Build Peter's Ultimate Expo Land Cruiser Build Thread

[Hanna Quality]

Ford has yet to impress me however Germany does. That trans sounds like a great option. I like the lengths your going to make it all function the best possible.

That compressor on the flywheel would be a great package.

 

[Behemoth60]

Phase II Completed

Step 2 of my project is complete. The cab is stripped. It's really not in terrible condition. It is definitely repairable, and I've seen much worse brought back to life.

Big thanks to Loewenbrau, Awlteq, 45Kevin and Herb and Jacob for helping with the lift.

We discovered that the fuel tank still had about 30 liters of fuel in it, and the process of removing said tank liberated the hole in the bottom of the tank.

 

[Behemoth60]

The rockers are in surprisingly good condition for a mine truck.

 

[Behemoth60]

Later that day, the Atlas showed up. Again, huge thanks to GraniteGrinder for the transportation from the lower mainland. Phil hit a deer on Stoney Trail on his way over to my place, but he was driving a 60 series, so he was OK.

You can see the input gear that I will have to replace with the 29 spline input I will order from Advance Adapters. all the inputs/outputs are modular just for guys like me swapping them from this to that.

 

[Behemoth60]

Axles Arrived

And then it was off to PickNPull to collect axles and Brake parts.

This will be the front Axle. It came from a 1993 C3500 Dually GMC. It has 4.10 gears. I thought that the dually would give me more tube length for the long side on the front axle, but I was wrong.. the dually tubes are super short! I may have to re-tube the long side.

Notice the really thick casting on the housing, and all the cooling ribs. All 14 Bolts after 1988 have the extra ribs, but only the heavy duty ones have the extra thick center section casting.

 

[Behemoth60]

And this will be the rear axle. It is out of a 2001 GMC Savana van. Spencer actually recognized the van itself! it's a former passenger Van from one of the local ski hills.

Now, here's the surprising part... a 2001 vehicle had a 14 Bolt in it. I thought that they were discontinued by GM in 2000, and that is when they started using the AAM axles. Perhaps this was still built in 2000, was a 2001 model year, and maybe this was one of the last 14 Bolts used?

It also has the 4.10 gear ratio (RPO Code GT5, for those that must know).

 

[Behemoth60]

There are two main differences between these axles. The first is expected, the second was not.

The first was the offset of the wheel flange on the hub, and how the drum mounts to the flange.

The top picture is from the dually pick up. Notice the drum mounts behind the wheel flange and is held on by the pressed in wheel studs. Also notice how far the hub sticks out. Undesirable, but all these bits wheel be replaced.

The bottom picture is the Van hub. Notice the small amount of stick-out, and that the drum mounted over top of the studs, and held on by the wheel and lug nuts. Desirable. This is the secret sauce of my disk brake conversion.

 

[Behemoth60]

And here is the unexpected difference. The Van differential housing has a drain plug!??! But it is getting cut out... that is where the shave will be happening.

Bottom pic is the Dually housing, which is what I was expecting to see on both. Curious.

 

[Behemoth60]

And here's one of the best part about 14 Bolt axles...

 

[Behemoth60]

And today I went back to Pick N Pull for the rear disk brake parts with Drum in Hat Parking brake.

I found another GMC Van... a 2003, that had the new AAM style rear axle with rear disk brakes. I got rotors, the parking brake assembly, and the calipers.

Notice the bracket wit the 4 studs.. this holds the whole brake assembly to a flange on the axle, including caliper and parking brake. The rotor slides over the wheels studs on the axle hub.

With all the bits and pieces they were charging me for, these parts came to more than buying the whole axle! So, they just charged me the complete rear axle price of $129 for all of it.

 

[Behemoth60]

And this was the flange on the donor axle in the wrecking yard. It was a Semi floater axle, which is why there is no spindle in the picture. I hope this does not screw up my plans. We shall see.

The flange I will have to build is this one. It's a pretty simple piece... a flat piece with holes in it welded to the axle. There is a very slight step in it to center the brake bracket, so a bit of machining will be required to get this just right.

That is all for now.

 

[The Dude]

Such great info! and great documentation. Thanks Peter.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Notice the bracket wit the 4 studs.. this holds the whole brake assembly to a flange on the axle, including caliper and parking brake. The rotor slides over the wheels studs on the axle hub.

Just to clarify, the four hole flange is where all the braking force is mounted? Both the park and service brakes? How big are them bolts? That plate looks fairly small but I guess that was stock on the Van it came from. I'm just picturing 40" tires and 7500lbs trying to panic stop from 125kph.

Ah! Just clued in that these are the back brakes! Not so bad then. I just had a vision of the bolts or plate failing and the whole wheel passing you by

 

[Behemoth60]

Just to clarify, the four hole flange is where all the braking force is mounted? Both the park and service brakes? How big are them bolts?

Yes, Yes, and they are 5/8" bolts. And yes, this is only for the rear brakes. But this is only holding torsional brake forces, not holding the weight of the vehicle.

 

[uglyoinker]

Please excuse my interruption. I've been lurking. But I wanted to hit on the 14 bolt situation. I grabbed a 14 bolt axle from an 05 2500hd with the 6.0 gas engine. It has factory discs and with the e brake drum in hat. I'm a carpet cleaner by trade and have had an 01 Chevy and 02 gmc vans both with 14 bolt rears. Please, carry on. If it pleases the court I do own a 75 series pick up I need to put together and am considering the front and rear 14 bolt plan.

 

[Behemoth60]

I grabbed a 14 bolt axle from an 05 2500hd with the 6.0 gas engine. It has factory discs and with the e brake drum in hat. I'm a carpet cleaner by trade and have had an 01 Chevy and 02 gmc vans both with 14 bolt rears. Please, carry on. If it pleases the court I do own a 75 series pick up I need to put together and am considering the front and rear 14 bolt plan.

Hi there!

The "Corporate 14 Bolt" axle, as it is commonly called, has a bolt in pinion. GM stopped producing these axles in 2000, and along with Chrysler started using AAM (American Axle Manufacturer) axles. The AAM 10.5, as it is sometimes called, had disk brakes unit bearings, and 14 bolts holding the cover on, but did not have the drop out pinion.

The AAM 10.5 is a great axle, and is an easy swap due to the disk brakes already in place. But it isn't a "14 Bolt"

 

[Behemoth60]

Ok Folks, a little 14 Bolt Hub dismantling. I stripped the drum brake gack off the axles tonight.

Here's the big Dually axle. Eight 1/2" bolts hold the axle shaft onto the hub. Unlike our old Land Cruiser axles, there are no studs, no cone washers, no dowel pins, and no 'quenching drift" to knock those nasty cone washers out. Easy, by comparison.

 

[Behemoth60]

With the axle out of the way, you find a retaining spring and a square key holding the lock nut in place.
The Wheel nut is removed with a 6 prong axle socket. I had to make a special trip to Napa to get this one. This is my first 14 Bolt dismantling.

 

[Behemoth60]

Notice there was no seal inside the spindle? the only seal appears to be on the back side of the wheel hub. Does this mean the bearings are in an oil bath with the Diff Oil?

Next up, the Drum and Hub Shimmy off the spindle, the wheel studs are pounded out to release the Hub.

Four 1/2" bolts hold the backing plate to a flange on the axle housing. A few love taps with the BFH and the drum brakes are removed.

 

[Behemoth60]

A few poser shots of the Axle tubs, with hubs replaced. I will cut the old tabs off the axle and have it all sand blasted so I have 'Clean Slate' to work on. The rotors do not slide over the hubs... slightly smaller inside diameter than the drums. I will have to have the hubs machined down. The hubs from the Dually never had a 'shoulder' machined into them since the drums were pressed on from the back. the hubs from the Van did have a machined shoulder to center the Drum which slides over the studs from the front. This shoulder will have to be machined down to the appropriate diameter. The pictures below are of the rotor on the Dually axle, since I can get the rotors onto that hub...just for the pictures.