A couple of pics over the "weekend" - the truck didn't make TS - but it did make the local pull at Urbana - lots of little bugs and tweaks still to do - but that is filler work now.
The Official PSA Duramax gets Built Ford Tough!
- Thread starter HotRodTractor
- Start date
First off, the truck looks awesome. I would love to do this to mine.
I had a few questions on stuff I saw.
Why did you relocate the shocks? Is that just how the mounts were on the dodge axle?
Also, what airbags are you using?
And, what all was involved in swapping to the 273?
I had a few questions on stuff I saw.
Why did you relocate the shocks? Is that just how the mounts were on the dodge axle?
Also, what airbags are you using?
And, what all was involved in swapping to the 273?
The Dodge axle shock mounts were no where near where they would work out with the factory shock mounts - the factory upper mount on the spare tire carrier got cut out with the spare tire carrier - and when I added the batteries out back - the only other location I had for the air horns was were the upper passenger side mount was - so I built all new mounts that just fit and worked better for my setup.
The air bags are from a modified hodge podge Congnito long travel bag setup that I got through Nor Cal.
The 273 was a Ford unit with a different input shaft - it required a little modification to the Allison tailhousing mounting pattern in 2 of the holes, a clocking ring, and of course new drive shafts. Plus the modifications to make the 263 electronic shifter mount and work with with the 273.
Truck looks nice. Is that just the pic and angle of the truck, or does the rear sit that much lower then the front?
I bought new lights.
The rear is currently just a touch lower - I need to bring it up an inch to make it level. I figure if I put 5psi in my bags it will take care of it. If not I'll adjust the shackles.
if those springs on your shocks are brand new, give them a few hundred miles to settle first before you adjust the rear unless your gunna keep the front where its at and adjust preload to keep that height
That is exactly what I am waiting on - the front is going to stay where its at (I'm out of adjustment to drop it any lower without changing springs). The rear will settle more once it all gets driven and used a bit - but right now its about an inch low in the back. I thought for sure I had it worked out to be level - but oh well. I'm sure the front will settle in a little too.
8" Deavers with 2" longer shackles (lowering it) - plus the axle is a larger tube diameter and there is a little more "thickness" in the way I did the spring perches.
I need to go look that up... I want to say 12" springs (10" of travel) and 450lb/in spring rate.... but that is going off of memory and I work as an engineer for a living and all those numbers just seem to run together after a while and I started this project 18 months ago. lol
gotta be longer than that if you have a 10" stroke shock. they are generally double that of the shock stroke. just curious of it cause you got the preload backed all the way out. How much does the shock compress with the shock fully extended and just enough preload to hold the spring in place?
yeah - your right - I'm an idiot. lol I had a major brain fart on the length earlier - I was thinking that it was 2" of preload with the preload nuts all backed out and I know its 10" of travel. I know better. lol
Hmmm did icon recommend you those springs? Sounds really heavy for the truck for the ride height you want
They are what Toby at XXX Traction recommended - that is why I need to look up the specs. I will tell you this - it sits higher than I kind of wanted - but the springs are far from stiff. I'll see about looking up some specs and getting the compressed distance off the coil overs tomorrow night.
It really does ride plenty soft in the front - I might be off on my spring rate guess - but I don't think I am too far off.
Well I know Toby knows his chet. Looks like those springs are a progressive rate so if you jumped it, as the suspension moved through its travel, the increasing spring rate wouldn't be linear. So it will feel soft for normal driving.
If you can find out how much the shock collapse s with the preload collar just barely holding the spring with the shock fully extended, then tell me where you want the actual ride height along with how much down travel there is at ride height and up travel left at ride height, I can give some suggestions on springs. it also wouldn't hurt to pick Toby's brain as I'm sure others may have set their height where you are. He may tell you right off the bat, "no you can't do that because blah blah blah" or "oh ok, put this spring on".
Btw, super clean work man. Truck is bad ass looking
If you can find out how much the shock collapse s with the preload collar just barely holding the spring with the shock fully extended, then tell me where you want the actual ride height along with how much down travel there is at ride height and up travel left at ride height, I can give some suggestions on springs. it also wouldn't hurt to pick Toby's brain as I'm sure others may have set their height where you are. He may tell you right off the bat, "no you can't do that because blah blah blah" or "oh ok, put this spring on".
Btw, super clean work man. Truck is bad ass looking