3/4 Race - Shop Truck

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

Definitely on my radar. I was a bit surprised how much preload they took and there's actually room for a 16" spring instead of these 14's if need arises.

Other things I'd like to do sooner than later, but not now:

• Move front coilovers outboard on the arm and the chassis. Couldn't do this before with the short upper control arms, now it would be an obvious benefit.
• Raise rear shock mount 1" on the chassis. I have an excessive amount of droop with both pairs of rear shocks, and I'm a little short on compression travel with the tall set.

For now, I am cutting the rear shock bumpers down to gain what bump travel I can. The rear is light and short bumpers will be enough protection.

This is how I ended last night. Sure, my stock 2004 Branger could do the same 10" drop, but this isn't a stock truck.

I'm pretty stoked. I can rallyX this(if I could find some rallyX to do), my drag slicks will fit now, and I can flip it back to an autoX/track setup with just a shock/spring change and alignment.

It's all fun and games until someone shoves a shock thru the control arm!

10/10 would do it again. Full report when I can get my hands on some videos I saw floating around.

In reply to gumby :

Don't leave us hanging.

Right but uh, before that how'd it go?

https://www.facebook.com/garry.harris.336/videos/2926955827469944/?idorvanity=740577544527251

Hopefully that works, FB is weird with sharing links from an event after it is past, but basically that's all the info I had going in. 

Walked the track after the driver's meeting, all seemed as expected with some areas I thought would need to be forcibly slow in order to not tear things up.

Beater cars first, then SxS, then Modified. One and done, no practice, no safety runs. Going last, at least I got a good chance to watch how other vehicles handled the course. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/NCC4aArvk1U4JtJZ/?mibextid=ox5AEW

Beater cars were allowed to buy back in to Modified if they weren't broken and wanted a second shot. This was fine until the SxS guys rushed the entry table and got themselves buy-backs also.

There were three actual Modified entries.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/VHYLD57NM5h9rpNB/?mibextid=ox5AEW
 

There is a video on someone's phone of my whole run. I got to watch it, but haven't received it or found it anywhere yet.

The truck handled the first jump really well and the whoops were less bad than I anticipated. I need to watch the video to see where the shock mount pushed thru, but I cleared the double by too much, biffed the second 180°, clutch kicked the third one, and realized the left front was collapsed going over the big roller.

The whole lower mount pushed thru the control arm. I need to get it apart today and see how bad the shock is beat up. This was an area I had concern over but just ran out of time to address.

If I take the SxS entries out of the run group results I finished third behind the long travel s10 in the link above, and a Beater Cherokee who went 7sec faster on his second run than he ran in his own class.

First time for the promoter, first time for the event at this fair, and first time I have had four tires in the air since I was a dumb teenager. Good times.

 With spectator AND announcer commentary!

Nice to confirm what I thought I remembered. Looks like I hurt it landing the double(both front lower mounts are bent), and then the left side fully collapsed on the big roller.

I started fixing today. Like an animal with a hurt paw

Once the shock was extracted, I started with the moving the coil-over outboard thing I mentioned earlier

Three inches further out, give or take, and I'm making taller tabs to preserve the droop travel I spent so much time creating

There's an autoX I'd like to attend on Saturday. Goals this week: repair/relocate front shock mounts, refit the autoX setup, install the windshield, get tags/insurance. I want to drive it to the next event!

From the tower side stands

Is that a "tough truck" event?  I've watched a number of youtube videos of those.  The courses are usually brutal with the jump placement and tight corners.  If you were closer to Florida, I'd suggest a Firm-hosted rallyx event.  The courses there flow wonderfully and your truck would love them.  There are several pre-runner style trucks that attend.

New lower shock mounts


And putting it back low

Alignment tomorrow, and start installing the windshield.

After a late shop night getting the windshield installed(kinda tough to take good pics of a windshield btw), I did make it to autoX this morning. And I drove there, and back.

This truck has officially dirt-jumped and autoX'd in the same week! Maybe I will make an effort to get it back to the dragstrip next

In reply to gumby :

# Winning 🏆 

 👍 👍 

And became a street truck again!  Fantastic achievements in GRM history stuff happening here.  

Do the longer control atms screw you up autocrossing?

Dusterbd13-michael said:

Do the longer control atms screw you up autocrossing?

I have been holding out for pics of the truck on course to get an outside view of its attitude in action, but they haven't materialized. 
I made no attempt at preserving the geometry when making the conversion. Longer arms and no sway bars for sure lowered the wheel rates, until the suspension contacts the new frame stops...
From inside the truck, 315's on all four corners make a fantastic crutch for a hack driver who is way out of practice. I enjoyed it, even knowing that I am no longer a fast driver, so I'd say no, the changes haven't screwed up my autoXing.

After the event, I swapped the taller, softer shocks and springs back on along with the 29" tires, and have put some street miles on the setup.

• It really needs a full exhaust. Dumped under the cab is annoying without a helmet on.
• I want a larger fuel cell. 4gal ain't much, and when only 3 of them are actually usable, they don't go far.
• Door bars and seating changes are up for debate. Climbing over/into them is a hassle.

Driving it in normal traffic is both ridiculous and hilarious. Getting away from people and tossing it thru a "20mph" s-bend in second gear, steering is still relatively lively on tall tires. Body roll is significant. Add some throttle and everything takes a set on the outside rear tire; steering from there happens with my right foot. Good times.

In reply to gumby :

That sounds like a LOT of grins per mile to me.