When replacing stock bags snowballs into a Long Travel '04 Denali

[MadDogDelpho]

I get the feeling you have some experience with this kinda stuff

 

[MadDogDelpho]

I said "prerunner", but I was thinking "fabricated", like this:

I guess you're talking something more like this?:

I dig the hell outta that bottom rig. Looks mean.

 

[slow4dr]

I have been busy all week but I don't feel like I've made any progress. Lots of cardboard cutting and mock up. I am working on six different brackets but none of which are completed. I should probably just concentrate on one but that wouldn't be any fun.

I have gone back and forth with completely redesigning the frame bracket for the panhard. I finally decided on the easy option. A 2x3 rectangle tube slides right into the factory mount with some persuasion. This will provide many weld and reinforcement points.

 

[iamdub]

...A 2x3 rectangle tube slides right into the factory mount with some persuasion. This will provide many weld and reinforcement points.

Good to know. Those pics remind me of when I made a frame side track bar mount for my XJ using the original frame bracket and a piece of 2"x3"x.25"

I ended up not using much of the tubing at all. lol

 

[slow4dr]

I hear ya, I had to buy a 5' stick for a 10.5" piece. I like how yours turned out. Especially the back brace. I think I am going to brace(triangulate) mine off the inside near the exhaust.

 

[iamdub]

You have the space. I think that even a well-placed piece of DOM would be more than sufficient if gusset plates are too much hassle. They'd be "prettier", though.

 

[slow4dr]

One step forward, two steps back. The new anti-sway bar end link on the passenger side hits the new panhard bracket at full droop. It's an easy fix, just need to move the adjuster nut down 2". The other issue I am having is at full compression the new panhard bracket on the axle side is hitting the frame. This will also be an easy fix by moving the bracket towards the middle of the truck .5".

 

[slow4dr]

I am now on the 3rd iteration of the panhard bracket for the axle. This latest revision captures the axle on a greater scale adding strength. I also lowered it .25" and moved it over .5".

I hadn't planned on doing the free travel mod so these pictures are with the stock bump stop fully compressed. The axle is centered in this picture which won't be the case once the bar is installed. The bar will pull the bracket to the center roughly 3/8" which will gain some space between it and the frame.

 

[TheAutumnWind]

I dig the hell outta that bottom rig. Looks mean.

thats @owl_93

 

[owl_93]

Damn this thread is interesting, seriously good stuff here thank you for posting.

I'm still trying to do coilovers up front but I need some new UCA's first and I don't know who the hell to get them from. Im thinking Cognito or have the guy who did my bumpers make them. I'm probably gonna need to go with NNBS CV's since mine are nearly shot anyway, and the Atomic Coilover conversion with Fox or Bilstein Remote res. shocks.

Definitely gonna stay tuned here for updates.

 

[slow4dr]

Damn this thread is interesting, seriously good stuff here thank you for posting.

I'm still trying to do coilovers up front but I need some new UCA's first and I don't know who the hell to get them from. Im thinking Cognito or have the guy who did my bumpers make them. I'm probably gonna need to go with NNBS CV's since mine are nearly shot anyway, and the Atomic Coilover conversion with Fox or Bilstein Remote res. shocks.

Definitely gonna stay tuned here for updates.

Your Hoe looks great. Where in Cali are you located? You're going to like what I've got planned for up front.

 

[owl_93]

Your Hoe looks great. Where in Cali are you located? You're going to like what I've got planned for up front.

Thanks. I'm on the central coast. San Luis Obispo area

 

[3linkedchevy]

I know you said you were trying to avoid cutting the rear fenders, but you could always do more of a boxed rear bumper similar the Mazzulla offroad ones.

 

[slow4dr]

I know you said you were trying to avoid cutting the rear fenders, but you could always do more of a boxed rear bumper similar the Mazzulla offroad ones.

I hadn't seen his bumpers. I really like them. I showed the wife and she was on the fence.

 

[slow4dr]

I was in such a hurry to get home and install the new bracket that I forgot my welding helmet. I have tomorrow off so I'll be borrowing one to get the truck back on the road. Work is 40 miles away.

Here is the finalized bracket cut out of .188w ChroMoly.

I also made a bracket to connect the top and bottom(not shown) of the bracket together. SO the bottom will have to be welded on first in order to get to all the weld areas.

I cleaned off all the weld areas.

Juts one last round of mock up to confirm fitment before final welding.

 

[slow4dr]

I was a little rusty using my own welder. It took a little practice but it came back quick once I cleaned the tip out so the wire could feed properly.

I guess I'll call this Phase 2..........Brake hoses are from my work. Just need two banjo adapters to -3. I debated between regular reservoirs with air bumps for the rear. Decided to go with bypasses without air bumps. It ended up being the cheaper option. These have 12" travel and will require custom upper mounts. The limit straps will be used on the front. The 10" coilovers that are currently on the back will be moved to the front.

The front is going to be so dang wide that without rear spacers it would just look funny.

 

[slow4dr]

Spent a little time this weekend on the truck. I've been working on designing the new upper shock mounts. No matter what design I end up with the stock exhaust & hanger are going to be in the way. So I did some measuring and figured out a good place to cut it and do a simple rework.

This hanger needs to removed to clear the new upper shock mount.

I cut the stock tip off and reused a short bend radius. Then just added roughly 15" of straight pipe. The outlet sits right underneath the stock bumper(with hitch removed) This will be a temporary fix until I make the new rear bumper.

I didn't have much else to do with the rear suspension this weekend. Not wanting to waste valuable time I moved to the front. I removed the bumper cover for easier access to the inner fender. Inner and outer fender were removed as one assembly.

I started drilling out all the spot welds.

There was one area that still required some cutting near the door jam. Then the two halves could be split.

I didn't take any pics during the fiberglass modification portion of the install. There was a bunch of trimming at the top/front to clear headlights. The passenger side fit much better than the driver side. Plus the gaps on the driver side are terrible at the door jam. I will have to fill in the gaps later. Luckily the wife doesn't care what it looks like right now. She sees the bigger picture.

 

[MadDogDelpho]

This thing is gonna be so sick.

 

[tgui]

You've done some amazing work.

 

[slow4dr]

Here's a couple pics of the exhaust mod. I had planned on this being a temporary fix until the rear bumper is made but it's tucked up high enough that I might be able to leave it.

I still need to make e-brake cable clamps. Zip ties are there temporarily, hopefully.

I cut the stock hangar off and reused it further back.

A little set back on the upper shock mounts. I have been working on these off and on for the last week. The further along they went the more I didn't like them. There's not a lot of space in the area where they will be mounted and I just didn't think this design was going to be strong enough. So, I am going to scrap them and start fresh with a completely different design.