Project SVT

[Josh40601]

you will one of these days. Looking to hit up LBTL soon. Dirty Turtle will be first though. Its only 49 miles away from me

 

[RangerSVT]

I hope to be driving it by thanksgiving, but time will tell...
SVT

 

[Josh40601]

that's awesome! I hope you can get it ready. I am not taking anymore trips until a solid job comes in. We are doing pretty much probono work at the shop right now, so the last 4 jobs we have done have made us under 500 bucks....

 

[RangerSVT]

Yeah. Still gotta build the axles. I need gears, lockers, shafts, etc. so it'll only see mild wheeling if it wheels at all till I get them done. I'm considering building a rear 60 since I can't find one. I can get the larger 35 spline spindles for 100 each, or I can go for the 40 spline spindles for 229 for the pair. Currently they are not available, but soon 40 spline full float shafts soon will be. I'm already looking at the 40 spline outers for the front
SVT

 

[RangerSVT]

Okay, to go 40 spline outers its gonna run about 1535 dollars, and I would have to run drive flanges (no lockouts available yet for 40 spline), and for 1995 I can get a set of RCD's 35 spline on both ends built to any length. I'm thinking the RCD's as the weakest link with the 40 splines will be the joints...Whats your opinions??
SVT

 

[Josh40601]

40 spline with flanges. Its a wheeling rig, it will rarely see 2wd anyway

 

[RangerSVT]

Actually I still plan to keep it streetable since I'm only about 40 minutes from Turkey Bay, and about 1.5 hrs from Wooly's Offroad park. I like the 40 spline route, but then my weakest link becomes my U joints, and if they go, they will take out the ears of the shafts, at the very least oblong the ears, so my shafts will still need replacement. The RCD's don't have that problem, and come with a "you break it we replace it" lifetime warranty. I don't intend to test the warranty, but at the same time I don't want to be tearing the shafts or joints up either. I'd rather have my hubs as my weak link than my joints. Hubs are quick and easy to change...
SVT

 

[Bennybooster]

id do the rcd's

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Actually I still plan to keep it streetable since I'm only about 40 minutes from Turkey Bay, and about 1.5 hrs from Wooly's Offroad park. I like the 40 spline route, but then my weakest link becomes my U joints, and if they go, they will take out the ears of the shafts, at the very least oblong the ears, so my shafts will still need replacement. The RCD's don't have that problem, and come with a "you break it we replace it" lifetime warranty. I don't intend to test the warranty, but at the same time I don't want to be tearing the shafts or joints up either. I'd rather have my hubs as my weak link than my joints. Hubs are quick and easy to change...
SVT

Looks like you answered your own question Sometimes it helps to write things down.

Richard

 

[RangerSVT]

I kind of knew I was gonna go with RCD's, but wanted people's input on things...Also, if I go with the stronger 9" out back over the 60, my gearing will be off a little, 538's up front, 543's out back...kind of leary about that...
SVT

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Put the more worn tires on the back. << edit; oops, other way. I think, but don't know, that the drive train will absorb .05 difference in gearing.

Richard

 

[RangerSVT]

0.05 is an allowable tolerance for different front/rear ratios, but thats the maximum tolerance. I personally don't like that much of a difference, but unless I build a custom front axle, or go with a different rear, I'm limited on choices...
SVT

 

[disciplerocks]

I hope to be driving it by thanksgiving, but time will tell...
SVT

Sweet!

 

[RangerSVT]

Ok, time for a long overdue update with progresss...Not as much as I would have hoped, but with what I had to do and what I had to work with, it took a while...I got my shock hoops in from a buddy who has helped me out on this project before. A big shot out to Paul for getting these cut for me, it saved me a lot of time trying to do this by hand
Ok, I got the legs of the shock hoop cut and the hoops welded together, but only had time to install one of the hoops on the truck (I only had one day to work on it), and since I don't have much fab tools, I had to cut the complex angles by hand with a grinder and cut off wheel (Did I mention I need a bandsaw ) Anyways, when I got the hoop mocked up in place, it wasnt where I wanted it to be, and would have required more extensive fitting, and I'm ready for this to be rolling again, so I left it where it would fit. It's about 6 inches lower than where I initially wanted so SVT will be sitting 6" higher than planned. Sometime next year I am planning a new frame for SVT, so it will get addressed then. I also burned in the plates to the frame for the same reason. After I started fabbing reinforcement plates and bolted them to the frame instead of burning them in, I realized later just how weak the frame is, and since its not going to get any stronger on its own, I decided to just burn them on and later I will start with a new stronger frame rather than trying to patch this one...On with the pics....

I should have more updates next week as I plan to work on SVT more often since a lot of the other projects are now finished or near finished...
SVT

 

[Iron Ranger]

Glad I could help you out buddy! Really, really glad that it works out for ya!

Them babies ain't goin' nowhere!