Project STON, the scaled down 1 ton truck

[Alltwistedup]

Project STON the scaled down one ton truck. Built for the rock in the hard place, up ******** creek.

Let me first say this is not a tutorial of how to duplicate this truck, it is to give back and inspire other ideas just like I was inspired by other peoples idea. Also without my friends all over the country and neighbors I would have never gotten this collection of parts to work or even accumulated all the parts. They were the ones that told me to stop and think it out not just hack it together, because I was going to end up fixing it stranded in some desert or on some mountain. When the going got tough they would keep me going even an 8yo girl that would come over and tell me she need to work on something, and go home hours later black from sliding around on the floor helping. I am just a guy in my garage with simple tools and a big imagination but some times I needed smaller tools most times bigger and they were always their for me even if they just took the part to their work and fixed it for me. So for all the cutting, bending, tapping, sewing, idea's and just plan putting up with me, thanks guys and girls.

So start with this, 2nd gen, 3rd door, 2wd, 2.2l gas, 5 speed. Their so cutie when their small just like babies.


And then they grow up hit the teen years and its never the same, never, never, never.

Cummins 4bta, nv5600, np205 twin stick, locked high pinion Dana 44 front with high steering, locked Dana 60 rear, rear cutting brake, 37” tires and an attitude that says Move or I will help you move.

 

[Alltwistedup]

History

So to understand how I came up with all this, you need to look at my past. Starting with my grandparents VW bug when I was 18 in CO I was in the dirt. That pore bug had dented floor boards the tail pipes had been knocked out some many times I lost count and the thing had been landed so hard the speakers behind the back seat had hit me in the head as pay back I think. I could drift it though mountain passes keeping up with motorcycles, plow through snow drifts and it never broke I loved that car. Oh and lets not forget every $100 car should have a $1000 bicycle on top strapped down by a modified ski rack and windows full of No Fear stickers. Yea that was the life, little tear just came to my eye, I think I need a moment............ ok I am good.

Fast forward a few years and the daily beaten/driver was a Jeep Cherokee XJ with a 4” lift and 31” tires. How that thing ever made it through life with me was a miracle. 3 trips to Moab, Colorado's Mt Blanca and all over western Colorado, a trip to Maine and the play ground's of Farmington, NM all while living in MI. It got 18 mpg, I could sleep in the back of it and when I donated it to charity it had 216,000 miles in 5 years. I learned a lot with the Jeep the difference in grade 2,5,8 bolts, welding, automotive electrical how far you can push open differentials, when to hook up the boat winch to tug you though. Most important was doing all the all the maintenance and wheeling and still getting it to work on Monday. Oh and this Jeep hit a heard of Elk at 65 mph and drove away, some Elk not so lucky.



When I donated the XJ I had already built what I thought was the next evolution. Jeep YJ, Ford 302 power into an AOD trans for the overdrive, np205 twin stick, high pinion Dana 44 front with high steering, locked Dana 60 rear, rear cutting brake, 37” tires, rear coil spring suspension blah blah blah. It was built to crawl with no place close to go. The up side everything I worried about in the XJ was eliminated and I had v8 power bigger axles and tires. The down side 15mpg, no place to sleep, no room for 2 or 3 plus gear. The Jeeps first wheeling test in Farmington I snapped a front leaf, bent the other one and snapped both rear control arms, it was 5 miles back to moms house the jeep and I made it in 1 hour. I was happier about getting it home with the items I carried then I was anything else. Next day Jeeps all fixed up and on it's way home I knew the flaws and developed a plan to fix them. Around the same time I bought my first new truck Dodge, diesel, 1 ton, mega cab, I wanted the motor and the cab space and needed the tow capacity. Now I could tow the Jeep wheel it and pull what's left of it home and repeat as time and $$ allowed. Nope, not my style trailers are for race cars and Barbie Jeeps that need to look good. I was really likening the diesel power and the mpg, alot. Wheeling this big truck was interesting and resulted in a trip to the body shop and I really did not want to mess it up. Get it on a forest service road, a long trip with no fuel stops, power line road in the Mohave and it was a dream. The plus side power, mpg, room for 4 plus gear, two can sleep in the back seat, did I mention power and mpg like 24 mpg at 65mph.The down side any parking lot, takes a lot of wax to get desert pin stripping out .


The idea was taken shape, take everything I liked about all my past vehicles and put it all in one, some how.

The motto,
If it to big you can't get it in. If is to small you can't get the job done. But if it's just right, well then it's up to the driver to let the magic happen.

 

[Alltwistedup]

What comes first chicken or the egg?

Step 1. Get the most expense parts first and sit on them. Because the little parts at the end will be more expensive then this.
Ah yes FleaBay my first auction nets me a Cummins 4bta at a good price and no shipping as its close to home. Why this motor, 1 wire to run and even that can be bypassed. In North America any auto parts store will have what you need in 1-2 days. In the rest of the world I am banking on that this motor was used in so many boat applications that a marina should be able to get me I right direction to get a hold of parts. Its a knocked down version of it 6cyl big brother which internally looks like it built for a semi truck not a 1 ton. Its rated for 300,000+ miles and then it's an in frame rebuilt kit that costs $400. As far as power goes just open your wallet for bigger numbers. Being that is not computer controlled at all you can put about anything in the fuel tank and its going to run. Fuel economy can be 25-35 mpg depending on outside factor like size, weight and right foot. The air to water intercooler eliminated the need for an air to air cooler saving some room and cost and is also less likely to be damaged in collision.

Transmission seams like everyone is putting an nv4500 behind the 4bt since they are home behind the 6cly from the factory, its relativity small, light weight and has overdrive. If everyone else is doing then I am not. A friend sourced me an nv5600, flex plate, flywheel, clutch, starter and all the bolts out of an 04 ram that was in a fire. The deal was so good we both drove 400 miles round trip to meet to swap it all for breakfast at Denny's, no gas money nothing. That's a friend, not a Facebook friend a friend since we were 7. Hope he still does not have my credit card number.

Ok, got motor got trans got Jeep take v8 out put in 4cly do some fab work good to go. Nope, in the theory of measure twice cut once. I crawled under the Jeep measured about 10 times and went well that’s not going to work. With the nv5600 being way longer then the AOD the drive shaft would be 8” at a 45 degree angle. Not a problem just a challenge, cut the frame and tub make it all into a little truck similar to the Brute and Aussie outback race trucks. Reality that's a lot of work for something that you don't won't on a trailer and Mr. Law is going to notice when it goes past.

I would end up with a small truck in the end so why not just start with a clean fresh small truck.

 

[14x4]

Your S10 is in a league of its own, my friend. Truly outstanding. I thought I had seen everything until I saw your truck.

Are you on any S10 related forums? I suggest you show it off on S10forum.com

 

[Alltwistedup]

Oh man

Step 2. Find a donor truck. No junk, under budget, with what you need and nothing you don't.
Chevy S10, Ford Ranger or Dodge Dakota driving foreign is not a good option for me. As you can see I went with an S10 only thing I was looking for was 3rd door, stick so the clutch was their and a clean body and frame ie no or very little rust and not wrecked. Took about 3 weeks of searching a 300 mile radius when a 2wd popped up in budget. Called the guy and it sounded like a match over the phone. Enlisted a friend to go for a ride and he has great eye for details and knew the plan. On test drive the oil pressure was low and you could hear a slight knock, it was bomb but everything else was good to go or fixable. 4 hours later it was in the driveway. Two weeks and 450 miles later it was on a uhaul tow dolly after #1 piston went into the oil pan taking a chunk of the block with it.



Step 3. Remove what you think you don't need and store it, encase you do need it.
Out comes the motor and trans, unbolt all the front suspension, remove computer and wiring harness, exhaust, radiator blah, blah, blah. Get out the torch and cut the front crossmember out and clean up the frame grind till smooth, fill in spring buckets.

Step 4-10. Bang head against wall as you realize you just started a big project. Repeat as necessary.

Like the little engine that could, I think I can and that's what counts.

 

[Alltwistedup]

Thanks

Your S10 is in a league of its own, my friend. Truly outstanding. I thought I had seen everything until I saw your truck.

Are you on any S10 related forums? I suggest you show it off on S10forum.com

Thanks, If you like the outside you will love the inside. I am a lurker on several forums and only registered on a few and did view some stuff on s10forum. I never built the truck to show off it was just me taking everything I had learned and putting it all in one ride. Honestly I never thought it would get the attention that it does, being followed till I stop is a little weird. I choose to put it on this forum as people will understand this trucks not built for show it built to go, and nobody judges the quality of your welding ability's and trashes your whole thread for pages. When I post up how I did my shake down to prove the concept works you will be in ah of how much I pounded on it.

 

[Hill Bill E.]

Step 3. Remove what you think you don't need and store it, encase you do need it.

Step 4-10. Bang head against wall as you realize you just started a big project. Repeat as necessary.

Like the little engine that could, I think I can and that's what counts.

Step 3: Quoted for truth!! :elkgrin:

Step 4-10: Quoted for Honesty!:snorkel:

Great job on the rig!

 

[whistle pig]

:coffeedrink: Love it! More please.

 

[Alltwistedup]

Thanks

Hill, Bill E.
You must have done something like this before to learn these lessons like I did.

whistle pig
It coming, I am a slow typer and have horrible grammar skill so I need to check it alot. In school I did well in shop, art and p.e. and failed everything else.

 

[Alltwistedup]

Phase 1

Phase 1 Starting Thanksgiving day 2009 to February 1st of 2010

So this is the part were your all going to hate me, I did not take any pics with the big camera and very few with even the cell phone. I was a little more concentrated on getting the job done then telling anyone how I did it (my bosses hate that also). Over the course of 60 odd days I disassembled the stock drivetrain and all the unneeded parts, cut the frame and 2wd brackets off and located the new drivetrain all of it axles, motor, trans, transfer case. Found out I needed two adapters to get the trans and transfer case together almost properly. Built the new front crossmember/ winch plate, motor mounts, turbo re-locator, cut a 3” body lift down to 2”'s and installed it, came up with the shifter ideas, got the transfer-case cable shifters and made brackets, welded on sliders, reworked some shock hoops to fit my frame. Went thru 4 sets of front springs, figured out the clutch, modified the hydro boost brakes and plumbed all the power steering lines. Oh and at sum point lost my mind and decided I should strip the frame and paint everything with Por15 paint while it was 30 degrees outside so that all my hard work would not rust the first time I drove it. Basically in 60 days the truck could at least roll in and out of the garage and their was no longer piles of parts all over the garage and I was sick of looking at it.

Now to some of you this may seam like a ton of work and others this may seam like very little, your both correct. Some days I just layed under the truck and went what if, how far, what's that weigh, that's not going to work, how can this be simplified, that look's like junk, took a nap, asked what did I do that for. Other days it was off to get parts, search for the deals and order stuff online, help unload Santa's sleigh (the UPS truck). Other days I sat surfing the internet for what other people had done on total different vehicles and swaps for work around's on mine. When your working alone things happen slower like getting a 500 pound transmission from the floor, drug 10' over and under the truck and then get it 2' in the air. I build 90% of this truck solo, 5% texts and phone calls and 5% with someone standing their helping. Only thing I did thru a company or outside help was exhaust, paint cap, bend bumper hoop. So for better or worse I have no one to blame but me.

 

[Alltwistedup]

Make it fit

My biggest problem was their was just not enough room and a 5 pound sledge hammer can only get you so far, believe me I tried alot. Just remember this is literally one ton of ******** going into a quarter ton package. I had to think ahead way ahead, I almost welded a shock hoop support on that would have meant lifting the motor up 2” to get the starter off. Days went passed as the motor sat in place and I figured out how to build the motor mounts to fit, 1/8" or less spacing from frame - motor mount - motor and the passenger side the mount was "trimmed" by the oil pan during testing. If I put the motor to far forward their was no room for the fan, to far back and the transmission would not come off. By far the biggest thing that kicked my butt was the exhaust, I needed the motor forward to get the 3” downpipe to not hit the firewall and heater core but that caused problem with the axle placement. Even as the motor sat in place I added the body lift to get the hood back on and to let me slide the motor around a little more. Finally I came to the conclusion the turbo had to move. This allowed me to shove the motor back to the point of still get wrenches to the top of the transmission and snake the downpipe between the firewall and the transmission adapter plate under the heater core with some more hammer smashing. The starter would almost lay on the driverside frame and their was about 4” of room to the radiator. Yep I was patting myself on the back for coming up with this idea.

The suspension work was not going to be that bad, plenty of people had straight axled S10's on the net no big deal so I though. Later I found out that a 2wd frame is different then a 4wd frame from about the middle of the doors forward. This combined with trying to keep the truck low for better handling and appearance was going to cause a mess when going to make the rear spring hanger. I never did like the 3”x3” tube stacked under the frame so I took a different approach and cut into the frame also cutting the spring hanger in to allow 2' of weld on each side. I also integrated the winch plate in to the crossmember so that when I need to pull hard I was pulling frame not bumper and risking shearing more bolts then I need to. What everyone else was using for springs would no work for me as I had so much weight to contend with. Finally after taking pics and what I had tried to a new spring shop that could work with me and not just ask me what year, what make and model. I had a set of mix and match springs that looked like it would work to hold the front end up, locate the axle were I needed it and still have some suspension travel.

 

[Alltwistedup]

found some pic's

Trying to find axle position, notice how the front crossmember is just clamped in to place while I try to figure things out.




All welded in time to see what the full weight does. No picture of the first 2 spring packs collapsing to the frame.


Spring pack #3 works good in the front but it can't handle the rear and the spring is in a really bad place to build a hanger.


Testing spring pack #4 it can take the weight if the eye was on the other side of the leaf. The rear tucks up into a pretty good place. This became the base of the final pack.


The motor goes in, the motor comes out I think 3 times. Then it get painted and get set for the last time. Trans is to the left it got painted also.


pre paint

 

[Alltwistedup]

Done for now

So by this time I am totally feed up with the truck, banging my head against the wall has lost it's thrill. It's cold outside, the snow is gray, the sky is gray and it time to go race. Off to Johnson valley, CA for the King of the hammer races and then to Primm,NV for more racing. And at some point in time a stop by Joshua tree, Mohave, Death valley, hanging out in Tuscon and see friends and family. Little hike, little bike, little tan, little hot springs, little race, little 4wheeling life is good. This is a 6,000 mile trip and I have beat on the big Dodge a little more and stopped myself from trashing it on a couple of occasions. Just as a side note don’t ever buy new tires and then go down the road to the Racetrack in DV the lava rock will make them look like your old tires. I have knocked off all the easy stuff to get to in the parks and the only things left are going to take their toll. All along the way I am thinking more about how I am building the s10 for what I do and were I do it.

Fast forward 8 months and I have collected more parts, sold off stuff I know I can't use and reevaluated what I am building. I have also collected a fridge, water tank, and solar setup to allow me to set up and stay longer in more remote places. Please don't think of me a some pansy who need the comforts of home when I am gone. I traveled 20,042 miles in 80 days all over North America living off my motorcycle and slept in a bed 8 times. When the going gets tough I keep going, but if I can take a shower and have a cold drink in the shade while in a 110 degree desert I am all for it.

Product testing set up camp and was self sufficient for 6 days. 5 showers and still had plenty of water but my otter pops in the fridge melted when it hit 100. Yea my Tiki lights rock for low level lighting at night and they have low current draw.

 

[ujoint]

Really cool rig

 

[blaz]

Nice to see another s-series!

More pics, we all want more pics. :wings:

Is this the truck I saw in a mag a few months back?