60 without using a truss or skid system. The Bracket centers the ram on the axle giving you equal length tie rods. All parts are CNC laser cut and CNC bent in house out of 3/8" American Steel. The bracket is designed to be used...

barnes4wd.com

Hopefully, it works as well as yours does.

 

[obijuank5]

That one is 5-5/8” tall and this is 7” which is what helps get the ram above the leaf springs. I just chose to kinda copy a proven setup rather than maximize my up travel space. I could have lowered the ram mount and welded tabs to the sides of the steering arms to get things 1” lower. Not impossible, just more work.

Also I’m on 6” front lift springs and if necessary, I’m gonna trim the engine crossmember.

 

[nvrenuf]

Just cause I don’t know…

Do the long bolts between the steering arms and knuckles actually do anything? They seem “so long” that they wouldn’t control movement. Or… will you be building some reinforcements up from the knuckles?

Also, only 3 clamps on the ram, don’t need the 4th or not installed yet? I understand having multiple clamps prevents the ram from shifting side to side but I always wondered why people don’t just run 2 on the inside of the fitting bosses.

 

[obijuank5]

Im scared of breaking a stock knuckle. If I tie in the lower arm of the knuckle to the new arm and I still break a knuckle so what. I did what I could.
If I didn’t tie it in, I’m gonna break it and hate that I didn’t do it preventatively.

As for the clamp situation, I wasn’t sure how number four would land and I may end up cutting that end off? Who knows. This ram has clamp spots machined into its case to prevent shifting in the clamps. They used to just be smooth bodies and we just relied on the clamping force alone. The third is just an extra conversation piece.

 

[nvrenuf]

I gotcha. I remember the rams used to be smooth, I had a friend that had a ram shift over while he was competing in the old TTC a long time ago.

As for the knuckle, I get it - damned if you do, damned if you don't. Diy4x makes a pre cut/bent plate kit to reinforce the top of the knuckles, if that might help any. Then again, breakage is a good excuse to buy even cooler parts.

Glad to see you working on it. Are you getting it ready for a ride/event or just some overdue love?

 

[obijuank5]

Rocktoberfest at k2 for full-size invasion. Ryan is gonna be passenger but so far only one other rig to wheel with in my group. A couple more to trash talk each other is always nice.

 

[obijuank5]

Looking forward to the engine cage, I want to see how/where you go through the firewall.

Didn’t like any options so this is how it’s gonna go. Spent all day ruining tube to end on this idea. Put the fenders back on and cover up my indecision.
Not sure they’ll let me in at Barrett Jackson anymore but it will be ok. Never for sale.

 

[nvrenuf]

The tube looks good there, no doors ever again though.

 

[obijuank5]

No I sold those while they were still good.

 

[metalmachine]

Definitely a badass blazer!

 

[nvrenuf]

@obijuank5 since you’re taking it wheeling again, come over this way to ride and motivate me to get mine going. lol

 

[obijuank5]

So pro tip, don’t take a 4 year break and expect to hang with the big dawg professional wheelers.
This weekend WHOOPED my butt. I winched up all the hard lines.



BUT I made it out without any problems and only some bruised pride.

The latest mad dash to wheel consisted of a full front axle repair and repair the frame damage from the trip four years ago that near broke me spiritually and financially.

Tagging back to a few posts up, the front tube work to stiffen the bent frame back to usable and then add some tube strength to send the load back to the rest of the tube work. This was with no guided plan and just moving with the flow of the one idea of the horizontal tubes connecting the core support to the a pillar tubes. After that it was just interpretive dance fabrication.
And you can only use 100’ of tube.



Turned out plenty good and strong enough but a little forethought and someone who can do math would have helped get things looking better.

 

[obijuank5]

The Jana 76 kit to put 70 gears in a 60 housing is done now. This with a load bolt should be the end of my gear failures for quite some time. I wasn’t about to put a THIRD set of 60 gears in. I did lose the Detroit in favor of a spool but turning radius does suck pretty bad now.


Full hydro was done finally and I can say I should have done that even when it was on smaller tires. It’s just the best way for a dedicated wheeler to go. Assist is ok but I definitely see the drawbacks now that I have driven both.

Tmr customs arms with the knuckle tie in bolt to calm my nerves about breaking a knuckle. Also felt like it was time to go bronze kingpin bushings. Radial dynamics put together my “kit” and I can say that their service was far superior to psc and I can’t suggest their help enough.


New Yukon super joints and the some 4340 g2 shafts.
I fixed a TON of crap on this thing and it did really well.

I only ended up with a bent set of front springs. Both sides in opposite direction. Leans like a cholo.

 

[obijuank5]

Use your imagination on pics but the nv4500 203 lomax 205 is one hell of a gear selector. I almost couldn’t choose there were so many options!

New prp seats went in also so now I can push the clutch pedal all the way down! That was a design flaw from the first go round. It was auto back then though.

 

[obijuank5]

View attachment IMG_3630.MOV

 

[83ChevyK5Blazer]

Nice update! The boat sided crew is a sick looking build

 

[GWeakland620]

I’m so happy to see this on the trail again! You and I have very similar things going on. I haven’t been on the trail to wheel hard in about 4 years and I’m nervous for my return lol.

I have always loved this Blazer. I don’t know why, but it’s just so dang cool. Thanks for the motivation!

 

[BoondocK5]

Use your imagination on pics but the nv4500 203 lomax 205 is one hell of a gear selector. I almost couldn’t choose there were so many options!

New prp seats went in also so now I can push the clutch pedal all the way down! That was a design flaw from the first go round. It was auto

So pro tip, don’t take a 4 year break and expect to hang with the big dawg professional wheelers.
This weekend WHOOPED my butt. I winched up all the hard lines.

View attachment 461082

BUT I made it out without any problems and only some bruised pride.

The latest mad dash to wheel consisted of a full front axle repair and repair the frame damage from the trip four years ago that near broke me spiritually and financially.

Tagging back to a few posts up, the front tube work to stiffen the bent frame back to usable and then add some tube strength to send the load back to the rest of the tube work. This was with no guided plan and just moving with the flow of the one idea of the horizontal tubes connecting the core support to the a pillar tubes. After that it was just interpretive dance fabrication.
And you can only use 100’ of tube.
View attachment 461080

View attachment 461081
Turned out plenty good and strong enough but a little forethought and someone who can do math would have helped get things looking better.

Came for the spool...stayed for full hydro

 

[mrk5]

Wow, 4 years is a long time! Glad you finally got to have some fun on the trail.

 

[metalmachine]

Awesome, thanks for the update