One Piece at a Time: My 1985 Diesel Suburban

[AgDieseler]

Reset the bearings, installed the hubs, aligned the front end with 1/16” toe in, set the final position on the ram.



Also, I busted off all the wheel weights from the beadlocks. The front calipers are super tight to the wheel, and the weights will have to move over to the center of the barrel.

David

 

[AgDieseler]

Night welding. Getting the ram lines sorted, and setting the ends for the brake bulkheads. The diff breather will route with the brake line.







David

 

[mrk5]

When I see all the work you're doing, I keep thinking when you started the suspension project you had been planning to go to Blazer Bash this year. Was that not true or did things just snowball in true MAW fashion?

 

[ZooMad75]

Blame it on the 'rona.

 

[AgDieseler]

When I see all the work you're doing, I keep thinking when you started the suspension project you had been planning to go to Blazer Bash this year. Was that not true or did things just snowball in true MAW fashion?

The scope creep is real, as is my poor judgment related to timing.

Three things have driven the expanded set of tasks for the front suspension alone:

• The overlays were a fabrication splurge that required several weeks of design and welding
• Making 40s work with low lift complicated a variety of adjacent systems
• My 6.2 turbo setup essentially has to be entirely remade to work with the engine cage and 40s

Mostly, it's the 6.2 that complicated the project. From the intake to the exhaust, it all had to be remade - the previous intake didn't clear the 40s at full stuff and turn, the charge pipe didn't fit through the engine cage, the upper and lower radiator hoses also didn't fit through the engine cage, the downpipe didn't fit around the coilover and wouldn't clear the driveshaft at full stuff, the crossover didn't clear the panhard or steering at full stuff, and finally, none of the engine oil, power steering, brake, or even the CDR lines would fit within the engine cage. None of this is especially difficult to build, but there are no off-the-shelf designs that work, and so I needed to make it. From making my own exhaust flanges to bending fluid delivery lines, the sub-projects stack up. I still have to build the intake, exhaust, and CDR routing.

Second to the engine complicators, the overlays took a good chunk of time (purely MAW), and placing the links behind the body mounts required remaking my transfercase and transmission mounting. Again, nothing too terribly difficult, but it does require hours of fabrication. Also, I should have left the rear suspension alone, but TTS was supposed to have a bunch of go-fast stuff, and so I prioritized it higher than (as it turns out) I needed to.

Here's my critical to do:

• Transfercase crossmember
• Brake lines
• Rear leaf setup
• Rear shocks
• Rear swaybar
• Fabricate intake
• Fabricate CDR routing
• Fabricate exhaust
• Grease everything
• Fill fluids

Nevermind:

• Build new sliders
• Skid plate all the things
• Build inner fenders
• Expand fender arch openings

Short question; long answer.

David

 

[AgDieseler]

Working on my night moves.





Front brake lines are done.

David

 

[Greg72]

Working on my night moves.

View attachment 362516

View attachment 362517

Front brake lines are done.

David

I woke last night to the sound of thunder. “How far off?” I sat and wondered....



-G

 

[centexk5]

Was humming a song from 1962.

 

[AgDieseler]

Diff vent is done. That bit of 3/16 nests up into the engine crossmember, but I’ll remake it if I kill it - just has the spare pieces on hand.





Busy day tomorrow.

David

 

[AgDieseler]

Pretty good day.

The new rear axle is mocked up. I just need to set the pinion angle and locate side to side, and then burn in the perches. Then, it’s down to cycling and locating full bump.







I’ll grab pictures of the relocated front hanger, and how (I’m pretty sure) it will locate about 8” forward of the original position.

David

 

[AgDieseler]

Better light for the new front hanger position, plus boomerang shackle and spring mock-up.











David

 

[Babaganoosh]

I have been waiting for the rear suspension, really curious how it is going together. David, are these 63's? I was really hoping you were not going to move the hanger forward so I could copy your rear suspension.

 

[AgDieseler]

I have been waiting for the rear suspension, really curious how it is going together. David, are these 63's? I was really hoping you were not going to move the hanger forward so I could copy your rear suspension.

Stephen would remind us they are 64.5s, but they are the super long softies.

The hanger indexes on an old rivet hole, so it’s not tough to move. Air hammering the rivets eases removal, and lets the neighbors know you care.

David

 

[Babaganoosh]

Stephen would remind us they are 64.5s, but they are the super long softies.

The hanger indexes on an old rivet hole, so it’s not tough to move. Air hammering the rivets eases removal, and lets the neighbors know you care.

David

Removing the rivets is no big deal, indexing it is a nice touch. Where the issue is the saddle tank, with the 20 gallon it buts right up against the hanger. Is their a reason you put the truss on?

 

[Fastereddie]

Removing the rivets is no big deal, indexing it is a nice touch. Where the issue is the saddle tank, with the 20 gallon it buts right up against the hanger. Is their a reason you put the truss on?

That’s for when he 4-links it later....

 

[kgblazerfive]

That is how I did mine although I think I used two holes from the old mount

 

[campfire]

Air hammering the rivets eases removal, and lets the neighbors know you care.

Hahahaha!

 

[campfire]

The picture kinda looks like the shackle won't have enough room for full compression. I assume you've already figured that out?

What is that mount for, anyways? Is that the side of the wrap-around rear bumper?

 

[85k5witha6.2]

What is your hourly rate and when can I drop off my rig?

 

[Capt Ron]

What is your hourly rate and when can I drop off my rig?

Take a #