Jack's 2007 Chevy Build

[locrwln]

Jack, looks great! I really love my flatbed, ill be adding two under body box's in the rear in the next few months. with only a few things i would do different next time. I installed my own as well, and honestly the biggest pain was the fuel filler neck. if i were to do it again, i would do that different. Currently mine is routed above the driver side tool box, this causes the filler hose to be flat the depth of the box prior to dropping, causes slow fill. If that station has a nozzle condom it wont fill at all w/o holding the rubber up,

Thank you. The slow fill is the bane of most flatbeds out there. I worked on the filler neck yesterday and I think it's got a decent rake so hopefully, I don't run into the slow fill problem. Once I get the inner wheel tubs installed, the filler neck is going to be difficult to connect, so its going to be a zen thing to get it all together. I've already tested the boxes out with fitting some of my tools and other sundries and they are going to be great for my needs. It's a great way to use what is normally wasted space.

Looking forward to your box additions.

Jack

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

I have learned quite a few tricks to get it now, but can still be a pain. Nozzle upside down works well when its protesting, or the cap under the trigger. Other times, she fills like a charm.

 

[1stDeuce]

What a beautiful bed!!
Hopefully they left the rub rail on the driver's side a bit short at the front so you can punch the fuel filler right through the side as close to the deck as possible.
Your bed is 4-5" higher off the frame than mine judging by the looks of the channel under it, so you should have plenty of drop once you notch out the plate that the back side of the tool box is welded to.

I used 2x2 tube for the cross supports and the longitudinal support, so my deck is only 4" off the frame...
Before I turned it into a dump bed, I had the filler notched into the side as high as possible. It would kick back on occasion, but still took fuel better than the utility bed I pulled off... How you put 150k on a truck that won't take fuel faster than the slowest setting (Or slower at some stations) is beyone me...

 

[locrwln]

What a beautiful bed!!
Hopefully they left the rub rail on the driver's side a bit short at the front so you can punch the fuel filler right through the side as close to the deck as possible.
Your bed is 4-5" higher off the frame than mine judging by the looks of the channel under it, so you should have plenty of drop once you notch out the plate that the back side of the tool box is welded to.

I used 2x2 tube for the cross supports and the longitudinal support, so my deck is only 4" off the frame...
Before I turned it into a dump bed, I had the filler notched into the side as high as possible. It would kick back on occasion, but still took fuel better than the utility bed I pulled off... How you put 150k on a truck that won't take fuel faster than the slowest setting (Or slower at some stations) is beyone me...

Thank you, I can't stop looking at it myself.

Alum-Line installed the filler neck location in the side rail as high as they could, so all I had to do is attach my stock filler neck to the flatbed port.
Sorry about the shading, but hopefully you can see the filler neck.

My struggle has been to get the tubing to line up as I have to come out of the filler neck at the bed side, make a 90 degree turn, drop down about 14", then turn 90 degrees again to get into the tank filler.

I have learned quite a few tricks to get it now, but can still be a pain. Nozzle upside down works well when its protesting, or the cap under the trigger. Other times, she fills like a charm.

I hope to avoid having to use those tricks, but I will keep them in mind.

Wheel tubs should be there today.

Jack

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

I think you will be ok the way it is set up, the problem with my set up is that the filler tube is above the tool box, so runs almost level for a foot or so before the angle changes.

 

[this.one.guy]

Wow... just finished reading the whole thread, and it has led me to registering on this forum.

Jack, I have a lot of questions but my number one question is this:
Assuming a 6.0L powerstroke was built to address all of its known shortcomings... Given the chance to do it all over again, would you go with a 2005-2007 F250 so you have the solid axle set up in the first place? Or does the 2500HD have enough other advantages?

I recently picked up a cherry 2006 Chevy 2500HD CCSB with high miles but well maintained. Prior to that I missed out on a great deal for a turnkey '05 F250 with a sensibly done 6" Fabtech kit and Deaver rear because I was skeptical of having that high of a lift and wary of the 6.0L diesel. But at the time I didn't understand the significant differences between IFS and solid axle when it comes to wheel travel. Since then my interest in off-roading and overlanding has grown considerably, and the more I learn about suspensions the more I'm regretting my decision to buy the Chevy. To the extent possible I want a "do it all" full-size truck. Good handling with a light camper, ability to pull a 10k# trailer, and get me into the backcountry with no concerns.

I'm debating whether to start putting mods (and $) into my Chevy or keep an eye out for another great deal on 6.0L Ford. I have a good contact with a mechanic who has an excellent reputation making 6.0L's dependable for a reasonable price, and they can be had cheap given their poor reputation.

Thanks for your imput, and all of the great info on this page! I'm open to input from other readers as well!

 

[this.one.guy]

To add to the above... as I see it here are the advantages of each platform. Please let me know if I'm misguided on any of these...

06-07 GM advantages:
- AC/Heat to the rear seats through the center console
- Frame stiffness
- 6 speed auto transmission
- lighter overall weight
- Quieter

05-07 Ford advantages:
- Solid front axle. Increased wheel travel and clearance
- More legroom in second row
- Cheaper/easier to modify and improve suspension without creating other issues (CV angles, etc.)
- I can get an equivalent truck with much lower mileage for the same price

And the obligatory picture of my current truck:

 

[locrwln]

Wow... just finished reading the whole thread, and it has led me to registering on this forum.

Jack, I have a lot of questions but my number one question is this:
Assuming a 6.0L powerstroke was built to address all of its known shortcomings... Given the chance to do it all over again, would you go with a 2005-2007 F250 so you have the solid axle set up in the first place? Or does the 2500HD have enough other advantages?

I recently picked up a cherry 2006 Chevy 2500HD CCSB with high miles but well maintained. Prior to that I missed out on a great deal for a turnkey '05 F250 with a sensibly done 6" Fabtech kit and Deaver rear because I was skeptical of having that high of a lift and wary of the 6.0L diesel. But at the time I didn't understand the significant differences between IFS and solid axle when it comes to wheel travel. Since then my interest in off-roading and overlanding has grown considerably, and the more I learn about suspensions the more I'm regretting my decision to buy the Chevy. To the extent possible I want a "do it all" full-size truck. Good handling with a light camper, ability to pull a 10k# trailer, and get me into the backcountry with no concerns.

I'm debating whether to start putting mods (and $) into my Chevy or keep an eye out for another great deal on 6.0L Ford. I have a good contact with a mechanic who has an excellent reputation making 6.0L's dependable for a reasonable price, and they can be had cheap given their poor reputation.

Thanks for your imput, and all of the great info on this page! I'm open to input from other readers as well!

That's dedication as this is a looonngg thread, but thank you very much for taking the time to do so.

To answer your questions, in short no. I had the chance to buy a very nice 6.0 Ford before buying my Chevy. I talked to my friend who was a service writer at a Ford dealer and he warned me off of 6.0's and of course I did my own research into them as well. I know that there are a lot of fixes for 6.0's now compared to 2010, but you just don't hear of them ever getting mega miles out of them. At the time I was looking, I drove all three and was leaning toward the Ford/Dodge/GM in that order. None of the other two did it for us and I really didn't think I would end up in a GM. For that era of truck, the GM had the least amount of problems in my research, YMMV.

There is a lot to like about the rest of the truck (Ford), but the one big issue for me is I owned an '02 F350 and neither me or my wife really fit the truck. We had the fully adjustable seats and could never get comfortable. We put about 95k miles on the truck and no matter what we did, it didn't work. The Chevy on the other hand is like magic and is beyond comfortable for both of us (wife 5'1"/110lbs, me 5'9"/160lbs), we both really enjoy driving it. It's just nicer, quieter, and more comfortable both on and off road. These last few months where I haven't been able to drive it has been like a withdrawal.

As you has seen from my thread, my truck has done everything I have asked of it and it has never had a failure or reason to not trust it. The only reason I did the SAS is for my own reasons. I did want the extra wheel travel, but more importantly, I made the mistake of driving one that had been converted and it actually drove much better than my truck. I've SAS'd a couple of other vehicles and I really like the serviceability as well.

I have owned a lot of vehicles in my life and this is the only one that is not for sale. Every other vehicle has had a price, but it would take a lot to get this one from me.

To add to the above... as I see it here are the advantages of each platform. Please let me know if I'm misguided on any of these...

06-07 GM advantages:
- AC/Heat to the rear seats through the center console
- Frame stiffness.
- 6 speed auto transmission
- lighter overall weight
- Quieter

05-07 Ford advantages:
- Solid front axle. Increased wheel travel and clearance
- More legroom in second row
- Cheaper/easier to modify and improve suspension without creating other issues (CV angles, etc.)
- I can get an equivalent truck with much lower mileage for the same price

And the obligatory picture of my current truck:
View attachment 455908

I would agree with your list.

The advice I give everyone that asks which truck to buy is; I tell them to drive them all and buy the one that you enjoy most and makes you look into store windows as you drive by or turn at look at as you walk away. In the end, they all have problems (including the Toyota's that I've owned), but if you don't enjoy/like the vehicle, the rest doesn't matter.

Jack

 

[g man]

The advice I give everyone that asks which truck to buy is; I tell them to drive them all and buy the one that you enjoy most and makes you look into store windows as you drive by or turn at look at as you walk away. In the end, they all have problems (including the Toyota's that I've owned), but if you don't enjoy/like the vehicle, the rest doesn't matter.

Jack

Well said, Jack!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[this.one.guy]

That's dedication as this is a looonngg thread, but thank you very much for taking the time to do so.

To answer your questions, in short no. I had the chance to buy a very nice 6.0 Ford before buying my Chevy. I talked to my friend who was a service writer at a Ford dealer and he warned me off of 6.0's and of course I did my own research into them as well. I know that there are a lot of fixes for 6.0's now compared to 2010, but you just don't hear of them ever getting mega miles out of them. At the time I was looking, I drove all three and was leaning toward the Ford/Dodge/GM in that order. None of the other two did it for us and I really didn't think I would end up in a GM. For that era of truck, the GM had the least amount of problems in my research, YMMV.

There is a lot to like about the rest of the truck (Ford), but the one big issue for me is I owned an '02 F350 and neither me or my wife really fit the truck. We had the fully adjustable seats and could never get comfortable. We put about 95k miles on the truck and no matter what we did, it didn't work. The Chevy on the other hand is like magic and is beyond comfortable for both of us (wife 5'1"/110lbs, me 5'9"/160lbs), we both really enjoy driving it. It's just nicer, quieter, and more comfortable both on and off road. These last few months where I haven't been able to drive it has been like a withdrawal.

As you has seen from my thread, my truck has done everything I have asked of it and it has never had a failure or reason to not trust it. The only reason I did the SAS is for my own reasons. I did want the extra wheel travel, but more importantly, I made the mistake of driving one that had been converted and it actually drove much better than my truck. I've SAS'd a couple of other vehicles and I really like the serviceability as well.

I have owned a lot of vehicles in my life and this is the only one that is not for sale. Every other vehicle has had a price, but it would take a lot to get this one from me.



I would agree with your list.

The advice I give everyone that asks which truck to buy is; I tell them to drive them all and buy the one that you enjoy most and makes you look into store windows as you drive by or turn at look at as you walk away. In the end, they all have problems (including the Toyota's that I've owned), but if you don't enjoy/like the vehicle, the rest doesn't matter.

Jack

Wise words. Thanks for your input and thought process!

In other news, I finally discovered an IFS coilover conversion for 01-06 2500HD's... looks like it's a relatively new product:
http://bds-suspension.com/product?kid=738FDSC

Can anyone comment on whether this coilover setup would provide significant advantages for getting through rough terrain vs. the 4" Cognito NTBD kit (for example)? Or is it primarily just a matter of improving ride quality? TIA.

 

[this.one.guy]

Also, do you still have any parts you are looking to sell from the SAS? King shocks, H2 wheels, etc?

 

[locrwln]

Wise words. Thanks for your input and thought process!

In other news, I finally discovered an IFS coilover conversion for 01-06 2500HD's... looks like it's a relatively new product:
http://bds-suspension.com/product?kid=738FDSC

Can anyone comment on whether this coilover setup would provide significant advantages for getting through rough terrain vs. the 4" Cognito NTBD kit (for example)? Or is it primarily just a matter of improving ride quality? TIA.

I was wondering when someone was going to come out with something for the GMT800 HD platform. They are definitely one of the more popular trucks on the road. As far as ride improvement, I would say its very safe to assume that a coilover is going to work a lot better than a torsion bar. There is just too many limits with TB's. I have a neighbor with a 1960 Chevy 2wd 3/4t Apache pickup with the TB front suspension and the amazing part is that for all intents and purposes, it looks exactly like the stock system under a 2500hd. They are durable and easy to package, but there is a reason that everyone else moved away from TB's, they are hard to make progressive and tune. Not sure if there is any extra travel to be gained or not. You are still limited to the available travel of the stock CV joints and ball joints.

Also, do you still have any parts you are looking to sell from the SAS? King shocks, H2 wheels, etc?

I still have the Kryptonite steering system with steering braces, a set of aftermarket CV front axles, the front Kings, and a set of 1/2t GM TB keys (allows for extra TB adjustment with the heavy winch/bumper). Of course the stock brake calipers and the rear "hybrid" spring pack that I had on prior to the SAS. Sorry, but the H2's sold some time back. Let me know if you are interested in any of it. I haven't tried to sell any of it, so it's all just sitting around.

Jack

 

[this.one.guy]

I was wondering when someone was going to come out with something for the GMT800 HD platform. They are definitely one of the more popular trucks on the road. As far as ride improvement, I would say its very safe to assume that a coilover is going to work a lot better than a torsion bar. There is just too many limits with TB's. I have a neighbor with a 1960 Chevy 2wd 3/4t Apache pickup with the TB front suspension and the amazing part is that for all intents and purposes, it looks exactly like the stock system under a 2500hd. They are durable and easy to package, but there is a reason that everyone else moved away from TB's, they are hard to make progressive and tune. Not sure if there is any extra travel to be gained or not. You are still limited to the available travel of the stock CV joints and ball joints.



I still have the Kryptonite steering system with steering braces, a set of aftermarket CV front axles, the front Kings, and a set of 1/2t GM TB keys (allows for extra TB adjustment with the heavy winch/bumper). Of course the stock brake calipers and the rear "hybrid" spring pack that I had on prior to the SAS. Sorry, but the H2's sold some time back. Let me know if you are interested in any of it. I haven't tried to sell any of it, so it's all just sitting around.

Jack

Cool, I may be interested in some of those parts. I'll shoot you a PM in the near future. I work in south bay, so not *TOO* far away =).

 

[locrwln]

Sounds good, just let me know and we could meet up in Sac so that you don't have to drive the whole way.

Jack

 

[locrwln]

Spent the morning (with my wife) building the inner fenders for the flatbed. They are just wedged into place for now and I still have a little fine tuning to do, but welding is next.

Jack