PICS and QUESTIONS

[78Suburban]

I've been outside working on the lift for a while, swaping out shock bushings and a few different things.. I went out with the camera, and I would like some suggestions with my questions:

To do my ford shock towers up front, do I grind off those two rivets, knock them out, and drill the holes out to .5", and use them with my ford tower, adding one more holes also, right? I know the tech article was talking about a factory quad setup, and I'm making sure its the same basic procedure.. and also, is there some kinda bumpstop I need to take off to do the ford towers??

Do my shackle angle, pinion angle, and front shaft engagement all look OK?

Is this grease ok for both driveshafts? what about my drag link ends?

thanks so much for the help.. I'm gonna run outside and run back in and check before I try to do a few of the noob questions I asked

 

[CB77GMC]

Pics are too dark. Or is it me ?

 

[WhiteBurb]

You shouldn't have a bumpstop to remove. It was only on trucks with 10-bolts, and sat under the passenger side.
I think that grease will be fine.

 

[Chaddy]

your angles look fine.

 

[neverendingproject]

I did the shock tower thing like two days ago, heres what i did. Take a grinder and grind little flat spots on the two rivets. Drill the center with a little bit and then wit a 3/8 one. Beat off the bracket and punch out the rivets. You can see in the pic the factory hole (arrow) i drilled out and made a guide for the rest of them. The bottom hole wil be vertical with the "pilot hole" you just made from the factory hole. The passenger side is REALLY close to the heater box, but it doesnt touch, and the speedo cable bracket has to be bent just a bit on the drivers side. All in all it took about 30 minutes per side. Just be sure that you watch out where your lines are in the frame on the passenger side.

Of course all of this is assuming your using the superduty brackets not the 80's ones

 

[78Suburban]

I did the shock tower thing like two days ago, heres what i did. Take a grinder and grind little flat spots on the two rivets. Drill the center with a little bit and then wit a 3/8 one. Beat off the bracket and punch out the rivets. You can see in the pic the factory hole (arrow) i drilled out and made a guide for the rest of them. The bottom hole wil be vertical with the "pilot hole" you just made from the factory hole. The passenger side is REALLY close to the heater box, but it doesnt touch, and the speedo cable bracket has to be bent just a bit on the drivers side. All in all it took about 30 minutes per side. Just be sure that you watch out where your lines are in the frame on the passenger side.

Of course all of this is assuming your using the superduty brackets not the 80's ones

thanks for the reply..

they are the 80's ones.. what's the difference? What should I change in the above procedure? Use the two rivet holes as pilot holes? are the 80's ones bad?
thanks,
James

 

[neverendingproject]

The newer ones have a stud instead of mounts like the axle, which means you can mount them in any position. You also dont have to cut the new ones. As far as mounting the older ones, just follow the write up. The holes are the same as yours.

 

[78Suburban]

The newer ones have a stud instead of mounts like the axle, which means you can mount them in any position. As far as mounting the older ones, just follow the write up. The holes are the same as yours.

Awsome, thanks for the helpful replies!! I'm gonna go fight those rivets

 

[78Suburban]

more PICS and QUESTIONS

got the rivets out on the passenger side

my truck did come with a corp 10... am I supposed to remove the bumpstop right below the holes in this pic? or the plastic clip to the left of the holes? What is the point of removing that bumpstop?

Two quick shaft questions... Can I grind the cv bumpstops off with the shaft still connnected, and if not, how do I remove the CV end of the shaft?

What can I do about this exhaust besides getting true duals? Is there some sort of pipe link at an autoparts store that I could buy to ghetto rig it up? maybe some higher quality flex hose? maybe just bend the pipe down with a pry bar, and borrow a torch to give it just a small ammount of heat?? What have yall done to keep your shaft from rubbing?

I'm sure I'll have more senseless noob questions.. so bear with me

 

[draggbody]

Two quick shaft questions... Can I grind the cv bumpstops off with the shaft still connnected, and if not, how do I remove the CV end of the shaft?

I'm sure I'll have more senseless noob questions.. so bear with me

is that the front side of the t case??? i would start w/ a water hose, and you will have to remove the shaft...

 

[78Suburban]

is that the front side of the t case??? i would start w/ a water hose, and you will have to remove the shaft...

yes, its the front, and I'll definitely water hose it... I spent around 3 or 4 hours pressure washing before the lift... but that's one area I missed appearantly..

I know I'm a noob, but how do I remove the shaft from the t case? All I've removed is my rear driveshaft from the yolk, is it about the same process, or isn't it different becuase of the CV?

Any ideas on how that exhaust can be made to clear the shaft for super cheap? any kinda pipe that would just basically slip right in with a sawsall and welder??

 

[sandawgk5]

I hooked a comealong to my crossover and around the front axle and bent it back down off of the d shaft .

And here is where my ford towers are mounted.

You can see the original shock hole right behind the shock shaft.
Ira

 

[78Suburban]

I hooked a comealong to my crossover and around the front axle and bent it back down off of the d shaft .

And here is where my ford towers are mounted.
View attachment 26710
You can see the original shock hole right behind the shock shaft.
Ira

Now that's my kinda idea!!!! did you have to use any kinda heat?

I had to swap some bushings around and scrounge up some sleeves today, but my shocks are ready to go in, as soon as I get the ford towers put in, and get that stud for the rear ...

Yeah, I probably should have gotten the newer towers with the stud that comes off them, but I got the oldschool towers. I actually drilled them out for a 9/16 bolt, which is what my shocks for the front currently have in the top part.

 

[sandawgk5]

Nope no heat at all. Just make sure you pull it farther than you need as it will relax and move back up a little. Also be careful and make sure you do not crack a manifold by pulling too far. I think my just slid on the donut gasket .

Ira

 

[78Suburban]

Nope no heat at all. Just make sure you pull it farther than you need as it will relax and move back up a little. Also be careful and make sure you do not crack a manifold by pulling too far. I think my just slid on the donut gasket .

Ira

yeah, those rusty old manifold studs are probably aching to brake off.. I sure do hate fooling with exhaust work.. I wonder if just a little heat, maybe even from a propane torch would make the pipe stay where it has been pulled to?

 

[WhiteBurb]

got the rivets out on the passenger side


my truck did come with a corp 10... am I supposed to remove the bumpstop right below the holes in this pic? or the plastic clip to the left of the holes? What is the point of removing that bumpstop?

I'm sure I'll have more senseless noob questions.. so bear with me

That's not the bumpstop that would need to be removed. Your truck doesn't have it. I think only newer trucks have it; it has a really big bracket

 

[supersize75k5]

is that the front side of the t case??? i would start w/ a water hose, and you will have to remove the shaft...

looks like a pics of an underground cave or something lol


how do you work on a dirty truck?

 

[78Suburban]

looks like a pics of an underground cave or something lol


how do you work on a dirty truck?

yes, its the front, and I'll definitely water hose it... I spent around 3 or 4 hours pressure washing before the lift... but that's one area I missed appearantly..

I should snap a photo of the giant layer that has officially kilt a huge portion of the lawn

 

[southernspeed]

Your front shaft angle looks ok if your part time but to me the rear pinion seems to be pointing up slightly? Have you got a cv rear shaft? If it's cv you want it a couple of degrees lower than the prop angle. If you're not running a cv shaft you want your rear diff pinion and your t/case output shaft at the same angles.

 

[78Suburban]

Your front shaft angle looks ok if your part time but to me the rear pinion seems to be pointing up slightly? Have you got a cv rear shaft? If it's cv you want it a couple of degrees lower than the prop angle. If you're not running a cv shaft you want your rear diff pinion and your t/case output shaft at the same angles.

I'm full time 4 wheel drive. the rear is not a CV shaft, and I think the pinion is actually pointing ABOVE the transfer case, because the burb has such a long wheelbase.

If I do end up with some slight vibes, I assume they will tear stuff up if not corrected? If I do get bad vibes, I guess I'll have to get some shims and see what happens.

This is a mud/ trail truck and the TSL's are unbalanced.. vibes aren't going to bother the ride cofort, but I just don't want them to doodle out my t case output or screw up a pinion gear... how serious are vibes?