CK5
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Its Here!!!
- Thread starter beater_k20
- Start date
beater_k20
Banned
havent sized the bolts yet. they fit great in the holes in the brackets, and they fit great in the holes in my springs (88+ Burb/Blazer EZ Rides) , so im going to assume that they are 14mm
beater_k20
Banned
well, thanks to a little situation i got into earlier with an ex-girlfriend i'm trying to get back earlier tonight, i found myself a bit hurt, and a big pissed off. about 10:30 i decided to go out to the garage. from there i decided now was just as good a time as any to work on my truck.
started out by mocking up the front crossmember. thanks to production tolerances, and GM's apparent lack of concern on where the tow hook holes are in the bottom of the frame, the slots in the top of the crossmember didnt line up. this made locating the crossmember a bit interesting. i tried several times to get it to line up by eye, but it just wasnt working. finally, i ended up measuring the inside to inside of the rails. i subtracted that from the overall width of the crossmember and divided by 2. i made myself 2 lines on the top of the crossmember at that measurement, which located it side to side, then from the end of the rail to the crossmember i tweaked around until it was even. i securely clamped it in place, and drilled a 7/16" hole in each side, and put a bolt in each rail. mind you this is only temporary, as i plan on welding the crossmember to the frame, and adding a few gussets here and there, along with a plate under the front body mount which will also get welded to the frame.
from there it was pretty much just bolt the springs up, then the shackles and hangers. i've currently got them clamped in place so that they can be adjusted later to set the shackle angle where i want it. anywho, enough 3am babbling... here's some pics for you guys...
started out by mocking up the front crossmember. thanks to production tolerances, and GM's apparent lack of concern on where the tow hook holes are in the bottom of the frame, the slots in the top of the crossmember didnt line up. this made locating the crossmember a bit interesting. i tried several times to get it to line up by eye, but it just wasnt working. finally, i ended up measuring the inside to inside of the rails. i subtracted that from the overall width of the crossmember and divided by 2. i made myself 2 lines on the top of the crossmember at that measurement, which located it side to side, then from the end of the rail to the crossmember i tweaked around until it was even. i securely clamped it in place, and drilled a 7/16" hole in each side, and put a bolt in each rail. mind you this is only temporary, as i plan on welding the crossmember to the frame, and adding a few gussets here and there, along with a plate under the front body mount which will also get welded to the frame.
from there it was pretty much just bolt the springs up, then the shackles and hangers. i've currently got them clamped in place so that they can be adjusted later to set the shackle angle where i want it. anywho, enough 3am babbling... here's some pics for you guys...
beater_k20
Banned
Corey 78K5
1 ton status
Two things I would do would be to make plates that go on the inside of the front frame horns, so that you sandwich the frame with the mounting bolts. I would also gusset the inside of the frame to the top side of the crossmember and the back side of the crossmember to the bottom side of the frame.
beater_k20
Banned
i'm not planning on using the bolts to the underside of the frame, i just put the 2 7/16" bolts in there to hold it temporarily, i'll then take the entire rolling chassis and put it on a trailer, and take it to work and weld it up good. plans are for a plate under each body mount using the existing bumper mount holes for extra support, as well as a pair of gussets between the frame and the upper side of the crossmember as you stated.
KingDuramax
1/2 ton status
Looks good. What is the width of the front crossmember outside to outside?
beater_k20
Banned
yup
KingDuramax
1/2 ton status
Thanks for the info. I may try and build one for mine.
beater_k20
Banned
i'm seriously considering building another setup, and using actual frame modifications on my 93 C2500. the reason for the extra height on this kit is because of the front crossmember normally used to mount the front of the lower control arms, it stays fully intact with this kit. i may cut a little to clear the springs and use a shorter front crossmember to keep the lift down.
sled_dog
1 ton status
this kit allows full retaining of the 2wd crossmember? I figured I'd still have to modify the crossmember. Its not a complex process to mod it. eh let me know if you want to get rid of yours, ha
beater_k20
Banned
sled_dog said:
i forgot to mention, i'll be doing another frame build if i decide to go that route, using another K1500 frame.
the crossmember i was referring to is the one that ends up directly behind the SAS crossmember on the frame. with a bit of cutting and plating, it could be made to clear the springs at a lower lift. as it sits, moving the springs up higher in the mounts too much would create clearance issues between the springs and that crossmember.
original balzer
1/2 ton status
so what springs does it use? 73-87 gm fronts?
balzer
balzer
beater_k20
Banned
i've got 88+ fronts, 9/16" bolts at both ends.
