Builds 86 Xtra Cab Build (4Wheelunderground 3 link front, 4 link rear and 3.4 swap) (2 Viewers)

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Quick update. After cycling the rear suspension with the narrowed rear frame, I had to narrow it another 2" per side. I updated my earlier post.

The shocks would either hit the tire or the frame. I couldn't clear both. Now I can, so I should be good to proceed.

I also got some DOM tubing for my shock hoops. 1 3/4" is a bit bigger than the typical 1.5" but it's the only die I have for my bender.

It's been a while since I've bent tube so this first one is definitely too long. Once I get it cut to fit the other side should have less wasted material.

I still have fish plates and crossmembers to make, plus the extended bed mounts.

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Almost there. I just need to lower the shock hoops 1 1/2". Brian @ 4Wheelunderground said to match the travel of the front.

At full flex I have 1/4" between tire and spring and frame and spring flexed the other way.

Gotta take a break. My wife got a new hip today and I need to help her out for a while.

I ordered ONE tire today so I can make sure of fit. I decided on some Mickey Thompson Baja Boss X tires.

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I got little bits of time out in the garage. I used left over pieces of the frame tubing and made mounts for the hydraulic bumps. I tried a couple different positions and this seems to work best.

Max stuff, straight up puts the bumps on the flat section of the landing pad. And max articulation hits flat on the ramped area alongside. The bump doesn't limit the shock in articulation but it does use a little of the travel. I wanted to make sure it doesn't get side loaded. I polished the weld across that area for a smoother transition across the two angles.

I put 50 psi of nitrogen in for testing.

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My 37" Sticky Mickey was delivered today. Here it is alongside my 35.

I mounted it up, stuck it on the axle and checked my clearances. The spring is tight at full articulation at the tire and along the frame at full droop but they don't touch. Looks like I'm good to go.

EDIT: The UPS shipping label said 81# for the tire in case anyone wants to know.

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What if you were to put in a small plate that was a compromise between the two bump contact faces? The bump would always land on an angle, but at each extreme it be roughly half the angle between the two faces, at anything less it would be a smaller angle, and there would be no transition. Not sure this is a good idea, just something that popped into my head so I figured to toss it out there and see what was thought of it.
 
@ntsqd, I agree with your thinking there. I played around with a couple ideas and after watching the motion decided to put in a multi pass fillet weld at that weld joint and smooth it out.

My thought was full up will be the biggest impact on the bump and it hits it pretty square.

When it articulates, it's almost on the shock bump before it contacts the hydraulic bump and when it does, it's pretty square with that angle.

It's the best compromise I was able to come up with.

A quarter inch difference forward or backwards on the can bracket put the end of the bump up on the other two angles on the link bracket.
 
When I mentioned I had to shorten the shock hoops to set my up travel to match the front in an earlier post. I found that it changed my shock angle ONE degree and my spring hit the frame on full droop. I had to cut my tacks on the upper mounts AGAIN and reposition.

This build has been a real eye opener for me on why things have to be cycled so much before welding anything in.
 
I actually had most of today to work on this. It's FINALLY starting to look like something. The reservoirs are just tied up out of the way for now. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with them yet.

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The cross bar is removable. Also, I got tired of trying to hold the shock, keep the misalignment spacers from falling out and getting the bolt in. So I cut a bolt to make an alignment tool like you get in trigger kits.

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One thing I just NOW noticed that might bite me in the a$$ is that I SHOULD have done mockup with the larger lower coil spring. It might kiss the frame at full articulation. EDIT: I checked it. The larger spring stays below the frame rail at max droop.

I have to pick up some steel so I can make the forward bed mounts and fish plates. I need to install the crossmembers too.

The 35's are still on it because it's all I have right now. I posted the tires and wheels up for sale on CL.

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So I've been getting a little time here and there on it. I built two of the four front bed mounts and stopped because they didn't "look" to be in the right position. I remeasured and everything was good. I wanted to test fit the bed to be positive. I measured and cut holes for the shocks and tried to drop it on. I had to cut a bit more and it finally went on. My bed mounts are spot on.

I put the new 37 on and cycled the suspension. Straight up both sides clear.

Here's max articulation. Pretty tight on the front side so I marked and trimmed it more. The spring hits the inner edge of the wheel well so I need to trim it a bit more also.

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Here's the other side drooped out. I hadn't trimmed this side yet in this pic. I marked and cut it to match the driver side before I quit today. I still need to bend the flange over.

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I bobbed the bed a foot and kinda wished I went more. Even at a foot I can't put the spare in flat and close the tailgate. I didn't like it angled up on the shock mount though.

I almost decided to just bail on this bed. It's F'd up. I asked my wife her opinion on running without the tailgate and lots of mods to the back or use my good bed. Neither one of us wants to cut up a good bed for this.

So I'm going to really taper the sheet metal up behind the wheel, cut out all the damage and modify as needed. I'll wrap tubing up and around into a tucked in bumper protecting the corners and lights. Brace the bedsides since no tailgate. I have some ideas.

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So going forward my plan is to finish up the wheel openings, cut all the beat metal off the back and replace it with something. Pull the bed back off and finish the shock openings and make cover panels for them. Fabricate the rear bumper and armor. Rear winch????? Leaning more towards a no on that.

Finish the last two most forward bed mounts.

Make and weld in the fish plates. I'm out of steel and welding gas.

Cross members

Figure out my fuel tank and mounting.

Battery mount.

So lots of work on a really $hitty bed. If I'm not happy with it, I have my 88. Flat bed is the easy way out but I'm sticking to my original plan to still look like a pickup.
 
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Thats lookin pretty good. Some paint on the box you wouldnt look twice IMO. I'd keep the tail gate.

Somethin I thought of when I saw the cross bar for the shock hoops was thatd take up some prime real estate in the box. Could you take and put some 45's on and brace each one idividually to a cross member placed appropriately on the frame? Or take a bar with the appropriate banana bend to go across to be able to slide your spare tire in 3 more inches? Or put 2 bends on each end of a straight tube to raise the height of it.
 
Hey, I just recommended a poster to PM you an engine machine shop question in the 40 section. Valve seat re-cutting vs replacement - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/valve-seat-re-cutting-vs-replacement.1307924/post-14878036

Anyway, The U bend mounts are coming straight up from the new frame rails. Even if I removed the cross bar the tire actually hits both sides anyway. The tire has 3 point contact in the pic. I can't move them out because the tires will hit them.

I don't think I can fix that tailgate. Its bowed and bent. My 88 is good but look at the bed floor where it's SUPPOSED to attach.

I just need a little space for a cooler and two chairs. I'll have space here and there for trail tools and such. I still need to put the fuel tank and battery in too. My truck is getting close to looking like those jump trucks with just bed sides and no floor. Yikes.

On my Sand Hollow and Moab trips that's all I had with me. But my bed dragged BAD on the steep stuff. No more tail dragging is my priority.

I agree it would look better with the tailgate though.
 

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