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Project Snow Bear K20!

Overview Gallery Discussion
skunked said:
that's a K5 tank, same one I run. I know @Bent77 looked at running the burb tank under his longbed but decided against it, IIRC it was too tight of a fit.
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Yeah I didn’t like how close it was to the bumper to clear the diff. Was hanging out there a ways.

I put the tapered end back, and it lays level with the lead springs
 
Burb tank is what I have, so I'll be using it. Then I guess I'll worry about the shock placement after it is in. I won't have any interference with the rear diff I don't think. I won't have any issue with the rear bumper either as I am building one to fit.
 
Made a good bit of progress today.Got all of the drivetrain assembled. Lifted everything with the loader. By the way it makes a great hoist! Got everything sitting in place. Sitting level with a slight cant to the rear. This is Where I will locate the transmission crossmember. As you can see from the pics I have some work to do on the drivers side at the transfer case mount. I'll devise something here, I'm pretty sure there is room for a Poly mount plopped upside down mated to the factory frame bracket.

Other pics illustrate the clearance on the drivers side. Angle down to the front diff is really nice with just a light angle to the left, should be fine with the double cardan factory shaft. Someone asked and depending on how I do the crossmember there should be plenty of room for exhaust.

One small screw up: Oil pan is hitting the front crossmember. Don't know what's going on there. Passenger side motor mount won't go all the way into the saddle....crap. Not a big deal as I was planning to swap out the crossmember anyway but not just yet. I knew it would be close but I didn't think it would hit.

Engine centerline is also now well behind the front axle. I am digging this a lot. So far my quest to keep everything above the bottom of the frame rail has worked. The PTO output is going to be tight but I still think it will clear. I have a couple small sheets of 1/4" stainless that I forgot I had. Those might be just the ticket for a two piece flat belly pan.

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I could use some input on the crossmember if anyone wants to chime in. It looks like I can pass straight across with 2" square to hit the trans mount. Since my transfer case is clocked up I don't think there would be any interference there. Of course that would be flanged and bolted on to drop it straight out the bottom. Then fab a poly mount off of the frame for the transfer case support. I know I don't really "NEED" it but it would make me feel better. Other option is the mount that bolts to the round pattern on the back of the NP205 and connect that to the frame.
 
I have my mounts under the nv4500 mount location at the adapter. I used factory 84 and older k30 crossmembers which are almost flat and built a small spacer to use 84 and older mounts with the late model adapter type.
 
obijuank5 said:
I have my mounts under the nv4500 mount location at the adapter. I used factory 84 and older k30 crossmembers which are almost flat and built a small spacer to use 84 and older mounts with the late model adapter type.
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I'm planning to have a belly pan made of two pieces of flat sheet. So I don't want anything that will hang below the frame rail. I'll have to have one small opening/recess for the bottom of the PTO but everything else it tucked up nice and high. So using a stock crossmember is out.
 
Same concept. I wouldn't mount the tcase anywhere except directly underneath the output shaft. You could risk breaking the bellhousing from twisting. I also had my BBC oil pan hitting the crossmember because I raised my belly so high it tilted it forward and made the pan closer. I raised my diy4x motor mounts 1/4" to help.
 
How's your castor angle with that setup?

Mine is awful, but it's never on the road anymore, I think I'm real close to 0 or even negative. Not great.

And I used 2x2 for the 80e-203 part and 2x4 for the 205. Used leaf spring poly bushings mounted like the DIY4X poly engine mounts I have. Seems to work great. Not much movement out of the setup, and vibrations arnt terrible.
 
454Sub said:
How's your castor angle with that setup?

Mine is awful, but it's never on the road anymore, I think I'm real close to 0 or even negative. Not great.

And I used 2x2 for the 80e-203 part and 2x4 for the 205. Used leaf spring poly bushings mounted like the DIY4X poly engine mounts I have. Seems to work great. Not much movement out of the setup, and vibrations arnt terrible.
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As it is it's about 2 degrees positive with the pinion at about 5 degrees. That will likely change a little but if it does it will be more positive caster. The way it is setup I will have complete control over it with the adjustment of my upper links. They are bottomed out right now so I have all the adjustment positive I will ever need.

I'm not sure on the transfer case mount just yet. I'll work on the crossmember for now and come back to the transfer case mount.
 
I have some 1/8 wall 2x2 in the steel rack, wonder if that is heavy enough or should I go to 1/4 wall? I've also got some 1/4 wall DOM tubing left. I guess that would be a better option. Use those poly bushings at each end and then I can just fab up frame brackets to connect them and tie it all into my lower control arm mount. I like it.
 
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I bet that 1/8 wall tubing will not hold up, I’d say get the heavier stuff.

Did the factory big block trucks have different cross members?
 
LNielson said:
I bet that 1/8 wall tubing will not hold up, I’d say get the heavier stuff.

Did the factory big block trucks have different cross members?
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I believe so, the big block crossmember is deeper. I have the small block version and the oil pan hits.

I forgot I had that DOM tubing, it will make a nice crossmember.
 
Well the parts list is piling up. With the drivetrain set I can work in and around and get all of my fab work done before settin the cab back on and starting to finish up. This will be the longest part of the build as I want all the little details taken care of before setting sheet metal. To me that's the last little bit. here's some things I gotta get in if you guys have any of this stuff speak up:

Big block starter (74 block, not a newer version)
headers or straight exhaust manifolds.
Shock hoops with a cross over
Spring eye bushings 1.5" OD,
MSD box.
 
Really nasty out today raining and misting all day but I'm going to try to get the engine crossmember out to measure for the new one to fab. Measure up the transmission crossmember and maybe get it welded up today. I'm digging through my brackets, I think I have some 1/4" shock bracket blanks that I can use for the trans cross member. I have a good amount of 2" DOM 1/4 wall. Surely enough to get this done.
 
So with the weather being crappy I decided to get some more research going for what My final wheel tire combo will be. The stock roller wheels that I have are seriously wide, as in too wide for me. Pretty much the same for all the super duty wheels that I can find. I needed something that would suck the tires back under the truck. After a good amount of searching and measuring I figured it out. I'll be ordering a set of MRAP Hutchinson aluminum double bead locks. There are a few companies out there making the adapter plates and they have them for the F-350 bolt pattern. This will give me a TON of strength, the ability to change tires in the field and air them down to nothing if I want. More importantly they will be large enough to clear the brake caliper and tie rod on the super 60. They will also give me about 7" of back spacing. That will do wonders for the overall width I was looking at. The tire I will be running is a continental MTP81. These are very heavy duty, light commercial off-road tires. Should wear like iron and still retain great off-road manners. This is the tire the mountain rescue unit here uses on their trucks. Talked with a bunch of those guys and they all love it.
 
Interesting wheel and tire setup. We were going to do something similar on the Ram cab and chassis we just built but decided to go a different route.
 
I've heard the 81 kind of sucks in mud but the 80 is better in mud and pretty close to the same everywhere else
 
My only real world reference was the local mountain rescue unit. I think there was something to the effect that the 80's were just louder on the highway. The 81 is a more closed pattern design. Other than that I don't think there is much difference. With the 81s on a vehicle that weighs twice what mine will finished they were getting 40k miles on a set.
 
The only shortcoming they had to say was that they sucked on ice until you had them siped. Now they work great. The unit bought a hand siping tool and do it themselves and haven't had an issue since then.
 
Today is a little bit of clean up around the farm here but I think I'm going to the trusty parts Burban and pulling the fuel tank today. Getting that piece in the frame of the Bear will help a LOT for locating some other items that I need to get welded in. Namely the rear shock mounts and the rear PTO winch. Need to run into town for some rubber spring bushings to complete the transmission cross member.
 
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