Question about builder parts

[4Runninfun]

Looking around who make good builder parts? specifically i'm looking for some shock mounts for my axle tube.

[Brody]

Hey Jon

Sky Manufacturing, Poly Performance, Blue Torch Fabrication, WabFab, Bud Built are just some off the top of my head. I think most of these guys sell 'builder parts' which is the category you want to look for. Off Road Solutions also sells 'builder parts' as does Poison Spider Customs.

Two people listed in links sell builder parts: hrpworld and speedway motors. In Denver, High Country, Off Road Solutions, Poison Spider Customs, Leary Racing and Shock Shop

Hope that helps! Thanks for the IFS box!

[4Runninfun]

Welcome for the box glad it could go to use. And why the heck are U-Bolt flip kits so expensive? they're freaking four bolts and a couple pieces of plate!

[Brody]

Most of those places that I mentioned also have spring plates separately for not much. Ubolt + lowering blocks at Advance Auto Parts sells for around $24. Cheaper than buying the u-bolts. What I used to put the Taco axle under my heap. I found u-bolts priced at $11 each and went the other route. Probably cheaper to put it together this way.

[4Runninfun]

do you happen to have a link to just the plates? i'm being internet retarded right now and can't find any for less than the kit.

[Brody]

Hey Jon

Try these guys:

http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/search.php?mode=search&page=1

When you are on the PolyPerformance site, take a look at all of their chassis builder parts for shock tabs, etc. They have very competitive prices on everything and are used by almost all of the shops.

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductListSimple.aspx?Category=3548s

These guys are similiar to PolyPerformance as to what they carry, but are smaller. Still great prices.

Hope that this helps out. Watch your shock tabs if you are going with the cross brace and angled shocks. The bottom shock mounts need to be at right angles to the axle and in line with the upper eye mounts. I know that sounds like a no brainer, but I had to carefully grind off the first set of mounts that I so 'oh so carefully' welded on my new axle housing and remount them right....I ended up going with the shock bolts (like what come in the shock kit or that you can buy at Checker, etc) as my mounting points allowed me to weld a tab on in addition to being able to weld the back side of the bolt. You might look at this as it ends up being plenty strong and is quick and fast. ORS said that they had seen guys running these bolts just welded to the axle housing(so have I) but that they didn't look very strong. They also said that they have been holding up without breaking, too. What I did with mine was to run the bolt through a weld on tab, cut the back of the bolt to length, weld it to the tab, tab to the axle and then weld the back of the bolt to the axle. Plenty strong, with 2 point of support.

[4Runninfun]

do you happen to have a pic of that setup? it sounds like it's worth looking into. I was looking at maybe getting something like this...
http://trail-gear.com/images/shock-mount-600.jpg

[bskey]

do you happen to have a pic of that setup? it sounds like it's worth looking into.

+1 :thunb:

[Brody]

I'll take a picture or maybe you can see what I did in the axle truss thread. I don't know how well the shock stuff will show up.

Keep in mind that if you mount the shocks angled towards the center of the truck, they have to be able to articulate that direction, so the brackets that you posted a link to won't work. I managed to do this on mine, too and my mounts, much like the ones in the picture, got ground off and the others put in their place.

I was thinking about how to do the shock bolts/mounts if I didn't have the gussets to back brace them to. Here is what I came up with: They are a 2 stage bolt, with a big nut and shaft (one piece) on the back side and the shock fitting on the front. I would cut a piece of tube about the same height as the big nut and that would go over the nut easily. I would then cut the big shaft back to almost flush with the nut, bevel the back side of the nut, figure out where I wanted my shocks and weld them directly to the axle housing(carefully so as not to warp the housing). Then I would take the tube, slip it over the nut, weld that to the housing and the nut to that. That is one way and you gain more meat at the contact surface, a draw back to this set up.

Take a look at the shock mounts for the angled set up on ORS' site. These are custom made and they get about $44 each for them. You could take a piece of 2" square stock and cut it to fit around your axle. Cut off the top of the square stock. Weld one small plate with a 1/2 hole on the front side and another on the inside, allowing enough room for a shock nut and washer. This essentially duplicates what ORS did, provides a pretty bomb proof set up and is much stronger than the first method. These shock mounting holes are turned 90 degrees(at a right angle to your axle) from the link picture. If I am not mistaken, Bear and I used those metal electrical plates from Home Depo on his to accomplish this. They are 1/4" stock and have a pre-drilled 1/2" hole in them. I'll post them again when I start up the 'cheap tricks' link.