Just plot a line from the contact patch through the spring eye bolt, check that relationship to the a/s line..
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Stomis' 94 Street Truck - Snail Trail
- Thread starter Stomis
- Start date
Caltracs are different because they leverage the lower link with that triangle pivot so the intersection point is lower and further forward than a typical traction bar with the snubbers.
This is also why they work so well for drag vehicles. They just aren't good for articulation since they use solid bushings in the front leaf eye. Which is why you rarely see them in offroad rigs. Although some 4WD sand drag rigs run them front and rear.
This is also why they work so well for drag vehicles. They just aren't good for articulation since they use solid bushings in the front leaf eye. Which is why you rarely see them in offroad rigs. Although some 4WD sand drag rigs run them front and rear.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
This is crazy. I work on this thing every night for a few hours without burning myself out...
Bolted everything up to do mockup on height and crossed my fingers. I started with both the shackle and spring hanger in the middle positions
And it was low lol.
So then I changed the shackle to stock length
Getting there...
Then I put the spring hanger as high as it would go.
I want to say its about an inch lower than it was, maybe a tad less. Ill have to reference some older pictures to compare.
Heres a shot of the springs from the bed. I actually wound up pinching them a little bit more in the front. I changed my leaf to tire clearance from about 1/2in in front of the tire to 3 - 1/4 and the change in angle took the back side from 1-1/2 to 3in.
So now Im debating as to whether Im going to take the time to cut the rear apart and narrow it an inch or inch and a half per side or if I should just push the bed sides out a hair. I cut the inside lip on one of side to get an idea of how much room I NEED, not necessarily want ascetically but need since I have 4-5in of up travel now.
Stock
Im kinda on the fence... Im gonna finish cleaning up the inner lips tomorrow and maybe temporarily brace them bulged like 1/4-3/8 out.
I guess overall the idea is that if I ever want to either stretch these tires out on 12in wide wheels for more patch or go to a real slick I have plenty of room. Or if I ever want to really slam the truck it will only take an hour and a few bolts lol.
Bolted everything up to do mockup on height and crossed my fingers. I started with both the shackle and spring hanger in the middle positions
And it was low lol.
So then I changed the shackle to stock length
Getting there...
Then I put the spring hanger as high as it would go.
I want to say its about an inch lower than it was, maybe a tad less. Ill have to reference some older pictures to compare.
Heres a shot of the springs from the bed. I actually wound up pinching them a little bit more in the front. I changed my leaf to tire clearance from about 1/2in in front of the tire to 3 - 1/4 and the change in angle took the back side from 1-1/2 to 3in.
So now Im debating as to whether Im going to take the time to cut the rear apart and narrow it an inch or inch and a half per side or if I should just push the bed sides out a hair. I cut the inside lip on one of side to get an idea of how much room I NEED, not necessarily want ascetically but need since I have 4-5in of up travel now.
Stock
Im kinda on the fence... Im gonna finish cleaning up the inner lips tomorrow and maybe temporarily brace them bulged like 1/4-3/8 out.
I guess overall the idea is that if I ever want to either stretch these tires out on 12in wide wheels for more patch or go to a real slick I have plenty of room. Or if I ever want to really slam the truck it will only take an hour and a few bolts lol.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Decided to full gut the inner. Outer is ground down to just a skin. Plan is to run a flange back from the inner wall to the outer skin and push it out about 3/8 an inch. Then I'll use that flange to rivet in an aluminum tub.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Aluminum tubs are a lot of work lol
Buldged the fenders, tires will actually tuck now, just barely but they will...
Flange. Probably took the longest. I did the whole inside and outside seam with urethane seam sealer too.
Interior of the wheel well with the inner vertical piece.
Man its nice to have a template to shrink/stretch to so you dont have to go back and forth...
I didnt really NEED to make the interior steel piece. But I kinda wanted to weld something between the bed ribs, plus it will give me rigidity and some extra strength. If I was more versed with a bead roller I probably could have added the same strength using that. The steel will be black and the aluminum will probably be DA'd or swirled with a scotchbrite wheel. The windows on the vertical piece will get an aluminum filler also.
Im going to reskin the entire bed floor eventually. The floor of the bed of this truck was all dented between the supports like someone threw chunks of concrete in it like an asshole at some point in its life. This project is really making me want to build a nice aluminum bed cover for it, but I need to get the cage in it first. I also really wanted to move my fuel cell behind the axle before I redid any more of the bed.
I enjoyed doing this today, its tedious but its something I dont have an awful lot of experience in that I want to get better at. I probably could have made steel tubs in a couple hours lol. The floor panels over the notch will probably be built on the frame and possibly the one right over the shocks will be dzus'd in for easy shock changes.
Buldged the fenders, tires will actually tuck now, just barely but they will...
Flange. Probably took the longest. I did the whole inside and outside seam with urethane seam sealer too.
Interior of the wheel well with the inner vertical piece.
Man its nice to have a template to shrink/stretch to so you dont have to go back and forth...
I didnt really NEED to make the interior steel piece. But I kinda wanted to weld something between the bed ribs, plus it will give me rigidity and some extra strength. If I was more versed with a bead roller I probably could have added the same strength using that. The steel will be black and the aluminum will probably be DA'd or swirled with a scotchbrite wheel. The windows on the vertical piece will get an aluminum filler also.
Im going to reskin the entire bed floor eventually. The floor of the bed of this truck was all dented between the supports like someone threw chunks of concrete in it like an asshole at some point in its life. This project is really making me want to build a nice aluminum bed cover for it, but I need to get the cage in it first. I also really wanted to move my fuel cell behind the axle before I redid any more of the bed.
I enjoyed doing this today, its tedious but its something I dont have an awful lot of experience in that I want to get better at. I probably could have made steel tubs in a couple hours lol. The floor panels over the notch will probably be built on the frame and possibly the one right over the shocks will be dzus'd in for easy shock changes.
Gorgeous work! The bulge isn't noticeable unless one was looking for it 
Stomis
Professional Amateur
All done basically. My boss really wanted me to panel adhesive the aluminum to the steel flanges to stop the dissimilar metal corrosion. Theres no way I was doing that because if for some reason I ever want to take it apart it would all get destroyed because panel adhesive is serious shit. So I painted all the steel and then brushed panel adhesive on the steel like a gasket/barrier and let it dry. Also got coated rivets.
Theres about 80 rivets in each side! Im happy with how it came out, only thing I would have changed is I should have bumped the steel inner piece up over the c notch. Theres was about 5 rivets I had to put in from inside the wheel well and it would have looked better and given me a better future spot to terminate other panels to like that. All in all not bad for my first time doing real from scratch sheet metal work. Ive done loads of repairs and modifications and replacements but not something like this.
O I also bought a rivet gun with a 360 swivel head on it, thats a good investment.
And I can fit a 16in wide tires now O.O
Theres about 80 rivets in each side! Im happy with how it came out, only thing I would have changed is I should have bumped the steel inner piece up over the c notch. Theres was about 5 rivets I had to put in from inside the wheel well and it would have looked better and given me a better future spot to terminate other panels to like that. All in all not bad for my first time doing real from scratch sheet metal work. Ive done loads of repairs and modifications and replacements but not something like this.
O I also bought a rivet gun with a 360 swivel head on it, thats a good investment.
And I can fit a 16in wide tires now O.O
Stomis
Professional Amateur
All done with those. Tires tuck legit now 
Also these wheel wells make my tires look small now... I was farting around on mickey thompsons site and I could theoretically fit a 32x17 now LOL
I formulated a game plan for the bed. I want to get my fuel cell moved back behind the axle and sunk down lower, I also plan on adding some capacity to it while its out. Basically Im going to redo the bed floor in aluminum sections but retain the factory bed ribs so it still has its strength as a separate bed that could theoretically be taken off the truck. I really dont want to do anything thats going to get the bed stuck on the truck permanently. The panels over the c-notch are going to be mounted to the frame and dzus'd for easy shock access for adjustments.
Also these wheel wells make my tires look small now... I was farting around on mickey thompsons site and I could theoretically fit a 32x17 now LOLI formulated a game plan for the bed. I want to get my fuel cell moved back behind the axle and sunk down lower, I also plan on adding some capacity to it while its out. Basically Im going to redo the bed floor in aluminum sections but retain the factory bed ribs so it still has its strength as a separate bed that could theoretically be taken off the truck. I really dont want to do anything thats going to get the bed stuck on the truck permanently. The panels over the c-notch are going to be mounted to the frame and dzus'd for easy shock access for adjustments.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Boring night. Machined a bunch of spacers for caltracs. Moved my trans tab up to correct the pinion angle. And made some beast spring plates.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
U bolt plates on. I also got proper tall nuts for the u bolts and some nice milspec washers that are the same OD as the point to point on the nuts.
I measured up the caltrac link and tig'd up the bungs. Who'da thunk theyd measure out exactly the same on each side
Heres an exciting picture of the paint drying lol
Overall of the whole rear now
2 anti roll bar links to be machined and the rear suspension is complete
Are you running a drive shaft loop?
Stomis
Professional Amateur
it's on the to do list
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Cal tracs on. So close to being done with the suspension lol
Nice job
The tubs look great!
I think if you cankeep oxygen from the dissimilar metals they won't corrode. Sealing the joints and painting them should suffice.
Diggin the suspension setup
The tubs look great!
I think if you cankeep oxygen from the dissimilar metals they won't corrode. Sealing the joints and painting them should suffice.
Diggin the suspension setup
Stomis
Professional Amateur
keep oxygen from them? Perhaps I'll store the truck in space :P
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Super exciting, made ARB links lol
Also front bumper is FINALLY on its way.
Also front bumper is FINALLY on its way.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Yo I got that 5.3 v10 with the 12345678910 firing order bro!
@Team208Motorsports
Noob tuner problems lol
@Team208Motorsports
Noob tuner problems lol
Stomis
Professional Amateur
I may or may not have accidentally slipped with the laptop and changed my cylinder quantity to 10 resulting in about 35 minutes of cursing and frustration as the truck refused to start.
