SAS'ing my 02 Duramax - Garage Build

[grizzlyoffroad]

Damn! I want that freezer!

LOL...I know, right?...and that's after depleting it all winter! You should see our two freezers after our summer season! Usually about 70 Reds, a few Kings, and 4-6 Halibut! One of the big benefits of living in Alaska!

Here's the link to our Fishing Lodge:

http://www.alaskaserenitylodge.com/

 

[max 02]

Nice lodge man.

 

[grizzlyoffroad]

Made a little progress today...finally got the pinion bearing pressed off and got going on the rear gears. I ground/sanded out the old bearings so I could use them for setting up, and it went real easy using the same pinion shims and the adjustable side preload "presses" built into the AAM 11.5. Can I just say this is a massive axle...I makes the Dana 60 look like a toy! Just the weight of the carrier and gears on my chest was something to be recorded with! Anywho, got the pinion depth good, then played with the side preload to get the backlash right and ended up with a good pattern after just a couple attempts. The instructions with the gears called for a .008-.012 backlash, but my research on the AAM 11.5 said it should be more like .005-.007.....so after setting to .011, I ended up tightening it up to .007 to be more in the middle of the two specs. Should be good enough for the 5-7k miles I drive a year!

Aslo got the hubs dropped off at the machine shop for cutting a relieve for the ABS tones rings, and the Dana 60 is rebuilt and awaiting the new gears in the morning! After I get those all set up, I think I'll finally be ready to get the front axle under the truck!...whoohoo.

zeroing gauge for backlash

Started with about .011, but ended up tightening it up to .007 to be safe.

Got a decent pattern on both the Drive and Coast side after only a couple tries

E-locker and new gears pressed on, ready to drop in the D-60 tomorrow

 

[grizzlyoffroad]

Nice lodge man.

Thanks Max!...there are few cooler side jobs than owning an Offroad Shop and a Fishing Lodge

 

[jeff in co]

I've gone up here for the past few years.....just awesome fishing up there!!

http://www.enchantedlakelodge.com/

 

[grizzlyoffroad]

I hate days like this....5 hours of running errands and picking up/dropping off parts. The Dana 60 is finally done and ready for gears, I'll pick it up in the morning and start install. Got the hubs and tone rings back from the machine shop...only $55, not bad. Also built some tall stands for put the axle on, to work on, and dual purpose for holding the rear of a truck up while I do the rear lift. Just have to come up with a big wide base design and they are ready to rock.

Here's the question of the hour! What to do about the front brakes?? The old calipers and rotors are shot, and it's hard and expensive to find parts for these axles. Who makes a front conversation kit for putting New Chevy calipers and rotors on this old Ford Dana 60?? I researched and found a bunch of companies that make rear conversions and also drum to disc conversations...but does this work for Ford disc to Chevy disc? I have emails in with Bluetorch, Cutthroat and Blackbirds Custom Trucks...so we will see that they think. Someone has had to deal with this before, but I must be searching for the wrong key words or something. Steer me in the right direction guys!

Thanks!!

Here's the new stands, just needing a big base and some vertical supports. Better than paying $249 at Napa for 30 inchers!!

 

[grizzlyoffroad]

Another day of huge expectations and some major let downs! Got the axle all set up and starting working on the gears.....to find out that they sent me a standard set, and not the reverse rotation gears I needed for the High Pinion axle...so I order the correct gears and started working on the hubs.

I heated the tone rings up and dropped them on the hubs, they fit perfectly so I put a dab of retaining compound on them and let them cool. After greasing bearings and driving seals, I realized that the tone ring hits the hub bolts! Now I have have to go back to the machine shop and have him mill them deeper on the hub, to leave a relief for the nuts to clear.

I then realized that the cross over steering kit that came with the SAS parts didn't look right. The angle for the drag link was the wrong way! I happen to have another Offroad Design x-over steer kit (much better design) laying around the shop, waiting to put on my 70 chevy, so I ended up using those parts instead. They are build for a truck with a larger lift anyway and has a drop drag link, instead of just a straight one.

Ended up just finishing up some things...painted the axle, wired in the switch for the Eaton E-lock and swapped out the scabbed together rear spring hanger with the new CORRECT one that ORD sent me. It's a better, tougher design too....they send the Track bar at the same too, which is nice.

Got the axle back to the shop, and then it started hitting the fan!

Wrong gears!...needed reverse rotaion for high pinion axle. Anyone want a set of standard D60 4.88 gears cheap?...lets say $125?

Got the tone rings on...

Only to find out they won't clear...need more machining.

Swapped out the x-over steer parts with Offroad Design parts.

Got the hangers swapped out with the right parts, ready for an AXLE!!!

 

[grizzlyoffroad]

Finally got the axle under the truck!! Got the hubs back from the machine shop, pressed on the rotors, packed the bearings and assembled the brakes. I didn't' put the Warn Hubs and such in, since I will be tearing it back down to put the axles in when the new correct gears get here, and need to be set up. I just wanted to get everything under the truck, so I could start measuring for ABS wires, planning for brake lines, measuring for drivelines, getting shocks right, etc.

As you can see from the pics, I have plenty of lift....went from 52" in inner fender well before to 54.5" now, and it will be 1" more after using the zero rate block. You can also see I will need the offset block to help move the axle forward, since it's approx 2.5" further back than I wanted right now.

Also got the new Crown Industries brake lines in place and undercoated the whole frame and suspension in bedliner and some gloss black on the diffs and ladder bars.

Today I still have to get the steering figured out and find a Tie-Rod!....I can't believe they make one end changeable and the other, you have to buy the whole rod!...pisses me off. Who sells a nice Tie-Rod replacement kit?...with each end changeable. Wish I had some thick wall tubing laying around, maybe I'll just have the machine shop make one threaded for stock tie rod ends!

Here's the beast sitting with full weight on the "new" front axle!

As you can see, plenty of lift...but needs to be moved forward a couple inches.

He's a plumb bob from the center of the top shock mounts down to the axle...about 2.5 inches from center.

Got the rear all painted, new brake lines on and about ready...but looking like I will have to lift the back another couple inches to match the front! We'll see when I have it sitting level on it's own weight.

 

[Chevy305]

So what size tires are you going to be running now?

 

[Z71paramedic]

Get the .250 wall tie rod from ORD. I've got theirs for high steer and it's BEEF!

Looking awesome BTW

 

[y5mgisi]

Looking good man!

 

[folkenheath]

Is there anyway to bolt those front spring eyes on the opposite sides? If so, how much would it move, forward?

 

[stumpjump]

Are those springs even end to end or could you flip them to get the axles farther forward?

 

[54inches]

in for for sickness...

 

[grizzlyoffroad]

So what size tires are you going to be running now?

Same as before...40x15x20 Toyo MT. I've ran nearly every other tire and these are the most amazing large tire I've ever used....quiet, smooth, great looking, good in almost all conditions, easy to balance, etc. The only downfall is the HUGE price tag

 

[grizzlyoffroad]

Today: Put zero rate blocks in with the 1.5" shift forward of the axle...much better, got u-bolts made, buttoned up steering with new x-over steering kit (fit perfect), made up brake lines and blead brakes, oil in rear diff, and had to install sloppy old tie-rod until I get one ordered or made. I found out a guy around here makes them out of heavy wall tubing...has the taps and such to make some heavy duty ones that are fully serviceable on each end!

Yeah baby....first test drive! Steering is squirrely with no hydro assist or even any steering stabilizers, but other than that...rides way better than I expected! Can't wait to get the track bar in and I will probably do the sway bar...we will see when the steering and track bar is done, but it sways a bit more than I like around corners right now.

Back at work now for a week, but when I get back...Still to Do:

Front gears and locker install, Warn Premium hub install, track bar, hydro assist, steering output shaft support (still need to get from Toby XXX), lift rear a bit more...probably use the shackle flip kit, 273 transfer case swap, custom drive lines, custom cross member.....DAMN, it still seems like so much when I write it out!! Oh well, I keep reminding myself how nice it will be when it's all done!

Still waiting to get shock back from my tint guy!....ya, that's right, my buddy that does window tinting and invisa-bras. I was laying in bed the other night trying to think of a way to "coat" the fox shocks and keep them from getting thrashed by the Alaskan road salt. I know clear coat won't' last, but the invisasheild stuff should stay tuff! I will let you know how it works out...oh, and BTW, I'm patenting that idea

All new brake components...$416!!

ORD zero rate with 1.5" forward setting

Adding a few more pics of the zero rate install...since I could find no instructions online...besides the description on ORD website. Pretty straight forward, but want to help guys out if I can.

Clamping the spring pack together, cut out old center bolt and put in new bolt after picking which fits your application.

Installed...all that's left is drilling a new hole in the top U-bolt plate for the new alignment of the "center bolt"

Not as far as I would have liked, but much better...

Here she is as of now!....

 

[max 02]

Looks Awesome so far man!

 

[Deuling]

Man looks like a monster pre runner with all that extra lift in the front! Looks great man, hows it drive?

 

[grizzlyoffroad]

Man looks like a monster pre runner with all that extra lift in the front! Looks great man, hows it drive?

Thanks Deuling. Like I said earlier in the post...

Steering is squirrely with no hydro assist or even any steering stabilizers, but other than that...rides way better than I expected! Can't wait to get the track bar in and I will probably do the sway bar...we will see when the steering and track bar is done, but it sways a bit more than I like around corners right now.

 

[grizzlyoffroad]

This post is mostly to answer the questions from other forums, but I thought I would keep you guys updated too..

Sorry guys, I was out of town for a bit....at the annual snowmachine Hill Climbs. No trophies this year, but had a great time.

OK, back to the spring/hanger mystery, and why my axle placement is not further forward...First, I didn't buy this kit from ORD, I got it for a great price from a guy in Fairbanks that collated all the parts, then just never started the project (thanks Albert). SO, I wasn't involved in the original spring and kit choice. After talking with Albert and ORD, it sounds like I have an older kit that was made for "Chevy" springs. ORD used to use Chevy (2.5" wide) springs, but then they were getting quite a bit of sag under the heavy Dmax, so they switched to Ford (3" wide) springs. AND, Albert custom ordered "chevy" springs from Alcan...and they measure 28" from eye to center in the front and 30" from eye to center in the rear....as close as I can tell under load, for a total of 58...hmmm??? Also, I was informed these were supposed to be only about a 6" lift....wow, that's a healthy 6" combined with those hangers!!

Also, as you can see from the follow pic, YES, my front hangers have the bolt hole centered and not shifted forward like the newer kits. I'm thinking since I have plenty of height anyway, I'll move the bolt hole up and forward at least an inch on the front hanger. I seem to have plenty of rearward angle on my back hanger, so I don't think I have to worry about it flipping forward or anything like that. Whatch you guys think?

Here's a perpendicular pic of the front hanger...if anything, the bolt is BACK a little bit, if not centered. I'm thinking of making some adjustments and moving it forward at least an inch.

Here's the front of the hanger...so yes, I'll have to do some cutting and grinding to get the spring mounted up and forward correctly.

And a pic of the rear hanger, seems to have plenty of backward angle...if I was to move the spring 1 inch forward, I don't think I'll have to move the rear hangers forward on the frame.