Project: BootyFab

[silver98z71]

Alright, I guess it's time to start a thread. The truck has been drivable for a while, but I'm still not done. Figured I could put a thread over here too.

Specifications on the project:
-driver drop 10 bolt front, open with 4.56s
-rear 9.5" 14bolt, TruTrac'd with 4.56s
-home brew bracketry with factory length shackles
-crossover steering
-stock 52s from '86 K10 (overload and zerorate out but ready, willing and waiting just in case I need them)
-driver drop np241
-factory shackles in the rear and home brew shackle flip
-factory shock mounts
-going to try to use the white body shocks that came with the Fabtech untill I can get some BBCSs
-factory MC, ABS delete kit, 30" brake lines
-37x1300/15 Boggers
-15x10 Eagle wheels I have now
-factory front driveshaft from '85 K5 Blazer

 

[silver98z71]

Pictures:

Bought a 10bolt from a buddy of mine with all good intentions of making it a driver drop unit (just for *****).

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It sat for about eight months untill I did anything with it.

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Uhh, then I torched out the plug welds, cleaned them up and presed the tubes out.

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It sat for another month or so, then the tubes got the holes welded up, welds cleaned up and the tubes pressed back in (with liberal amounts of silicon (that's what that orange stuff is)).

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Got the carrier and housing cleaned up, installed the new gears after I put in new axle seals. I decided my first pattern was good enough for a front axle that probably wont get used that often.

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Yet again the axle sat for a few months without being touched. Aquired enough currency to purchase new balljoints, steering wearables, spindle rebuild kit, lockouts, 14mm lug bolts and brakes. After painting my knuckles an acceptable shade of orange I pressed in new balljoints, drilled the hubs and rotors for the new lug bolts, bolted the new goodies to the axle and took advantage of the photo opporotunity.

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[silver98z71]

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The 14mm studs: GM P/N: 610-332

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WFO steering arm post installment:

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I have some stuff that I did not take pictures of but I will tell about it anyway. Instead of using the thrust washer and needle bearing assembly that comes in the SBK-1 (it's BK-1 for NAPA customers) spindle rebuild kit I used Longfield's teflon coated bushing thing. It seemed like a cool part, so I am going to try it out. But, as I was putting the actual shafts in the axle I discovered something. Apparently, a 10bolt front differential is not centered in the housing. The long shaft went in like it should, it only ended up leaving ~1/16" spline exposed in the passenger side gear. The short shaft on the other hand was a pain in the ass, it was roughly 3/4" too long. I had some options:
1) throw all this stuff in the trash, chalk it up as a loss and move on
2) call Moser have them cut it down and respline it for $75
3) cut the shaft and extend the splines myself
I chose option 3 because it was the cheaper of the three. I marked 3/4" and cut the shaft and extended the splines enough till it went in the housing. That part was a bear.

Then I went on, pondered how to mount the springs. Drew up a spring pad for the passenger side as well as the driver. Just so you guys know, grinder fitting stuff sucks balls.
Passenger:

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[silver98z71]

Driver: I hit the housing with a torch to burn out impurities and get the cast a little hot. Welded it on with some 0.045" from the Millermatic 251. I left to help Drew on his crew that day, after I came back a few weeks later I hit the spring pad with a hammer to make sure it was still a-fixed to the housing. It's still there.

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Took the spring packs apart, hit them with a wire brush and some paint then pressed in some new bushings. I had the zero rate and overload in there to begin with, but was afraid the truck would be too tall so I took them out.
Springs without overload and zero rate:

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Overloads and zero rates hanging out:

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All the axle is lacking now is a truss, then it'll be 100% complete. The truss is drawn up, but the plasma is down at the moment.

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Brake lines from ORD (Design):

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Drag link ends, tube adapters and jam nuts for 1 1/2"x .120" DOM, the tubing is on the other end of the shop (no pictorals):

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[silver98z71]

The ubolts and plates. Well, the plates aren't exactly there, but they're drawn up and just need to be torched out.

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Here are the brackets, still in CAD, but here they are anyway.
Overall, it moves the front axle forward 4" with no weight on the springs. I'm expecting a 1 1/2"-2" forward relocation when the springs are flat.

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Front:

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Rear:

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[silver98z71]

The rear was swapped in a few months ago. Made some ubolt plates out of some 1/2" I had laying around and got the ubolts from RuffStuff. For what it's worth, it sucked extending the parking brake cables going from the 11" 10bolt drums to the 13" 14bolt drums.

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The shackle flip will be taking place within the next few months. It's gonna be done before Thanksgiving weekend.

 

[silver98z71]

Attempting to de-tube the axle:

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Attempting to re-tube the axle:

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Success:

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[silver98z71]

Pictorals (sorry about the blurr):

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Bracketry.

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[silver98z71]

No valance.

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Much better.

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[silver98z71]

Then I drew up and cut out some u-bolt plates, finished drawing my truss, cut it out and welded it up. The housing was fighting me to get the inside-driver u-bolt on but I ended up being the victor. I just have some pictures of the springs on the axle for update purposes, the u-bolts are only finger tight and the inside-driver is now parallel with the other three (I had to grind on the housing more, but it's all good). I think I'm going to add the zero rate for height purposes (I think it's going to be lower than expected) and make some pads tomorrow for the inside-driver u-bolt so it's not sitting on 1" of housing web, it will have full radius support (if that makes sense).

Pictors (No pictures of the truss, just the u-bolts. I'll take some tomorrow):

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