One Piece at a Time: My 1985 Diesel Suburban

[AgDieseler]

Had a friend visit the shop. We shot some video. I’ll get it posted shortly.

I like to layout the next day’s gear.


Fresh crossover stars with a lobster. I cut some pieces at 15*, but that was too much. 9* is the sweet spot for 2” and gets a radius that’s about 2.125”.






First section up to the panhard.


Back purged stainless is pretty much my new favorite.






The original crossover would totally conflict with the drag link and panhard. I’ll probably send this off to header shield once it’s proved and running.


The limit strap is going to get a heat wrap, too.


I’ve looked forward to this part of the project for a while.

Also, magnum refresh.


David

 

[campfire]

Sweet!

The limit strap is going to get a heat wrap, too

Are you going to wrap the exhaust, or just the strap?

 

[AgDieseler]

Are you going to wrap the exhaust, or just the strap?

I’m sending the whole thing off to Header Shield; probably the downpipe, too. It’s a super-duper exhaust wrap.

David

 

[mrk5]

I figured I would ask this here since you have plans for it. What is the advantage to doing the longer rear springs? I guess I just figure they are all rear truck springs, so I would think the performance would be the same. What am I missing?

 

[AgDieseler]

I figured I would ask this here since you have plans for it. What is the advantage to doing the longer rear springs? I guess I just figure they are all rear truck springs, so I would think the performance would be the same. What am I missing?

In a word, travel. Longer springs with a tension shackle can droop more than my compression shackle and short spring. The length helps on the compression side, and all with longer, more, and flatter individual leaves.

David

 

[AgDieseler]

More stainless crossover work. I got one half built, and started from the turbo side with the plan to meet in the middle.

This first section uses fatter 8* pie cuts.


These are the same angle, but cut at half the length. I prefer the smoother bend of the fat cuts, but a couple of these help to get a tube perfectly aligned.


This "up-pipe" fixes some design problems I never liked in the Banks kit. The original was too close to the fuel lines, and you couldn't get the same tooling on each of the flange bolts to get even torque and sealing. That's all fixed now.

I back purged at about 15CFH, and spent some time getting the right pulse settings, so this all welds fairly quickly (comparatively). This section took about 45 mins.


Talking with the folks at Vibrant, I settled on this expansion bellows since there's a ton of heat carried in this small diameter piece of tubing. I'll use a braided flex on the exhaust after the downpipe.








I got all this purged and burned in late last night. One more fit test today, and I'll burn in the flanges, get some fresh studs, and it's ready for final install.

David

 

[eclipse85k10]

Mighty fine fabrication work. Been following the progress on IG

 

[AgDieseler]

Mighty fine fabrication work. Been following the progress on IG

Thanks dude. It feels good to be hitting a stride.

David

 

[mrk5]

In a word, travel. Longer springs with a tension shackle can droop more than my compression shackle and short spring. The length helps on the compression side, and all with longer, more, and flatter individual leaves.

David

Interesting. I was just wondering if it was something I need to do with mine.

 

[Truckman4life]

I'm running 5" lift 64" Chevy springs with longer ORD shackles in the factory configuration and I love it. Works awesome. Stephen at ORD advised me on the merits of doing this setup way back at the EJS vendor show when I lived in Moab. I fabbed my hangers but now you can buy brackets to swap them in.

 

[AgDieseler]

Done.









More Vibrant tubing is inbound.

David

 

[Fastereddie]

Done.

View attachment 355758

View attachment 355759

View attachment 355760

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More Vibrant tubing is inbound.

David

Does that pretty pipe get any support hangers like a regular exhaust or is it supposed to free float?
Beautiful btw...

 

[AgDieseler]

Does that pretty pipe get any support hangers like a regular exhaust or is it supposed to free float?
Beautiful btw...

Thanks dude. This one is rigid between the manifolds. The first support hanger comes after the downpipe and a flexpipe coupler.

David

 

[AgDieseler]

I'm prepping this week to shift to work on the rear suspension, which is fully removed. The original 85 tension hangers are in for some tweaks and repairs.

Until then, enjoy a quick video I posted where our mutual friend, Stephen, stops in to deliver his best Colorado Howdy. He happened to be in the area for a race with one of his sons, and fought through the Friday afternoon DFW traffic just to drink beer, talk trucks, and dig on some venison brats. It was a good night off.

Separate news, and a bit disappointing, but 2020 has claimed another victim. Trail to SEMA isn't happening. That gives me a bit of breathing room, but not too much, as I'm eager to drive the truck again.

David

 

[Babaganoosh]

Pretty cool when the man stops by and checks out your work, I enjoyed the video.

 

[AgDieseler]

Prepping the rear hangers, I welded in some Barnes repair washers, and even pretended to be a machinist and milled out a pocket so the shackle can droop fully. The factory profile gives up about 3” of travel.















I’ll refine that opening and plate it in.

David

 

[BadDog]

Never heard of a Barnes repair washer. But just for grins, try searching that (singular, without the s) on Google.

Anyway, nice work as always.

 

[skunked]

Never heard of a Barnes repair washer. But just for grins, try searching that (singular, without the s) on Google.

Anyway, nice work as always.

Ruffstuff makes them too. https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/WELDWASH.html?

Nice work as always @AgDieseler

and what maintenance are you planning on doing on the magnum? Basic tear down/inspection and replace what's necessary?

 

[AgDieseler]

and what maintenance are you planning on doing on the magnum?

Mostly shifter related, plus new a new output seal.

I had a problem with the magnum staying in low, and found that the detent was out of adjustment and the shift arm had rotated on the shaft. A few replacement parts and a correction to the detent were all that was required. It’s just hard to diagnose and do that work effectively without pulling the whole case.

David

 

[AgDieseler]

Pretty nice little weekend jamming on the hangers. They’re plenty tough already, and so I whipped up some simple 1/8” spreader plates, and also filled the spot where I milled. It’s easy to underestimate how all these fab processes add up, because that’s my whole weekend right there.

Greg inspired me, and I built these on my friends mini-vertical band saw. Now I’m going to buy my own.













David