Author Topic: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread  (Read 11775 times)

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utherjorge

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Re: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread
« Reply #30 on: Jan 26, 2018, 12:17:29 PM »
So, Rust Bullet is in after grinding the floor, filling holes, and so on.

I've also decided to go with Summit seats inside: if I'm spending the time to mock up a new frame for the beast, I shouldn't use 24 year old seats. So that's a thing now.




utherjorge [OP]

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Re: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread
« Reply #31 on: Feb 22, 2018, 11:21:12 AM »
Monstaliner in as I get ready for seat shenanigans




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Re: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread
« Reply #32 on: Feb 28, 2018, 03:06:55 PM »
BADASS DUDE!!!!
2007 GMC Yukon SLT Daily
5.3L V8, 3.5in Lift, 33X10.5R18 Toyo MTs, Vision Rocker 18x9s powdercoated Mountain Blue Transparent over Speedboat Aluminum

2010 Chevy Tahoe LT Wife's Daily
5.3L V8, 6in Lift, 35s, AMP power steps

2016 Ford F250 XLT CCLB Work/Business Truck
6.2L V8

2001 Ford F350 Lariat CCLB Work/Business Truck
7.3L Powerstroke w/ Banks Turbo

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utherjorge [OP]

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Re: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread
« Reply #33 on: Mar 06, 2018, 09:17:23 AM »
Thanks, man!

utherjorge [OP]

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Re: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread
« Reply #34 on: Apr 28, 2018, 05:42:46 AM »
OK, so a lot of updates here to add. Forgive me for the pic dump, but there's been some decent progress.

First post, let's get the seat stuff done. The seat brackets got fabbed up and had to be trimmed and all that as time went on. Below, this is what they looked like with raw steel. They do raise the seat off the floor by a lot, but I am 5' 9" and have no headroom issues and prefer a raised seat anyway:



I don't think I posted this here before, but I had to use wood to mock the mounts up and the width of the tranny tunnel limited a lot. The truck has a body lift now, so I have some space to narrow it up, but not the fab skills to do it, nor the desire to hack the floor apart. Anyway, the Rocky is a tiny beast and therefore there is not much room to space regarding to width.



As it was winter, and the needed temperature for Monstaliner is north of 50 (preferably far north) here's how we baked the floor:



This is the finished pic; I've got some more of what all I did, but I'm abbreviating it here.





Got some more goodies I found while scrounging. The DeepWoods top that are very hard to find was an eBay find, and the dude threw in some extra parts with the purchase I made (got a lot, he sent more)...but there are good people in the world for sure.



And from the front. Dare I say I'm half done? Or did I just jinx myself?


utherjorge [OP]

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Re: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread
« Reply #35 on: Apr 29, 2018, 04:23:21 PM »
So, now allow me to add the current bumper progress. Note that my welding is trash so I am having my friend do this as I complete other work around him. I can't take credit for it. The bumper itself comes from Zuks Offroad; a Tracker is very close to the measurements of a Rocky, so this is essentially a Tracker/Grand Vitara mishmash. Myron over there was amazing and helped me as we went through measurements to figure out what went where...or what WOULD go where.

First pic is the hitch mount. This is being attached to the typical Rocky hitch mount location, but with some mods.



This is the center section mounted over the top of the bars and other foolishness that you would see in there; the Rocky has a similar weird set up as a Tracker with an odd bar as a rear crossmember, though there are two on a Rocky.



This is all of it welded together.



Last couple are the "wings" in place. They had to be tweaked as the body creases are different than a Geo/Suzuki.




utherjorge [OP]

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Re: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread
« Reply #36 on: Jul 08, 2018, 03:59:47 AM »
So, in the interest in completion and information, yesterday, my Rocky became officially legal to drive on the road. Finished the bumpers (which were modified Zuk Offroad pieces), and had to solve the cooling issues, along with doing some re-wiring of the lighting, you know, so it would actually work...and we're done.


utherjorge [OP]

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Re: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread
« Reply #37 on: Nov 09, 2018, 09:57:03 AM »
I just got the little guy back from the shop after some head work. It's running great...so why not try to drive around on snowy oil roads? Handled it all well, but I also tried not to get into too much trouble

You may note slight sag on the driver's rear axle. This is something I think I'll get into when I play with the axle...this winter




joeyf

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Re: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread
« Reply #38 on: Nov 10, 2018, 05:32:29 AM »
The plate bumper look really good. Some 2x4 box tube sliders would go great with it.

utherjorge [OP]

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Re: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread
« Reply #39 on: Nov 14, 2018, 05:43:15 PM »
I'm pretty sure I need some more height here, but I plan on getting into all sorts of problems to see what it's capable of getting through before looking to add some more height.

Sliders would be needed, too...on my list. I haven't decided what I want to do with that yet, so more wheeling is needed.

Thanks for the compliment!

utherjorge [OP]

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Re: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread
« Reply #40 on: Mar 23, 2019, 07:00:24 AM »
So, I actually have some good updates. First, the head is done...but then the other day, I kept getting my temp gauge rising for no real reason. Long story short: air was in the cooling system, and after I used the rad cap relief valve, added about a quart of coolant or so, we're back in good shape. I was going to roll it off a cliff if it blew the head gasket 300 odometer miles after a head gasket job.

Any-who, finally got two big jobs done. First was that the dual batteries went in. I had researched all sorts of stuff, and whether I just wanted one big one, or two small ones, and had set on the single. I brought it to the local guy (the last auto electrician within a good distance, and he's nearby) and he's pretty old school. We started talking, and I told him I wanted to add a winch, but I was limited on space. His eyes lit up and he said "I can put two batteries in that f$%$#er for sure." He gave me a decent price, so I said sure, why not.

This is is set up without an isolator, so it will serve as one big battery instead of separating them. I won't spend time on this thread with camping things I plan to use it for, but if I wanted to use things with a big draw, I can later add things to handle that. Also, I had a larger alternator added (a whopping 75 amps!) so I can both run things (lights, what not) and charge a larger battery. It appears to charge the two Group 65s well at this point. I'll have to keep an eye on that, obviously. After I use the winch and get a draw on it, if it doesn't charge them back up, perhaps I'll have to upgrade the alternator again, but until I do some engine work (freer-flowing exhaust is really all I can do at this point, maybe electric fan) I'm hesitant to go larger on the alternator. An occasional upgrade in Australia on these rigs is the alt from a diesel Land Cruiser, but that alt is hard to come by stateside and I want to make such an upgrade if it's needed.

OK! Pics!




And, as you can already see it in the first pic, the winch is in, too! (Barely fit....)




utherjorge [OP]

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Re: The actual Reddy Rocky build thread
« Reply #41 on: Mar 23, 2019, 07:20:21 AM »
I should also include pictures of my off road failure a few months back. I did not air down, and I did not pay attention, and I did not have a winch or someone with me, and my compounding failures are more than that, so to be clear, actually going offroad in any sort of technical capacity is new to me. Why not travel down an old logging road a mile into the woods for no reason?!?!

Well, because I'm driving a 30-year-old vehicle with crap springs, no locker, and a flimsy gas tank skid plate that serves as a great place for a clay-based path to get stuck on! Well, that and more.

Look at me having fun in the woods!


Look at me again!


God dannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngit. At this point, we're resting on the frame.


I had to hike out, and leave it overnight. Put out an all-call to any friends to help extricate Reddy. Why not get an inch of rain New Year's Eve, and have the temp drop to freezing! The path turned to a stream, and it took an hour and a half to move 10 feet. The pic below is after getting started, before my buddy's side-by-side blew his front diff, and guess what! We're still on the frame...


So, after three hours, we're out. It's worth mentioning that the rig is light enough that a Polaris SxS can drag me out, though we were obviously way over the 4500lb rating of his winch. The point is that it's a pretty light rig...though the dual batts in the post above and the winch have added close to 200 lbs up front, which I'll have to deal with. I have almost a whole front end worth of parts to put in there, including ball joint spacers, new torsion bars from Australia, and assorted other parts to put in.  I'll have to see how that goes. Anyway, this is what Reddy looked like after getting out:

 
 
 
 
 

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