Projectjunkie
Whatever
Yeah, that's pretty much my life until October
I needed your updates so my brain could feel like things were getting fixed in the world
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Class C 4x4 Converstion
- Thread starter welndmn
- Start date
Yeah, that's pretty much my life until October
I needed your updates so my brain could feel like things were getting fixed in the world
Carp3N0ct3m
Member
I'm definitely excited to see progress bro!! As always I'm not far away so if you need help call Ryan 😂😂
welndmn
Well Done Man
So from my tape measure and asking other people with Vans (many motorhome people are leaf spring, I mainlt thing it's because of U joint off road) , I need about 3"-4" of lift to clear the pumpkin. I looked at other popular Van MOOG brand coil springs, none were near the same wire diameter as my motorhome, so I decided to keep my stock springs and just build towers'spacers to gain lift. I have heard that F450 - F550 2wd springs will give me 3" of lift, but I can't find used ones and don't want to buy new ones only to find out they didn't work. If I end up not linking the coil spacers, I'll buy new coils. The TTB coils are stiffer to control the TTB, and I'd like to ride to stiffen up, so going to a beam axle might be the ticket. To help anyone as well, coil spacers are not dangerous, it's quite normal. so I made a 4" wide 1" thick round, the stock van lower spring cup and islator are flat and about 4" so it will bolt perfectly to this. the pad to the Dana 60 is smaller, so I'll need to bridge that soon
Cost - beer money for using a friends torch.
I did buy some wheels too, Procomp 7069 wheels, in a flat chaulky black, $130 each (2).
First thing I did is had to check if my home drilled unit bearings fit the wheel, I have one stud that was a little crooked from not being pressed in all the way, but other than that they fit. That gives me hope that I drilled them true. I had to buy stupid spline drive lug nuts to fit these wheels ($30).
Cost - beer money for using a friends torch.
I did buy some wheels too, Procomp 7069 wheels, in a flat chaulky black, $130 each (2).
First thing I did is had to check if my home drilled unit bearings fit the wheel, I have one stud that was a little crooked from not being pressed in all the way, but other than that they fit. That gives me hope that I drilled them true. I had to buy stupid spline drive lug nuts to fit these wheels ($30).
welndmn
Well Done Man
I also started on the gears, I bought NON- crush sleeve style gears in my distaste for crush sleeves. $140, 4:56 thick. New crush sleeve is pictured.
You can see the machined difference on where the crush sleeve sits.
Diff is still on the ground as I can't pick it up because it's hot outside.
In the back ground you can see my local napa had 7/16 Spring center bolts in the Help section, score! $8 each (2).
You can see the machined difference on where the crush sleeve sits.
Diff is still on the ground as I can't pick it up because it's hot outside.
In the back ground you can see my local napa had 7/16 Spring center bolts in the Help section, score! $8 each (2).
350TacoZilla
Well-known member
Just me but I would have a machine shop bore the centers on 3rd gen ram DRW 17's to run same tire all around. Well actually I would get a custom dually spacer on front and run all the same wheels too but thats not too big of a deal.
welndmn
Well Done Man
I thought about it, heck I even went and picked up some Dodge wheels last week.
The issue is once I bore the wheels for the rear, I need to make a custom spacer for the front with the Van 4.88 hub bore size, or at least a hub ring to fit over the superduty hub to make it larger so the front becomes hub centric as well.
Then I changed my mind as there really is no gain and I just like the SRW front end look better.
If someone really wanted to keep the DRW setup, I'd just tell them to buy F450/550 axles front and rear, swap those, run 19.5 rims with 10 lug wheels and all that jazz.
I had 19.5's on my pickup, I liked the weight and everything about them, but after 30k miles I grew to hate them.
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Fawk those spline lug nuts. When they seize up to the wheel and the cheap ass spline socket breaks u will wish u never put them on. Just had to pull the wheels and shafts out as one on a jk and burn the studs out from the back last week so i could do a gear swap.
I have been using those for years without issue. Spray some lube in them before use and don't use an impact (which it says in the instructions) Zero issues.
Still gay that the rims came with such small lug holes. What the fuck were they thinking people use on 8 lugs?
Kriptonite
Bullshit account
Nice work. Looking forward to seeing more updates.
welndmn
Well Done Man
I hate them,but I hate any sort of lug nut that needs a "key".
Oh well, it was the style of wheel I liked so I'm stuck with it.
welndmn
Well Done Man
Tires came in, I have some clean up from camping/4wheeling this last weekend to get taken care of, then I get to start taking apart a perfectly fine RV this week.
welndmn
Well Done Man
It's happened, I have started ruining a perfect handling RV.
It's way too big to fit in my shop so I have to do it in the sideyard in the gravel. Working in the gravel helps remind you that you're a man.
It's way too big to fit in my shop so I have to do it in the sideyard in the gravel. Working in the gravel helps remind you that you're a man.
Kriptonite
Bullshit account
Good luck with the build--looking forward to updates.
Hell ya! 
350TacoZilla
Well-known member
Can't wait to see how this thing turns out.
GLTHFJ60
Stupid is as stupid does
350TacoZilla
Well-known member
Pity its not F450-550 4x4 coil springs you need, rock auto has them brand new for $225-250 stock height-3" lift.
If you do end up needing 2wd ones Car-part.com is showing a place 55mi from concord called Subway Truck Parts has them for $45 each and has 3-4 trucks to choose from.
If you do end up needing 2wd ones Car-part.com is showing a place 55mi from concord called Subway Truck Parts has them for $45 each and has 3-4 trucks to choose from.
welndmn
Well Done Man
It was 110-115 degrees this weekend, so a lot of pictures did not get taken, but I will take more of the finished project.
The front end is off the jack stands and it just needs the drag light and trac bar dialed in and figure the sway bar.
Ended up with 4" of lift, 6.5" total with the tires.
I might try and go down 1", but it gets too damn close to the engine oil cooler.
Now the fun part, dealing with the rear lift.
The front end is off the jack stands and it just needs the drag light and trac bar dialed in and figure the sway bar.
Ended up with 4" of lift, 6.5" total with the tires.
I might try and go down 1", but it gets too damn close to the engine oil cooler.
Now the fun part, dealing with the rear lift.
Good to see more progress here. Keep it up!
welndmn
Well Done Man
A few updated pics.
Here is the trac bar mount. It's an off the shelf one from Motobuilt, that just trimmed to fit. I plated the frame around the steering box and captured one bolt of the box and the track bar bracket.
You can see the heim on the outside of the bracket, that is a support rod (and place to store spare heims) that goes from the track bar bracket to the engine crossmemeber..
You can also see the Super Duty sway bar mounted to the front trailer hitch, one bolt on the hitch, then a bracket spaced off the hitch for the other bolt.
Front shocks Bilstein 24-185776 BE56681H8 Shock Absorber This is a Superduty 4" lifted shock
The coil towers are just 3" lift spacers for a super duty. I used the Stock van springs and all the van spring retainers fit well.
The stock Superduty drag link kinda fit (well you need to ream out the pitman arm). but there is not a lot of thread left in the adjuster sleeve.
The superdutys came in 2 flavors, "Normal" was 34" drag link, and "Wide frame" as a 36" drag link, I just bought the 36" to install it to get me more treads in the adjuster sleeve.
Now on to rear lift.
Here is the trac bar mount. It's an off the shelf one from Motobuilt, that just trimmed to fit. I plated the frame around the steering box and captured one bolt of the box and the track bar bracket.
You can see the heim on the outside of the bracket, that is a support rod (and place to store spare heims) that goes from the track bar bracket to the engine crossmemeber..
You can also see the Super Duty sway bar mounted to the front trailer hitch, one bolt on the hitch, then a bracket spaced off the hitch for the other bolt.
Front shocks Bilstein 24-185776 BE56681H8 Shock Absorber This is a Superduty 4" lifted shock
The coil towers are just 3" lift spacers for a super duty. I used the Stock van springs and all the van spring retainers fit well.
The stock Superduty drag link kinda fit (well you need to ream out the pitman arm). but there is not a lot of thread left in the adjuster sleeve.
The superdutys came in 2 flavors, "Normal" was 34" drag link, and "Wide frame" as a 36" drag link, I just bought the 36" to install it to get me more treads in the adjuster sleeve.
Now on to rear lift.
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This build is awesome. Makes me want to go buy one just to do a 4x conversion.
welndmn
Well Done Man
Room for cutting yes, but the inside is larger than the outside, so I'm hoping the tires should still be on the inside as they are the stock wheels, but I won't know until I get the tires mounted.
DRTDEVL
Mothfukle
Just keep 'em tall n skinny.
welndmn
Well Done Man
All the leafs!
I added 3 leafs to the pack from the F450 springs I had, I still need 2.5" of lift, so I ordered some 3" blocks.
The Moog/AC delco drag link (PN (45A10048,) needed 1" cut from it, but after that fits perfect.
I added 3 leafs to the pack from the F450 springs I had, I still need 2.5" of lift, so I ordered some 3" blocks.
The Moog/AC delco drag link (PN (45A10048,) needed 1" cut from it, but after that fits perfect.
welndmn
Well Done Man
I think that's what made ride really nice, lots of light weight leafs and it actually rides in the negative arch.