i'll believe it when i see it.y5mgisi said:
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
colbystephens' build and wheelin' thread! Post 289: my NEW truck body!!!
- Thread starter colbystephens
- Start date
ok, it's 9:30 AM and i'm about to crack the first bolt of my rear diff cover to install my detroit!!! 
wish me luck!
wish me luck!
Good luck! Truck looks great so far
hunterguy86
1/2 ton status
Good luck man.
The ring gear bolts can be a pain in the backside.
The ring gear bolts can be a pain in the backside.
i've got a buddy over, and the ring gear bolts were no biggie. we just put a box-wrench on one bolt to hold it in place and then a breaker bar to loosen the others. for the final one, we put the back end of a 1/2 drive wrench into the hole in the side of the case and popped the final bolt free. only took a couple minutes to do all of 'em. 
progress is good. i got it in and such, just need to torque down the ring gear bolts but i don't know what torque to put them at, so tRustyk5 is going to look it up for me here in a few minutes. so we're taking a break!
progress is good. i got it in and such, just need to torque down the ring gear bolts but i don't know what torque to put them at, so tRustyk5 is going to look it up for me here in a few minutes. so we're taking a break!
all done! just gonna clean up and then go roast some rollers!! 
i'll snap some pics!
i'll snap some pics!
y5mgisi
1 ton status
Hell ya dude! I have a detroit in the back of mine now too! Havnt got to use it yet but im sure its going to be awesome. And all i have to do is get my rocker pedistals milled down for the 500 and put it back in the truck and it will be good to go.
so, after installing my detroit i had to get out and burn some rubber - make sure it was working properly. so i went to my favorite parts store and asked if i could use their back parking lot for some testing. 
they said it was cool, but that their neighbors wouldn't be too happy... 
so we did it.
well, we decided to find another location to burn some rubber after a few old women came out screaming at us... i'm not kidding - shrill, lost-control kind of screaming! it was hillarious.
i also learned today that burn-outs rip holes in the asphalt... oops. never done a burn out before.
so i went to my favorite parts store and asked if i could use their back parking lot for some testing. they said it was cool, but that their neighbors wouldn't be too happy... so we did it.
well, we decided to find another location to burn some rubber after a few old women came out screaming at us... i'm not kidding - shrill, lost-control kind of screaming! it was hillarious.
i also learned today that burn-outs rip holes in the asphalt... oops. never done a burn out before.
Last edited:
so i figured for other newb's, like myself, i'd post a quick how-to for installing a detroit in a 14bff. it's extremely easy - don't let it intimidate you!
ok, so lift your rig up and pop off the diff cover and remove the axle shafts - or at least pull them out a few inches.
looks like it's about time for me to give kert at DIY4x a call for a decent diff cover...
using a hammer and a punch of sharp screw driver, make a mark on the collars, and a matching mark on the axle housing (see pic below, originally done and posted by pvfjr). this is what you will use to reset the gears when you reinstall your carrier. then remove the bolt that holds the collar retainer, and then the two bearing cap bolts.
(((EDIT: LOOKS LIKE PVFJR's photo is gone)))
rotate the collars two turns clockwise, as viewed from the carrier. this means that you rotate the collar on the right (passenger side) downward 2 turns and the collar on the left upward 2 turns. one rotation is when the marks that you made line up again. don't mess this up. make sure it's exactly 2, - you can do more than that if you like, but there's no need. just remember exactly how many turns you've made. don't mess this up.
pull the carrier out. sucker's heavy, so be careful. this is what the empty housing will look like:
**a side note - if you'll be doing this on your own, you'll likely want to loosen the bolts on the ring gear before you remove it from the housing. it'll just get a touch annoying to loosen 3 bolts, get up, put the vehicle in neutral and then rotate the ring gear and then lock the tranny in gear again to hold the ring gear in place while you break the next 3 bolts loose.
if you have a buddy with you, you can do as i did. have your buddy put a box wrench over one of the bolts to hold the carrier in place and then put a socket on the other bolts with a breaker bar and crack 'em loose.
some pics of the carrier:
carrier disassembled - siders out, don't forget to pull out any shims that might be in there.
detroit sitting in place of the spiders.
put the carrier back together, install the ring gear bolts a touch more than finger tight is fine for now. then remove the bolt/wing nut that the detroit has installed in it, which holds it together.
we found it too difficult to torque the ring gear bolts down as needed without installing the carrier first. so, reinstall the carrier. rotate the collars 2 rotations (or however many you did) the opposite direction of how you did it the first time. then put the bearing caps on and the retainers.
bearing cap torque: 135 lb-ft
retainer bolt: 20 lb-ft
then torque down the ring gear bolts to 120-125 lb-ft.
reassemble the diff cover, install the axle shafts, add fluid and you're good to go. check that the detroit is working per the manual that is provided.
it's a very quick and easy process! i hit a quick trail near portland after the install, and what a difference! it was incredible how much it increases the capability of your vehicle!! i'm SUPER impressed and pleased. it's incredible!
ok, so lift your rig up and pop off the diff cover and remove the axle shafts - or at least pull them out a few inches.
looks like it's about time for me to give kert at DIY4x a call for a decent diff cover...
using a hammer and a punch of sharp screw driver, make a mark on the collars, and a matching mark on the axle housing (see pic below, originally done and posted by pvfjr). this is what you will use to reset the gears when you reinstall your carrier. then remove the bolt that holds the collar retainer, and then the two bearing cap bolts.
rotate the collars two turns clockwise, as viewed from the carrier. this means that you rotate the collar on the right (passenger side) downward 2 turns and the collar on the left upward 2 turns. one rotation is when the marks that you made line up again. don't mess this up. make sure it's exactly 2, - you can do more than that if you like, but there's no need. just remember exactly how many turns you've made. don't mess this up.
pull the carrier out. sucker's heavy, so be careful. this is what the empty housing will look like:
**a side note - if you'll be doing this on your own, you'll likely want to loosen the bolts on the ring gear before you remove it from the housing. it'll just get a touch annoying to loosen 3 bolts, get up, put the vehicle in neutral and then rotate the ring gear and then lock the tranny in gear again to hold the ring gear in place while you break the next 3 bolts loose.
if you have a buddy with you, you can do as i did. have your buddy put a box wrench over one of the bolts to hold the carrier in place and then put a socket on the other bolts with a breaker bar and crack 'em loose.
some pics of the carrier:
carrier disassembled - siders out, don't forget to pull out any shims that might be in there.
detroit sitting in place of the spiders.
put the carrier back together, install the ring gear bolts a touch more than finger tight is fine for now. then remove the bolt/wing nut that the detroit has installed in it, which holds it together.
we found it too difficult to torque the ring gear bolts down as needed without installing the carrier first. so, reinstall the carrier. rotate the collars 2 rotations (or however many you did) the opposite direction of how you did it the first time. then put the bearing caps on and the retainers.
bearing cap torque: 135 lb-ft
retainer bolt: 20 lb-ft
then torque down the ring gear bolts to 120-125 lb-ft.
reassemble the diff cover, install the axle shafts, add fluid and you're good to go. check that the detroit is working per the manual that is provided.
it's a very quick and easy process! i hit a quick trail near portland after the install, and what a difference! it was incredible how much it increases the capability of your vehicle!! i'm SUPER impressed and pleased. it's incredible!
Last edited:
glad to see that everything went smoothly.
an air compressor and an impact gun make short work of taking out the ring gear bolts.
an air compressor and an impact gun make short work of taking out the ring gear bolts.
Nice! I think we need to see some videos of the burnouts! It rare to see a 6.2 burn rubber and I'd like to see more!
1978Blazerk5
1/2 ton status
Chevy305 said:
Are they really that gutless
54inches
1/2 ton status
Can you post some pics of the inside of your rocker panel/floor area, where you replaced with the box tubing?
How much did you cut off the door?
How much did you cut off the door?
6.2's aren't gutless at all, assuming they have decent gearing behind them. most 6.2's came from the factory with really crummy gearing from the factory to achieve good mileage. put 3.08's behind any engine, for the most part, and you're gonna be hurting for power. for me, with 4.10's, 35 inch tires and using my 3:1 first gear, i waste most people off the line. it's not a fast truck, don't get me wrong, but it's not slow by any means.1978Blazerk5 said:
54inches said:
i'll snap some pics sometime in the near future when i clean up the floor of my rig a bit. i cut the door/body one inch below the bottom hinge on the door, welded in 2x4 tube. were i to do it again, i wouldn't go up quite as high because now i can't do quick-release door hinge pins. if i'd have cut another 1/2 inch lower, it wouldn't be a problem.
54inches
1/2 ton status
Thanks!
First gear is 6.55:1, second gear is 3.58:1...
I've never tried to do a burn out with mine, mostly because the TSL's wear fast enough as it is.
Rene
I've never tried to do a burn out with mine, mostly because the TSL's wear fast enough as it is.
Rene
correct. i just got used to calling it L,1,2,3,R because that's what the handle showed on the shifter when you gave me that tranny. i don't use low much, except when wheeling. i used it to get me started on my burn outs and then shifted to first... probably could've gone into second too, but i started wearing holes in the street infront of the in-laws, and they weren't too happy about it. these were on some 33's i got for free... not my nice mtr's!
i don't use low much, except when wheeling. i used it to get me started on my burn outs and then shifted to first... probably could've gone into second too, but i started wearing holes in the street infront of the in-laws, and they weren't too happy about it. these were on some 33's i got for free... not my nice mtr's!
i believe this is true. i have bent 3 out of 4 frame horns already.TexasBlazerBoy said:
i'm building some supports/bumpers for them next saturday. 
chrisb420
1/2 ton status
Looking good Colby, Glad the locker worked out for ya
ok, so on saturday i'm going to be building a tow-hitch for my rig. my boss wants me to be able to tow his little trailer... max i'd be pulling 2k lbs on the street, but i want it to be stout enough to be able to handle a winch on the back. i intend to mount a reciever tube on the front of my rig too, so i can mount the winch front or back as needed.
what i intend to do for the hitch is to build a box that goes around the outside of the frame horns, and it will bolt to the frame horns. then i'll weld the hitch to the box (on the inside, top of the bottom plate). i intend to enclose this box, with a door so that it can be used as a small storage place.
so my question: what grade steel plate should i use for this box? i'll try to draw up plans tonite, but for now consider this: all the load will be transmittd thru the bottom plate to the 6 bolts (3 each side) on the frame. it will be welded along the edges of the reciever tube and at the corners of the box. any thoughts on material selection?
what i intend to do for the hitch is to build a box that goes around the outside of the frame horns, and it will bolt to the frame horns. then i'll weld the hitch to the box (on the inside, top of the bottom plate). i intend to enclose this box, with a door so that it can be used as a small storage place.
so my question: what grade steel plate should i use for this box? i'll try to draw up plans tonite, but for now consider this: all the load will be transmittd thru the bottom plate to the 6 bolts (3 each side) on the frame. it will be welded along the edges of the reciever tube and at the corners of the box. any thoughts on material selection?
