minor change: K2.5TON

[k5 krawler 50]

i've decided that i couldnt bring myself to beat up my k5 on any of the trails around here, so i have changed gears with it a little bit but it is all for the good. After talking with a lot of people i was convinced if i wanted to run the rubicon, fordyce, and other hot spots i needed something lower, smaller, and just more suited for crawling. As you can see my truck currently is too tall and only 2wd so it is not quite suited for crawling, oh well live and learn i guess.

So with that in mind i have decided to make some crazy changes to my k5 and my future crawler.......

now, the plans for now are to take the 14bolt and dana 60 out of the k5 and throw them under the 4runner with 37-38" tires. This will still be my dd, so i'm looking into some radials that size. I also picked up another top shift toy case which will be getting the 4.7 gears and i will be doubling it up with the existing one in there now.

suspension wise i'm looking at running some rears up front or some after market spring no taller then 3" lift. out back i'm still playing around with some ideas, but something along the lines of chevy 63's. My overall goal is to keep this thing simple and low.

but... here is the fun part; before all that happens i plan on making some minor changes to the k5. i have already started rebuilding a 205 for it that i swapped out some side work for from a guy, so that will take care of my busted 208 that is in there now, and to replace the dana 60 and 14 bolt i was fortunate enough to score a set of 2.5 ton rockwells locally for a sweet price. The guy i bought them from is a kick ass dude, and he even offered to help get them from carson to my place in reno.

I've already purchased some spring perches for the duces from ballastic fab, and they seem like a really sweet set up for such a simple piece; they should be pretty stout.

the plans for the k5 now consist of keeping the same suspension set up as it has now, except i will remove the zero-rates to lower it about an 1"; either 46" mickey t's or 49" iroks on 20" stazworks. Basically it is going to be a mud machine (i know we have a lot of it around here , but like i said earlier i couldnt bring my self to beat the crap out of it).
I will be running the disc brake swap with the ford buss rotor and f550 calipers, along with a pinion brake out back. Here is a link to the disc conversion:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=408046

Once i get the rockwells up here in reno, i will start designing my steering arm for the cross-over steering, and get that, the hubs, and the rotors machined back home. Other things like the diff covers being cut and modified along with some boot protection on the rocks, and some front and rear traction bars will also be added as well.

I am in school right now and also working m-f so progress will be slow and take place on the weekends, but as things start to unfold i will post up here with progress.

anyways, just thought i would share somethings that will be changing for my trucks in 09/10 and looking for some feedback on what you guys think. All the help the better.

(sorry for the blurry pics, but my bro's cell phone was all i had)

 

[desertrat67]

Sounds liek one hell of a plan. I like it. Those Ballistic Fab perches look damn stout.

 

[dfl701]

looks like you have some HUGE plans in the making...decisions decisions. you gonna make the k5 4wd now?

 

[Merv]

Nice work man. Saving a super clean classic. Too many good ones get beat o hell cause it's what they had at the time.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Here's something i ran across the other day if you haven't seen it already.



http://diy4x.com/cart/index.php?route=product/product&path=18&product_id=147

 

[73redblaze]

gotta see this build.

 

[k5 krawler 50]

Here's something i ran across the other day if you haven't seen it already.



http://diy4x.com/cart/index.php?route=product/product&path=18&product_id=147

I saw those last night, and plan on giving Kert a call within the week to order two up, and hopefully the weekend of the October 3rd, i will have some perches welded on and some new skids.

gotta see this build.

It will be slower then most but i will make sure to update everytime i get something done. Thanks for the interest.

Nice work man. Saving a super clean classic. Too many good ones get beat o hell cause it's what they had at the time.

Its not the cleanest but it definitely has too much value to me to just destroy it. i will still have fun in it, but the runner will see more of the trails around my area, which is fine with me.

looks like you have some HUGE plans in the making...decisions decisions. you gonna make the k5 4wd now?

lol, yep it will be 4wd now. I'm just about done rebuilding a 205 i got over the summer to replace 208 that is now garbage.

Sounds liek one hell of a plan. I like it. Those Ballistic Fab perches look damn stout.

Yea, they should do the trick, got them while they were doing their Labor Day sale last weekend so i saved some coin on them as well.


Anyways, i will keep you guys posted when more stuff happens.

 

[y5mgisi]

Crazy awesome!

 

[blazinzuk]

Honostly if you are going rocks with the blaze sell the one tons and get longfields for your front axle. Have some one who knows toyotas set up the gears use a v-6 third in back and have both sets cyrod. If the gears are set up good and you are using longs toy axles will have no problem with 38s. If you are building a smaller lighter rock crawler clearance is king and toy axles have lots more of that than one tons do

 

[k5 krawler 50]

alright well i have an update, but its a small one. I finially got my rotors in from auto zone. These things are absolutely huge. Hopefully i can take them home this weekend so my dad and i can start working on getting them machined to fit over the hubs, and also drill out the stud holes to fit the new longer studs. If any body ever decides to do this, the part number for autozone is:
5483
and they cost 156.00 a piece.

here are some pics:

this one shows how big these things really are; there is a toyota tcase behind this one that you can see throu the hub hole.

Also i have been messing around in Pro/E a little bit figuring out some steering arm designs. Here are some current renderings, and by no means are the the finished ones. There are no real accurate measurements, just enough for me to get an idea of what i would like to do:

Top:

Bottom:

Right:

Left:

Back:

Front:

Iso:

 

[desertrat67]

Put the front axle in backwords, flip the differential around 180*, run full hydraulic steering using the original mounting points for the tie rod. Steering arms no longer necessary.

 

[Avery4jc]

Subscribed.... I've always liked the look of your K5 so I want to see what you come up with in the next transformation.

 

[k5 krawler 50]

Put the front axle in backwords, flip the differential around 180*, run full hydraulic steering using the original mounting points for the tie rod. Steering arms no longer necessary.

Running full hydro was my first thought, but i still drive this on the street, and even though many people run full hydro on the street, i dont know enough about it to trust it. I may look into it a little more, but as for now i would still feel more comfortable with a steering gear and hydro-assist. How do feel about full hydro and street drivng? I would like to gather some opinions on this as well as check into to pirate because if it is a safe and solid plan then i'm all for it.

Subscribed.... I've always liked the look of your K5 so I want to see what you come up with in the next transformation.

Thanks Avery, i definitely appreciate comments like this. I will keep you guys updated as stuff happens. This weekend i plan on tearing into the front axle and working on getting the rotors machined down to fit over the hubs.

Other things to come, are some pinion break stuff for the rear from Kert at DIY4X; I think we are going to go with a custom logo in the center cap; so as soon as i go through with that i will post up. Other things i'm working on include designing and fabricating some brackets for the front calipers that are also integrated into some boot guards. I also have an idea that is different from most on how i'm going to mount the u-bolts. I might have that done this weekend as well.

 

[desertrat67]

but i still drive this on the street

I didn't know this. Might be better to keep the mechanical linkage.

How do feel about full hydro and street drivng?

My only experience with full hydro on the street was with forklifts and I only drove them 2 miles each way to our maintenance shop(we would drive backwards to keep the steering wheels in front). I have also driven 4 wheel steer forklifts with the 4 wheel steeing engaged, but like the little fork lifts, I never saw much over 15-20 MPH so higher speed impressions may be a lot different.


Me on the other hand, I would do it if it was a trail truck only being driven short distances to the trails(a couple miles each way), but would make sure I did my homework and had a very reliable setup on the vehicle.

I would love to take the 4wheel steer setup from the ATLAS forkllifts we have and transfer it over to a truck. You can lock out the rear steer, crab walk or have the wheels turn opposite directions with the flip of a switch. No joystick neccessary.

I want the axles and steering from one of these.

 

[raymos]

man, looks like this is gonna be one sweet rig, er......two sweet rigs! the k5 is sick already cant wait to see it on rocks. you mentioned your place in reno. you have a shop in reno? im just up the street in susanville.

 

[k5 krawler 50]

man, looks like this is gonna be one sweet rig, er......two sweet rigs! the k5 is sick already cant wait to see it on rocks. you mentioned your place in reno. you have a shop in reno? im just up the street in susanville.

Thanks bud, i appreciate it. I have a house up in reno where i will be doing most of the axle swap, but right now the axles are located in carson at a buddy's shop. He is going to help me get them all fixed up and ready to go under the truck. We are going to put on spring perches at his shop and most likely will do any other fab stuff there because he has all the equipment that i dont have, lol. The machined parts (steering arm, and the some cool boot guards i'm designing) will be done in gardnerville, where i have access to that equipment. So thats the plan for now.

Also i stopped by my buddy's shop today to get some more accurate measurements of the bolt holes for the steering arm and i also snapped some pics of the axle, so here it is:

Here is a quick mock up of the Ballistic Fab spring perch; fits like a glove.

 

[Avery4jc]

Hey I use those PDM notepads every day at the shop too! Those are some good guys to deal with.

 

[sweetk30]

check your state laws on this for steering and brakes.

in ny state you must have mech linkage from the wheel to the axles corners. but no rules on any sort of assisting options.

and the brake. you need 1 brake at each wheel. and park brake seperate from main pedel.

just passin this along so you dont waist tons of time and money to find you cant drive on the streets.

 

[Merv]

check your state laws on this for steering and brakes.

in ny state you must have mech linkage from the wheel to the axles corners. but no rules on any sort of assisting options.

and the brake. you need 1 brake at each wheel. and park brake seperate from main pedel.

just passin this along so you dont waist tons of time and money to find you cant drive on the streets.

Can you get the statute for proof? I would love to throw this in some faces.

 

[sweetk30]

can print it off and scan it up for ya.