arthursc2

iTrader: (5)

I thought about making the title "Solid Axle Swapped, Six Speed Swapped, Supercharged SSV" but that was way too many S's lmao

Over Christmas "break" I put in probably 125-160hrs over the course of 9 days. There is still a metric F-load left for me to do, and try as I might, I bought too many of a few things and not enough of some others lol. Not fully burned in yet either, as I still need to cycle the suspension, determine bump stop and potentially limit strap locations and I am already planning changes aha

Anyway, have a peep-
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6HmbPuLRrzyjCUaH7

The axle is an AAM 9.25 out of a Dodge. I will run 4.88s and an H2 e-locker up front. I am also investigating running a GM unit bearing on the knuckle. More to follow there

Coilovers are being built, bump stops might ship this year, who knows. Steering is still being sorted out as nothing off the shelf is exactly what I need, and that water jet at work is looking mighty useful right about now....

I am sure there will be questions, I will be happy to answer anything I can

Happy wheeling!

PS- real trucks are 4wd

silentbravo

iTrader: (1)

The H2 locker will fit in the dodge differential?

Great to follow someone doing some real fab work

arthursc2

iTrader: (5)

Yes, the whole AAM 9.25/9.5 family is all the same bearings, carriers, slingers, seals.... yada yada

There are obviously *some* differences within the axle family, but the locker will drop right in

smokinlmm

Wish I had your fab skills brother. Bad ***…

strutaeng

SWEET! Great work.

Subscribed!

wretched73

iTrader: (1)

Awesome, looking great.

What are your plans for how you are going to use the truck? Just general off road?

BigKID

iTrader: (5)

Nice work! I was concerned looking thru the album with track bar clearance to the oil pan at full compression with that s-bend but later realized the pic was a full compression. I was amazed at the full weight balance. Curious though, what is the purpose or reasoning of the notch in the pass side frame reinforcement?

arthursc2

iTrader: (5)

Thanks man! I have been a welder for almost 16yrs this year. Been welding for the DOE for 10yrs, and the last ~6yrs of my career I have been the lead fabricator/welder/machinist in a really high level program that actually gets briefed to Congress on occasion aha. They don't know this, but my career secret is to learn new skills so I can build cool cars

I really enjoy camping and getting to places where ppl aren't. I love to take the mountain bikes and dirt bikes places, and until the Van, the Tahoe was my main trailer puller too. I love to take road trips and just *exist* in the driver seat of the Tahoe. Its a really nice ride. I have some plans for some 200ish mi dirt only trips, and every year I plan to take her somewhere far. Like Montana, Lake Tahoe, Dearborn- etc etc. She is not a crawler and I will never put her in a position where she will risk body damage, but I do plan to use her off road quite a bit

Chevy IFS is notoriously weak. I bent every tab I could, broke off all the alignment pins I could, collapsed both bump stops and the axle center line is too far back so even on little metric 33s I was rubbing the fender liner. I wanted to build a robust front end, that handled dirt better and to put better shocks on the IFS required fab work anyway.... So decided to **** right off and remove ALL of that bs and go for broke. Literally lol. I had floated alllllll kinds of ideas. Fabricated A-arms for a mid travel build, TTB, solid axle, just putting new OE design arms on and living with it.... but in the end you see what I decided on lol

I built everything at full bump to ensure I had clearance. That stupid track bar took me 7hrs to build. and it ended up with ~4 more bends than thought it was gonna have aha. I am not familiar with GMT800 2wd frames, maybe they are the same- but on the 4wd frames that rectangle is where the factory motor mount comes thru the frame. It protrudes the frame surface ~3/8", and I cut off that protrusion to fit my frame plate flush to the frame. In doing so, I completely removed the factory welds. To make up for that difference, I windowed my frame plate so I could weld that motor mount "tube" to my frame plate and keep everything strong. I have plans to build a crossmember that may bolt to the motor mount bolts at the frame, so keeping the motor mounts robust makes things a little easier in the future

I am not struggling, per say- but I am scheming how to build some cross members in the steering/trackbar area to help keep my frame from spreading. I want bolt on, and I have lots of 2" and 1.5" .250 wall DOM left, and I have milessssss of 1.75x.120 wall. I'll figure it out, its only metal

BigKID

iTrader: (5)

I got the motor mount window but I figured that was to keep dirt and moisture from collecting behind the mount. I did not catch the mount protruded thru it. I was referring to the circular notch forward of that.

As for the 2wd frames, they have a welded bracket on the interior and bottom of the frame that has provisions for the motor mount, bolted in cross member and rear LCA mount. The coil spring pocket covers the exterior of the frame between the UCA mounts.

arthursc2

iTrader: (5)

Oh! That half moon is to clear where the frame changes shape. The frame changes shape there to allow room for the AC compressor. I thought about cutting and seaming that "hump" in, but then the cross section of the frame changes significantly- and technically that hump is a 3rd dimension, which is probably quite a bit stronger in bending moments than the 3/16 plate I plated the frame with. So I elected to leave it. Plus leaving it saved time lol