Grand Tracker continual build

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
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Oct 21, 2009
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James, really nice work! Ingenious way to change lug pattern. :thumb:

Id find hubcentric rings for the wheels, though. I dont see an issue with the drums as long as they center on the axle, too.

ill have to make some. hub centric rings are usually based on wheel mfg and axle/hub type.

i can tell you this though, right now i have 5/8 studs in 1.5" wheel spacers on the tracker to run these wheels, the spacers attach to the stock 12mm studs. when i drilled the hubs out to accept the studs, the flat base for the studs to sit on and self square up had been removed and i didnt have a way to flatten out the taper that was now in the bore (think of a drill bit going half way into a piece of aluminum, then drilling a smaller hole the rest of the way, that taper left behind from the bigger bit is what im talking about). When i pressed the studs in, they would kinda kick to one side. i threw the spacers and wheels on and spun the tires. Ho-Lee-Chet did they bounce up and down. few taps on the end of the stud to counter the bounce and they run pretty true but still off. Driving down the road, you hardly feel it. So to me, this setup is already MILES ahead of what im currently running and being that im running a cast bead lock wheel (bead lock are inherently hard to balance out due to the bead never fully centering at the outer lock area) and 33" mud terrains, ill never get all the bounce out if there ever is any. its an off roader at the end of the day. i already know its going to make some more noise when i put the coilovers on the rear end due to the dual rate springs, the sliders like to make noise as the suspension moves.
 

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
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Oct 21, 2009
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Axle out, links gone and brackets going bye bye

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Welds cleaned off. Can’t really get the top ones but shouldn’t affect what I’m adding. I hate grinding....

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Close to full bump and somewhat centered. She gunna be a bit wide but I’m ok with that. Left room for 35’s if I go that route as well. Once the links are set I’ll articulate it to make sure we got no rubbing. Plastic fenders will need more trimming for sure

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Lots of room underneath as well. Truss hits the fuel filter but I can move that up and out of the way.

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Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
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Oct 21, 2009
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Figured that little thing had a 4 banger :confused:



Lol Na. You could get a 2.5L v6 (I know, monster cubes lmao) or a 2.0L i4. The 4 banger sucks ass. The v6 is gutless but it atleast can push my rig around in 4th gear at 70mph. The XL7 got a 2.7 v6. I’m going to take my spare 2.5, punch it to a 2.7, make a set of custom flat top pistons (possibly slightly domed), I have a set of reground cams from crower (they are mild compared to what I told them, they didn’t listen to what I wanted and what the cams had left in them), and a few other tricks. Should move her along well and not kill my trans lol
 

OregonDMAX

NOT IN OREGON, NO DURAMAX
Apr 28, 2013
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Lol Na. You could get a 2.5L v6 (I know, monster cubes lmao) or a 2.0L i4. The 4 banger sucks ass. The v6 is gutless but it atleast can push my rig around in 4th gear at 70mph. The XL7 got a 2.7 v6. I’m going to take my spare 2.5, punch it to a 2.7, make a set of custom flat top pistons (possibly slightly domed), I have a set of reground cams from crower (they are mild compared to what I told them, they didn’t listen to what I wanted and what the cams had left in them), and a few other tricks. Should move her along well and not kill my trans lol

I've worked on my fair share of trackers and all were 4 bangers and their power output had much to be desired, your current plan is probably your best bet. What's the weight difference in you proposed setup to say an ls series motor. That would be my main concern in a short wheelbase rig like that
 

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
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Oct 21, 2009
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I've worked on my fair share of trackers and all were 4 bangers and their power output had much to be desired, your current plan is probably your best bet. What's the weight difference in you proposed setup to say an ls series motor. That would be my main concern in a short wheelbase rig like that


Only in 99 and up could you get the v6 (basically second gen). 89-98 got the 1.3, 1.6 8v, 1.6 16v or 1.8 16v. 99-05 got the 2.0 i4, 2.5 v6 or 2.7 v6. The Suzuki aireo got a 2.3 i4 that lots of guys swap into rigs and a lot of guys boost the 2.0 but I gotta be different, plus the v6 sounds better lol.

Weight is a big difference. All aluminum v6 vs iron block v8.
 

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
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Oct 21, 2009
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You could do switchable tuning on a LS and derate it for rock crawling then turn it up when not in 4 wheel drive...



You realize your talking to the guy that tows/dd’s and races on a 600hp tune, right? I don’t know the meaning of “derate” lmao. But seriously, I’d rather up the front diff strength and then do a v8. Making the a/c work would be number one priority though
 

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
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Oct 21, 2009
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Don’t have a whole lot to update too today. Burned most of the morning figuring out all the hardware I need, remembering what heims I bought and what I was using from my spare heims, then going to ace hardware and getting all the stuff I need without forgetting crap.

After lunch i squared the axle up under the rig and I sat under the tracker and pondered where I was going to run the upper link. Originally I wanted it on the passenger side thinking that would be easiest. Well I’d have to move all kinds of fuel and brake lines to make that work. If I put it on the driver side, just have to run a different muffler. Bye bye muffler! Yes that is a bolt welded to the exhaust hanger. Bush fix that became permanent.

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So I started link mock up and seeing where it would all lay out. I have 6” of up travel from ride height so link had to atleast go up 6” from the truss. This meant a little massaging of the body with a bfh and cutting out a crossmember that I’ll put a bent tube in that clears the link at full bump. Trying to keep from having to put a bend in the link. We will see when I cycle everything.

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And the side that full of lines and would cause me issues

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And my sweet pvc link

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Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
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Oct 21, 2009
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More progress today. Got the upper link in. Frame gusset plate made, body massaged with bfh and air hammer. Punched a hole through the floor with the air hammer so I’ll need to fix that. Looks like hell but actually came out real smooth and round. Cleaning the undercoat off will make it look nicer.

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Burned the upper link bracket together before tacking onto the frame

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After playing with the lower link location, this is as flat and tucked up as I can go without getting into the body mounts. Had to trim up my rocker guard out riggers and the old link mounts. I’ll plate them back in and add a thick gusset on top of the rocker guard out rigger to give its strength back.

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Upper and lower frame mounts tacked in along with frame plate

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Both lower links in

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Pan hard setup. Little massaging of the misalignment spacers, drilling the hole to 1/2” and the heim bolted right into the stock location

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The Panhard bar won’t work as is. Hits the diff cover bad before I’m even close to bottoming out. About the only option I have is to put a bend in the bar which I REALLY don’t want to do (weakens it) but if I make it out of the .250 wall DOM or even chromoly, I don’t think I’ll have an issue. The stock one was .120 wall stuff and never gave me issues
 

wilrob

Back in the Motherland
Sep 14, 2016
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Dallas, TX
Can you not raise the frame mount on the pan-hard? or are you trying to have it parallel at zero articulation?