lochenjons
1/2 ton status
Alright it's finally time for a buildup thread for my '77 k5
I bought it a little over a year ago for $1300. It had a 4" lift, springs front blocks rear and was sitting on 33" bfg all terrains. It was very clean but had little interior. But the guy had brand new seats for it and most of the rest of the interior.
I bedlinered the floors (no carpet before) with durabak bedliner
I wheeled it but had a big problem with the 4.56 rear and 3.73 front. I (very stupidly
) paid someone to regear the front. I found some 35" mud terrains for relaitvely cheap and after selling my old bald tires I ended up only paying $35.
Then i swapped in the 4.56 govloc 14bff I got from the pick n pull for $150
(and no the creeper didnt really support the weight, but it worked good enough that one person could move the rear end around)
Then I took the top and the doors off
Then swapped out the broken tailgate for a net
I hated that old suspension and got sick of not being able to turn when the truck got all twisted up so I began my x over and I wasnt happy with the ride or the flex so I figured I might as well go to 52"s front
I got the springs from the pick n pull for about $50 or so. It would ahve been a LOT easier going with the b52 kit from diy4x but I'm too cheap so I just moved the mount forward like the ck5 writeup.
I made some shackles out of some 3/8" about 7" eye to eye (close to full droop in this pic btw)
The shock tabs I got from an old heep wagoneer. I dont really like them since they get wider and are angled out, making them hard to fit. I had to angle the drivers side so it wouldnt hit. I used the stock holes that were on it already but really should have drilled new ones making it a lot stronger. But for now I just check the bolts constantly to make sure they dont get loose or anything. I got lucky and the previous owner had already installed longer brakelines.
The hedman headers posed a problem with the new shackles (they were a poblem with the old ones too) since the bolt would rub. I took out the washer on that side and grinded the bolt down a little and it seemed to work, but it still hits on the drivers side (the strap is pulling them away tho in the pic)
I got 15.5" procomp es 9000s but soon realized they were just a little too long. I got lucky and found some 14" es9000s for $20 for two and put the 15.5" in the rear to get rid of the rancho 5000s. (not full compression but still some in this pic and they're not even close to bottoming out)
I made a front dshaft out of sqaure receiver tube for the front. I thought it was gonna be too long but this is under compression and theres still travel left (not too bad for just guessing)
(at ride height there's only a little more tube showing tho)
The rear does not flex at all, I'm gonna be swapping out the 52"s and 4" blocks for 64"s and diy4x shackle flip.
One wheel on the ground:
There's got to be something limiting this but I cant figure out what. Its not shocks, brakelines, dshaft, or the headers so I dont know.
I know those springs should go farther, the shackle isnt completely straight and that wheel is off the ground.
What's scary is the lev o gage I got says its at about 8*. I take turns and it easily goes to 30*
.
But really it rides nice. Not too much body roll, its not sketchy at all too much. I took it up a curvy road and it handled perfectly. Sure ther'es body roll but not a scary amount. I havent done any hardcore wheelin yet but so far what I have done has held up just fine and has worked great.
What's to come:
38"s, locked d60 4.56, 383/400/454 or something to replace the 350 (more to make up for bigger tires/ gearing then anything else since my 350 has plently of power as is with 35"s and 4.56, 64" springs rear, diy4x shackle flip, gonna keep it all at about 4" of lift, gotta trim the front of the fenders (they're trimmed sloghtly and rub bad). Then itll be "done".
Current specs:
350/th350/203 parttime, 52" front with 14" es9000s, 52" rear with 15.5" es 9000s (they ride SOOOO much better then the rs5000s) and 4" blocks
, d44 front open 4.56, 14bff 4.56 govloc rear, 35"s bfg muds
Other random stuff I've done:
OBA with 152db airhorn (yeah its loud), quick release door hinges, made the rear bench seat easily removable (its pre 78 so it doesnt fold up), and a ton of other stuff I'm not thinking of
Plenty more pics and some progress to come soon!
I bought it a little over a year ago for $1300. It had a 4" lift, springs front blocks rear and was sitting on 33" bfg all terrains. It was very clean but had little interior. But the guy had brand new seats for it and most of the rest of the interior.
I bedlinered the floors (no carpet before) with durabak bedliner
I wheeled it but had a big problem with the 4.56 rear and 3.73 front. I (very stupidly
) paid someone to regear the front. I found some 35" mud terrains for relaitvely cheap and after selling my old bald tires I ended up only paying $35.
Then i swapped in the 4.56 govloc 14bff I got from the pick n pull for $150
(and no the creeper didnt really support the weight, but it worked good enough that one person could move the rear end around)
Then I took the top and the doors off
Then swapped out the broken tailgate for a net
I hated that old suspension and got sick of not being able to turn when the truck got all twisted up so I began my x over and I wasnt happy with the ride or the flex so I figured I might as well go to 52"s front
I got the springs from the pick n pull for about $50 or so. It would ahve been a LOT easier going with the b52 kit from diy4x but I'm too cheap so I just moved the mount forward like the ck5 writeup.
I made some shackles out of some 3/8" about 7" eye to eye (close to full droop in this pic btw)
The shock tabs I got from an old heep wagoneer. I dont really like them since they get wider and are angled out, making them hard to fit. I had to angle the drivers side so it wouldnt hit. I used the stock holes that were on it already but really should have drilled new ones making it a lot stronger. But for now I just check the bolts constantly to make sure they dont get loose or anything. I got lucky and the previous owner had already installed longer brakelines.
The hedman headers posed a problem with the new shackles (they were a poblem with the old ones too) since the bolt would rub. I took out the washer on that side and grinded the bolt down a little and it seemed to work, but it still hits on the drivers side (the strap is pulling them away tho in the pic)
I got 15.5" procomp es 9000s but soon realized they were just a little too long. I got lucky and found some 14" es9000s for $20 for two and put the 15.5" in the rear to get rid of the rancho 5000s. (not full compression but still some in this pic and they're not even close to bottoming out)
I made a front dshaft out of sqaure receiver tube for the front. I thought it was gonna be too long but this is under compression and theres still travel left (not too bad for just guessing)
(at ride height there's only a little more tube showing tho)
The rear does not flex at all, I'm gonna be swapping out the 52"s and 4" blocks for 64"s and diy4x shackle flip.
One wheel on the ground:
There's got to be something limiting this but I cant figure out what. Its not shocks, brakelines, dshaft, or the headers so I dont know.
I know those springs should go farther, the shackle isnt completely straight and that wheel is off the ground.
What's scary is the lev o gage I got says its at about 8*. I take turns and it easily goes to 30*
.But really it rides nice. Not too much body roll, its not sketchy at all too much. I took it up a curvy road and it handled perfectly. Sure ther'es body roll but not a scary amount. I havent done any hardcore wheelin yet but so far what I have done has held up just fine and has worked great.
What's to come:
38"s, locked d60 4.56, 383/400/454 or something to replace the 350 (more to make up for bigger tires/ gearing then anything else since my 350 has plently of power as is with 35"s and 4.56, 64" springs rear, diy4x shackle flip, gonna keep it all at about 4" of lift, gotta trim the front of the fenders (they're trimmed sloghtly and rub bad). Then itll be "done".
Current specs:
350/th350/203 parttime, 52" front with 14" es9000s, 52" rear with 15.5" es 9000s (they ride SOOOO much better then the rs5000s) and 4" blocks
, d44 front open 4.56, 14bff 4.56 govloc rear, 35"s bfg mudsOther random stuff I've done:
OBA with 152db airhorn (yeah its loud), quick release door hinges, made the rear bench seat easily removable (its pre 78 so it doesnt fold up), and a ton of other stuff I'm not thinking of
Plenty more pics and some progress to come soon!
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the fenders and its ready for hollister hills
(lev o gage went to 35*). Seemed pretty sketch but nothing too bad even then in a worst case scenario.
