Synwars' 1st Gen Build

[synwars]

Edit: Bandwidth fixed. Thanks Big Mike!  

[synwars]

I would just like to take a second and point out exactly how much larger the Sky pitman arm is in comparison to an OEM IFS arm.

Sky: 1.50" Wide x 0.75" Thick (at the skinniest section)
OEM: 0.96" Wide x 0.60" Thick (at the skinniest section)

NICE!!! I probably won't be breaking this one even if I tried!

[synwars]

Just proposed to the love of my life on Saturday night. I'm getting MARRIED!!! June 3rd baby. Quick, fast, easy. 3 months.

In the meantime, I have revisited the plans for the suspension modifications. About 6 or 7 posts ago, I had put down plans for 3/4 elliptical. But I started thinking that I should get down to the root of the problem. It's not the springs, I have double rears in front and they flex unbelieviably. So I though maybe not enough weight in the back, but even my 200 lbs of extra equipment in the back doesn't make a difference. Shackle angle is great. Springs are longer than stock...

I finally decided that the problem lies in the excessively wide rear section of the frame. This is the reason why people inboard their springs. But I want to be able to run my shock on the outside of the frame for better stability. Unless I swap to full width, the only other option is to narrow the rear frame to the same width as the front. If I do that I should be able to nix the idea of 3/4 elliptical. More stable, less to go wrong.

Plans to follow:

[synwars]

Simple chop the frame off behind the cab. Shorten the crossmembers. Span tube across front section of the frame. Tack narrowed rear into place. Brace, gusset, and fish plate the crap out of it. Sturdy as stock?

I made reference to it here on Burny's build up: http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=20788.0

Ignore the IFS!!! I'm using it as an example only!!!

Red = Cuts.
Blue = Welds.
Green = Square tube.

[synwars]

And the rest:

[synwars]

I should be starting this pretty quick now. I just got a new 7-in-1 card reader, so now I can get my pics from my camera. I couldn't before cuz I lost the cable.

Still waiting for parts from Princess Auto and Sky Manufacturing...

I'll keep updating with pics as everything goes along.

[burnyota]

just read you post and will be keepn an a watch on your build  tasty parts list so far and info backing it up.  looking foward to the narrowing and flat bed and adding the bigger meats..picked out some tread yet?   I am thinkin about adding the sky pbrake kit like yours, so how do you like it ?  tcase crossmember looks beef!  stiffens er' up a bit eh'     good job!

[synwars]

Thanks mang!

Haven't got bigger meats yet, need more $$$. I was thinking about running 36" swampers or TSL's, not sure yet, they all look soooo purty. I'll figure that out later on...

The sky p-brake is awesome. I loves it. I just adjust it everyonce in a while, and it hasn't let me down yet. Very sturdy and beefy.

As far as the flatbed, I like the looks of Kyota's, very slim, I like. I'm gonna use 2x2 instead though so it's not so high looking.

[burnyota]

seems that its a bit on the high side, but i do like the bed..nice and simple

o.k so i have to save up for the e-brake..always wanted one and its nice to lock it on a steep incline if needed. what type of wheelin have you found yourself using it?..you think that a mico lok would work just as well?

[synwars]

You mean a line lock? I'm not really familiar with them. I would imagine it would work. I've heard of guys putting it in their comp rigs, not sure i'd drop it in my DD though...

[kneedownnate]

Mico lock should work great.  Either way you're locking all 4 wheels.

[FatAzzRunner]

Sweet rig man.

I gotta say 2 things............................

1.  If you havent already, you will no longer have grease zerks in that front shaft after a few trips.  Trust me, I did the same thing but mine were a LOT higher up and all mine ripped out.   

2.  Build your rig now and get it done before gettin married, your truck money will become her money.   

[synwars]

Thanks dood. My grease zerks are toast as you presumed, either mashed or sheared right off. Oh well, it did the job. Easy enough to swap new ones in.

As far as finishing the truck before I'm married... I couldn't agree with you more. That's what I'm aiming for.

Starting on Friday...

[synwars]

Oops, did I say Kyota???

As far as the flatbed, I like the looks of Kyota's, very slim, I like. I'm gonna use 2x2 instead though so it's not so high looking.

Whoopsy, I meant Hyena's. http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=5564.0

[synwars]

Not much to report really. I got sick and so motivation is low, progress is slow... you get the picture. 

Upgraded my 4.5" @ 6.5 amp angle grinder to a full 5" @ 8 amp angle grinder. Now my zip discs will fit without having to take the guard off. Grinding without it always made me a bit

I also got new material for my frame narrowing I will be jumping on in the near future. Got about 6' of 2"x4" by 1/8" square tubing and a 2'x2' 10 guage plating.

[synwars]

I didn't feel like agrivating my headache much tonight so I stuck with doing a small job. For my hydro assist steering planned for the future, I need a clamp for my tie rod. I didn't want to weld tabs on it, illegal, plus if I ever needed to swap a tie rod or make an adjustment, it wouldn't be easy. So here we go, this is what I've got so far:

1.5" OD / 1.150" ID DOM tubing with a 3/8" slit down the middle of it. Welded tabs are 3/8" flat bar, with 3/8" holes drilled in it. Alls I need now is some tabs for the hydro ram. I need the ram first however before I can weld on the tabs... Beefy though!!!

[synwars]

Today I did some preliminary work before I get started Friday on narrowing the rear 1/2 of the frame. I took some before pics too...

Not much, but better than nothing I guess.

[synwars]

I stripped the rusted box of things I need such as lights and filler tube and such. By the way... anyone need a tailgate in good condition for a 1st gen? Only thing on my truck that has straight panels...

[burnyota]

keep the tailgate so you can sit yu    on top while you watch the jeep guys fix there crap....or you can smack some ...they do come in handy

[synwars]

UPDATE TIME - PHASE 1 - Narrowing Frame I'm crazy.

Last night I finally got sometime to work on my rig. Maffy came out and helped me do a lot of welding and stuff. He's a fabricator by trade so he comes in handy, worth his weight in gold thats for sure.

I started out by disconnecting the brake line, wiring harness, CB antenna, fuel lines etc... Next I removed the gas tank and then marked my drive shaft for proper installation afterwards.

When Maffy showed up, we did some quick calculations of where to cut, how much to narrow, what material to use, etc...

While Maffy cut all the mounts off with the torch, I quickly braced up the frame preparing to remove the back half.

[synwars]

After that we made some reference measurements and drew some lines. By about this time I got a queezy feeling in my stomach, "This is crazy, I can still turn back. I can still turn back..."

Next I busted out with my new 5" grinder and put on a zip disc and we started chopping the frame. 5 mins and one exploded disc later the frame was seperated.

"I can still turn back. I can still turn back. I can weld that back together. I can weld that back together... I hope we know what we're doing..."

[MR_DIY]

nice.... keep it coming. I admire your work

[burnyota]

opps...that be a lot of weldin to get er back together...but i like it

[Ramrod]

why not just inboard the springs like a formula toy?  It seems much simpler and stronger with less chances of messing up to me

[synwars]

Ok sorry about the delay, I had to go shopping with the future wife...

Ok back to business, where was I?

Oh right ok, so after we seperated the frame, we noted that 2x4 square tubing sleeves nicely inside the frame! So we decide that instead of wasting time capping the ends, we'll notch the frame instead to slide the new instep crossmember. In this way, we don't have to shorten the frame 2" to make up for the tubing (to keep the same distance for the driveshaft).

So thats what we done, and so far it looks like it worked out great...

[synwars]

Next, we fitted the inserted step crossmember, measured it and adjusted it for squareness, referencing from the mounts off the frame and using a square... and the welded it in place.

[synwars]

About that time (11:45pm) Maffy had to take off to go home to his wifey, so I kept plugging away. I moved on to the rear section of the frame. I spent like what seemed forever removing the rusted U-bolts and shocks. I then seperated the axle from the frame, but left the springs in place (I didn't see any point in removing them ).

Oh and I also removed the overloads too...

[synwars]

Next I took the difference between the width of the front frame and rear frame, which came to a total of 14". 22.5" is the measurement on the inside of the rails in the front, and thats what I'm going for in the back. So I took a tape, marked 1/2 check on both crossmembers, measured 7" on both sides totalling 14". I squared it up as much as possible, and started to cut.

Then I alligned them as best and square as possible, then tacked them into place. After a couple tacks, I spot welded both crossmembers back together.

[synwars]

I sucked in my breath and measured the new width, and with much relief, it measured exactly 22.5". No BS. Its a little angled out but not enough to harm anything. The bottoms of the springs measure 22.75", but 1/4" ain't nothin'.

Isn't it friggin' skinny? This thing is gonna flex WAAAAAAAAAAY better.

That's as far as I got last night (5am) . I won't be able to work on it again until Weds, but I'll keep posting as I go along. I'm well past the point of no return, I may as well blast full steam ahead!!!

[synwars]

Oh, I learned a new phrase from Maffy last night when I kept asking him, "Well, what do you think? Will it work? Am I crazy?"

He took one look at me and said, "Well... don't let common sense stop ya!"

That was all the drive I needed. Chop, chop, bang, bang, gzzzt, gzzzt... "What the hell did I just do?"