Builds Saved from scrap - '97 LX450 build thread (2 Viewers)

[MrMikeyG]

yes, but @torfab You have a fairly enviable engine bay in that rig.

 

[torfab]

Yes, but Feldrian will have a more enviable engine bay with the 5th gen LT1

 

[MrMikeyG]

well, dang.

 

[torfab]

I can't help by voice that in my head with my 14 year old daughters sarcasm, even though it's envy LOL

 

[Feldrian]

I pulled the truck outside to grab the photographs while my neighbor was outside. His comments (verbatim), "It's looking pretty good! Still sounds like s*** though".

Apparently rod knocks aren't sexy.

@torfab Did you do much trimming to clear your fronts? Can't tell from that picture where you obviously weren't hooning in the snow.

 

[Feldrian]

I respect your front license plate placement, also I'm jealous of your rear bumper - I am currently still rocking the stock one

I haven't had a license plate on the front of my car for about 5 years. Never been questioned, though I have a feeling this rig might attract a little more attention. I'm actually more worried about the spare covering the passenger tail light. Pic from the rear shows the license plate well enough, but I'm thinking I'll grab some magnetic tail lights for when I'm headed out of town and just take them off when I get to the trail. Not planning to tote a spare when I'm in town.

I might deploy something more permanent like @Box Rocket did with the motorcycle lights he drilled in to his bumper at some point once I run out of other things to do. Those seemed like a pretty slick solution.

 

[torfab]

I didn't do any trimming to fit my tires, and I haven't noticed any rubbing either. My exhaust is so full of freedom though, so I don't know if I would be able to hear it even if it was rubbing

 

[Delta VS]

Sitting on 4" total suspension lift. No body and no plan for body.

The Icon dual rate springs I have currently sag on the driver's side - Over an inch after the 1/2" spacers for the driver's side. Tire is touching the rear of the inner front fender when turning on the driver's side only (with no articulation). Obviously looking at new springs, but will also assess trimming the rear inner of the front fender. I wanted to avoid trimming, but I guess that's the price I have to pay for being all excited about 37s. Planning to figure out the replacement springs after the new engine is in, since the swap will take some weight off the front axle.

@torfab 's truck is sitting on the same size tires with slightly less lift and the same size wheel spacers. I'll have to ask if he had to trim. I didn't notice anything obvious last time I looked. Might also be a factor of the big shoulder lugs on the MT/Rs. Looks like @Box Rocket has a similar set up as well and I remember his build thread mentioning minor trimming.

I'd thought the 4" Delta arms might help with the front corner as well and originally thought they were about an inch longer. Measuring compared to stock it doesn't seem to be that big of a difference. Assuming @Delta VS can fill us in. Certainly looks like there is room to move the axle forwards from a bodywork perspective but I'm also assuming that'll start screwing all kinds of other things up like drag link, panhard, shock angle and spring binding. The DVS guys seem pretty switched on when it comes to that stuff ... and have way more engineering degrees than I do.

We will have the "L" version of arms here in the not too distant future, they will be about an inch longer than what you have.

 

[2fpower]

We will have the "L" version of arms here in the not too distant future, they will be about an inch longer than what you have.

Delta, I had no plans to buy one of your bumpers until I saw this rig.... my point is you need to sponsor him, throw him some swag and a couple graphics on this rig. It is rolling advertising.

 

[on the rocks]

We will have the "L" version of arms here in the not too distant future, they will be about an inch longer than what you have.

Still waiting on my Dobinson springs, would be happy to have you hold my arms and test the extended arms if it's in the next month or so. They mentioned mid April on one set. I think your stalling on sending me my arms out to Colorado just so you can send a long arm set instead.

 

[Delta VS]

Still waiting on my Dobinson springs, would be happy to have you hold my arms and test the extended arms if it's in the next month or so. They mentioned mid April on one set. I think your stalling on sending me my arms out to Colorado just so you can send a long arm set instead.

haha, we actually just got a bunch of arms back from powdercoat that have been hung up for a while at a shop we are moving away from. This is just some of what's waiting for Brown Santa tomorrow.

 

[Feldrian]

We will have the "L" version of arms here in the not too distant future, they will be about an inch longer than what you have.

Planning to stick the front axle on jack stands tomorrow and cycle the steering to see exactly how much room I have all the way around the tire, lock to lock. Only noticed the rub on the driver's side rear inner, but also aware the driver's side is sagging by an inch and I have a stock length panhard which will be dragging the axle towards the driver's side. Obviously going to have articulation issues with the axle where it currently sits if I don't modify the body work or stick some longer arms on the truck but I also I remember Box Rocket saying he moved his axle forwards about 1.5" the old fashioned way but then had to cut his inner fender on the front upper to avoid contact at full stuff. If I have to modify body work the back corner of the inners is definitely the easiest.

Delta, I had no plans to buy one of your bumpers until I saw this rig.... my point is you need to sponsor him, throw him some swag and a couple graphics on this rig. It is rolling advertising.

I'm actually not sure how many more Delta symbols I can fit on the truck.

 

[Box Rocket]

Planning to stick the front axle on jack stands tomorrow and cycle the steering to see exactly how much room I have all the way around the tire, lock to lock. Only noticed the rub on the driver's side rear inner, but also aware the driver's side is sagging by an inch and I have a stock length panhard which will be dragging the axle towards the driver's side. Obviously going to have articulation issues with the axle where it currently sits if I don't modify the body work or stick some longer arms on the truck but I also I remember Box Rocket saying he moved his axle forwards about 1.5" the old fashioned way but then had to cut his inner fender on the front upper to avoid contact at full stuff. If I have to modify body work the back corner of the inners is definitely the easiest.

I'm actually not sure how many more Delta symbols I can fit on the truck.

I only moved my axle 1.25” not 1.5”. I know a quarter inch isn’t much but when dealing with suspension and steering components even a quarter inch makes a difference. Personally I wouldn’t move the axle more than 1.25”. It sounds to me like the Delta “L” version of their arms might be a really nice compromise at 1” forward. Might be just enough for good clearance at the rear of the fender. Don’t know if it will require any trimming elsewhere though.

I’ll mention again, much of the trimming can be avoided if you use larger bumpstops. For some people that’s a perfectly fine solution based on how and where they drive their trucks. I wanted to maintain the full 12” of travel in the front and 14” in the rear so I kept the bumpstops where they wouldn’t limit compression earlier than necessary.

obviously tire and wheel choice is a factor too. I believe that a 8.5 or 9” wide wheel with somewhere between 3.75 - 4.75” backspacing will tuck the tire inside the fender pretty well in most cases.
37’s are rapidly growing in popularity even on fairly average builds. Not all 37’s are created equal. Depending on brand and type of tire they can be smaller than 37” and in a few cases they can be bigger. Tread type can affect rubbing too. Some tread patterns have large squared off shoulder lugs that could rub more than a tire with lower profile shoulder lugs. Then the tire width obviously can have an affect. I love the wide footprint of the 37x13.50’s on my truck but I’m sure there would be less rubbing and therefore less trimming with a 37x12.50.

 

[Feldrian]

I only moved my axle 1.25” not 1.5”. I know a quarter inch isn’t much but when dealing with suspension and steering components even a quarter inch makes a difference. Personally I wouldn’t move the axle more than 1.25”. It sounds to me like the Delta “L” version of their arms might be a really nice compromise at 1” forward. Might be just enough for good clearance at the rear of the fender. Don’t know if it will require any trimming elsewhere though.

I’ll mention again, much of the trimming can be avoided if you use larger bumpstops. For some people that’s a perfectly fine solution based on how and where they drive their trucks. I wanted to maintain the full 12” of travel in the front and 14” in the rear so I kept the bumpstops where they wouldn’t limit compression earlier than necessary.

obviously tire and wheel choice is a factor too. I believe that a 8.5 or 9” wide wheel with somewhere between 3.75 - 4.75” backspacing will tuck the tire inside the fender pretty well in most cases.
37’s are rapidly growing in popularity even on fairly average builds. Not all 37’s are created equal. Depending on brand and type of tire they can be smaller than 37” and in a few cases they can be bigger. Tread type can affect rubbing too. Some tread patterns have large squared off shoulder lugs that could rub more than a tire with lower profile shoulder lugs. Then the tire width obviously can have an affect. I love the wide footprint of the 37x13.50’s on my truck but I’m sure there would be less rubbing and therefore less trimming with a 37x12.50.

I stuck with 37x12.50s to reduce the problems with rub. I have air bumps up front on a 1" drop which I drops my effective bump about 2.5" from stock. Planning to articulate everything once I've changed out front springs and see if I need to modify.

Just jacked the truck. No contact at neutral suspension travel on the passenger, but contact on the driver by about an inch on the shoulder lugs. Passenger would contact on articulation with the steering >3/4 lock. Looking at the piuctures, not sure I actually have a bunch of room to come forwards, especially since the axle will travel forward on compression.

Tire contact isn't all the way across the rear inner fender, so only the inner needs to be trimmed. No need to mess with the flares, outer or sliders.

 

[GW Nugget]

Try removing the coils then articulate axle with a floor jack while the rig is on jack stands.
Doing it that way will help you understand how everything reacts to each other & where the rub is.

Where did you come up with the specs that the Delta air bump brackets at full bump are 1.5" taller then stock bumps?

 

[Feldrian]

Try removing the coils then articulate axle with a floor jack while the rig is on jack stands.
Doing it that way will help you understand how everything reacts to each other & where the rub is.

Where did you come up with the specs that the Delta air bump brackets at full bump are 1.5" taller then stock bumps?

High tech tape measure =)

 

[Feldrian]

New springs ordered. The Icons aren't going to work regardless of what ever else I do.

Let the waiting resume!

 

[FMC80]

New springs ordered. The Icons aren't going to work regardless of what ever else I do.

Let the waiting resume!

Not sure if I just missed it but which springs did you end up ordering?

 

[Feldrian]

Dobbinson's tapered variable rate. Original plan was Slinkys, but they seem to be unobtanium at the moment.

I'll definitely have to powder coat the Dobbies. I can't handle that color.

 

[Box Rocket]

Dobbinson's tapered variable rate. Original plan was Slinkys, but they seem to be unobtanium at the moment.

I'll definitely have to powder coat the Dobbies. I can't handle that color.

Probably the best option at the moment. Hopefully the Slinky’s find their way back to the states soon.