Tubed Front ends. Looking for ideas/pics

[muddermilitia]

I decided I'm going to ditch the front clip on my truck this winter. My plan is to get rid of the mechanical fan and switch to an electric fan so that I can lay the radiator back a little. Then the tubed front clip will have a sloped down hood for better visibility.

I am aware of bgreen's truggy http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166402&highlight=bgreen It's one of my favorites out there. But I'm looking for more pictures, since mine will definitely be a little different than his. Thanks

 

[NorCal_Chris]

boz42 http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=302056


blazinzuk http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256533&page=55
come to mind.

 

[blazinzuk]

I plan on doing mine sloped down a bit but not for a little while. It really bugs me when it comes out weird looking and I have only seen a couple that I like at all.

Get it all layed out, get the rad set where you want it and start bending tube.

I really dig the fact that Horton looks like a Chevy still, it is rather unmistakeable. Bothers me for some reason when something doesn't look like what it started life as, yes weird I know.

 

[chevysmithz71]

I can run with ir without fenders.
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246472

 

[boz42]

boz42 http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=302056


blazinzuk http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256533&page=55
come to mind.

I didn't build mine with the intention of running without fenders, although I will be able to if I needed. Nothing will be mounted to them & they are just bolted to the cage. I think it looks okay without, but I like Blazinzuk want mine to look like a Blazer. Progress haulted on mine for several reasons, but two of them are that I am not tickled with the way it looks & I also can't decide how I want my winch mount to look. The pinched & lowered hood looks semi silly to me because there is so much difference between the leading width & the cab width. At this point I am leaning towards narrowing the K5 at the firewall, which would most likely turn into narrowing the sliders & reworking the door bars. With the front end pinched 16" per side & the hood lowered 4" I think the proportions are all off.

 

[dirtygoat]

I kinda wish I would have dropped my hood a little when I built mine... I also wanted to keep the look of a blazer, but wanted it smaller for the places I wheel at... I'm happy with how it came out and just narrowing the front/rear helped a lot with visibility... I spend a lot of time with my head out the side and watching my tires anyways, so the hood thing isn't a real concern to me... Not sure if i want to open another can of worms just to lower the hood tho...

 

[blazinzuk]

So I have wheeled mine with the hood and fenders on and without the hood and fenders on.

I also just stuck the hood on pretty much just sitting on the air cleaner. IMHO to make much of a difference you would have to build a scoop for the air cleaner, or relocate it, just sticks up to far.

In the wheeling I do its not that straight out over the hood sight line I use the most, its the sides.

By the time the rocks get to where I couldn't see them with out the hood, I still had probably 2 turns to make to get my tires where I wanted them.

So that along with the fact that I agree with Boz that it just looks goofy made me want to make the whole thing more narrow instead of lowering the hood.

Until I go to a full tube buggy I love the fact that people immediately know my truck is a blazer ( which its not its a pickup) but everyone knows its a Chevy square body. Can't really mistake it for much more.

 

[muddermilitia]

I wish I didn't already have so much tubework in the back, otherwise I would seriously consider narrowing the entire body. Starting to think I may just tube out the front with the intention of using sheetmetal skins....

 

[blazinzuk]

Mine is really simple because I didn't have much tube kicking around

Like it is now

Simple side bars

My new front end will put the shock mounts on the engine cage, I will have a removable crossbar,

Front will be about the same overall, probably try to narrow up the front some more, but I still have to leave room for lights, I think I can get it about 4" narrower at least

I will be starting on mine just after Christmas

My fenders are just skinned out so are my bedsides on the back

 

[cybrfire]

 

[1982diesel]

Cybrfire-That tube work and front end set that rig off so nice! Could u give any detail on the front bumper and suspension setup? More pictures please.

 

[howdiy]

Mine looking real ugly

 

[cybrfire]

Cybrfire-That tube work and front end set that rig off so nice! Could u give any detail on the front bumper and suspension setup? More pictures please.

There are some more pics in the build thread, title is '85 shortbox on 49's. It's in the driveway forum.

Front bumper is basically a frame rail to frame rail winch mount with the fairlead recessed into the plate work to provide it some protection. Winch plate is also the mounting plate for the front end of the tube work. So, if you were to remove the cab, the front tube work would come off with it.

Front suspension, 52's. I think they are Dodge springs with the offset pin. Rear springs are Ferd 57's with some leaves added in to give a little more rate. Shackle flip in the rear with crosstied shackles. Front is sort of a B52 but no adjustability and body portion removed. Our shackle eye hanger is at the rear of the front springs with 6" shackles.