Long arm / Pre-runner 4WD bolt-ons

[great white]

Every time I hear "cash for clunkers" I think of all the tags in the junk yard that said "this engine filled with liquid glass"............

I thought they all had to be crushed and none used for parts?

 

[IOWNJUNK]

The local junkyard near me went from 30-40 cars to 300 almost immediately after the program started. You could have any part you wanted, except the motor. Everything else was fair game. There was no coming back the next day to pull a part. If you waited it got picked or crushed. This same yard MIGHT have a dozen cars in it now. Almost like it only existed because of cash for clunkers.

 

[michael hurd]

In Ontario a vehicle in a junkyard from the program anything except the engine is fair game for picking.

 

[dave_erald]

Not that anyone wants to think of such blasphemy but alot of prerunner Chevy's have two wheel drive Ford TTB inspired suspensions grafted under the front end.

Its dirt simple, wicked tough to break and much easier to fab up. You get alot of travel and a ton of strength by doing this.

It wouldn't be that far of a stretch to sling a 4wd version under the front with coilovers.

The gm ifs in your truck works only the way it was intended to and no more. You pretty much have to go completely custom to get anything other than a "road only" vehicle if you plan to seriously abuse your truck.

Actually, I would love to hear from someone who has done this.

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[dave_erald]

Better yet, go to fourwheeler.com and type red sled into the search bar and read all the things they did to there 1991 Chevy. And they still broke everything. And I don't think they had to try too hard. Mind you they probably weren't easy on it, but still... At one point they said "The truck is practically allergic to dirt"

Not to get you discouraged but keep in mind that most kits are bolt on suspension drops. Any thing to make it stronger is big money unfortunately. That's why most people dump it for a solid axle.

However if yours is two wheel drive, there are a few bolt on kits that can take a good beating.

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[great white]

Better yet, go to fourwheeler.com and type red sled into the search bar and read all the things they did to there 1991 Chevy. And they still broke everything. And I don't think they had to try too hard. Mind you they probably weren't easy on it, but still... At one point they said "The truck is practically allergic to dirt"

Not to get you discouraged but keep in mind that most kits are bolt on suspension drops. Any thing to make it stronger is big money unfortunately. That's why most people dump it for a solid axle.

However if yours is two wheel drive, there are a few bolt on kits that can take a good beating.

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Yeah, they tried to do a "front dig" and since they had upgraded most everything else, the front differential aluminum casing grenaded.

A front dig is when you pop it into low range front drive only, stand on the brakes and lock the rear wheels, then the front tires claw and drag you in a tighter circle than you could turn with steering when on the rocks or trail.

A cast iron center section may survive that, but they were beggin' for problems and they knew it.

They did pop a lot of other stuff, but what do you expect when you take a left for dead 94 ECLB 2500 and shove it over big rock and sink it in gooey mud?

You know it's going to pop. You just know it is.

The Sled never got a fair chance IMHO. When something popped, they fixed it and then something else would pop because the previous thing wasn't the weak link anymore. It's a process and you have to follow it. Even solid trucks pop things when you push them. You fix it to be stronger and look for the next thing to pop.

They also started with a junkyard dog of a truck. Abused and forgotten, it had been left to die. Way too big and way too long for what they intended to use it for.

Then they drag it out of a back lot, throw a new 454 in it and expect it not to break things. Doesn't work that way. If you start with an old forgotten rig, you have a lot of work to do to bring it up to ***** before you start throwing kit at it. Like I said, they chucked a lift kit and a new 454 at it and were surprised when it popped CV axles. Duh....

Then they started throwing even more weight on it in huge bumpers, tire carriers and assorted other heavy bits like winches.

I was a fan of The Sled, it's too bad it ended up the way it did. Like I said, I didn't think it got a fair shake. They said they were hell bent on building an IFS rig, but it never really seemed that way. It always felt like "awww, do we really have to do and IFS build" and "gawd, is there any way we can spend less money on this thing?" Not something you can do when you are "trailblazing" a serious build no one else has tried.

It never would have been on the same level as a solid front axle, but they gave up too early if you ask me. It just turned into another nail in the IFS coffin. To turn insult to injury (for the IFS project) they ended up torching the IFS off and swung a solid under it.

End of the story at that point.....

 

[dave_erald]

I don't disagree on any of that, and feel the same way. More money, more time, then maybe, but it makes a good point on how you drive it, and where you spend your money and how much.

If nothing else it makes for good reading.

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[michael hurd]

Didn't read all of the articles on the red sled, but here's a picture of the gross CV angle they were trying to run.

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