Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

I tried to send you a PM but you box is full.....

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Then a final fit check before bodywork. The gap looks wide due to the tubs not being fully bolted in, but tightens up nicely when they are in place. Now just have to do all of that again on the other side...

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Fixed.

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

You've got Mail :D

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Those templates are the shiznit. Dang. :phat:

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Wow that looks really good man! Keep it up

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

That really looks good!

I know the wooden bucks will probably go to the next person that needs them, but make some stencils before you send them off... I might could use that one day.

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

This is awesome! Took an already good design and added another improvement :metal: Keep paying it forward my friends

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Look what I found out in the wild this weekend!

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Glad to see Gringo's getting to drive it:metal: Any more pics?

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Oh yeah, but most of the other ones have my Blazer in them too.

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

That's a bonus!! :metal: I can only imagine all the hours worked between the 2...

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Knocking out a few things on the truck lately, first up is the Altman easy latches my wife snagged me for Christmas. Overall, I have to say I’m happy with them, though I did end up modifying them to look/fit better (in my opinion). The doors do close better than before, but the latches didn’t completely cure having to break in new weatherstripping, aka, I still have to slam the door...

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Also grabbed these super nice stainless and delrin tailgate hinges from tdtrunniondesign.com. They are super smooth and quiet when opening/closing the gate, but what I really want is for it to be quiet when I drive over bumps... we’ll see. If nothing else, I’ve eliminated the factory rusty pieces.

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

...and I’m now in the middle of a rear-end rebuild, due to some leakiness, noisiness, and one-wheel-peeliness :burnout: The housing is gutted and the 3.73s are making way for 4.10s and a Yukon posi, with all new bearings and seals.

Last pic is of my homemade pinion depth measurement tool; beats the heck out of paying $200 for a one-time use specialty tool. It’s a simple straight edge with some strategically located holes for the digital calipers to reach through. Should save some time on the initial gear setup.

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

All the updates are looking good! Do you think the change to the Altman will affect its overall strength or function? Enjoying the progress!

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Thanks man! The original design wraps around the door frame and tucks under the door panel, which I didn’t really care for. The only issue I could foresee after looking at it is maybe some slight misalignment issues on initial setup, but it is very secure and looks much better with that piece removed, IMO.

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

so I don't have to go back through the whole thread...

What rear disc brake kit are you using?

Upgrade look great!

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Thanks, Karl. The brakes are stock C5 Corvette; I modified (nothing ever seems to just be a bolt on for me) a set of brackets I bought from seller lt4xtreme on eBay.

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

I agree 100%. It doesn't look like it does anything other than ensure alignment as you alluded to since there aren't any bolts in the wrap around and there's stamping on the piece that you kept for rigidity sake. Seems like a rock solid upgrade to me :metal: Might just have to borrow that when my time comes :lol:

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Chris, I've been lusting after the truck since you added the current wheels and now....you just destroyed the cool meter! :metal:

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Thanks Doug! Funny you mention wheels, I've been mentally exploring options for replacing them:

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Those wheels on the bottom are on FIRE! ;)

Makes me wonder what my wheels would look like cerakoted bronze with the dark blue on my Blazer. :hmm:

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

I like that bronze! Who’s gonna do it first?

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

The bronze does look good, and no polishing required. Integral to this look are the machined flat centers; I dig it.

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Putting this rear end back together and thought I’d share an ingenious (not my idea) way of torquing ring gear bolts:

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Well look at that. Handy.

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

You have some serious attention to detail Chris..
In other news: The stance and the flat blue are undeniably pleasing to the eye. Do you know the % of sheen with that color ?

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

I know, right!? Nice trick for us solo workers without a huge bench vise.
Thanks Troy, it’s a blessing and a curse. TCP Global used to advertise the percentage gloss, but I can’t find it now. I’d guess somewhere around 10-15%

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

...and after at minimum 37 times in and out of the housing, the new posi carrier is torqued down. Pretty happy with how the gears setup, though I’d maybe like the pinion just a tiny touch deeper, when I tried that it didn’t like it and threw the pattern way off. Pulled .005 out of the pinion shim and ended up with a nice, smooth, even pattern on the coast side, slightly towards center on the drive side, and with a relatively tight .008 backlash. Done. Now to put it all back together and lay some twin stripes :burnout:

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Nice, clean pattern there.

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Thanks Scoti, definitely found its happy place.

She’s all buttoned up now, waiting for cover sealant to cure, then dump fluids. Also went ahead and had the driveshaft balanced while it was out and did the 500 mile break-in flush on the TKO and refilled with synchromesh. Hoping it’s smooth and quiet when I get her back on the road...

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Pics of said twin stripes?

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

It’s all broken in now, and I’ve been beating on it pretty good. No black marks from these old dusty brown tires :lol: It does get pretty squirrely when you mash the loud pedal and the 4.10s definitely make it livelier than the 3.73s.

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Couple of minor updates, hope to have more substantial progress soon.

First, I sanded and painted the air cleaner in my favorite shade of VHT:

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

I didn’t much care for how plain the striker plates looked on the new door latches, so I ordered their billet upgrade. Too shiny for me, so matte black powder it is :smoke:

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

...and TA_C10 you’re completely to blame for this. I ordered up the Hart Fab flush mount plate box, and of course couldn’t leave it alone. Really nice piece, but it sat too deep for my liking and at a funny angle. Ended up taking a couple inches out here, and a half an inch out there, and spaced the plate away from the box a 1/2”. More matte black powder and I think I’m happy with it...

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

Been scratching my head on what exactly I want to do with the heater/ac hoses and was entertaining something like this. Of course, N2Billet makes it look easy, but I think it fits the theme here.

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

First, the results look great! Curious to know if you considered trying to keep the hidden hitch and license plate mount?

Re: How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10
 

I did try. The chain hooks were hanging too low, which I didn’t like, then the receiver was in the way. It got cut. The trailer hitch is now merely a crossmember. One could probably make it work, but it was not a priority for me. This truck is no longer tow capable.