TALL_BOY's Swamp Truck Build

[TAWL_BOY]

I'm new to this forum, so I thought I catch ya'll up on my rig:

Well my truck started as a bone stock 94 GMC Z71 that I got in 2000 with 120K on the odometer. It then got a 3" body lift and a set of used 35" BFG MTs. They rubbed bad, so I got a 6" Superlift. I destroyed the motor and tranny. So I got a new crate 350 and rebuilt tranny and got the axle gear with 4.56s and posi. So I got a used set of 38.5" SXs. They rubbed, so I did an ORD shackle flip for 4 more inches and I put higher rated torsion bars, Ford Keys, and tightened the hell out of 'em. I knew this would ride like garbage, but for the end of my Senior year I wanted the tallest truck in town.

I went off to college and got a used 94 Buick LeSabre that got 30MPGs, so Build 1 began.
ORU SAS hangers, Custom Carrier Spring 14" springs, 78 Ford HP Dana 60/14 Bolt with 5.13s and 46" Baja Claws with hydro assist.


I added a heavy duty off road bumper and 12K winch. This caused my front suspension to compress enough to make my front driveshaft essentially too long. So I hit a hard bump and it split my 241 clean apart.
This would probably cause the average person to have their driveshafts shortened. Well I took it as an opportunity to ditch the ORU hangers and build my own for a total of 7" of lift from the hangers.


This worked all good and well, until I hear that Interco was comin' out with the 54" bogger. I found a set of Dueces for $800 and I sold everything off of my tuck I could.
I went back to Carrier and had some 20" lift springs that are 6" longer than stock behind the center pin and I modified my shackle hangers accordingly.
I went with 20x14 Stazworkz double beadlocks, I did a JB conversion Super Short SYE on the 241 had a custom intermediate shaft 8" long made to go to a divorced 205.






This was all completed in Aug. I got a several runs out of that setup and enjoyed it, but I wasn't completely satisfied. I knew what I was wantin' to do, I just needed an excuse.
So when my 205 fell out of its cradle and broke my 4L60E, I figured that a good enough reason to tear the whole truck apart.

[TAWL_BOY]

So I sold a bunch of junk off it and started gettin' ready.

The Plan:
I traded my rear for another front with the chunk already flipped and a Haldex Electric Hydro Pump and ram and hoses.



It was kinda nasty inside


So now I'll have rear steering.

[TAWL_BOY]

I picked up a 500+HP 468 that came out of a ProStreet Truck for $2200.





I also bought a Turbo 400 that I'm gonna have built with a full manual valve body.

[TAWL_BOY]

The tall leaf springs rode better than I would have suspected, but since I had traction bar front and rear I didn't have much lateral flex.
When I hit a deep spot unevenly I was worried I was gonna flop.
So, I'm going 4 link front and rear.
I plan on doing an air adjustable suspension using tierod cylinders at the corners connected to larger bore shorter stroke cylinders mounted under the bed connected to airbags.
The air bag will act as the suspension, and with a 2:1 advantage or so I should have 16-20 of height adjustability.
So I can level out when I'm uneven or go lower all over for high speed crazy driving.
And go really low for entry and exiting.

I started my subframe.
Here's half of it.






There will be another identical piece and they will be mounted under the frame about a foot apart and connected with 2" OD pipe.

That's just tacked. I didn't have any shield gas so I didn't want to fully weld until I could get a bottle filled.

My plasma cutter makes this go pretty smoothly.
I've got all the other pieces cut. I just need a chance to weld 'em up.

I live 150 miles away from my truck and only get to mess with it on the weekends and that's not every weekend.

But I graduate in May and I'll have the next couple of months to work non stop on it. But I'm also having a knee reconstruction in May too so I will be on crutches for 8-10 weeks. But, that's what friends are for.

[pimprider]

im speechless right now im going to need a break from the computer just so i can think up a response for this truck it blew my mind


P.S. and he still wants more lift

[02redchevyz71]

very intresting to say the least.

Subscribed

[TAWL_BOY]

I got my heims and inserts off my old traction bars to use on my uppers.


Plasma'ed off all the traction bar mount, shock mount, and perch bracing on my front axle.


I'm using the Ballistic Fab link helmet for my uppers and I need to be able to mount tabs over the part where the inspection cover opening is. So I cut a piece of 3/16" plate to fill the hole flush and there's still room for the ring gear on the underside.

[camo99Z]

HOLY F*CK THAT THING IS HUGE . I need to go change my underwear now

[TAWL_BOY]

Oops. I meant to do this in the off road forum. Oh well.

[TAWL_BOY]

Before my last run I cut all the little lugs of the boggers with a 2" wood chisel heated with a propane torch.

[GarnerZ]

Awesome Awesome truck man , good work too i may add. so i you haveing miniscus surgery, if so i had that done too. Good luck with it

[TAWL_BOY]

No, I'm having a Carticel procedure. I had a surgery where the took out cartilage to grow in a lab in Boston. Now they are going to put it back in.
And I'm having an Osteotomy(look it up) they're basically cutting my bone apart and bolting it back together.
I have an 18 month recovery time. For 10 weeks I have to stay off my leg all together so the new cartilage will grow.

I'm the product of a crooked college football coach, who made me train injured for months and wouldn't let me see a doctor.

[TwoTone98Z71]

awesome truck man

but you used a plasma for that?

[TAWL_BOY]

Why wouldn't a use a plasma if I had one?

[TwoTone98Z71]

Im not saying that. Im saying your cuts looked like they were done with a torch with the heat to low

[TAWL_BOY]

I just had a complete gaggle of gusseted and boxed brackets all intersecting there and the slag was collecting inside of the boxed in portions.

I know how to work the plasma.

[Bens95cobra8594]

Nice work dude. Glad to see the yellow lift highlights are slowly disappearing... that ish is so played out.

Keep up the great work!

[TAWL_BOY]

Sorry to disappoint you, but my links, tierods, flanges, shock hoops, and suspension rams will all be John Deer Yellow. Also my seats are yellow and black and my dash will be yellow diamond plate.

I don't think it's played out. Go to any major car show and you are not gonna get much points for having a solid black undercarriage if it's visible.

But, this is in no way a show truck. I just like how it looks.

[NEUMANNZZ]

you gonna paint the truck john deere green?

[F4MOU$]

rediculous man!

MAD PROPS