48 Chevy COE custom diesel build

[Chance48]

Good info wrencher and thanks...I just might give a churbo a try then, haha.

47, I'm using a universal kit from thorbros. It is a burly unit, also using their universal pan hard kit. I was gonna build my own ladder bar setup and ditched for this. When I'm more experienced I'll tackle total fab, I was just not real confident but I understand this stuff a lot more now as I read and get hands on aswell. I'm gonna build a raised bench, same size as the floor/seat tub structure was before but this will be about 9" tall. It will be closed in with a removable lid so to speak. Will need to find a shallow made seat. Maybe on of those early 90's Chevy seats you where telling me about. For the bed I may have changed my direction. Prolly not doing a car hauler now. My bed is gonna be 12 1/2' long and I don't wanna go any longer. I'm thinking I'm gonna build a semi fancy western hauler type bed if your familiar with that. Skirt it out, add some aluminum bling here and there, throw some stacks in it. Will have to make a little dog house in front for rear of engine of course. Also gonna search for some air cylinders to maybe rig it up so it will tilt and I can get to engine easier. I wanna pull the valve cover. Move oil fill hole to rear of cover and fill front, then put a remote radiator fill tank aswell and make the oil filter remote. Then all I'll have is power steering fluid to fuss with should it need topping off, rest will be out back, nice and easy to access.

Boy, I'm looking at this thing as I go, the mid engine makes it hard to mount all the stuff I'm gonna need to mount. Compressors and tanks are some of that. I didn't want to put them on outside of chassis for they will intrude my toolbox space, I can't put them in the rear cuz I believe I'm gonna build a fuel cell back there. I always wanted to be an engineer, haha.

[Chance48]

Made some decent progress today. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the bags at optimum placement so I don't have to redo them, haha...

Here is the thorbros parallel 4 link kit 47. It's a burly ass lil kit. 3/8" plate brackets, 3/16" wall tubing by 1 1/2"....




Beveling the brackets for 100% weld.




This lil dude is nice to have in the shop.











Pic with one of my four lil rug rats streakin by, haha...


It's hard to see, but the engine cross member sets 1/4" off the ground and oil pan sets bout 1 1/4"...... This is roughly where it will set totally aired out. I'm aiming for bout an inch higher when done.









That's all the pics...I got the front suspension ready to start fitting the bag mounts. Gonna sleep on that, hopefully wake up with a solid plan...haha.

Chance

[99 to Life]

very cool build, the 4link looks proper. looking forward to seeing this one pan out and get on the road.

[47 Fasttoys]

Very nice Chance, looks like your making some serious progress. Kit looks well made, what kind of cash did the kit cost? Thanks for the pictures. I will be finishing up my front bags tomorrow, I'll post some pictures and try to get a video of them in operation.
Rob

[Chance48]

Thanks fellas,

The kit was 350.00 when I bought it but it looks like he went up to 400.00 on his site now. I recommend it for its precision. You or I can build this setup, but when hand cutting, drilling we wouldn't be as perfect as this. The fit of everything is beautiful. I want a CNC plasma, haha. Dreaming right....that's how I justified that cost though, a bit pricey but I believe I got what I paid for.

I went ahead and pulled the cab off yesterday so I can better access the suspension for bag installation. What a pita this job is. I'm on the winning side of it now but damn......

[Chance48]

Front bags are done!!! That lil job took longer than I thought. All I gotta do to totally finish is when I redo the front end bushings I'll pull the arms off and when I do I'll weld out the the underside of the bag mounts. I am stoked about how it turned out! It's got 50 psi in it and it's setting about 2" above the ride height I'm looking for. So....I'm just guessing but I figure this thing once totally finished will prolly have a ride height psi of 90 or less. I jumped on it and it is freakin plush, haha....you can tell I'm tickled with this cant ya!?

The shocks clear the bags by 3/16". Do Ya'll think that is to close or plenty of room? Will the bags ballon more or that is max they will ballon?

Some pics....

















I'll be doing the rear next then onto reinstalling the cab, fit the intercooler then start plumbing it, the rad, tranny cooler and then get steering sorted. This is going pretty fast. But I know, these big chunks are deceiving....the details are when it slows to a creep. Peace

Chance

[47 Fasttoys]

Hey Chance, you made quick work of the bag job. If mine is any indication, I think your bags are at full balloon in your picture. Mine look about the same under full load. For the shock clearance I ended up very close also. One thing I did run into was a minor issue with shock travel. I left about 3/4 inch extra travel on the lower end, as it turned out I needed that 3/4 on the full extended end. I had enough threads to just add a spacer. 3/4 inch does not sound like much but that equals about 1 1/2 inch of wheel travel. At full drop I'm at 0 to 1/8 inch off the ground with the front bumper being the first contact point and about 2 inches clearance for anything else. What level of CFM do your compressors have? What size bags did you end up with?
Rob

[Dieselwrencher]

Chance, great work! That 4 link kit is beefy nice too! On the shocks, I think you'll be fine. We have some semi's at work that came from the factory with shock to bag tolerances like that and they don't rub.

[lower50's]

Wow your truck is looking great. I love the tire tuck and rear suspension looks like a nice kit. My bags did balloon a bit towards the outside due to the arc of the suspension but looks like you have clearance there.

[Chance48]

Thanks fellas!

47, they are dominator 2600's. I think they are 7.5" bags with ride height from 6 to 9.5". According to the guy, I'll have a hard time overloading them, says they are burly af! I'll be running 2 480c viair compressors with two 5 gallon tanks at 200 psi and 3.53 cfm. I kinda wish I had more volume....later after the build is pretty much done and I find I do need more, I'll rig a 3rd tank somewhere under frame. I really want those air Rams to make the bed tilt!

[Chance48]

Well, I researched air cylinders and I don't believe they'll work. From what I seen they cant lift the load I'll be needing them to....so, I'll be getting an electric hydro pump and run hydro cylinders. Won't need more volume after all.

[Chance48]

Made some good headway. Once again, there are lots of missing pics, smh. If you guys see something outta place let me know.

My lower bag mounts fab bed and ready for mock up.


The axle breather hole has to be welded up and relocated. 7/16x20 threads, so that's good. I got the tap for the job.



Here is my upper bag mounts and the beginning of my c-notch. Boy I thought I took more inbetween pics.







Here I've got the cross bars on, removed spare tire holder, started boxing rear half of frame.




Here I've got the pan hard bar in, the gussets for bag mounts and shocks roughed in. I stood the shocks up a bit cuz I have the room. I figure it'll give a better ride.





And lastly, I've got a question. It appears this is gonna be at one of my ride heights. Does this front bag need to be more extended or is this fine. I figure the ride will be fine but will the sandwiching of the two bag segments be fine, you know...touching?



Now I'll get a rear crossmember in, reinstall mid section frame top cross member using blind nuts then box mid section of frame, tidy up the front cab mounts. Then, reinstall cab, build new rear cab mounts, mount intercooler, figure turbo piping, rad hoses, build fan shroud(will do that before mounting cab). Then I believe I'll remove cab again, disassemble chassis for weld out, paint and rebuilding of front suspension, brakes and reassemble. Rebuild engine, do cab sheet metal work then paint...haha, sounds like I'm almost done...

Peace,
Chance

[99 to Life]

hahah yah almost done man!!! I'm Sure we've all said that more than once. So for the front bag, I think it will be "ok" but what I'd do is trim down your lower bracket so the bag settles better, I usually see what you got going on, but on the opposite side of the bag. also your panhard, not sure if you're at ride height or not, or if you knew this or not, it is recommended to have the panhard level at ride height. Keep up the good work.

[Chance48]

Yeah, I'm gonna redo the front lower bag mount so I can get a lil more travel. I know about the pan hard bar. In the pics it is a bit above ride height but at ride height it is still not level. I measured the lateral movement of the chassis through the travel from bottom to top and it was negligible. I feel strongly that it's a non issue.

I'll prolly be a year till I'm finished, unless I let a body shop do the detail work on the body. It's gonna be hard to let someone else have any glory on my build, haha.

[99 to Life]

cool yah looks like the bag mount is angled too, try knocking down that angle and the bag should sit better. I hear ya about letting anyone touch a build. I'm overly prideful in saying "I" built that. I'm a builder (try to be!!) not a buyer.

[youngrodder]

I love where your going with this COE truck. These look soo good dumped on air bags.

keep at it.

Marc

[Chance48]

Little progress. Been taking extra time with my boys over x-mas vacay.

Cleaned my shock mounts up here


Love these two tools...Shrinker/stretcher is a must have.





Was using the shrink/stretch to build my fan shroud. I'm very pleased how this is turning out.










Just gotta build the mounts for the shroud, weld out and clean up.

[99 to Life]

very cool, I feel like such a doosh not having a skrinker stretcher yet. Shoulda bought one bf my plasma!

[47 Fasttoys]

You know 99, I think we're being sandbagged here...just a few weeks ago it was " I've never done anything like this before" and now we see a skrinker/stretcher come out of the took box, some high quality welding, talk of progressive turbo set-ups. I just wanna know... when he make the big time, are we gonna get a stand-in role on his TV show?
Rob

[99 to Life]

oh yah someone brought a ringer!!!

[Turtleman]

Originally Posted by 47 Fasttoys

You know 99, I think we're being sandbagged here...just a few weeks ago it was " I've never done anything like this before" and now we see a skrinker/stretcher come out of the took box, some high quality welding, talk of progressive turbo set-ups. I just wanna know... when he make the big time, are we gonna get a stand-in role on his TV show?
Rob

LMAO......... kinda funny how that seems to work out doesn't it.. One thing I'll say is... The tools look new

[Chance48]

Haha, funny stuff....I never said I've never worked with metal.....this miller 190 makes light metal welding a snap!

I finished adding my shrouds mounts. Turned out purty good. I'm gonna use seam sealer around the shroud to make the weld area smooth rather than weld it out completely. I could weld it out but meh....









And a snap shot of the finished off front cab mounts



Well, my work is a lil slow right now. That's not real good but it gives me more time to work on my truck, haha. I'm gonna try to get the front lower bag mounts reworked tomorrow.

Chance

[lower50's]

Good Job I like the fan shroud.

[Chance48]

Thanks Bob.

[Chance48]

Well I got the front lower bag mounts finished along with a few other small loose ends.

The bag sets much better now 99.... Also I gained bout 1/2" more bag travel.








Next up is filling all the holes in the frame. I'm gonna count them but I'm gonna guess right now that there is 150 holes minimum to fill, smh.

Chance