79 6x6

[Dcheat]

*chuckles* Thanks boyo Its just too damn heavy for that rock garden. Instead of walking over them, it just rolls the rocks. Thanks for the heads up! I dont check facebook all that often for stuff.

[Dcheat]

While paying with the truck, Ive noticed a problem thats kind of unique to this build.
Ive been working out some kinks after getting stuck as **** twice on the rock garden. Adding some more skid plating is high on that list. Despite her size, she's fairly low to the ground. Lacking rocker panels adds to this assumption that she sits sky high. Which is proving to provide an issue with high centering as the wheelbase to the forward axle is rather long.

Now, onto the issue I have that is really noticeable in that last video at 4 wheel parts. Those rear axles tend to push the front end something fierce when I turn. I thought setting it up with a more efficient ackerman angle with the steering pivoting in the center of the two rear axles would help out with this. And to a point, it does. However, I setup the front suspension geometry with a near 100% anti-dive ratio. So when the suspension loads up, like when im in 6x6 drive on the rocks, the only force being transmitted downward is the weight of the front end of the truck. Being over a thousand lbs less that the rear of the truck is causing an issue. And while playing with the rig in front wheel drive, it becomes rather clear.
Having 100% anti-dive is awesome while slamming on the brakes. The rig stays perfectly planted. No nose dive what so ever. Its steers nice and oddly enough corners well while driving on the street. God, I never thought id say this truck can corner... but it does. Well in fact.
In FWD, the problem becomes evident. I need that front axle to push downward when power is applied. Not a f-ton. But enough to get some damn traction.
When I give it throttle in fwd, the front end just lights up the tires. It struggles to get traction to scooch the weight of the truck around. No hopping or anything. Its like there is just no traction to be had.

The rear suspension... Its difficult to figure what its geometry is. The dynamics of its range of motion are strange due to everything pivoting off a center bearing. But how it feels when I punch it, and how the truck squats leads me to believe its in the 60 to 70% anti-squat range.
So! When im under power, and the weight shifts to the back of the truck im losing weight and traction from the front as the front axle just uses what weight is planted on it. Not providing its own additional pressure when torque is applied.

So. She's going under the knife again for a few upgrades. While doing that, im going to reconfigure the suspension to give me some more anti-dive and thus bit more pressure on that front axle.
I need to stop the ass end from pushing the front. This is kinda the only option at this point is to shift the geometry around.

Oh yeah.. Upgrades!
Getting the transmission rebuilt to handle the weight of this truck. The stock trans slips a bit. Then again, it was sitting for a few years on the shop shelf. So im not surprised by this.
And a slight engine upgrade.
The puny little 496 is going to be swapped out with Raylar's new custom 572 big block. Aluminum heads. steel crank, rods and so on. Should be interesting.
Soooo yeah. Thats a thing now :flipoff2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS51ri1CQvw

[TrailerTrash]

just when i thought this thread couldnt get any more interestin

[Dcheat]

[mongocanfly]

Dc that screwdriver deal sounds like my kinda luck...of all the crazy things I've pulled from tires the top of the list has to be a cereal spoon...handle first...go figure..talk about a noisy deal ever time that spoon went around and hit the pavement..but I didn't want to pull it out til I got home so I could fix it

[Dcheat]

A spoon? Seriously?! *throws hands up and walks away from the computer*
Okay, you win! Thats.. Yup. Damn man. Im sorry, but im laughing way too hard over that. Im mean, wow.

[mongocanfly]

Yep..I win!..that happened to my 86 c10 when I'd only had it about 6 months..everbody tells me I need to be writin a book about all the crazy crap that's happened to me over the years...here's one of my flat tire adventures...about 10 years ago I was turkey hunting one morning and on my way out stopped to lock the gate and I hear psssssss...I went around the truck to look and I had one of those plastic green headed roof tacks in the sidewall of my tire about 2" below the rim..me being lazy and not wanting to put on the spare I rushed down the road to a local tire store..I go walking in and don't see anybody..but a voice from the back hollers "be with ya ina minute".. well this ole hairlipped boy with 2 teeth (billyjoebob) comes out and says.." what can I do ya for"..so I tell him I've got a nail in my sidewall and need a patch on it not a plug..so we walk out to look and he says" can't plug that,, gonna need a patch"..I'm like I just told you that..so anyway he drags a jack and impact out and starts to work..he gets 2 nuts loose and stops...looks up at me(I can tell inspiration has done come over this ol boy) and says" tell ya what we could do, save ya some money.. take a sheetmetal screw and a washer put some caulk on it and run it in that hole"........(crickets)........now I'm thinking where's the cameras?....I look back at him and says I think ill stick with the patch.."awrighty" he says and takes off a couple more lug nuts and he stops again.. looks back up at me and says" ima telling ya them screws hold good..ya see that cavalier out there.. (pointing at the parking lot) I've got fo or five screws in dem tires and I'm telling ya they hold good"..... (more crickets)...i had to walk back out front and look at the sign just to make sure where i was....needless to say I didn't take my eyes of him again until I left...

[1985-GMC]

Man that sucks, I would have been pissed

[Dcheat]

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC

Man that sucks, I would have been pissed

Im glad there were no children near by. Because the slew of cursing and yelling that came from me was something else
No worries. I'll toss a new tube in there and try again soon.

[Dcheat]

Time to get this rig back under the knife. My Raylar 572 will be showing up on Wednesday. Then a week or so later, the new transmission from FinishLine transmissions will be arriving. Good timing too, as I blew up my current trans Friday evening! All I have left is 1st and reverse Not too surprising as this was a bone stock 4l80e that was from a wrecked motor-coach, then it sat on my shelf for a number of years.
While its back in the shop, I'll also be re-configuring the rear suspension to a dual 3-link with 16" airshocks. I Love the flex of the current setup, and how it distributes the traction. But its just a wee bit bouncy. The new configuration will allow more independent suspension movement between the rear axles. So one axle lifting up will no longer push the other axle downward. It will also distribute the stresses of all that weight better on the frame. No longer will both rear axles be pivoting off of a single point. Which was always a concern of mine.

[1985-GMC]

Awesome, can't wait to see the new changes!

[MTCK]

That is pretty! Going to eat propane too?

[Dcheat]

Originally Posted by MTCK

That is pretty! Going to eat propane too?

For now, yes. My fuel system is more than capable of handling it. Though I REALLY hate to say it, but I will be converting back to gasoline soon. I ran into a significant snag. F'ing NOBODY will fill her up. Either stations refuse because they have never filled an automotive tank before and aren't willing to start now, or they aren't setup to pay road tax. I built this truck to be able to go to Moab or the Rubicon and drive back. But now I have this issue that I cant guarantee that I can get fuel on the way there. Even stations that told me before I built this truck, they they would fill car tanks, refuse to fill it up. So yeah. Pisses me off. Im left with little alternative other than carrying spare 10 gallon forklift tanks.

Im not looking forward to cutting apart my roll cage and sections of the bed to take the LPG tank back out. So as of right now, I'll run what I got.

[MTCK]

Well that sucks. Fab up a two burner grill for the back of the cage and tell the stations it's a 700 horsepower self propelled BBQ.

[Dcheat]

Originally Posted by MTCK

Well that sucks. Fab up a two burner grill for the back of the cage and tell the stations it's a 700 horsepower self propelled BBQ.

What? Its a BBQ!

[Dcheat]

So! I got to yank a 5-ton 6x6 out of the mud today

[TrailerTrash]

What no video?!?!

[Dcheat]

Originally Posted by TrailerTrash

What no video?!?!

Oh I wanted to shoot some. But by the time the owner of the 5-tonner got on site, it was already dark.

[TrailerTrash]

Originally Posted by Dcheat

Oh I wanted to shoot some. But by the time the owner of the 5-tonner got on site, it was already dark.

Ah i got ya man. woulda been sweet but it doesnt always work out that way

Originally Posted by daddyjeep

Man, that picture really puts into perspective how huge your truck is.

that is so true its a monster

[daddyjeep]

Man, that picture really puts into perspective how huge your truck is.

[Dcheat]

Originally Posted by daddyjeep

Man, that picture really puts into perspective how huge your truck is.

*chuckles* Ya know, thats the crazy thing. To me, it doesn't seem all that big. Until I park next to... well anything really. I built this to be as low as I could be, and still have usable suspension travel with 46" tires. The other day, I came out of a store and a toyota on 38's was next to my rig in the parking lot. I couldnt help but think, "Awww, look at that little fellah. Its attempting to Truck next to mine."

[daddyjeep]

Originally Posted by Dcheat

*chuckles* Ya know, thats the crazy thing. To me, it doesn't seem all that big. Until I park next to... well anything really. I built this to be as low as I could be, and still have usable suspension travel with 46" tires. The other day, I came out of a store and a toyota on 38's was next to my rig in the parking lot. I couldnt help but think, "Awww, look at that little fellah. Its attempting to Truck next to mine."

I think the proportions of what you built are spot on. That is why it looks so huge to me next to something with a known size.

[Dcheat]

Video!

https://youtu.be/yv5Z56BikBM


First time out with the rig after having reconfigured the front suspension for better anti-dive geometry. In doing so, it moved the front axle forward about 1.5". Everything looked good to go, except not so much. When at full compression, the front tires rubbed the fenders. It felt like just a little bit, so I didnt worry about it. The big issue came with the hydraulic bump stops. The plates that they contact on the axle were setup for the rotation and offset of the axle with the old geometry. Now, they would juuuust slide off that plate. Allowing the axle to compress even further than expected, and more or less let the tires take out the front clip of the truck. Once the suspension extended, the shaft of the bumps became stuck on the lip of the plate and they ripped from the mounting cans. Sooo yeah. Double check all your angles and alignments before going wheeling fellas.
I had planned on hitting some more entertaining stuff up the way. But without bump stops, the Rockwell center-chunk comes too close to my oil pan at full compression. I didn't want to risk it.
At the end, I was stopped by a few hikers who wanted photos

[Low Elco]

That's cool! We have a facility just north of Reno, been there a couple times. When you're from around here, (where someone owns every square inch of land) it's insane that you can just be rollin down the road and strike off on some trail, and no one cares.

[Dcheat]

Ahh yes. The joys of most of the open land around here being BLM property. The trick is to keep jerks who love to dump trash, burn cars or tag the rocks under control. If we wheelers keep it clean, then the BLM keeps it open to us. Good times