You could build an entire chassis in $500 worth of tube. You would need a bender and a welder of course.
CK5
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Since I have a '74 K5 frame sitting in the driveway...
- Thread starter thatK30guy
- Start date
You could build an entire chassis in $500 worth of tube. You would need a bender and a welder of course.
Yeah but its the tons of fab that I'm not to excited about the body tubes would be fun but the motor mounts and tranny places and suspension is the not fun part
I do like the idea of keeping the stock brake pedal booster set up only for cheap part replacement I have a set of wilwood pedals that I may use have to look into the pluses and minuses of both.
The tube chassis would be alot easier to swallow if I didn't have the shackle flip, steering box brace, new front rear spring mounts
The tube chassis would be alot easier to swallow if I didn't have the shackle flip, steering box brace, new front rear spring mounts
When I say that you could build a tube chassis for $500 it doesn't account for several hundred hours in labor and plenty more money for various stuff.
Of course anything you take off of your truck (shackle flip, etc.) is probably worth plenty to members of this board.
Buggies aren't cheap and nothing is bolt on.
That was my feeling. I kept the original skins to keep it looking a little like a K5 and kept the original paint primarily for sentimental reasons (my dad bought the truck new and gave it to me when I was 18). Probably not most people's choice in color but its what I want for now
Don't copy anyone else's work, just keep plenty of triangulation in the design.
Here's mine when I first tubed it out (it looks kinda bad without skins IMO, the smaller tires don't help any either):
I'm going to use a bunch of ideas of other peoples stuff I need to do a 4-6 seater haven't figured out that part yet.
I want to have it ready for BB08 so thats one of the reasons I 'm going to use the stock frame
Going to keep it Suburban wheelbase maybe a little longer probally use as much factory stuff as possible to help keep the initial costs down
The only thing I need to buy is the bender and a plasma cutter and then some tube and have a few months worth of stuff to put together
Trying to build a shop and do two remoldes at the same time
How wide is yours at the doors
I want to have it ready for BB08 so thats one of the reasons I 'm going to use the stock frame
Going to keep it Suburban wheelbase maybe a little longer probally use as much factory stuff as possible to help keep the initial costs down
The only thing I need to buy is the bender and a plasma cutter and then some tube and have a few months worth of stuff to put together
Trying to build a shop and do two remoldes at the same time
How wide is yours at the doors
Its always a great idea to see what other people have done and modify/improve on their designs.
That was another driving factor for me, I started cutting the truck just after EJS '07 and was wheeling again (after it was tubed out) by early June (and I did 95% of the work solo).
I would much rather be wheeling a rig that was a work in progress than let it sit in the garage forever waiting to be "done". Build it so it will be better but don't keep yourself from getting out there and wheeling it. The more you drive it the more you'll be motivated to make it better
The factory Suburban wheelbase is very long already, I wouldn't make it any longer.
The bender is relatively inexpensive and very useful but I think a plasma cutter is overkill for what you need. Sure it makes cutting metal apart quicker and easier (and they are pretty sweet to use) but they're expensive and there is no reason to buy one just to cut apart your truck.
I'll try and get a measurement tomorrow, its probably 12" narrower than stock.
Well I'm putting 56's in the front so the three or four inches that that lengthens it will be all. Its getting 63's in the back but I'm goin to keep it in the same spot.
56's move the front axle 2" forward.
ok so two inches 
