Builds FlatRok40 build (2 Viewers)

[fj-rankenstein]

thanks!! i am most definitelly planning on going again next year to the black hills.. i showed my fiance' this thread with your build and told her that this truck was one of my inspiration trucks to get my bj42 built for next years events.. i have some harder trails to tackle..
as far as the drive there and back.. lets just say that 86 horsepower, 4.10 gearing and 37 inch tires definitelly made for and interesting trip.. i will do it again though..
the rubicon trip to the marlin crawler roundup is in september around the 17th i believe. that is part of the honeymoon as we are getting married on the 4th of septemeber so its coming up quick!!!
i didnt get a chance to get any good wheeling pics from the black hills though.. you were on harder trails than us so i didnt get a chance to shoot any.. next year for sure!

anywho, i wont dilute your build thread with chit chat.. i need to see more build pics!!

 

[jefishing]

I wish I had more build pics but kinda stalled out right now and the skid plate is kicking my butt cant seem to find a direction to go. Hopefully soon I will get back after it just kinda enjoying driving it and having my shop clean.

 

[jefishing]

Well after several days of looking and I finally came up with a plan for the skid plate. I now you have all seen one but wanted to keep my pics in my build and for others to see an idea for the 465,toybox combo, also to see if I am even close to having this work. The frame is 2x2x3/16 with 1/4 plate plate for the skid. The metal shop was able to bend the ends up for me to a 40 degree angle. It is heavy but I am able to lift it up and put it on by myself. The sides are angle then I ended up with some hindsight using 6 9/16 grade 8 bolts taped into the frame so no more trying to reach inside the frame to hold the nuts. I hope it works

Trying to decide if I should fill in the sides with 1/4 flat so it's all covered. I could see the potential of rock edges hanging up on the sides. Thoughts?
Also had to redo some of the tire carrier to get the spare to fit. It seems to hang clear the hell back there. I could get it about 2" closer but that would be a ton of work for 2". Does anybody know how far back the spare sits on store bought tire carriers? I would think it would not be too much closer.

That been my last couple days. Felt good to be back in the shop.

 

[SHAGGY101]

I think you should be fine with it open. If you close it up, it would be a collection point for junk and rust. I could not see that possibly being any sort of hang up area (look at other skids).

 

[bsilva132]

I would leave it open. Mine is closed and it holds a ton of heat from the exhaust pipe which makes the floorboard hot. Good in the winter, sucks a fat one in the summer. I added a bunch of 1" speed holes to the bottom of mine (lots of fun w/ the drill press) to let some of the heat escape, but will eventually make a new one similar in design to yours.

 

[håvard]

Hi!
I just want to say i love your 40. It think its pretty much perfect. Im doing alot of wheeling with my own 42, but we have some regulations here in Norway so i have to stay "50%" on the right side of the law to keep my plates

I just made a skidplate for my own 42, your skid looks great. When i buildt mine i wanted it as tight and minimal as possible (hence all the angles). Every inch of clearance helps




Skid Plate BJ42 by dieseldragon, on Flickr


Skid Plate BJ42 by dieseldragon, on Flickr


BJ42 V2.0 by dieseldragon, on Flickr


T by dieseldragon, on Flickr

 

[jefishing]

harvard,
Thanks man and that is one nice skid plate and i dig your cruiser. I ended up just using some scrap 1" square tube that I had and ran it down the sides for some more strenght. I never ever thought about the heat issue till I had it done and put on and yea that would trap alot of heat and having my fuel pump in the same area could have caused some issues down the road. I will get to test it out mid September. Heading to Co to Holly Cross heard its a great trail.
Thansk for the input.

 

[jefishing]

Figured I would update the thread a little since its been awhile and I have done a couple things to the cruiser. First off the skid plate works great it took a beating at holly cross and held up good. I bought myself a early x-mas present with my side job money and bought a warn M8000. After a couple of days of starring at how to mount it I can up with this. It is made with 5/16 plate for the base and the ends are 1/4. I made it so I could still remove the bumper and the MT hoop and stinger. I welded the back plate solid to the frame brace and the front has 3 7/16 bolts tapped into the bumper.

I am still debating if I should remove the AAL's or just leave them in. It does'nt feel to bad on the trails but still seems like I am sitting clear the hell up in the air. I think it would lower it about an 1" or 1" 1/2. I am just not sure how it will effect the way I set the shocks up,wrap bar, and drive shafts. The drive shafts I don't think will be to bad and wrap bar should have enough adjustment the shocks are the main thing.

 

[Sputnik40]

Somehow missed this thread. Beautiful build. Those Pit Bulls look like they work great.

SOA with AALs is definitely too tall. Rides like a cadillac with them removed - but I'd advise keeping the stock spring clamps in place, versus opening them up for more flex - just puts too much stress on the springs, especially the spring hanger side of the rear springs - no matter how stout a traction bar you're running.

 

[chicago]

That's a great idea you came up w/ there for the winch plate.

That stinger/ hoop looks bad ass!

 

[jefishing]

Somehow missed this thread. Beautiful build. Those Pit Bulls look like they work great.

SOA with AALs is definitely too tall. Rides like a cadillac with them removed - but I'd advise keeping the stock spring clamps in place, versus opening them up for more flex - just puts too much stress on the springs, especially the spring hanger side of the rear springs - no matter how stout a traction bar you're running.

Thanks you, the pit bulls work great. I have run them in mud,snow and rocks and have yet to let me down. I am going to do some measuring and see if I can stand to loose some height and still have about 4-5"s of up travel on shocks. I belive I set them at 6 so I could remove AAL if I wanted later down the road. The bump stops will be easy to fix.

chicago,
It should work okay. I really like the look of the stinger/hoop, and it has already saved my front end from a big ass rock.

 

[jefishing]

Well curiosity got the best of me again. I had a couple hours without the kidos so I started to tear down the front end. I figured if I would run into any problems it would be in the front. I took out the front spings and removed the long AAl and put the springs back together to find out that I needed to get new spring pins so after a short trip to the parts store and quick stop the beer store I was back in business. Put the springs back in and just put back the bolts I needed to set it back down on the tires. It looked like I lost about 1.5"-2" inches it had a really nice stance and did'nt look like a monster truck, I was stoked. Stopped to enjoy a beer and started to look at all the clearance and thought I was in good shape only to find out that the rear shackle was pressed into the frame. When I set it up I had the AAL"s already in the springs and with them out it allowed the spring to flatten out and pushed the shackle in the frame. So without a ton of work trying to redrill the hole in the frame and moving brackets around it is going to stay the way she is now, but now I know. Hate learning the long way.

 

[Pacer]

Could longer front shackles help? Maybe split the difference in the height you lost?

While going back through your thread to find a pic which shows your front shackle angle, I stumbled across the pic of what the dog left for you again...
Dogs are funny!.

Post 138 has a good profile shot of your rig.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/hardcore-corner/443664-flatrok40-build-7.html#post6558580

 

[jefishing]

The more I thought about I read back though the thread and found where I set it up. The springs must have settled just enough to push the shackle back to far. I would have to get longer shackles made since these are the offset shackles and not real sure how I would like that. The rig works and that is what matters and it has settled about a 1" or more since the day I set it down.

 

[jefishing]

Well after another year of wheeling over the 40 will be going through some changes this winter. I am making plans and will be ordering parts as money comes in cause the wifey is not happy about it. The first on the list is Budbuilt sides. After falling in a large gap in SD the PS didn't fair so well and the BB sides look like they will take a beating. Going to go with the ones cut like matchan420 has on his 40. I am going to have to put in some heep tail lights now cause mine are trashed (lastest longer than I thought they would). I also will be adding hydro assist. I have been doing some reading and porting the box does'nt look to bad just worried about rebuilding it. If any body has any ideas on this please let me now. Redneck ram is like 150 to port and that seems a bit high to me but I am kinda cheap too. If things go good and this all works out I have been doing some research on putting in a fuel cell. The skid plate is killing me on some of the trails I have ran this year. I would like to run a flat belly but it will take alot of work. I am not sure if I need to run a sump or if I can get by without one? I have never had a fuel issue and hate to mess with something if it works for just a couple of inches.

not to bad but enough to make me wanna fix it
The good thing is so far as she has never broke on the trail yet

 

[boots4]

Nice to hear it's getting a good work out and performing well for you.

 

[chicago]

Never ending, isn't it!!
She's gettin some LOVE though!!

 

[fj-rankenstein]

too bad about the body damage on the beautiful truck but eventually that does happen with enough wheeling.. was it back in Black hills that you did the damage??


that drivetrain has to come a long way up to get it flatbelly.. whats your distance from the skidplate to the ground??

 

[jefishing]

Yea, I went back up there for the Dakota Territory Challenge it's held over Labor day. I knocked out most of my must do trails in 4 days. It was a blast I beat the crap out of the 40 everyday, so I was pretty surpised that is all that had happened.

I will need to raise it up about 2.5 inches. I am about 19" to the floor I think. It will likely not happen soon due to the steam roller effect, raise motor,new tank, then reset rear pinion well why not a 14 blt then crap while there why not link it and well we all know how long that road goes.

I am having buggy fever now so I need to get past that quick

 

[jefishing]

Opened up the rear cover today and found this

A question for those who have ran Lockrites for years how is this going to effect this? There are 3 other pins and since its on the spring side the pin should not fall out. I am just not very familiar with lockers to know if I should replace or run till it breaks (which will be in the worst spot I would imagine).