Mtrhd329

Got a new cold air intake painted it and installed it. Need to make a better heat shield that seals up.

Ordered a front suspension and steering rebuild kit.

Started tearing the front suspension apart and was confronted with both lower ball joints being seized beyond the influence of thor my sledge hammer.


Finally got em free with a 12 ton press and put my poly bushings in. Now I need to step my other arm and put the ball joints in then I can finish my suspension up.

I can't help but look at this crossmember amd want to pancake it an inch.........hopefully someone can talk ke out of it before I get time to put the control arms in.......lol.

Mtrhd329

Looks like the oil pan will be hanging too low once I take an inch out of the crossmember. I think a h3 pan will tuck up nicer. Gotta price one out now.

Mtrhd329

got the crossmember leveled out and tacked to an old fold out table

all braced and ready to cut. Most say that 1.5" is the max to go so im gunna try a 3" section. Its only metal right? Lol.

moregrip

iTrader: (8)

nice!! waiting for results!!

Mtrhd329

cracked it open.


started putting it back together. Cuts are a little off I need to make some filler pieces. I only work three days this week so hopefully I can make some progress and get it in by the weekend.

moregrip

iTrader: (8)

that's the most aggressive cut I've seen on those style crossmembers but looks pretty darn good brother!

Mtrhd329

Thanks! Most people dont cut that far since they are trying to keep their steering stockish. I plan to move mine up anyway so I figured lets go big. The hardest part now is getting any work done before the kids hear the grinder or welder. Im pretty stocked to see how low this and my stepped lower control arms put me.

Mtrhd329

Ordered a ctsv pan and pickup today. Its about 3" shorter thsn the truck pan. Should work perfect.

Mtrhd329

Finally figured how to post pics after my photobucket app updated. Damn technology. Anyways got the crossmember welded up and painted and assembled and set it place. As soon as ups decides they want to ship pacakages again I should get ky oil pan which is desperately needed as you will see. I cant describe how **** this looks. However due to the frame reinforcement being where I would need to notch the frame for the idler arm to be I cannot run the stoxk steering. If I had measured that side first before I welded my steering box in I would have run it 1.5" raised and been ok I think. So off to find a rack and pinion setup. Guess its a good thing I cut off the front lip of the crossmember amd welded a 3/16" plate to it. Now I have something solid to mount the rack to. Anyways heres pics..

Mtrhd329

Forgot to mention I found a crack in the frame. The last couple were of that. So onto more pics. This is how it sits with a $30 drop kit. Stepped lcas, cut coils, chopped crossmember and a flip kit made from axle mounts. Cheap and very functional. Also I moved my control arms forward an inch like was suggested in the make it handle thread. Now I just need to work on the steering.