Dan's ratty truck

[Dantheman1540]

Some people mentioned they'd like to see more of my "Race truck" that doesn't actually race so I'll start a little thread over here.

The truck started as a Black 05, RCSB, 4.8, NV3500, 4x4, manual T case, 4.10s, with power W/L, Cruise, dual climate control, and vinyl floors. (Very hard to find apparently had to ship from PA) Bought in spring 2015. Had around 90k on the clock and had lived a rough life as was evident when changing the fluids.

First pic is the day I got it.




As of now 4/14/2020 it has all of the following done:

-Rebuilt by me LQ4 with CNC ported 220cc PRC heads, 224/228 113lsa cam, ARP studs, LS9 gaskets.
-Magnuson tvs 1900 with 3.2 griptech (8psi)
-Innovators west 8 rib conversion
-Walbro 450 converted to return style
-DW 60lbs injectors
-LS2 throttle body with x link
-MSD 2 Step (extremely easy to install)
-LPP long tube headers (Do not fit 4x4s without hammering, would not buy again)
-3" single with vibrant resonator and stock NNBS cat back
-QTP cutout
-Tune by Atomic Fabrication and Performance (best tuner ever!)
-Deaver U182 leaf packs
-Passenger side Beltech 6400 to level the rear and counteract the common driver side sag.
-Bilstien 5100s
-Off road design shackle style traction bar (Absolutely no axle wrap)
-Modified Atomic coil-over swap with 6in travel FOX 2.0 coil-overs with resis on 600lb springs.
-JVC single din head unit with BT
-JL audio C2 Speakers
-JL Audio Power wedge TW12W3 with JX500 amp
-17%tint
-Borguson ISS
-Method race 17x8.5 bronze roost wheels wrapped in 285/70/17 BFG KO2s
-TA performance girdle
-Kryptonite HD tierods
-JD fabrication tubular upper control arms with heim joint's instead of ball joints and bushings
-JD fabrication double shear Idler pivot assembly
-Cognito pitman arm support
-10 bolt rear with 4.10s and Yukon dura grip
-S&B/custom intake (intakehoses.com has awesome stuff)
-NV4500 5 speed with 5th gear nut fix and Fast Coolers from Midwest transmission
-Center Force dual friction single disk clutch.
-Morimoto mini H1 projectors I retrofitted myself
-Custom front bumper/valence fabricated by The Rust Lab in Dallas. (Absolute fabrication artist and stellar guy)

These are the most recent pics. When a news caster backing the bedside I stopped caring about its exterior appearance and I guess stopped taking many pictures of it. First one is about 1 year ago with the old motor setup and the second picture is first time filling up with the new combo.


View attachment 244649 View attachment 244650

 

[Dantheman1540]

Round 1 of upgrades consisted of:

-Custom CAI
-Long tube headers and single 3" exhaust
-BBP tune
-Method wheels with 285/70/R17 KO2s
-Tint
-De-chrome


Shortly after the mods I went drag racing to my local 1/8th. Ended up killing the first 10bolt that had a factory posi not G80. Funny thing was It didn't blow up when I clutch dumped it off the line at 6k pass after pass. It was the sideways slide leaving the track that finished it off. Limped it to a shop in FWD and left it. Best track time was 9.8.

Thankfully I had an extended warranty and they covered a brand new hub to hub 10bolt with a Yukon Dura-grip. Not so lucky is when a month later I tried to to a burnout leaving a stop sign and the second 10bolt exploaded! Limped to a different shop and they blamed the previous shop for poor install so I had a new axle again free of charge. This is what set me into finding out why I was killing rear ends that have made 10sec passes when I only have a little na 4.8.

Well the verdict was the 6in fabtech lift had to go. I had broken springs in both packs after the second rear end went and the 6in block was causing to much leverage and in turn creating the perfect scenario for axle wrap and blown rear ends. pulled the block and got 2 new leaf packs with little add-a-leafs to try and minimize the squat until I could figure out what to do with the front which I had just de-cranked the bars as much as I could.

So I drove the truck squated terribly for about a year and although it looked ugly I put it through hell and took the beating like a champ.




This was when I killed the first rear end and left the truck at the dealer at 1am.
Like I said I beat this think in the rocks, mud, and snow. This is the only time I can remember that I had to have someone pull it out of anything. The drift was close to 4 feet deep.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Next stage was a little more serious as far as not having rear ends blow up and ride like a truck not a horse drawn buggy.

-Atomic fabrication coilover conversion with FOA (Junk shocks)
-Off road design ladder bar
-Bilstein 5100 shocks
-13" rotor swap
-Borgeson ISS

 

[Dantheman1540]

Boost time! After replacing the dying NV3500......

-Used Magnusson TVS1900
-Return style fuel system with in tank Walbro 450
-Fox coilovers
-Cutout plus NNBS catback
-JL audio system
-Front end redo (The Rust Lab)
-New NV4500 (Smiths Off Road)
-Kryptonite Tierods
-JD fabrication tubular upper control arms
-JD fab double sheer Idler arm
-Red head steering ported HD steering box


So I burned the NV3500 up while towing all my belongings across the country. I should have known better than to run it in OD at 80mph with an 8k load. She pulled like a champ until it started getting very noisy like marbles in a coffee can sound. Trans never quit but I had been wanting a beefier unit since I bought the truck as it was always noisy and never liked 2-3 shifts at 6k rpm.

I was working like a mad man at the time and had no time so I dropped the truck off at Smiths Off Road in Dallas for the tranny swap. Very straight forward using all OEM parts. The only things that weren't plug and play were the reverse switch and the Y pipe needed modifying. Smiths did a great job and Midwest Transmission who supplied me a rebuilt unit was easy to work with. The thing has close to 35k miles of hard abuse and feels brand new.

The front end redo was long over due. I hated the stock bumper as it hung low and always got caught on rocks or logs and the spray paint was chipping and showing ugly chrome. I finally wanted to get the Fabtech lift brackets removed which required some fab work because the factory diff had mount chopped off. Therefore I looked for a fab shop and found The Rust Lab. The owner Kyle was awesome and he did a great job on the truck. Got the lift removed fabed some nicer upper coilover mounts and built the high clearance pre-runner style valence and skid plate. Wish I had more money for him to just build it but although I was working to much to work on my own projects I didn't have that much money.

Around the same time I did a full JL audio system with remote start and keyless entry from viper. Along with some other stuff like HD hood and grill swap, Deaver rear springs, LED bulbs, Projector retrofit and other little odds and ends.

Then I found a used TVS 1900 on PT.net. It came with everything! The seller was awesome and labeled all the parts. He was upgrading to a TVS2300. took a few weeks to get the blower on with the fuel system and everything. At the same time I switched to Atomic for tuning. Got it drivableand took my buddy for a ride at 6psi. He told me it was weak sauce and to turn it up to 10psi. This was a completely bone stock 110k mile 4.8 I had never even pulled the valve covers. So having a good fuel system I did what any man would do and bought the smallest pulley I could find. A 2.6 griptec from ZPE industries which I thought would make about 10psi. Well I installed the pulley and took my buddy for a ride again. Wacked it and nearly pissed my pants when I saw 16psi! Motor held together and never saw less boost than that for the next 2 years and 25k miles.

I beat the snot out of the truck at this stage. Many many burnouts, donuts, launches, off road trips, trailer towing just about everything I could to break it. I daily drove it almost 20k miles in 2018 and it never skipped a beat.

 

[Dantheman1540]

I loved the 4.8 on 16-19psi (Boost dependent on ambient temps and how new a belt was since the 6 rib setup slipped sometimes). Good things only last so long and I thought the completely stock 4.8 was on borrowed time so I picked up a "Low mile good running" 2006 LQ4. Planned to throw a cam in it and swap it in. When I pulled the old cam it had a spun bearing and cracked heads which snowballed into what I have today.

-Rebuilt by me gen 4 LQ4
-PRC 220 ported heads
-224/228 113lsa cam
-Arp main and head studs
-LS9 gaskets
-Innovators west 8 rib pulley kit
-Center Force dual friction single disk
-All AN coolant and fuel lines



So the good running motor ended up being nothing more than a short block which was fine because I really wanted a seasoned gen 4 LQ4 so it had the better rods. Spent several months building the motor with everything I thought it would need to survive the TVS1900 on full tilt and had it sitting in the garage until the 4.8 died. Well the damn 4.8 never had any issues, however one day a Metco Idler pulley seized and shredded a belt first thing in the morning on a Monday. I was pissed and so sick of looking at the nice innovators pulley kit and beautiful 6.0 ready to rip I decided the 4.8 had to go!

Pulled the bed off the truck and gave it a good washing knowing I'd be under it a lot in the coming days. Pulled it inside the shop and started yanking stuff apart. Had the 6.0 in withing a week or 2 and was tuning when the fuel pump shutoff during a 50% throttle run. Ended up having all sorts of little electrical gremlins until I realized a ground on the back of the head was loose.

Went to finally start the truck up and the clutch slave was dead which means out comes the tranny.

Replaced that and got more tuning done only to discover a bad head gasket on the passenger side. Replaced that and had the 2 year old Walbro 450 die on me. Replaced that and its been good for about 2 weeks of hard abuse at just 8psi on a 3.2 pulley.

Reading this it sounds like it was an easy journey but that is very much not the reality. Many sleepless nights, busted knuckles and head scratching.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Some random videos.

2 stepping on a dirt road (This is with the 4.8 on 16psi)

Leaving hot

110 in Mexico

Night tuning with the Fuzz

SLip and slide

 

[SirReal63]

I love it. I had that same truck in a 2002 year model. The little 4.8 and a 5 speed and 4wd with a small lift was a great combination. I regret to this day ever letting it go. My only complaint was it rode like a tractor.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Good stuff Dan. Can't believe the 4.8 could take all that boost without popping.

 

[Dantheman1540]

I love it. I had that same truck in a 2002 year model. The little 4.8 and a 5 speed and 4wd with a small lift was a great combination. I regret to this day ever letting it go. My only complaint was it rode like a tractor.

Yep torsion bars on such short trucks seem to ride dreadful when I finally went to coil overs it was like a new truck! Coilovers will eventually go on my tahoe.

Good stuff Dan. Can't believe the 4.8 could take all that boost without popping.

I attribute its survival to a good fuel system on pump 93, gen 4 rods and Atomics tuning. I would sit on the 2 step at 6k in 2nd gear for burnouts lasting 20 seconds and longer. The shorter stroke and smaller bore are likely a reason for its survival as well.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Did a leak down test of the new motor yesterday and was very pleased!

Heres the results by cylinder number.

1-6%
2-5%
3-7%
4-5%
5-6%
6-7%
7-8%
8-7%


Reason for the leak down was I'm still seeing some minor smoke out the exhaust during throttle. Mostly seen with the cutout closed which leads me to think the giant OEM muffler mounted under the bed is chuck full of oil from when the head gasket failed and I drove it home 20 miles. However when I pulled the plugs #7 plug had a little bit of oil on it and the top of the piston had a little oil. I wonder if the valve guide seal wore out prematurely.


First picture is what the majority of the plugs looked like.
Second and third picture are from the wet #7
Also the threads are wet looking from anti seize.