sled_dog
1 ton status
What size lift are you running over stock?(if you can judge) and what size tires? If I build the 1997 I don't want to hack out the fenders but don't want something so tall its tippy on trails or just too big.
CK5
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Straight axle converted Chevy guys, few quick ??s
- Thread starter sled_dog
- Start date
big4x4ride
1/2 ton status
i swapped 56" stock leafs on the front of my s10 finally with a d60, removed the overload and 1 other leaf, and with 36's its 14" higher than stock
~4" of lift with 42's.
sled_dog
1 ton status
what was your original setup?
Hmm, started with stock 8" BDS springs but with my weight they were more like 6" but the ORU brackets added 3" so about 9" total with 39.5's. Definatelly took cutting and still rubbed, alot.
Next was 8" BDS springs with 2 leaves removed and made into around a 1-2" lift pack. This gave about 4-5" of total lift with 39.5's and later 42's.
Next was 8" BDS springs with 2 leaves removed and made into around a 1-2" lift pack. This gave about 4-5" of total lift with 39.5's and later 42's.
sled_dog
1 ton status
Jason, where is the biggest rub point? I'm betting you will say Firewall...
pzl1nz
Registered Member
I got the ORU SAS kit with custom springs...probably sitting at 7" of lift and the biggest tires I can run are 35's without cutting. I am running a 98 Chevy Tahoe. You will struggle between functional vs big. I probably have one of the flexiest SAS chevy's around and that is according to a guy here that has built quite a few trucks including a huge orange K5 Blazer that was entered in the Top Truck Challenge 2 years back.
It all depends what you want to do with the truck. I think low center of gravity with a flexy suspension is much more effective that a 14" lift running 42s which isn't that trail worthy. Yes 14" with 42s are good in the mud but that is about all. I can get the bottom of my front tire 34" of the ground with the other 3 wheels on the ground.
These are just my thoughts though not to say what someone else is doing is wrong.... just different
It all depends what you want to do with the truck. I think low center of gravity with a flexy suspension is much more effective that a 14" lift running 42s which isn't that trail worthy. Yes 14" with 42s are good in the mud but that is about all. I can get the bottom of my front tire 34" of the ground with the other 3 wheels on the ground.
These are just my thoughts though not to say what someone else is doing is wrong.... just different
pzl1nz
Registered Member
Sas
Oh yeah...
The fire wall is a big rub point up front so I had the pins in my front springs pushed 2" forward and trimmed the front bumper just a small amount
Oh yeah...
The fire wall is a big rub point up front so I had the pins in my front springs pushed 2" forward and trimmed the front bumper just a small amount
sled_dog
1 ton status
my goal is nice and flexy, low, good sized tires for trail use, but like I said, I don't want to hack the crap out of the fenders. Seems there are some on Pirate running 4" springs, the brackets, and moved axles forward 2" and have plenty of clearance. Sounds about what I'm aiming for.
originalspanksta
1/2 ton status
on my 88 i did the home hanger job with 1.5" rear 52"s and got approx. 5- 6 inches or so. the firewall clearance sucks, so im swapping on 56's to move the axle foward, and im gonna yank some leaves to try to keep it to a maximum of 4.5-5" . anything else and i'll just trim away......
pzl1nz
Registered Member
Sas
I think you are on the right track. Couple of suggestions....
Do ORDs shackle flip kit in the rear... it will give you 4"s and keep your rear springs flatter than doing all spring or springs with lift blocks.
Make sure you get the axle pushed forward 1.5 - 2" for clearance in the front.
Buy a decent crossover steering setup.
Get the right springs. I had Atlas Spring in CA talking with ORU when I did the lift to make it as trail worthy as possible. Atlas in concert with ORU made me custom springs for my truck that leave me wanting nothing.
Get the right front axle... You will want a high pinion setup either a 44 or a 60. I opted for the 60 as I do not want to be stranded on a trail from too much of the go pedal.
Once you have the SAS done you are going to be spending lots of money on other stuff too. New wheels for 8 lugs if you are going 1 ton running gear. Maybe a new T case. My NP246 took a **** on me and now I am dropping serious jack on a ORD doubler and High Angle driveshafts.
I at first thought that going to a Solid axle wouldn't be that expensive when trying to decide whether to do it or not. Well I can tell you that if you want to do it right (not some hack job with reliability issues) you are going to be in it deep money wise. I started the project and you have no idea the other costs associated with everything until you are in it deep and have to complete it. I got $1500 in SAS kit from ORU, I got another $1200 in wheels from Trailready, I got $2700 in front Dana 60 ($1000 for the junked carcas in a field and another $1700 in new seals, shafts, bearings, gears, etc.), I got $1200 in custom leaf springs, I will have another $3500 just in the ORD doubler and 1 ton driveshafts from High angle after the stock T case left me, I got another $1000 in shocks, $250 in custom stainless brake lines, $1200 in the 14 bolt rear axle with disc conversion, etc, etc, etc.
Well good luck with the project. You can contact me via email if you have questions in the middle of doing it.
[email protected]
I think you are on the right track. Couple of suggestions....
Do ORDs shackle flip kit in the rear... it will give you 4"s and keep your rear springs flatter than doing all spring or springs with lift blocks.
Make sure you get the axle pushed forward 1.5 - 2" for clearance in the front.
Buy a decent crossover steering setup.
Get the right springs. I had Atlas Spring in CA talking with ORU when I did the lift to make it as trail worthy as possible. Atlas in concert with ORU made me custom springs for my truck that leave me wanting nothing.
Get the right front axle... You will want a high pinion setup either a 44 or a 60. I opted for the 60 as I do not want to be stranded on a trail from too much of the go pedal.
Once you have the SAS done you are going to be spending lots of money on other stuff too. New wheels for 8 lugs if you are going 1 ton running gear. Maybe a new T case. My NP246 took a **** on me and now I am dropping serious jack on a ORD doubler and High Angle driveshafts.
I at first thought that going to a Solid axle wouldn't be that expensive when trying to decide whether to do it or not. Well I can tell you that if you want to do it right (not some hack job with reliability issues) you are going to be in it deep money wise. I started the project and you have no idea the other costs associated with everything until you are in it deep and have to complete it. I got $1500 in SAS kit from ORU, I got another $1200 in wheels from Trailready, I got $2700 in front Dana 60 ($1000 for the junked carcas in a field and another $1700 in new seals, shafts, bearings, gears, etc.), I got $1200 in custom leaf springs, I will have another $3500 just in the ORD doubler and 1 ton driveshafts from High angle after the stock T case left me, I got another $1000 in shocks, $250 in custom stainless brake lines, $1200 in the 14 bolt rear axle with disc conversion, etc, etc, etc.
Well good luck with the project. You can contact me via email if you have questions in the middle of doing it.
[email protected]
sled_dog
1 ton status
way ahead of you 
here is what I have for the project:
-32 spline 241
-High Pinion Dana 60
-14 bolt for rear
-H1 and H2 rims, have to decide which I want to use
-SYE kit for the 241 should be on the way though the member I bought it from hasn't messaged me yet.
-tierod for high steer
-spring plates for the HP 60 and 14 bolt
What I need:
-Steering arms
-drag link
-shocks
-driveshafts of course
-spacer for the back of the 2wd 4l80e(oh yes this is a 2wd to 4x4 conversion)
-springs for front
-ORD shackle flip
-bushing for the front panhard I will install
-floor shifter from a 4x4 rig
All the metal stuff I will fab up in class. Not expecting it to be cheap by any means, but I have a good junk of the money stuff already. Most expensive thing I need is the shocks, springs, and ORD flip.
here is what I have for the project:
-32 spline 241
-High Pinion Dana 60
-14 bolt for rear
-H1 and H2 rims, have to decide which I want to use
-SYE kit for the 241 should be on the way though the member I bought it from hasn't messaged me yet.
-tierod for high steer
-spring plates for the HP 60 and 14 bolt
What I need:
-Steering arms
-drag link
-shocks
-driveshafts of course
-spacer for the back of the 2wd 4l80e(oh yes this is a 2wd to 4x4 conversion)
-springs for front
-ORD shackle flip
-bushing for the front panhard I will install
-floor shifter from a 4x4 rig
All the metal stuff I will fab up in class. Not expecting it to be cheap by any means, but I have a good junk of the money stuff already. Most expensive thing I need is the shocks, springs, and ORD flip.
sled_dog
1 ton status
I have all the parts to put together a doubler(except the adapter and a new input gear for the 203) and also have some other parts. I've got parts after parts lined up from project after project I was an idiot and never finished.
originalspanksta
1/2 ton status
heres a silly question.....why not just finish the s10 instead of abandoning yet another project?
sled_dog
1 ton status
because the S10 just isn't going to work out. I would have to tow it to and from Paragon, I don't have a trailer it will fit on, I don't have a truck I would want to tow with(hills to Paragon are LONG and steep), and it will be a lot easier and more reliable to get the 97 going. I know this is project number 4 for me in 3 years. I am finishing the S10(to a rolling chassis) then puting it up for sale cheap. It was free to me so only thing I have in it is time and steel(and I got scrap money out of it that covers the steel). Those points, and I've always been an idiot and aimed to build beyond what I should. My friends have Rangers and Jeeps and mild built stuff, I should be building something to go wheeling with them, not to go on a few trips a year with some buggies and such.
The big thing is, my 97 will go to waste. I can't really sell it, well I could but at a big time loss to me, and its not useful for me. So I may as well use it for something. As time goes on I will almost certainly build it more hardcore and have to trailer it, but by then I will likely have a job and be able to buy a trailer and truck to actually tow.
The big thing is, my 97 will go to waste. I can't really sell it, well I could but at a big time loss to me, and its not useful for me. So I may as well use it for something. As time goes on I will almost certainly build it more hardcore and have to trailer it, but by then I will likely have a job and be able to buy a trailer and truck to actually tow.
TLCOR
1/2 ton status
You guys with SASed GMs, please post a pic of yours in this Thread. Good luck with your Project SledDog, sounds like you have most of it figured out..
sled_dog
1 ton status
I give it that long to be done, it will be a school project where the class lasts 3 months. You are probably right though, I know my mind moves about 3000 miles a minute....
pzl1nz
Registered Member
Sas
Sleddog...
I have an extra dropped pitman arm if you need it for GM 4wd steering box. I was working on a project for ORU and they sent me a couple of extras for forging companies to quote.
It sounds like you are already into it. It also sounds like you have a fair amount of work ahead. Good luck with everything.
Hey do me a favor and let me know how the H1 rims work out. I was thinking about getting a set but was concerned about the back spacing and having the wheel and tire more under the truck than I wanted. I thought that the backspacing on those was real small (the back face that mounts to your hub is not very deep into the wheel itself) If you got a few pics of these rims mounted on something do me a favor and send me them so I can see what I am getting into before I drop some $$ on eBay.
TLCOR......I would post pics but cannot figure out how the heck to do it for the life of me and I am not about to sign up for another membership (this one) quite yet. If anyone can explain how to post picks I would have them up right away.
Sleddog...
I have an extra dropped pitman arm if you need it for GM 4wd steering box. I was working on a project for ORU and they sent me a couple of extras for forging companies to quote.
It sounds like you are already into it. It also sounds like you have a fair amount of work ahead. Good luck with everything.
Hey do me a favor and let me know how the H1 rims work out. I was thinking about getting a set but was concerned about the back spacing and having the wheel and tire more under the truck than I wanted. I thought that the backspacing on those was real small (the back face that mounts to your hub is not very deep into the wheel itself) If you got a few pics of these rims mounted on something do me a favor and send me them so I can see what I am getting into before I drop some $$ on eBay.
TLCOR......I would post pics but cannot figure out how the heck to do it for the life of me and I am not about to sign up for another membership (this one) quite yet. If anyone can explain how to post picks I would have them up right away.
