85 jimmy pickup build

[85jimmyguy]

Alright, so i will apologize now because this is going to be a somewhat slow build thread but its my first so all advice, pointers, and critsism is appreciated. Sooo my truck is an 85 gmc jimmy 2dr 4x4 that i have converted into a small pickup. My plan is to cut out all of the ifs and build up a 3 link with coils on a dana 30 with a ford 8.8 in the rear. I am just about done collecting parts to get started building. I have as of now the axles, tires (33x15x15 tsl sx\'s) and rims, sm465 4speed tranny with np241 case, and the engine i plan to swap in is a 292 straight 6. I bought a bunch of parts and pieces from ballistic fab, which might have been more trouble than it was worth because it took more than 3 months and loads of angry phone calls to get most of my stuff.. still waiting for a few things but i have tracking numbers so should be here soon. Pictuers will follow as i get a chance to post them. Heres a few that i have to get things started.

[MrMindless]

What are you planning to use for springs? I\'d expect TJ coils would probably be a good match to your weight, or of course Ryan_25 here is the US ProFender distributor if you wanted to go coilover...

[85jimmyguy]

Coil overs would be nice but I\'m to scared to price them out... I most likely will use some type of jeep coil spring. Really what ever I can find reasonably. I have a couple inches of play I can work with in regaurds to the height I mount the spring buckets at. I will have to do some research on spring lengths too once I get axles set underneath to see what I will actually be looking for height/length wise.

[85jimmyguy]

What is everyones opinion on which side to run the upper link for a front 3-link? I have read that drivers side with a driver side drop axle/case is the best place because the dif housing is there which provides a much beefier place to attach to. I know its possible to do and cram everything on the drivers side but why not the passenger side? Alot less congestion on that side. I would just have to come up with a pretty stout mount bracket correct? or is there geometry issues with the front driveshaft if the upper link isn\'t on the same side? I\'m sure this question has come up before but I haven\'t found an answer that has fully swayed me one way from the other yet.

[smichaelR22]

haha, we all learn balistic is worthless, try ruff stuff next time.  usually pretty good.  

[MrMindless]

upper link on the diff side due to pinion rotation when articulating.  if you have the 3rd link on the non-diff side, as the axle articulates to full droop on the diff side, the pinion points down.

[smichaelR22]

i don\'t understand how there could be any difference in the axle rotation geometry (pinion pointing down you say) with the same geometry of a bracket on either side...  say wah?

different effective link lengths slight triangulation angles, yes-  but not sure im missing something.  i do a lot more building than i do research of others woes :)  

[85jimmyguy]

I think I\'ll tackle that one when the axles ready to slide under the truck.. seems like if I were to put the 3rd link on the pass. side I would have to use exact lenght paralell arms so pinion angle would be the same when the driver side drooped. If I put it on the drivers side I could make the top arm slightly longer and make the frame side a little closer together than the axle side so my pinion ange would adjust slightly as it drooped to keep OK angles... thats kinda how I understand what MrMindless is saying. It would work either way I think, it just depends on my ambition and how much I care about it at that point.

[MrMindless]

If you\'re doing parallel links it won\'t matter.  If you\'re doing anything with a more radius arm-like geometry where the axle rotates up as it droops, what I said applies

[85jimmyguy]

Moving stuff around the shop this past week. Here is my SM465 and 241 I plan to run. Might end up using the PTO off this tranny for a trail jack system or hydraulic winch if one presents itself. Any opinions on this tranny/cas combo?

[MrMindless]

fixed yokes are always preferable but should get the job done.

[smichaelR22]

i have a sweet PTO winch on my F250 wrecker!  works awesome!

[85jimmyguy]

Is the pto winch hydraulic or an actual shaft drive? If its hydraulic I would be interested.

Anyway, parts purchasing has slowed down due to the new addition to the fleet... might be a little excessive but the price was right. Should pull a trailer ok with the 8.1 monster hiding under the hood... might build some super ramps and just haul around the jimmy truck on the bed...

[smichaelR22]

looks clean, are those 19.5\'s nice


my winch is shaft drive PTO

[85jimmyguy]

No good on shaft drive winch.. just what i would need, another drive shaft to worry about.. haha

Yea 19.5\"s.. its a 3500HD..15k gvw with a solid axle up front with king pin and leaf springs..only 2wd though..