My build thread (56k user beware)

Ok so as all of you know 92 Z71 has been setting for quite sometime now! Well it's getting so close now I couldn't wait any longer to begin my build thread. The truck with move under it's own power within days!!!!

The over all plans of the build have changed...

Phase 1... I was gonna run 4" lift springs in the front and 4" blocks in the rear and build the rest of the lift off that. But I've quickly come to realize through research a different build that the 4" blocks in the rear will allow for more axle wrap then I want to deal with. So the 4" springs and blocks went to live on in a truck that will not see hardcore off road use. I'm now gonna run stock 56" rear leaf springs for 88-98 GM pickup in the front I'll be adding 1 leaf to both packs and running the overloads to help cushion body roll when corning on the street. The front cross member will include my own design of a reese hidden hitch reciever 3x.25" angle iron and 7" drop shackles... Then to adress the steering I'll be using crossover steering and made from 1x.25 dom and a 4" drop pitman arm. The rear will begin with a homebrew shackle flip using a stock front spring hanger from a 88-98 GM pickup I'll weld it in place of the stock rear shackle hanger I'll be adding 2 leafs to each pack and run a 2" block instead of a 4" block. I'll be adding a homebrew pinion guard and and a homebrew diff cover guard.

Phase 2 will happen around tax time and will include exhaust gears beadlocks drum to disk conversion and other small things.

Phase 3 will be extremly in depth and more than likely will not take place until next summer but will include an extremly invasive engine rebuild trac bars lockers slip yoke driveshafts welded axle tubes shaving the housing of the 14 bolt 241 tcase from a 91 burb maybe with a doubler.


No photos right now but as soon as I get over to start tinkering with the parts and axles to get everything ready for my lift I'll get tons of photos and I'll have pics of every single step of the build!!!!!

Sounds like a good plan, and please keep us updated, but I would definately move the trac bars up to phase one. It will greatly help with the pinion angle and axle wrap.

Yeah, the axle wrap will kill u joints quick.

Yeah that's something I've been thinking about... Although until the engine rebuild and the upgraded Tcase and beadlocks the truck will see some mild trails and mud and won't see high torque until then so axle wrap and wheel hop isn't really gonna be a problem... I've also been kicking around adding a panhard bar but on the one hand I'll have less body roll on the street but on the other hand I'll have less flex on the trail... I'm thinking I'll sacrifice the ride quality for the added flex though!!


I'll be uploading some pics later this evening!!!! Stay tuned!

how bout a removable panhard bar.. something kinda like the quick connects for the sway bars.. loll dunno if thats possible but its worth a try

Yeah it's possible but that's just more work then I really feel like doing... I could design a panhard bar outta dom and heimjoints and just clevis pins with cotter pins... But that's just another headache... Know what I mean. When the truck becomes a classic by age and I have another vehical to wheel this one will be retired and a panhard bar may come then just for the comfort of a sunday cruiser!!

i dont think that truck will ever make it to become a sunday cruiser.. it has to have straight panels to be ont he roads on sundays.. hahah

lol hahaha You raise a good point there!! Maybe it'll just live it's life as a mudder then when I get the sunday cruiser it'll get 5 tons and 54"s and be really crazy!!!

Well the trans is installed and works beautifully! Phase 1 construction begins tomorrow after work!

700r4 and 208 have already been installed and the welding and cutting begins tomorrow evening! I'll get my pics up ASAP!!

Well now that I'm on a computer that I can get my pics uploaded with here are a few of my pics so far! Unfortunaly no tranny install pics those are on the other memory card!!




Here's a pic of the front axle and tires! Kind of a crappy pic but I was in a hurry and took what I could get...




This is the rear axle that'll be going under the truck along with my 37" TSL's!!




Here's a box of new parts for my truck things like ball joints axle joints brake lines pinion seals and tie rods for the crossover steering!




Here's a pic of my front shackle mount complete with 7" drop shackles!!




Here's a pic to show some of the welding capabilities of the 110 volt licoln wire feed welder I'll be using to weld the bracketery and other things on my truck!


More pics will come soon I just don't have the camera on me to upload the other pics that I've got!!

Stay tuned! lol

Wish my 110 welder was that capable. those are pretty good lookin welds. I take it your using solid mig wire and argon gas tho. Funding limits me to using flux core wire.

think your welder would be strong enough to weld that crossmember to your frame fasel?
the reason i ask is cause i have the same one and have been going back and forth on if its strong enought to do the 4 link and all on the yellow and red truck or should i just go out and get a new one.. haha

Nice looking hardware. Good luck with the install.

Joe as long as you are confident in you welding skills the 110 should be good enough for the four link!! and johnboggs yes I'm using solid wire but no argon... C25 is the gas of choice for me... the welder also has an upgraded stinger and I can't remember the name or description but it's got a higher quality tip on the concentrate more of the sheilding gas to the point of the weld...


John I've seen some fantastic flux core and arc weld beads laid down before... It's all in the wire speed and voltage setting and most of all... It's all in the puddle!! Thanks for a compliment though and to be honest the pic just doesn't do it justice it's all fuzzy and what not if the photo was clearer the the welds would be much more visible!

And joe to answer another question about welding to the frame... I'll be using some fishplating and also a reese reciever inbetween the frame rails to help support the crossmember...

Ok so now that I've got the tranny install pics on the computer here for your viewing pleasure is some pics of a working in progress!








Here is the tranny as it came when I picked it up!





This is what the fluid looked like that came out of the trans and the dirt that's in the fluid is off the garage floor on the trans... Not too bad for a trans with 180,000 miles on it!!





Nothing fancy just a typical NP208 Tcase that now resides in my truck!! It's wierd looking under my truck and not seeing the flat bottom cause the 208 is clocked differently so the output shaft hangs low!!

The large void under my truck!! It's nice to see it filled!





And the ever present work in progress shot to prove the I'm the one actually doing the work!!

correct me if im wrong, but isnt the 208 a full time case? and congrats on getting it put back together lol

No the 208 is a selectable tcase with a 261.1 ratio the 203 stock is a full time 4wd case you can get a selectable conversion for it but when they come off the line the 203 is the full time case... The tcase I want is a is an NP241 out of a 91 burban it's got the pass. side drop with a lower ratio the the 208 and has the electronic speedo because rite now I'm running with no speedo just the tack for speed reference!

the t case that i would use if i were building a heavy duty off road is np205..... its driverside drop, but it is gear drive, which makes it stronger, unless you have the money for the upgrade kit to upgrade the chain and drive in the np208...... however, the 208 is a considerably lighter t case, where it has an aluminum case and the others are cast iron....... but your truck is coming along well...... are you single passing your welds on the brackets? or are you multipassing????? they look good..... no grinding them to make the bracketry look good once they are shot with paint.....

Although the 205 is a remarkable case as far as strenght goes I'm not a fan of the added sprung weight that comes with it... Yes I'm quite familar with the upgrade kits for the 208 having rebuilt quite a few of them. However much to the point of finding a decent 205 around here that's pass. side drop then finding the adapter to mate it to my 700 then fabbing up a crossmember that'll hold the kind of wieght not to mention gusseting the frame for added strenght!! I just can't warrent that much time money or added wieght to my truck... You gotta remember that until I rebuild my engine I'm running a tired 350 and a a virtually stock tranny rite now... Not to mention I'm using 1/2 ton springs for this build rite now so I've got to be careful as to how much weight is being sprung. I don't have much concern as for the weight of the 14 bolt and the 37's on steel wheels because that's all unsprung weight I just have to be careful of how much my weight to availible HP ratio gets off set or I'll be rebuilding my motor prematurely!


For now everythings just getting the once over and once it's all installed it'll be getting some fishplating and gusseting and then everything will get burnt once or twice depending on how I see fit... I'm not to concerned about grinding the shackle hanger or the crossmember because they'll be hidden behind my custom tube bumper which that'll get ground for beauty and everything gonna get a few coats of dom kote paint. That stuff sprays like gloss enamal but hardens like powder coat and cost less then half the price! The tube bumper and shackle mounts and crossmember are going in tonite I just gotta get the bumper finished up then get everything under the truck and get it burnt in!! I'll have some more pics soon but not today...

nice.... im gathering parts right now for my 93 s10 for a similar swap, so its nice to see your work... it has given a few ideas of how to get around a few issues

Yeah man no problem there will so be lots and lots of pics on here I'm just waiting until I can get to work on my truck tonight and then I'll have quite a few pics to put up tomorrow or very soon atleast I'll be welding the the main tube for the bumper on and the front reese reciever crossmember and shackle mounts on tonight and depending on how much time that takes I may weld up the rest of my tube bumper tonight but if not very soon atleast... And it won't be done by sunday like I was hoping it'll probably be another week before phase 1 is completely done but it's coming along at a constant pace so I'm happy!


So now what did you have in mind for you lift? What axles tires springs ect. ect. ect.? Details man details!!!

well, if there is enough call, ill do a build thread... but a few, the front axle is a d44 as is the rear, im getting them from a fsj pickup..... both front and rear are getting electric lockers, 35 inch tires, and im debating on triangulated 4 links front and rear, or just going leaf spring front and rear.... the stuff i drive is a mix of mud and rocks, as well as quite a few moderate trails........ it has a 4.3 tbi, and is going to be recieving a 700r4, and a 3 speed atlas transfercase...... its a ways off, but i am slowly gathering parts...

Batty, consider this a formal request, make a build thread!