blue bus solid axle adventure

[the big blue bus]

well looks like the time has come to start collecting stuff. my trans went out and im gettting that rebuilt but im trading my winch bumper for a 10b front axle. i know not the best but for what i do it will be fine. found a t case just need to call the guy. found k5 rear springs in junkyard near me too. when i do this im also taking my bodylift off and giving it my front diff and rear bumper brackets to my buddy for his old wheels so i can lower mine back down and drive it still untill axle is ready to go in and everything else is been bought. this is going to be a slow build because i dont have much time really because i work all the time. my ball joints and pitman arm are shot allready and its only been a year. tired of that and the horrible ride. while my trucks at work im going to replace the rear main seal leak install ebay ss headers since my manifolds leak and have broken bolts.

this is how she currently sits :/ kinda sad looking lol

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[the big blue bus]

found 241c outa a 91 k5 for 150. going to gather up the cash and try and get it this weekend

 

[bluex]

Cool, you gonna use mostly 73-87 parts? I will keep an eye on this one too. Might come in handy since I have everything but a tcase in the K5 project I have.....

 

[squeaky3]

glad to hear you are at least going to get it all fixed now

you will probably still be done before mine is.....

 

[the big blue bus]

haha for now im just going to try and get the trans fixed and lower it down and collect more parts as i find em. need to get the cash for t case then ill have the main things just need all the small things that take forever to collect.

yes seen many builds now where people use square body hangers for the rear spring shackle mount and leaf hangers like these http://diy4x.com/cart/index.php?route=product/product&path=24&product_id=127 up front. no idea how im going to do rear lift yet. maybe shackle flip idk yet. may use ford shock towers or a hoop of some sort. got a lot of things to fugure out. im not going to be dumping a lot of money in it at one time just trying to find the best deals and do it for a reasonable price. those spring brackets they make are nice but cost as much as my paycheck lol. driveshaft would probable be from a k5 or truck that body style too. debating if i should regear the 10 bolt or just find a 14ff. they sell for like 200 around here and swap the front to 8 lug. when i figure that out i want to get black classic lock wheels, but that wont be till after my 35s wear out

 

[the big blue bus]

abyone know if the tie rod from a obs 3500hd will fit on the k5 axle? theres one in the yard by me and the dia of rod looks so beffy. guess ill have to measure and try it haha

 

[outalne94z71]

you talking the drag link tie rods or the center link rods that go from knuckle to knuckle?

 

[the big blue bus]

well if the tie rods on the bar that goes from knuckle to knuckle will, or ill just get a stock sized tie rod. just figured if it would work it would be a lot stronger than a 1/2ton one

 

[the big blue bus]

started to tear axle apart today and get the auto hubs off. been thinking i can get the flat top passenger knuckle from wfo for 210 with the 10 bolt taper and keep my stock drivers knuckle. or i found a d44 flat top for 55 and then id have to get a matching one for how much ever that ends up being and the machinging say 50 bucks. trying to see which would be the cheaper of the 2 options and which would be better? the tie rod on the top or bottom side and if i kept the stock set up i can do a steering stabilizer stock way but im not sure which way ill do. anyone ever have clearance issues with the tierod on the top side and the leaves?and on the drivers side do yall do anthing with the stock steering arm?

 

[outalne94z71]

started to tear axle apart today and get the auto hubs off. been thinking i can get the flat top passenger knuckle from wfo for 210 with the 10 bolt taper and keep my stock drivers knuckle. or i found a d44 flat top for 55 and then id have to get a matching one for how much ever that ends up being and the machinging say 50 bucks. trying to see which would be the cheaper of the 2 options and which would be better? the tie rod on the top or bottom side and if i kept the stock set up i can do a steering stabilizer stock way but im not sure which way ill do. anyone ever have clearance issues with the tierod on the top side and the leaves?and on the drivers side do yall do anthing with the stock steering arm?

i never bothered machining my d44 knuckle, i used the arm as a guide to drill and then tapped it, i used the 3" steering lift block with my lift since i had 10" suspension lift, i used the stock pitman arm, i just gutted the stud out of it which then leaves a big pocket where i welded into that pocket the tapered chunk from a 73-87 driverside steering arm, i cut that chunk from the arm and ground it down to fit nicely in that pocket of the gmt400 pitman arm and then welded it.

made a couple pitman arms that way