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Project Blue Truck: '83 C20 - Rolling Chassis

MNorby said:
On the sonoma I was going to lop frame off at the firewall and tube out the front too, is that an option for yours?
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I thought about, but I will probably leave it alone just so that I can get the truck moving. Maybe if the height is too much, I'll lop the front end off when (if) I do rear steer/Phase II of the build. Besides, I'm not far from Florida, so the truck might need a little big gay truck influence.:dunno:
 
Please don't go there dude. Let the Florida Crackers do their own thing. Don't get me started. They do have lots of fun down there. :D

Hey I know. You could start your own group of local redneck mudders and call them "The Hazelhurst Honkies." Yeah that's it. You could even get some windshield banners made up for everyone in the club. :pimp: :haha:
 
andyblack said:
Please don't go there dude. Let the Florida Crackers do their own thing. Don't get me started. They do have lots of fun down there. :D

Hey I know. You could start your own group of local redneck mudders and call them "The Hazelhurst Honkies." Yeah that's it. You could even get some windshield banners made up for everyone in the club. :pimp: :haha:
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I could be a trend setter.

I got the other lower cut out, welded, primed, and on the truck. The lowers have 35* between them, so I need roughly 5 - 7.5* (depending on who you ask; 40* vs 45* total angle) out of the uppers to locate the axle laterally. I'm still playing with the upper mounts trying to get them as close together as possible to keep the links out of the frame but still allow the oil pan to come down between the heims.

IMG_20130314_155225_zps5aab65d6.jpg

Chopping the frame off would allow me clearance for the links, but I don't have tires yet to check clearance there to see how wide the frame rails can be opened. I'd really wanted a set of the narrow 44" Boggers Interco had on their blem page, but I waited too long and they sold out. Paying ~$750/tire for the standard 44" Bogger just sucks to think about.:doah:
 
Narrow 44s? How wide were they? Aren't the regular ones 19.50"?

$750 per tire? :eek1: Notice that ever since Interco and Denman had that financial trouble a few years ago, all their tires have went waaaay up in price. Of course, so has everything else.
 
Yeah, the regular ones are 19.5's but these were 18" wide with a what appeared to be the same tread width so the side lugs were deeper. They weren't DOT approved and ran $435 a tire. I contacted Interco through the email link they provide on the blem page and the response I got back was,

These tires where overruns of a special order for a customer. We may never get them again and it may be in a few months.
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:dunno:
 
Wow. I wonder who ordered them originally. I wonder if they were some kind of competition sticky compound. Oh well. You'll get some other tires before you're through with the axles I'm sure.
 
Im going out on a limb here, but Im pretty sure the 465 can not handle the almost 500 ft lbs of input torque that 8.1 is going to shove down its throat. I could be wrong though. Thats going to take some thinking in order to get that 8.1 to operate correctly without its given tranny behind it.
 
454Sub said:
Im going out on a limb here, but Im pretty sure the 465 can not handle the almost 500 ft lbs of input torque that 8.1 is going to shove down its throat. I could be wrong though. Thats going to take some thinking in order to get that 8.1 to operate correctly without its given tranny behind it.
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Funny you should mention that.:haha:

The 465 is being kept around as a kickstand to hold the back of the engine up at this point. A manual transmission is something my fiancee has no desire to learn how to operate so the truck will be getting a 4L80e with an Art Carr/Winters shifter. Going from manual to automatic will let me 1.) have more people who can drive the truck (which may not be a good thing.:dunno:) and 2.) tie the center console into the dash. Between transfercase shifters, rear steer, and cutting brakes, I'm probably going to need all the space I can get.

Sometime in the future I'll have a 2WD SM465 and a hydro bell housing for sale.
 
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I'd be a bit worried about a 4L80E even. Look at all the trouble Shawn has had with his.
 
AJMBLAZER said:
I'd be a bit worried about a 4L80E even. Look at all the trouble Shawn has had with his.
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That's because he jumps his all time! So what other options are there? What about the Allison? That was just for the Duramax diesel right? I wonder if there's a way to build up a TH400 that could handle the power.
 
andyblack said:
Will you let me have the SM465 then? I'm serious.
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No problem.:thumb: Which bellhousing do you need? I've got a 89-91 hydro and a standard mechanical.

AJMBLAZER said:
I'd be a bit worried about a 4L80E even. Look at all the trouble Shawn has had with his.
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I'm hoping not having a transfercase hanging off the end will help with case integrity, but as for the guts, its one of those "break, throw money at it" situations isn't it?
 
I believe the Allison was behind the 8.1L as well...I think?
 
AJMBLAZER said:
I believe the Allison was behind the 8.1L as well...I think?
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I know the 2500 'Burbans with the 8.1 got the 4L80e because the Allison wouldn't fit down the trans tunnel, but I'm not sure what the HD trucks got. Beside, aren't Allisons expensive? I'm trying to keep this a budget build.:haha:
 
It's according to if you have all the linkage and stuff to go with it. I'm running a 400 auto now but I would like to swap over one day in the future. Is the 465 a 32 spline or the earlier 19?
 
Th400s are used behind monster trucks (1500 average hp) and drag cars, I would think it would hold behind a stock 8.1 just fine. A 4L80E would do it as well, an Allison would be nice, but like was mentioned, very expensive.

And budget build with an 8.1 :haha:

If memory serves, the 8.1 only got a 4L80 for one year regardless of model, after that the 8.1 became a Duramax level truck (tranny/rearend/ect) minus the Duramax itself. For a fact, anything after 04 used a Allison, and a returnless fuel injection system which I am currently cursing. 03 used a return style system if your curious.

I dont blame you on going auto, I to run autos. And I rationalized it simply, I have a due date with a hospital once every few years it seems and it usually requires major corrective surgery to fix whatever I manage to break inside my body, therefore, if my lady is out with me and said accident happens, I will need her to operate my vehicle. And besides, I only need her to be able to operate one stick, so I simplify it for her and keep my vehicles auto.
 
andyblack said:
It's according to if you have all the linkage and stuff to go with it. I'm running a 400 auto now but I would like to swap over one day in the future. Is the 465 a 32 spline or the earlier 19?
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It's a 2WD unit, so its got the 35 spline shaft.

454Sub said:
Th400s are used behind monster trucks (1500 average hp) and drag cars, I would think it would hold behind a stock 8.1 just fine. A 4L80E would do it as well, an Allison would be nice, but like was mentioned, very expensive.

And budget build with an 8.1 :haha:

If memory serves, the 8.1 only got a 4L80 for one year regardless of model, after that the 8.1 became a Duramax level truck (tranny/rearend/ect) minus the Duramax itself. For a fact, anything after 04 used a Allison, and a returnless fuel injection system which I am currently cursing. 03 used a return style system if your curious.

I dont blame you on going auto, I to run autos. And I rationalized it simply, I have a due date with a hospital once every few years it seems and it usually requires major corrective surgery to fix whatever I manage to break inside my body, therefore, if my lady is out with me and said accident happens, I will need her to operate my vehicle. And besides, I only need her to be able to operate one stick, so I simplify it for her and keep my vehicles auto.
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I got the engine for $650 so I'm trying to keep the costs down.
 
If it came with the harness and everything, thats a smokin deal. I salute you sir, cheapest I could scrounge was 1100$.
 
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