Quote:
Originally Posted by HellaciousA
Great build--I'm looking to purchase a pro-10 frame myself in the next couple months. My cab just got done being sand blasted and primed. Need to get the metal work done and then I'll buy the frame. I have a 05 lq4 and 4l80e waiting to go in, which will then be turbo'd.
I had some questions for you regarding the frame
1. Any tips on the shipping? I work at a body shop so I was planning on having it shipped there and then having a tow truck bring it home. I've seen some people cut out 3/4" plywood circles to bolt to the hubs as wheels to make it easier to roll. Or did you just put some dollies underneath it move it around?
2. What was the lead time for them to build the frame and get it to you?
3. Is there anything about the frame you didn't like or that you wish you would have changed? This will be one of the most expensive parts of my build, and I've been doing a lot of reading and comparing against the various frame companies.
4. How much clearance do you have between the passenger side frame rail and your
engine? I'm looking to run my downpipe in between there and was curious.
Thanks for the insight--can't wait to see your finished project.
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Thanks HellaciousA! Here's some answers to your questions:
1) Shipping ... oh, I've kept UPS in business lately, at least that's what it feels like. I, like you, are on the opposite side of the country from No Limit (they used to be out your way in CA), so I looked at driving out to pick it up and by the time I paid for cost of fuel and hotels, it was cheaper to ship. I got lucky and have an uncle who was able to borrow a flatbed trailer that is normally used to haul tractors and other heavy objects. So I picked the chassis up from the local UPS shipping depot (UPS freight, separate from the normal UPS). They put it on the trailer, which was a little precarious as the chassis ships on it's side, so we had to lay it down. If I didn't have the flatbed trailer, my plan was to have it received at a local shop and then bust it out of the crate, put some wheels on it and rent a u-haul car trailer to haul it home. The biggest thing about receiving it at a shop is the shop would need to have a dock and forklift. So if the body shop you work at has a dock and can rent a forklift that would be your easiest bet. It will save you a bunch of cash shipping to a commercial address that can handle receiving. You could ship it to your home, but it's much more than the usual $75 lift gate fee.
Once I got it home, unloading was a challenge. We did use some furniture dollies and an engine hoist, but despite the furniture dollies rated to 1000 lb each, they really didn't like 600 lb over 2 dollies. Total shipment is around 1100-1200 lbs. Then I put it on jack stands, busted it out of the crate, and didn't move it from there until I got the wheels. If you could borrow a set of wheels that fit your brakes and have the right bolt circle that would be beneficial until you get your final wheels. Since there is no body, backspace doesn't matter. I would not haul it on a car trailer with 3/4" plywood wheels. They would work ok rolling around a shop, but I think the lateral loads on a trailer would just break them. Since I didn't move it once I got it un-crated, I didn't bother with the plywood temp wheels.
Piece of advice (aka lesson learned): If you pick it up on a trailer, make sure it gets loaded onto the trailer so that when you unload it you don't need to spin it around. My "shop" (oversized 2 car garage) is small and we unloaded it to only find out the front was at the back, so I needed to rotate it around which was a bit of a pain. So, if you are unloading it into a garage, and you want the front of the chassis not next to the garage door, make sure you load the front of the chassis facing the back of the trailer.
2) It was about a 12 week lead time. I forget the actual, but it was close to that. Rob did say if they were slow they could do them in 8 weeks, but they haven't been slow in a couple years, so I'd expect 12-14 weeks.
3) I haven't found anything major, so far I love everything about it. The only thing so far is I wish the front bumper mounts had been drilled for the factory brackets.
4) So space is interesting. The frame rails are 29" apart, about 3" over stock, but space is still at a premium. I took a photo to help you understand the space a little better. I put a tape measure against the top of the cylinder head, so looking down to the chassis it looks about 5" to the frame rail. As you can see though, this is only around the rear of the motor, and keep in mind I have the motor shoved way back. The suspension up front does eat into that space. Only thing I'd say though is you might skip the fuel line option. Rob routes the fuel lines down the passenger side and puts a "bulk head" right below the cab for the fuel lines. This is a very nice feature, but does constrain you a bit on where the fuel lines get routed.
Hope all that helps! Let me know if there is anything else or other photos you'd like to see. I'm glad to help out.