One Piece at a Time: My 1985 Diesel Suburban

[AgDieseler]

Had some good windows in the shop today. I got up and out early to weld the battery box, and got it fit and installed over lunch and immediately after work.

Finally got a feel for the material. 115A, pedal at 70% or so, 100hz, 10% cleaning, 25cfh argon, 3/32 filler. This isn’t my best run, and I did finally get a good travel and dab rhythm going.


Fastening detail - trying to avoid squeaks.


The Eastwood SCT puts a nice grain in the aluminum.


As a buddy told me when he saw the dxf file, “you’re going to dimple the F out of that, aren’t you?”

Yep.


Installed.


This thing is rigid as hell, and should be able to take a beating in case something (conductive) falls or shifts while on the trail.

Huge push tomorrow and Sunday, but after being away for several days and otherwise busy, it’s time for an evening with the wife.

David

 

[ZooMad75]

Killer work as usual. Can't wait to see this beast hit the trail.

 

[Big Ray]

you have the baddest Suburban on the frickin planet! And that Slide is the shizzle! I'm looking forward to seeing your rig in the mags.

 

[AgDieseler]

Killer work as usual. Can't wait to see this beast hit the trail.

Thank you! It was a good mental break from slider fab.

you have the baddest Suburban on the frickin planet! And that Slide is the shizzle! I'm looking forward to seeing your rig in the mags.

Hey, that’s really kind of you to say. I’m eager to put that slide to work, and stack some spare 40s on it. I don’t know if the truck will make it in a magazine, but for sure the YouTubes.

Coffee is hot, and I’m in the shop setting up for today. I like starting early.

David

 

[ZooMad75]

Is Grand Junction the jumping off point for the trip? You'll probably be passing by me on the way to it.

 

[AgDieseler]

Is Grand Junction the jumping off point for the trip? You'll probably be passing by me on the way to it.

Yessir.

Kurt and I layover in Durango late on 10/18, and will head to grand junction the following day, 10/19. The TTS program kicks off from there on 10/20. @Spork929

If y’all are around those towns on those dates, PM and me let’s hookup for a burger or something.

David

 

[AgDieseler]

Successful push. @Spork929 came in and helped along with my dad. Kurt pulled the old body trim, and my dad is working on a new turn signal stalk.

We’re well on to making cardboard template stock, @NorCal69 style, so here’s the photo bomb.

Mid body side mounts are 2” 3/16 wall square


Front mounts are 1.5” 3/16 wall square


Body mounts are on and sliders are out one last time for finish welding and paint. There’s some minor additional reinforcement I’ll add, and cap the ends, too.


After a few beers, we started doing curls with the sliders. Everyone is now stacked.






This mount will get just a bit more cowbell tomorrow. It’s tight quarters at the front body mount.


Tomorrow - another major push.

David

 

[Bent77]

Aside from looking for the blue sharpie for 20 minutes, everything looks great

I might have been distracted by shiny and missed the sharpie

 

[AgDieseler]

Aside from looking for the blue sharpie for 20 minutes, everything looks great

I might have been distracted by shiny and missed the sharpie

It’s the “Where’s Waldo” of CK5.

#bluesharpielife

David

 

[campfire]

Aside from looking for the blue sharpie for 20 minutes, everything looks great

I might have been distracted by shiny and missed the sharpie

 

[AgDieseler]

Quick update. Just prepping for a big weld day tomorrow.

Cut and notched 8 of these.


Bent and notched these to ease the tube transition.


At my folks for their 40th anniversary. I’ll hit it hard tomorrow.

David

 

[Bent77]

Quick update. Just prepping for a big weld day tomorrow.

Cut and notched 8 of these.
View attachment 280711

Bent and notched these to ease the tube transition.
View attachment 280712

At my folks for their 40th anniversary. I’ll hit it hard tomorrow.

David

Congrats to them

 

[SpeedlabDan]

Came out nice man!

 

[obijuank5]

Got any fancy tool for prepping the tube ends?

Or do you do it like an animal like the rest of us?

 

[AgDieseler]

Congrats to them

I agree. They’re a pretty good pair.

Came out nice man!

Thanks. Lots of weld inches to lay down today.

Got any fancy tool for prepping the tube ends?

Or do you do it like an animal like the rest of us?

Some fab buddies give me a hard time because I really just like to mark the profile using a pipemaster tool and go to work with an angle grinder and the sanding disc.

Apparently, that’s uncivilized. I’m borrowing a JD2/swag notcher for some coming tube work on the Charger. I may yet be tamed.

These reinforcement tubes were just a quick and dirty pair of 27* degree cuts on the chopsaw to make the fishmouth, and a 25* cut for the side facing the rec tube. From there, the edge flap disc and the disc sander deliver a fine fit. I like to build one “gold sample”, measure the critical dimensions, and duplicate from there. It took about 2 hours to make and fit all 8.

I sweep up a lot of dust at the end of a day, and probably will until I score a smoking deal on an end mill.

David

 

[AgDieseler]

Early morning tackfest.







The plan is to fire up the MIG tonight, and burn it all in.

David

 

[SpeedlabDan]

I was thinking of doing the outriggers on my k5 the same and tying the cage in from above to tie the full vert together. Problem is I put my fender well exhaust where the rocker boxes were

 

[AgDieseler]

I was thinking of doing the outriggers on my k5 the same and tying the cage in from above to tie the full vert together. Problem is I put my fender well exhaust where the rocker boxes were

That would make for some very tricky packaging.

David

 

[SpeedlabDan]

That would make for some very tricky packaging.

David

You ain't kiddin

 

[AgDieseler]

Evening, gents.

Sliders are fully welded. Photos are in no particular order.


Front body mount.




Kicker profile smoothie.


Here’s the angle they kick up.






Welding for hours straight is highly meditative.


Next up, finish weld the body side clevis mounts, wire wheel everything, paint, and final installation.

12 days to 21 road.

David