Grand Tracker continual build

[Chevy1925]

Can you not raise the frame mount on the pan-hard? or are you trying to have it parallel at zero articulation?

I can but it would have to go up 3-4”. Yes, I want to keep it flat at ride height or a little negative as it will create the best characteristics for on road driving and keep axle swing at the minimalist amount. With it moving 15” up and down, I don’t want it to make the back end feel squirrelly.

Kinda decided on running a bushing on one end and heim on the other so its adjustable still but will hold the angle up above the diff

 

[wilrob]

Triangulated 4-link it

 

[Chevy1925]

Triangulated 4-link it

That really crossed my mind yesterday lmao. The truss is too tall and makes the link ends at the axle separate too far between upper and lower (gives me a high anti squat). The joys of working around a body and stock frame.

 

[wilrob]

That really crossed my mind yesterday lmao. The truss is too tall and makes the link ends at the axle separate too far between upper and lower (gives me a high anti squat). The joys of working around a body and stock frame.

Yeah the more I look at the truss the more I see how high those link ends would be... high anti squat is no bueno for a DD. Just weld some brackets on the front of the truss :rofl:

 

[wilrob]

aaaaand nevermind, you'd have to move all the lines on the passenger side frame like you don't want to anyways lol

 

[Chevy1925]

Yesterday I picked up all the steel I need, 2x4 plate in 3/16 and 1/4”, 2” .250 dom, and 1.5” .250 dom. Then spent the rest of the afternoon trying to figure out a good routing and mount for the Pan hard bar. The single bend over the diff still wouldn’t work. Came up with a new idea that has it bend around he back side of the diff cover and will require me to put a bushing on one side to keep the bar from rocking.

So today I cut, chamfered, drilled holes for roset welds and welded the threaded bungs in the steel links. Slapped some anti seize in the threads and put the links on the rig

Then it was time to see if the little pro tools bender would bend the 1.5 .250 dom.... nope, broke the u-plate shank right off at the die (pulled out of the weld). They only do a single little pass on them so I turned the welder up, put the tab back where it goes and buzzed two heavy passes on the die. Put back together and she actually bent the tube well, just need a 6ft cheater bar lol.

Made a 2” wide bushing out of left over 2” .250 tubing, cutting some poly bushings down and cutting an inner sleeve down. Still need to add a zerk in there for grease. Plenty of clearance between diff cover and bar.

I can raise the bar up one more hole and still have clearance at full bump so I’ll do that to get the bar flatter. You can see the new axle mount on the left as well. Top will be open to get a nut down in there.

Lots of clearance all around at full bump

 

[Chevy1925]

Yesterday I spent the morning trying to decide on shock mounting locations and pros/cons.

To mount the shock correctly so valving is most effective and get max travel. Shock has to go waaaaay into the interior, mean I loose cargo area and hear the shocks/springs more daily driving. If I mount the shock low enough to not go into the cab and placed behind the axle, shock will be sitting waaay too low to the ground. Or I mount the shock with the top laying back towards the rear which lets me suck the bottom of the shock up into a reasonable area. Problem there is shock valving isn’t nearly as effective as the shock goes into a “falling rate” as it compresses meaning the shock shaft speed decreases as suspension compresses even if the suspension compresses at a constant rate

I was running different scenarios in my suspension program to see where it would put the shocks on the rig and thought “**** it, we are running these bitches into the cab”. So I gutted everything

At that point I still didn’t have that “warm fuzzy feeling” that I was going to like this in the end. Sealing the shocks from the outside and the noise being my concerns. So I figured, the dummy peej guys mount their rear coilovers in a falling rate, let’s just give it a shot first. Mounts won’t affect anything should I change to putting the shocks into the cab. If I don’t like it down the road, I’ll put them in the cab and go from there.

So started in the mounts after lunch. Put 1/4” plate on the frame to give it strength. The crossmember tube already there is .160 wall 1.75” stuff which is nice. Then bent up some 1/4” plate to tuck the shock as close to the body as possible and made some kickers off the back plate for strength. May drop the gas tank and plate the back side down to the frame too, not sure yet

This will be about where the shock mounts on the axle. Yes it’s low, yes it will grab rocks like no ones business but I’m planning on seeing more dirt trails/excursions than rocks but I won’t be afraid to take it down terminator and drag these bitches. It’s only 1/2” lower than the backing plate (pic makes it look worse)

 

[Chevy1925]

Today I got the lower shock mounts made on the driver side and then built everything for the passenger side shock mounts (frame plate, upper shock mount and lower shock mount

And then started to cycle everything. Springs rub a bit on the axle at full droop so I’ll pull the axle mounts back a bit but the shocks are going into a bind at the upper shock mounts when I articulate it. I’ll probably cut the outer tab out and widen it some (space it away from the shock).

Almost full droop.

Came a hell of a long way in a week. Just a lot of little shit to do now.

 

[clrussell]

Bad ass James

 

[Dozerboy]

The work that goes into doing something different... It will be pretty cool when you’re done.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Chevy1925]

Thanks guys! I’m looking forward to getting this thing in the dirt.

 

[Chevy1925]

Fixed the shock mounts and got everything cycling well. Moved the bottom mounts back 1/2”, widened the top mount 3/8” and moved the back hole on the upper shock mount down and forward 3/8” to put the bolt at an angle. This helped get the heims in the shocks at a more neutral area so when it starts flexing, I don’t max the heims out (they would max out before I moved the bolt hole).

Full flexy flexy oh yes

Made some weld in spacers for the upper shock mount so I don’t use 3 stacked up heim spacers used on 2.0 shocks. Then started on the bump stops

Did some CAD, then plugged the design in and burned out the steel with the plasma (card board aided design, my brain/hand, traced some lines with the plasma). Burned in the frame plating and then made some plates for the bump stops. Need to cap the top and then burn it all in.

Already have the other side plating cut, just need to set it all up and burn it in. Feels like I’m getting close, then I look at the list of things to do still lol

 

[Chevy1925]

Finished up 99% of the fab work. Leaving 1% cause I’m sure I missed something.

Pass side bump in and plating done

Boxed in the opening in the rocker guards. Still don’t really like it. They may get hacked out all together at some point and also cut some of the body rocker out

Gusset on top of the lower link frame mount. Not tacked in as I need to burn the mount in under the gusset first

Top crossmember setup. I’ll yank everything out before I go putting it in and then clean up the end of the factory tubing. Lots of room though.

I’ll start pulling things apart, weld everything, clean, paint and reinstall.

 

[Chevy1925]

Cleaned up the garage, pulled the axle and links, and started welding things up on the frame. Got the lower link mounts and gussets in

Upper is 3/4 burned in. I need to unbolt the body and lift one side an inch or so to get the gun in and burn the top in

Top crossmember hoop burned in, plates on rockers burned in and started burning the bumpstops in when I ran out of gas so stopping point for the day.

next day

Frame is all done, just need to weld up the axle mounts. Also got the body jacked up and welded the top of the upper link mount.

Also had the frame mounts nagging at me. Since the bolt goes up at an angle to hold the shock and keep the heim from binding, the bolt head and nut didn’t fit flush to the mount. So I sleeved each end so the bolt and nut will sit flush and hold torque. Add a little more strength too.

My welding on the bottom of something sucked initially. had to change up to pushing the puddle instead of pulling it and get wire speed slowed down but not too much. was kind of a bear as ive not done alot of "upside down" welding. got it figured out eventually. Do need to get some anti splatter for the gas cup and tip, its packing up fast welding all this thick stuff up.

 

[clrussell]

Looks killer

 

[Nathan.]

Man that looks awesome!

 

[Chevy1925]

Thanks guys! im ready to get this thing on the ground and rollin. might have it on its own weight saturday if all goes well.

 

[wilrob]

I just want to see it all painted, are you gonna do satin black or what?

 

[Chevy1925]

Not real sure. Factory frame is white. Probably just go gloss black as that is what the bumpers and rockers are. Will make it easy for the yearly “clean up” which entails of a good pressure wash and repaint lol

 

[Chevy1925]

Got the axle welded up and ready Saturday. Bout as far as I got with few buddies from out of town stopping by and a party at fishes.

Today, frame and axle got paint. Nothing special and clearly did not care to tape shit off. Mall crawlers will shun me for this

Then trimmed about 1” off the lower link frame brackets. Way more bracket than I need.

And then got the brake lines done on the axle. Not sure if that rubber hose will be long enough but I think it will.

At this point, links need paint, need drive shaft, clean up inside of the drums (surface rust), cross fingers that ebrake cables hook up like I think they will, get hardware for shocks, make a few little spacers and put the bitch back together.