CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
ORD Ultimate Adventure truck prep
- Thread starter Hogback Fabrication
- Start date
tyler__820
1/2 ton status
I was watching the video on the UA, and noticed a lot of the vehicles don't even have fenders and the tires are completely exposed! I thought you had to be street legal? About the mtrs.....are they better then super swampers?
TheBeast_88K5
Banned
I normally dont get any pictures on my wheeling trips either. I get too dang excited about whats going on and forget to take pictures of it.
I do the same....
Most of my pics are of following NorCal_Chris around;
One hand out the window w/ a camera, and the other on the wheel...
Thanks gawd for "Image Stabilizer Mode"...
I don't recall seing a single vehicle on the UA that didn't have fenders
There's nothing in Colorado law that you need Fenders or tire coverage. I can legally drive any vehicle that is registered and legal in my state in any other state and they "can't" ticket me for the violation and make it stick. This is known as reciprocity, it gets a bit sticky but is true.
Now the reality is that places like Utah, specifically Moab during Easter, will stop you and ticket you for things that are legal in your home state but not there. They make the ticket just enough that you would want to fight it but it would also cost that same amount or more to drive there, get a hotel and fight it. They win cause you just pay.
I like the MTRs better than swampers but I will say that with mud only a swamper is a tough tire to beat.
given the choice of building this setup again.
(other than for marketing purposes of selling SAS kits)
would you still go leaf or look into linking it on coilovers? any thought to making a 3 link setup for these trucks?
on the same line of questioning, where the low lift clearance became an issue, do you think going linked setup would have helped/alleviated some of those issues?
thanks-
(other than for marketing purposes of selling SAS kits)
would you still go leaf or look into linking it on coilovers? any thought to making a 3 link setup for these trucks?
on the same line of questioning, where the low lift clearance became an issue, do you think going linked setup would have helped/alleviated some of those issues?
thanks-
Last edited:
All the advantages of links in a straight axle truck hold true in the new trucks plus the fact that we could probably pull a little more bump travel at a lower lift height. Our truck is around 5-6" of suspension lift and we're fighting for bump travel now. It wouldn't be too hard to get it up to about 4.5" to 4.75" (and this is fuzzy since leaves are not super precise by nature) from where we are now. Right now it's probably about 4.25" and it's obviously very usable but it's sensitive, changing the rear spring rate helped the front ride better. A little more room to roam would be nice. One other problem we built into our truck is mounting the King bumpstops to strike on the axle tube outside the leaf spring. This makes it sensitive to one wheel bumps since the stop will bottom sooner than it would if it sat farther inboard like on the straight axle trucks. The farther outboard position is great for putting less stress on the housing in a hard bottom out situation.
For the UA trip or really for most uses the leaves work fine. Coilovers would work better but we haven't been severely limited by the leaf front end. More travel would have been nice playing in the sand but we still got around and had fun. I love how coilovers drive in the same way I love using ARBs and nice shocks and so on. A basic truck will do most recreational wheeling with leaf springs, detroits (or lunchboxes even!) and white body shocks. The nice stuff gets you a few more places and will cost a lot more. If you play in that last few percent, you need the good stuff.
awesome.
thanks for the response!!! about what i was expecting but i appreciate you taking the time for me.
thanks for the response!!! about what i was expecting but i appreciate you taking the time for me.
Bad ass rig indeed. How heavy is the tubular bed?
CUCV2
5/4 ton fun
Thinking of doing a SAS on a 93 Chevy C3500 and wanted to see some more details of this truck. Reread the whole thread to find you used 47.5" front springs. Is this for handling purposes? Where can I find the springs you used on this and how much do they cost? I have read other threads where a track bar is advised with 52" front springs. Do you make a track bar for your SAS swap? What did you do for shock mounts? On the ORD site, you mention the differences in frames (thanks). Have you seen your ORD SAS kit modified to fit a 2wd 3500 frame? If so, what was done? I was thinking of notching the frame under the radiator support mount to get it to fit and then welding the truck frame to the ORD front perch. The front spring clearance looks like it might be close where the frame drops down on the 2wd 3500 frames though. Thoughts?
Link to the conversion and pics
http://offroaddesign.com/catalog/88-98SolidAxleConversion.htm
Link to the conversion and pics
http://offroaddesign.com/catalog/88-98SolidAxleConversion.htm
They are actually 48.5" and we use those because they have a better approach angle, they're more stable on the street and they last much longer and are better about axle wrap because we get to design in a torque leaf, military wrap, etc. For basically anything but a Cummins swap our custom springs are $630/pair.
We can build you a track bar but we typically try to avoid using one. Leaf springs and the track bar don't follow the same arc as the suspension cycles so the ride quality suffers, you lose articulation travel, bushings wear out much faster and there is more stress on the frame and mounts. Most people that think they need a track bar really need hydraulic assist.
I don't have pictures but I've seen it done two different ways. We've had some customers cut the bottom of the frame and weld plate back into it to mimic a 4WD frame, we've also had a couple that welded in the front frame rails from a 4WD onto the 2WD frame.
CUCV2
5/4 ton fun
Thanks for the input.
Any thoughts as to the addition of a sway bar? I saw on your site where you sell shock mounts (frame end). Is that what you would use for this kit?
This truck is more of a street truck, being that is a crew cab. The HP60 and the NV4500/NP241 are already here. Just researching to decide between the 52s and 48.5s (thanks). I would like to keep it just tall enough for 35s for now. Maybe 37s later, depending on how the gear ratio (4.10s) works out.
Any feedback on how this ORD truck rides and drives? Is there any thing that you would do different?
Any thoughts as to the addition of a sway bar? I saw on your site where you sell shock mounts (frame end). Is that what you would use for this kit?
This truck is more of a street truck, being that is a crew cab. The HP60 and the NV4500/NP241 are already here. Just researching to decide between the 52s and 48.5s (thanks). I would like to keep it just tall enough for 35s for now. Maybe 37s later, depending on how the gear ratio (4.10s) works out.
Any feedback on how this ORD truck rides and drives? Is there any thing that you would do different?
The ride is way better than your average leaf sprung truck. The combo of ORD springs, King shocks and air bumps is great. There hasn't even been any shock tuning done so I think the ride can only get better.
The rear suspension on this truck was kind of experimental with the spring length and arch. I know Stephen changed the rear springs on it this year to get rid of a weird handling issue that was happening because of rear axle steer due to the spring arch etc. He said it was much better, I haven't driven it lately so I don't have good input. Bottom line is that the only issue with handling was found to really be coming from the rear not the front. In fact I was driving it when we found that.
I was going through 2'+ deep water bars and the front just soaked them up and felt great, when the rear hit them I had to counter steer and it caused a bit of a squirrely feeling. It was taking the water bars at 25+ and not launching into the air
I wouldn't put a set of 52" springs up front. The ORD custom springs can match and exceed a 52" "stock" spring pack, without the goofy overhang and stupid axle wrap issues.
The ride is way better than your average leaf sprung truck. The combo of ORD springs, King shocks and air bumps is great. There hasn't even been any shock tuning done so I think the ride can only get better.
The rear suspension on this truck was kind of experimental with the spring length and arch. I know Stephen changed the rear springs on it this year to get rid of a weird handling issue that was happening because of rear axle steer due to the spring arch etc. He said it was much better, I haven't driven it lately so I don't have good input. Bottom line is that the only issue with handling was found to really be coming from the rear not the front. In fact I was driving it when we found that.
I was going through 2'+ deep water bars and the front just soaked them up and felt great, when the rear hit them I had to counter steer and it caused a bit of a squirrely feeling. It was taking the water bars at 25+ and not launching into the air
I wouldn't put a set of 52" springs up front. The ORD custom springs can match and exceed a 52" "stock" spring pack, without the goofy overhang and stupid axle wrap issues.
I've got 52s in the front of my truck and would say that my steering quality suffers the most becuase of them. I have hydro assist, but deal with a lot of slop in the system due to the steering box pushing / pulling the axle side to side. I have an all new steering system and have done a bunch of bracing on the frame, so I really don't have anything else to blame.
I thought that the 52s were also causing problems with handling (wollowing around under load at speed in a harmonic ossilation), but after making use of my go-pro camera, I can see that it is more and issue of body roll and crappy shocks vs anything else. If I hit a bump straight on, the shocks don't let the truck bounce at all, but if I hit a bump that throws the body to one side, it is too heavy for the shocks to absorb all the energy and it gets to wollowing around.
I am going to start with a disconnectable swaybar to see if my handling improves any and if it winds up that I really do need new shocks to fix my at speed handling, I'll be swapping in a set of king coil-overs with a 3 link to also eliminate my axle wrap / steering slop.
If I was to start all over again, I'd not have cut out the original IFS crossmember to avoid having to beef up the frame so much, and I'd run the shorter custom springs to fix all the handling / steering issues I've had to deal with.
Sway bar should work well. Honestly they are easy enough to change you might think about having a couple bars. One supper stiff one for street use, one medium for average use and a softer one for offroad. One PVC pipe tube mounted in back and you can just carry one with you. Arm length and amount of twist in the bar are important. Sway bar will help.
The wallow thing because of body roll is what we were finding too but it was from the rear not the front. Cross grain water bar and the front took it literally with out feeling it, rear hit is and the ride began. We figured it was the long semi stiff springs steering the rear axle and pushing the front around.
I put $100 shocks on my truck when I did the 52s and that has saved me from a lot of the issues I've ready about others having. Also mounted them so they are virtually vertical in all 4 corners. That being said, I think I'm going to be going with a set of 48.5" springs from ORD.
CUCV2
5/4 ton fun
Thanks. Lots of good input. Seems like the 48.5 and a disconnectable sway bar are the way to go up front. Any recommendations on shocks? And now, you have me wondering about the rear springs. Would it have been better off with a rear shackle flip? Or just a less arched rear spring?
My recomendation for shocks is to buy the best you can afford. If that's King great, if that's parts store cheapies ok.
The nicer shocks are going to be tuneable and in the end work better but a cheap shock at least put's the vehicle on the road. Mrk5 put some decent shocks on his blazer and was very happy with it.
Don't know about the springs and shackle flip thing?
The nicer shocks are going to be tuneable and in the end work better but a cheap shock at least put's the vehicle on the road. Mrk5 put some decent shocks on his blazer and was very happy with it.
Don't know about the springs and shackle flip thing?
TDAWG1
1/2 ton status
Cant go wrong with the Shackle Flip in the rear. Id say depending on your use. Flip is awesome through all kinds of terrain and things of that nature. Towing for some is iffy with it. But I highly recommend it. A rearch is fine as well. But once you start really getting into some stuff I think you would greatly appreciate the benefits of the Flip.. (my 2 pennies)
