Builds Marshmallow's build thread (2 Viewers)

[Malleus]

Interesting. So dana lists the 6.17 gearsets for industrial use. They arent noisy and look just like any other gears but is there a design difference that isnt obvious?

None that I'm aware of. I'll ask around and see if anyone remembers anything.

 

[BlueCruiser84]

This is correct. @richardlillard1 drove all the way from AZ to buy my old axles and will be duplicating my design, but he and I shared a text exchange about the location of the lower link mounts.

Hold on - I'm about to get opinionated.

OK, when designing linked suspensions, I'm now of the opinion that while trade-offs and optimizations are going to be inevitable, you should basically start with this thought process. By the time you get to the end of the list, you may choose another approach for an earlier step.

1) Monuments and physical constraints. What fits where? I used to just argue that if it doesn't fit, cut it off and weld another one on. Or make it fit. That sort of thing. The problem with this approach is that it often leads to a royal PITA for servicing, installation, etc. Or it just unpeels the onion way further than it needs to be peeled. So if you have to move something to make something work, just think really hard about it first (i.e. the gas tank - see my previous post).

2) Roll axis - This is more than just a single number, it's how it behaves under travel. And, as I learned in my 5-link exercise, the magnitude of this effect based on your suspension design (radius arms with roll axis issues = less bad than 3-link with roll axis issues). But overall, you want a neutral setup. It works better off-road, it *is* safer on-road, etc.

3) Bump steer / flex steer - Beyond just getting your track bar and drag link in alignment, triangulation in 3-links will cause a steering behavior.

4) Instant Center / wheel recession - Don't have your suspension just annoyingly unload every time you try to go over an obstacle.

5) All the other behavioral characteristics of the suspension (or as many as you can wrap your head around - there are tons) - Pinion behavior through suspension travel, squat/dive, etc. These are all somewhat important but usually easy to solve for.

6) Ground clearance - OK, I'm not saying don't worry about this, but the biggest monuments for ground clearance are going to be your axles, skid plates, body, etc. It's not great to get hung up on links but if you have a well performing suspension that drives safely, you can probably hammer down a little bit to get over obstacles. So, do the best you can, but get the other stuff right first. My $0.02 anyway.

Alright - so my 3-link. You can basically either raise the track bar (and drag link, requiring high steer, and then you're going to get close to the frame rails on stuff, so that sort of sucks), raise the lower links (I think I went as far as humanly possible here), or triangulate the lower links. Triangulating lower links, if you read my diatribe above, will cause some flex steer as the axle shifts left and right during travel. So a little bit is unnoticeable, but having angled links with a lot of triangulation may look good from a clearance POV but drive like crap. That said, you still have to clear tires and nobody wants the frame mounts hanging 6" below the frame, so a litlte bit of triangulation gets you the last mile after you've raised the lowers and flattened them as much as possible. @richardlillard1 is going to try using the factory lower locations, which are going to be a few inches outboard of where I had them when I had that axle, and on paper it should perform ok but slightly more oversteery than mine were. I'm guessing it'll be fine but you may want to see his results first.

So where was your frameside upper link mounted if the lowers were also on the inner framerails. You didn't happen to make and save a link calculator spreadsheet you could post up did you? It would save all us on-engineer folks a lot Of time.

I think you've taken a mechanically "stockish" 80 series about as far as it can go.

 

[jcardona1]

So where was your frameside upper link mounted if the lowers were also on the inner framerails. You didn't happen to make and save a link calculator spreadsheet you could post up did you? It would save all us on-engineer folks a lot Of time.

I think you've taken a mechanically "stockish" 80 series about as far as it can go.

You can see it in this pic:

 

[BlueCruiser84]

So you can. And I'm guessing the lower is right under it?

 

[nukegoat]

So you can. And I'm guessing the lower is right under it?

Sort of. It's a little further back but basically "under-ish" it.

 

[BlueCruiser84]

Sort of. It's a little further back but basically "under-ish" it.

Nice. Thanks.

 

[Red Merle]

This rivals Jose's rig but on a much tighter budget and a less keen eye for detail. Either way, this thing is incredible. I wish I had a reason to build something like this, but I don't have the time nor the cash to drive that far out west to use it in the way it was intended.

I am one of the bolt polishers that mostly drives on pavement with the occasional rugged gravel road. I would probably get arrested if I tried to make an obstacle course that would allow for anywhere near testing your truck's abilities.

At least we can say that you know what you are talking about now

Great thread!

 

[Red Merle]

Also, if you have any doubts at all about that head gasket, I would just recommend pulling it all apart again to do it over as preventative, preventative maintenance.

 

[nukegoat]

This rivals Jose's rig but on a much tighter budget and a less keen eye for detail.

Yes and no. Yes in the sense that Jose's rig is much cleaner and nicer. No in the sense of tighter budget. I spent a lot of money along the way playing guinea pig. To be entirely fair to myself, though, I think I might finally have the advantage in rig capability partly because of the tires and axles, but more because it looks like it's been in several accidents and, therefore, can be treated with impunity. I wouldn't want to thrash Jose's rig.

Either way, this thing is incredible. I wish I had a reason to build something like this, but I don't have the time nor the cash to drive that far out west to use it in the way it was intended.

I am one of the bolt polishers that mostly drives on pavement with the occasional rugged gravel road. I would probably get arrested if I tried to make an obstacle course that would allow for anywhere near testing your truck's abilities.

At least we can say that you know what you are talking about now

Great thread!

 

[nukegoat]

Also, if you have any doubts at all about that head gasket, I would just recommend pulling it all apart again to do it over as preventative, preventative maintenance.

Yeah, I think I have some weird VHF noise in my radio that might be caused by the head gasket.

 

[jcardona1]

I think I might finally have the advantage

Understatement of the year.

 

[nukegoat]

Understatement of the year.

lol at arrows pointing to random pitbull lugs. Don't forget that sweet RHD high steer arm that is doing nothing other than capturing the top kingpin. Thanks, East Coast Gear Supply for sending/billing me for that instead of the plain cap

BTW when I took that picture I didn't have functional AC and it was 114 degrees out. The compressor was squealing relentlessly fighting the head pressure (probably too much r134a? belt not tight enough? I don't know but it works again). I would have killed for an electric pusher fan in front of the condensor and radiator.

 

[Red Merle]

Yeah, I think I have some weird VHF noise in my radio that might be caused by the head gasket.

That is usually the first sign.

 

[petwhookie]

Sick build! Glad to see more south bay residents with 80s. Do you guys have a group in the Bay?

 

[Red Merle]

Yes and no. Yes in the sense that Jose's rig is much cleaner and nicer. No in the sense of tighter budget. I spent a lot of money along the way playing guinea pig. To be entirely fair to myself, though, I think I might finally have the advantage in rig capability partly because of the tires and axles, but more because it looks like it's been in several accidents and, therefore, can be treated with impunity. I wouldn't want to thrash Jose's rig.

It's like dueling brains though to see people work towards the same result. You guys are not the same person yet you both have a good way with the language and you both take cool pics of your rigs. Jose is a bit more polished and he does have a better attention to detail. I don't think he shys away from using his rig though and the Green Slug has plenty of dents.

Your truck is sweet too though and I like how you don't really have a handle on how it will all end up.

For those of us in the rust belt, it's sort of like watching surfing. We can surf on our waves, but your waves and the way you surf them is much more interesting.

The fact that I don't see any rust in any of these photos is astonishing to me.

 

[jcardona1]

lol at arrows pointing to random pitbull lugs. Don't forget that sweet RHD high steer arm that is doing nothing other than capturing the top kingpin. Thanks, East Coast Gear Supply for sending/billing me for that instead of the plain cap

BTW when I took that picture I didn't have functional AC and it was 114 degrees out. The compressor was squealing relentlessly fighting the head pressure (probably too much r134a? belt not tight enough? I don't know but it works again). I would have killed for an electric pusher fan in front of the condensor and radiator.

I hear ya. This summer's heat is making me rethink cutting off any part of the rig that would expose me to the elements. Driving in 110° temps without AC sounds miserable. Having a desk job and being indoors all day has made me such a yuppie.

 

[jcardona1]

.The fact that I don't see any rust in any of these photos is astonishing to me.

I built my sliders Oct'15 and never painted them, they are still bare. They have finally developed a few specks of this weird orange stuff.

 

[Red Merle]

I built my sliders Oct'15 and never painted them, they are still bare. They have finally developed a few specks of this weird orange stuff.

Those would be fully encrusted by now where I live unless we painted them.

 

[ewillis]

Wow...can't believe you made it up all those trails at JV! Impressive! I drove 50 yards up one of the trails (don't remember which one) and had a friggin anxiety attack! That place is no joke...

 

[nukegoat]

Sick build! Glad to see more south bay residents with 80s. Do you guys have a group in the Bay?

Nope