5 Lug to 4500 Taco build

[DocRamsay]

At Slander's request, a build thread. I've had this 5 lug since high school, it took me and my motos to all of the D36 races, traveled with me during my time in the Army and generally just did everything pretty ok until I met up with my buddies from high school in Jawbone and I decided to test the fabtech lift spindles and rancho 5000's on the same whoops Jason Voss was slamming in his prerunner, didn't drive quite right after that .

Moved to Montana years ago and it's lived in my side yard since with plans to eventually build it. Somewhere in there did the ol automatic ball joint delete and wound up buying fiberglass fenders to look cool (I was like 23 at the time, he was kinda dumb)

 

[DocRamsay]

It started with a $20 4L80 off of marketplace and my wife saying "just fucking build it already".

 

[DocRamsay]

Figured that 4L80 needs a reason to exist. Then we had a baby in the middle of it all. She's already wired more shit than the average overlander before she was 4 months old. We still haven't decided on if it's gonna get a cool guy intake, but I did give the stock intake the Ken doll treatment to hopefully fit under the taco hood. Turbo because someone told me it was a dumb idea and I always wanted one. Rebuilt the 5.3, tossed a truck norris cam in, ARP studs and gapped the rings with an angle grinder. 5.3's are dime a dozen up here, for $200 out of the salvage yard, I'll just keep popping them.

Another part of this project has been to learn more shit, so I picked up a cheap TIG machine from AHP and started learning how to TIG stainless.

 

[DocRamsay]

I tried to pull the SD60 out by myself instead of using the tractor right next to me, caused my L4-5 disc to check out. Worked through it for a year and finally got surgery last month. Built it out before then though, ARB/truss/BJ eliminators.

 

[DocRamsay]

Currently working on the rear axle. Just had my lifting restriction increased to 40lbs, so I figure I can start picking the locker in and out of it to set up the gears this weekend. In the meantime I got the welding done and threw a bit of paint on it in the meantime. (Don’t weld while on muscle relaxers and opiates, you’ll produce ugly ass welds).

 

[DocRamsay]

Continuing with using this as an excuse to learn, I've started playing with Fusion 360. Especially since I have the down time right now. Nearly broke my medic/nurse brain building these two planes

 

[DocRamsay]

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