looks awesome! How did you make the bends in the mount where the shock attaches? Looks plenty beefy!
CK5
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- Thread starter mr_blasto
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mr_blasto
1/2 ton status
I started with a f*rd shock tower, and flipped it around in a way I have never seen anyone use them (it was an epiphany, and I am pretty excited about it). I cut a ton off the lower part of the tower to get it the right length from the frame. So I actually didn't bend anything.
More crappy cell pics, just for fun:
More crappy cell pics, just for fun:
Looks really good!! 
I was having trouble visualizing the solution you described at first...but those pics make it clear now. I think you're all set from a strength perspective, it looks like 7/16" bolts (?) (Grade 8, I hope) in a nice wide pattern with a backing plate to spread the load around. Just keep the bolts tight and you'll be fine.
For anything not subjected to high heat, I like using a Grade-8 Nyloc nut. Offroading tends to work everything loose over time, and once things start to get loose you start to work parts against each other in ways that can generate failures. A locking nut is cheap insurance, and you won't have to constantly go back to "check" those fasteners later on.
Another thing I will do is use Gr-8 washers on both sides of connections like that. It doesn't really add strength, but it does allow the bolt head to spin around on the washer instead of your freshly painted parts....so you don't end up scratching/gouging your new work and inviting rust. Someday when I'm VERY rich I will replace all the fasteners in my truck with ARP Stainless bolts and washers (170,000psi). The truck will last forever and will always look good.
Have you had a chance to drive the truck with those new shocks installed? Bilsteins are a good quality shock, so you should be rewarded with a nice comfortable ride.
I was having trouble visualizing the solution you described at first...but those pics make it clear now. I think you're all set from a strength perspective, it looks like 7/16" bolts (?) (Grade 8, I hope) in a nice wide pattern with a backing plate to spread the load around. Just keep the bolts tight and you'll be fine.
For anything not subjected to high heat, I like using a Grade-8 Nyloc nut. Offroading tends to work everything loose over time, and once things start to get loose you start to work parts against each other in ways that can generate failures. A locking nut is cheap insurance, and you won't have to constantly go back to "check" those fasteners later on.
Another thing I will do is use Gr-8 washers on both sides of connections like that. It doesn't really add strength, but it does allow the bolt head to spin around on the washer instead of your freshly painted parts....so you don't end up scratching/gouging your new work and inviting rust. Someday when I'm VERY rich I will replace all the fasteners in my truck with ARP Stainless bolts and washers (170,000psi). The truck will last forever and will always look good.
Have you had a chance to drive the truck with those new shocks installed? Bilsteins are a good quality shock, so you should be rewarded with a nice comfortable ride.
mr_blasto
1/2 ton status
They are actually grade 5 bolts with grade 8 washers and nuts cause that's what the store had. I looked at my ORD shackle flip for a little guidance as I was building this, and I am 80% sure they use grade 5 hardware (too lazy to go look again). I had to giggle when you talked about scratching my freshly painted parts. They look good from far but far from good. The welding had a lot of splatter I didn't bother cleaning up, I think I still had some melted duct tape on there, too. I just wanted to cover it with some paint for protection.
Greg, considering the spirit of your build, I can't believe you are putting off the ARP thing - expenses be damned!
I did drive it a couple miles last night, but I was babying the whole setup waiting for some catastrophic failure and certain death. Everything below the frame except the leaf springs, hangers, and shackles are a different setup. I was worried about rubbing, alignment and steering, driveshaft binding (extremely little clearance between the bump for the zerk and the nut in the center of the yolk), shock mounts breaking, brakes not engaging, brakes not releasing, brakes ripping apart, etc. The rear felt good as I was babying it.
I am still using my old shocks in the front cause the rears took a while and I have to hit the road. The front seems like it will be a pain because of the steering column/shaft and non-existent space between the headers and the frame. Once I get to UT, I am worried that the wifes new project ('64 Falcon Wagon, in order to accommodate our second child when it gets here) will dominate my Blazer time/funds, but that will be a lot of fun too.
Greg, considering the spirit of your build, I can't believe you are putting off the ARP thing - expenses be damned!
I did drive it a couple miles last night, but I was babying the whole setup waiting for some catastrophic failure and certain death. Everything below the frame except the leaf springs, hangers, and shackles are a different setup. I was worried about rubbing, alignment and steering, driveshaft binding (extremely little clearance between the bump for the zerk and the nut in the center of the yolk), shock mounts breaking, brakes not engaging, brakes not releasing, brakes ripping apart, etc. The rear felt good as I was babying it.
I am still using my old shocks in the front cause the rears took a while and I have to hit the road. The front seems like it will be a pain because of the steering column/shaft and non-existent space between the headers and the frame. Once I get to UT, I am worried that the wifes new project ('64 Falcon Wagon, in order to accommodate our second child when it gets here) will dominate my Blazer time/funds, but that will be a lot of fun too.
Interesting design. How far out from the frame do the rear brackets stick out? Any concern about the stress created at the frame under hard compression?
Looks pretty sweet. We'll see if the "might as wells" attack me on my shock positions when I'm at that point on mine... Freakin expensive parts!
mr_blasto
1/2 ton status
IIRC the brackets were about 8 inches overall in length and they sit on 3/16" plate. I set it up so the are flush with the inside lip of the wheel well. There is certainly concern about the stress on the frame, which is why I put the bolt holes as far apart as possible and used as big a backing plate as would fit behind the frame.
It is currently a bolt in deal, and I like that, but I could weld a piece of tube between the plates (either backing plate to backing plate or the front bracket piece where it sticks about the frame). I think a bolt in piece of tubing is doable, it will just take a little creativity and possible reverse threads on one side so it can tighten up kind of like a tie rod.
