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TnA's 86 Jimmy Shop Build / Product Development Thread - (Trailing Arms?!?!)

I was gonna say some sort of silver for the accent.

That titanium gray looks sweet
 
Okay, I just spent all morning dealing with a customer's insurance repair, only to find out that they aren't going to cover it. Lame. What a wasted morning...
But then I went through all my costs on the bumper, and don't quote me later on it, but I think that I'll be able to offer it up somewhere around $850 - $900 or so for the complete setup, fully welded but not ground smooth.

I'll post it up in the vendor section when I nail down everything a little closer, and get the individual breakout prices down too. For now though, I think I'm going to go assemble the other side piece.
 
Some current pics...


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And now it is time to pull the sides back off and fully weld them, but not today. I don't think I'll have much time for the rest of this week to work on the truck, gotta go make some money to keep things going!
 
bumper looks great, im actually contemplating getting one if you put it into production. have you thought about adding a stinger tube to it?
 
Would you consider offering it in a "kit" form?

It can be a bit tricky to get all those pieces lined up perfectly and tacked straight, especially on the side pieces. But I think with some patience and some good instructions it could be done in someone's home garage so I am considering it. There would have to be a minimum of some basic welding setup magnets and a good sized welder that can weld 3/8" plate to do it though. Keep an eye out here or the vendor section and I'll let everyone know what the options will be on buying it soon.

bumper looks great, im actually contemplating getting one if you put it into production. have you thought about adding a stinger tube to it?

I actually did think about doing that. I think a small tube would look good on the top angled plate. Nothing too big though, just something simple so that you could mount some lights to it if you wanted. Of course, that could easily be added by the end user too. And I'm contemplating adding in a couple of the LED lights in the sides for this truck, so I'm not sure if a stinger tube is really needed. Decisions, decisions....

I will definitely be putting this into production soon, although I have to wait a bit until I can finance a new plasma cutter. My big one crapped out last week, and the makeshift setup I am running now is working surprisingly good on the 3/16" and 1/4" plate but just can't cut the 3/8" needed for the main frame brackets. I'll post it up in the vendor section once I can get a plasma cutter figured out :)
 
Well, this morning I was able to put the finishing touches on the big project I had going all last week, and then get the welder out and the grinders and do this:


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Everything is fully welded and ground. Now I'm off to the paint store 'cause my old tub O' bondo is hard as a rock, lol.
 
No bondo, hit it with primer and then some Krylon silver hammered paint.
 
I'm coming in here late to the party, but I am wondering why not do the winch plate so that the "feet" of the winch are forward? This would allow you to tuck the winch in underneath the grille and flatten the entire front edge of the bumper.

Just a thought.

Also, make some brackets for OBA on a small block that aren't $250.00!!

Then start working on a gas tank skid and bolt/weld-on door sill slider replacements.

Kilby has a nice kit, but 250.00 is rediculous.

Later,
Buddy
 
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He already builds one of those, nice piece of kit I might add also. This is for those of use who want a bumper type mount.
 
Wow that's nice.

Just clear that sucker.

Then send it to me .:rolleyes:

You know, I've thought about that in the past. Especially on some of the items I make leaving all the welds as is with no grinding. Sometime they look pretty mean that way. But clear over bare metal, with no self-etch or epoxy primer first? I just haven't had the nerve to try it yet. How long do you think it would last with just clear on it?
...And sure I'll box it up and send it to you - in trade for some $$$$$$ :whistle: Lol

No bondo, hit it with primer and then some Krylon silver hammered paint.

I've used the Rustoleum version of their "Hammered" paint profusely in the past. It's a great product for sure. I grew up in New England where spray paint is a complete joke to everyone but kids and craft artists. On anything "real" it wouldn't hold up for much more than a month and that was only if it was done perfectly. Now that I'm out here in Colorado though, spray paint holds up much better in this climate, and the "Hammered" seems to be the best out of all of them. I've had it last for more than a year with no touch-ups! Hard to beat for a few bucks a can :waytogo:
But on this, I want to make it sort of a show piece, well that and I'm just dying to see what the paint I chose for the accent color looks like! :D

I'm coming in here late to the party, but I am wondering why not do the winch plate so that the "feet" of the winch are forward? This would allow you to tuck the winch in underneath the grille and flatten the entire front edge of the bumper.

Just a thought.

Also, make some brackets for OBA on a small block that aren't $250.00!!

Then start working on a gas tank skid and bolt/weld-on door sill slider replacements.

Kilby has a nice kit, but 250.00 is rediculous.

Later,
Buddy

Hey Man! Thanks for the suggestions! The winches really don't *need* to be mounted feet first, and I'm going on my own personal opinions here but I don't like a bumper with a large flat front face. I think they look too clunky that way. A small flat face would be okay though. And as cyclic pointed out, I do already make the "Winch Cradle" for use with a non-integrated solenoid style winch that tucks up underneath the radiator for those who want the super-high-clearance option. It's great for those of us with crawlers, but for our tow rigs and mild trail rigs that need a more full-size bumper, this would be the ticket :)

On board air brackets are tough. GM is great about MOST things being super interchangeable and similar throughout their years of production. But man, they seemed to make a TON of different belt/bracket setups on the engines over the years. I will eventually be looking into this, as I happen to have a compressor sitting at the shop in need of an engine bay to be placed in. BUT, this K5 already has an older 350 swapped into it, with a real old-school V-belt setup on it. And then to complicate things, I might be swapping in an '89 small block with the early serpentine setup. But when and if that happens has yet to be determined. Either way, I might end up with some brackets for OBA, but the chances they will fit your particular application might be slim.

Gas tank skid is definitely on the short list already for sure! No worries there.

Rocker guards / sliders are pretty common. I have some different ideas on those, and have made some interesting ones in the past, but couldn't really sell many. I had a bracket set that bolted to the frame, and hung a large piece of 1/4" plate completely flat from the frame out to just below the pinch weld, then it was formed and bent upwards to cover the rocker itself. It was badass and you could lift the vehicle from it without even scratching the rockers, but nobody wanted to pay the cost of manufacturing it.
I WILL however, be protecting the rockers on this rig soon. Well, maybe not so much as protecting, but moreso rebuilding much more solid-er. Yes I just said that. You'll see when I start on them what I'm planning :laugh:
 
I believe most manufacturers reccommend mounting a winch feet forward if its over 10k lbs capacity
 
I believe most manufacturers reccommend mounting a winch feet forward if its over 10k lbs capacity

I wish I knew who started saying this, but it simply isn't true. Years ago in my original winch cradle thread this was brought up and I was told that I wasn't mounting my winches correctly. I went through a bunch of calculations and found out that as long as at least two of the mounting bolts were tight, a 10k winch is perfectly fine mounted "feet down". Therefore, without going through any calculations again, as long as at least three of the mounting bolts are tight, I would say a 12k winch is perfectly fine mounted "feet down" also. Back then, I contacted Warn, Ramsey and T-Max (who is now owned by Westin Automotive, but was it's own company back then) and got the same answer from all of them - that they are designed to be mounted "feet down". If you look at any of their websites, you will find that even the 15k winch mounts from the same manufacturer of the winch itself (Ramsey is who I just checked out) have them typically mounted "feet down". If Ramsey mounts their own winches "feet down", then so will I :)

Now, that isn't to say that it isn't stronger or more reliable to have them mounted "feet forward". If they were to be mounted "feet forward" and all four of the mounting bolts were to be loose, then it would still function. But why would all four of the bolts be loose? Wouldn't you notice it when your winch started to move around due to loose bolts, and then you'd go and tighten them, right? I personally like the look of a smaller front "face" than is easily achieved when the whole footprint of your winch is against it, so I choose to go with "feet down" mounting with my stuff, and I have no problems or hesitations when doing so.

I'm glad that muddermilitia brought this up again. Hopefully I can help to get some of this mis-information corrected!!

I'll be up at the shop again tomorrow, hopefully to make some finishing touches on this bumper, but maybe I'll start looking at a gas tank skid too, I'm not sure yet. I'll keep you all posted :)
 
Well, at the end of the day, I didn't get as far as I had hoped, but I did get the bumper pieces epoxy primered and sealed. Hopefully tomorrow evening I can get them into paint, after I work my other job...



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Skids would be good. Possible shock hoops that are better than ford parts on a Chevy that can bolt in.

I would say dash but kert has that covered.

So my .02 would be center console (tuffy type) for a blazer rather than the nine million things made for jeeps. Something you can lock up and intergrate a stereo/cb lockable panel for those of us that like to go topless.

And maybe a safari type rack that can go from rollcage to roof and back for the expo type fellers. Two sets of mounts thingys. Or at least the mounts that fit a fixall type rack aka yakama or ruffstuff yada yada.

And above all else make a bumper for the a$$ end as purdy as the front end one. I really hate the custom front/stock rear a bunch of the dodge and ford mowtards run around here.

That is all. Thanks.
 
Skids would be good. Possible shock hoops that are better than ford parts on a Chevy that can bolt in.

I would say dash but kert has that covered.

So my .02 would be center console (tuffy type) for a blazer rather than the nine million things made for jeeps. Something you can lock up and intergrate a stereo/cb lockable panel for those of us that like to go topless.

And maybe a safari type rack that can go from rollcage to roof and back for the expo type fellers. Two sets of mounts thingys. Or at least the mounts that fit a fixall type rack aka yakama or ruffstuff yada yada.

And above all else make a bumper for the a$$ end as purdy as the front end one. I really hate the custom front/stock rear a bunch of the dodge and ford mowtards run around here.

That is all. Thanks.

Shock hoops - I usually make those to order for a particular project. What sort of "universal"-ish shock hoops are you thinking about? I'd be open to making some for sure, but I'd like everyone's opinion on what sort of style to make them. The bolt-on Ford ones I can't stand, but they are definitely convinient, lol.

Dash - Kert's dash is crazy for sure. I like it but I'll def. leave that one to him for building the full dash. I'd like to find something for the dash in this K5, but more of a stock plastic panel replacement rather than a whole dash replacement. Anyone have anything cool they can link to? If not, anyone have any ideas other than a flat piece of metal with holes for guages?

Center Console - good call on that. I haven't gotten to the interior of this one yet, and was thinking of a Tuffy type setup. But if they don't make anything that fits just right in the K5's, then yep, I'll do that too!

Rack - Maybe in the distant future, lol. Bending tube is a PIA with my current setup. I can certainly do it, but it takes some patience to get everything set up correctly, hence I always have to do it myself and not allow any "helpers" to do it. That situation will be corrected as time/money allows but isn't #1 priority right now. #1 priority as far as making tools is currently a 100-ton press brake. I'll elaborate on that one later though. Once the tube bender is more up to par, then I'll look into more of the tube doors and rack type stuff.

Rear Bumper - YES!!!! I had plans on making one back a few years ago with Twizted, but life got in the way before I could do much with it. Definitely stoked to get one going soon though, especially after making this front bumper and being so happy with the results. I still need to get my plasma system fixed for cutting 3/8"-1/2" material first, but I am doing everything I can to get that going as soon as possible. It's frustrating just getting the business started again and having one of your old reliable tools taking a crap on you. Especially one that costs so much to fix properly, lol.

Thanks for all the suggestions man!! I really do appreciate it!
 
for the shock hoops... make some that would fit just right so they are centered over the axle, and they can clear the steering shaft on the driver side.

Maybe bolt into at least one or two exhisting holes in the frame and then need to drill others, or make them so someone could measure off of an exhisting thing on the frame etc.
 
For shock hoops, maybe something that touches on the old school Rancho dual shock mount. Not a copy, just a hoop with mounting feet that can be bolted on. Maybe a tripod like design so it didn't push/pull on the vertical side of the frame too much (I've read the Ford brackets can cause cracking). The height of the hoop could be standardized since most folks measure before buying shocks nowadays.

You could also make an engine crossover that could tie the hoops together.


I know I said it before but :D A flat belly skid with built in t-case mounts. Something like the tummy tuck products for Jeep TJ's. Even if it's a weld it yourself kit so that it fits various frames. Nobody makes anything like this at all.
 

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