Horton, driveshaft opinions wanted

[blazinzuk]

This is what I am talking about Heath, so yes you do elimnate one bushing. I would have to build this out of way beefier stuff than is seen here I would think though

If I linked with leaves then yes you would have to make both ends so they could move.

As far as the twisting that occurs with leaf springs I have thought about some type of swivel or something to help relieve that but that gets into the realm of who knows type of stuff, built right it could make the truck preform very well built wrong it will make it less stable and unpredictable

I need to discuss stuff like this sometimes because the more I think about it the more I think that coils or coil overs is my answer for the back too

 

[folkenheath]

That's kind of what I imagined, but I think that will end up getting sloppy pretty quick and start rattling. I think the side bushings that slides should be square, they can't roll anyway or they would rattle if both sides(upper and lower) aren't in constant contact, and a square one would have a larger bearing surface for less wear. Not to mention more self cleaning. Also, when it does wear you can't just change a bushing, because the entire mount becomes a wear point now. Unless you made the square bushing out of bronze or something so it wears instead of the steel. Plus I think that sand and crud will get in there and wear it prematurely. It's a lot more open to that than a bushing.

Have you ever seen that in use in a 4x4? As the axle articulates the leaves have to get closer together, I think the shackle allows a lot of that(more so than the bushings themselves). You eliminate the shackle and you will create more bind, or the spring has to flex sideways, which it won't want to and that would be hard on stuff.

I am tire of my leaves. There is only one reason I would want leaves to build something custom like you are, space constraints. If you have the space, ditch 'em. That's my vote.

 

[MTBLAZER89]

Hey Eric do you ever catch the bedsides on anything?

This is very similar to where I am going with my K5. New narrowed skins front and rear, but I am undecided if I wanna keep the bedsides attached at the B pillar, or get pickup skins and hang them like you did.

I'm kinda leaning towards pickup skins so I can flip my 56's and not have the fender opening in the wrong spot.

 

[yellowK20]

I need to discuss stuff like this sometimes because the more I think about it the more I think that coils or coil overs is my answer for the back too

Airbags!! Cheap and adjustable rate. and fairly easy to package

 

[blazinzuk]

Have you ever seen that in use in a 4x4? As the axle articulates the leaves have to get closer together, I think the shackle allows a lot of that(more so than the bushings themselves). You eliminate the shackle and you will create more bind, or the spring has to flex sideways, which it won't want to and that would be hard on stuff.

Yep with varying degrees of success, they definitely take some tuning and yes all the wear points would be some sort of replaceable item.

Hey Eric do you ever catch the bedsides on anything?

This is very similar to where I am going with my K5. New narrowed skins front and rear, but I am undecided if I wanna keep the bedsides attached at the B pillar, or get pickup skins and hang them like you did.

I'm kinda leaning towards pickup skins so I can flip my 56's and not have the fender opening in the wrong spot.

umm not often

I am quite a bit narrower than a stock truck is right there but if you wanna keep sheetmetal your gonna dent it eventually. I hope to get this fixed because they really are out of the way quite alot

My skins are cut down long bed skins

Airbags!! Cheap and adjustable rate. and fairly easy to package

I have also entertained that thought for sure. But I don't need the adjustable height airbags greatest advantage is. On my dually on the other hand

 

[76zimmer]

New battery mounting tray

And pretty much the finished product which is Hortons current state

At this point I decided to put the bedsides back on because without them the truck was just ugly. Simple fact of life, the bedsides made it look like a Chevy still and I really like that. I had also made them over a foot narrower where they mount so the chance of hitting them was greatly reduced

At this point I headed to Blazer Bash 2010

Horton is a very capable, cool truck Eric...

 

[NorCal_Chris]

liquid iron industries makes a little beefier lookin one.

 

[yellowK20]

I was thinking adjustable rate more for the load carrying capcity I/E camping gear, both rug rats, ect

 

[blazinzuk]

I was thinking adjustable rate more for the load carrying capcity I/E camping gear, both rug rats, ect

Well I still have the Jimmy so most camping will be done in it. Any camping done in Horton will probably just be me. Kids don't weigh much so not really worried about that.

Thing that worries me about bags is sagebrush. In all this time wheeling local I have only seen 2 sidewalls ripped open due to rocks, on the other hand I have seen dozens ripped open by sagebrush.

I also know a concrete truck driver and when they were doing the windmills he said they had 3 or 4 times when a truck got a little off the road into some sagebrush and went right through one of the bags on the axle.

Not sayin it happens every time but it does happen

 

[yellowK20]

you could carry a spare bag, there not heavy and dont take up much space. AND I've heard they can be patched with plain old tire patches

 

[blazinzuk]

you could carry a spare bag, there not heavy and dont take up much space. AND I've heard they can be patched with plain old tire patches

Thats good to know cause I plan on running bags on both the dually and the Jimmy

 

[yellowK20]

I still think Coilovers are the way to go but for a budget, I'd go with bags before coils cuz with coils you could end up trying multiple springs before you get one that "works"

 

[MTBLAZER89]

umm not often

I am quite a bit narrower than a stock truck is right there but if you wanna keep sheetmetal your gonna dent it eventually. I hope to get this fixed because they really are out of the way quite alot

My skins are cut down long bed skins

:

Well my sheetmetal already look like hammered dog ****

Short box skins would be perfect for a K5 with the 56's flipped, but probably harder to find.

I'll definitely be picking your brain about the boatsides and narrowing when I get back from deployment. I'd like to copy most of your idea, but retain my windshield frame and keep the bed area more closed in on the bottom. Everything here is wet so something to keep the rear tires from soaking the kids 30 sec into the trip

 

[blazinzuk]

I would actually like to enclose the back end quite a bit more. Mostly for gravel protection than anything.

But I am trying to keep everything as light as possible and so far no problems at all so I might not

One thing you will notice is even with the back completely closed in you will still get soaked, because most of the rear tire is not covered anymore.

A solution we used on a buddys truck was to put a sheet of plexi high enough to cover his kids heads, he just put it in when cruising on a trail or somewhere that might have mud on it. Worked pretty well, he would take it out when we were crawling.

 

[blazinzuk]

I still think Coilovers are the way to go but for a budget, I'd go with bags before coils cuz with coils you could end up trying multiple springs before you get one that "works"

See this is the coil thing about being involved with alot of different truck builds Gus. I already know which spring I am going to use

 

[yellowK20]

lol well I bow before the master!!!


I changed my mind i think you need hydros and 26" rims dawg















J/K what coils would you use?? I would think any front coils would be to high of a rate for rear use unless they came from like a TJ or 4cyl XJ or something like that

 

[blazinzuk]

lol well I bow before the master!!!


I changed my mind i think you need hydros and 26" rims dawg

J/K what coils would you use?? I would think any front coils would be to high of a rate for rear use unless they came from like a TJ or 4cyl XJ or something like that

You buy me some 5 tons and I will roll 26" rims, with of course like 65" rice and canes or something

You use a lift coil from the front of a TJ, the stock coil, even the 6 cylinder coil is too light of a rate but the lift coils add just enough rate. Best I have found is a RE 4" coil, true a bit on the soft side, but you can also use a superlift 4 or 6" coil if that is too soft for ya

 

[yellowK20]

You buy me some 5 tons and I will roll 26" rims, with of course like 65" rice and canes or something

Lol I almost had a set of 5-tons traded for my free plow burb

 

[MTBLAZER89]

I would actually like to enclose the back end quite a bit more. Mostly for gravel protection than anything.

But I am trying to keep everything as light as possible and so far no problems at all so I might not

One thing you will notice is even with the back completely closed in you will still get soaked, because most of the rear tire is not covered anymore.

A solution we used on a buddys truck was to put a sheet of plexi high enough to cover his kids heads, he just put it in when cruising on a trail or somewhere that might have mud on it. Worked pretty well, he would take it out when we were crawling.

Yeah I guess that is true huh. Looking at your pics from the rear I imagine the rear tires throw lots of mud forward into the cab as well.

All of our trails are wet most of the year here at least in places. I'm sure I'll figure something out.

 

[hogdoc]

She hates his truck. She is from California and really truly thought Idaho was full of inbred redneck hillbilly morons. Lifted Chevy trucks only amplified that idea for her. So she really hated the truck. Well Pat decides to part the truck out. He sold the axles wheels tires and a couple other things. I took it to my shop (at the time) and took it all apart.

So, what, you going to try to convince people Idaho is NOT full of inbred redneck hillbillys???