2002 2500HD - Solid Axle Tow Rig

paradisePWoffrd said:
Just curious, is there a reason to swap the engine/trans other than you just know the ones from your old truck?

With all you are planning to swap, I almost feel like it might be easier to swap the cab vs everything else.
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To add to what I said earlier...

Yes. I've been the care taker of the engine in my old truck for 8 years. I upgraded the oil cooler, exhaust manifolds, up pipes, turbo, harmonic balancer, water pump...stuff like that.

I built the transmission in August of 2022. It'll hold all the power I'll ever make and was kinda spendy, just for parts.

The transfer case, I also built. The driveshafts go with that as they're both fixed yokes now.

I could swap everything except the motor, but at that point...it'd be easier to swap all the whole motor vs the individual parts. Having the motor out gives me access to cover the firewall and transmission tunnel with a nice, foil backed heat deflection and sound deadener material as well.
 
Croatan_Kid said:
To add to what I said earlier...

Yes. I've been the care taker of the engine in my old truck for 8 years. I upgraded the oil cooler, exhaust manifolds, up pipes, turbo, harmonic balancer, water pump...stuff like that.

I built the transmission in August of 2022. It'll hold all the power I'll ever make and was kinda spendy, just for parts.

The transfer case, I also built. The driveshafts go with that as they're both fixed yokes now.

I could swap everything except the motor, but at that point...it'd be easier to swap all the whole motor vs the individual parts. Having the motor out gives me access to cover the firewall and transmission tunnel with a nice, foil backed heat deflection and sound deadener material as well.
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I wondered if that might be the case. Good luck with the rebuild. It seems like a daunting task to me, but I have no doubt you can knock it out.
 
Croatan_Kid said:
To add to what I said earlier...

Yes. I've been the care taker of the engine in my old truck for 8 years. I upgraded the oil cooler, exhaust manifolds, up pipes, turbo, harmonic balancer, water pump...stuff like that.

I built the transmission in August of 2022. It'll hold all the power I'll ever make and was kinda spendy, just for parts.

The transfer case, I also built. The driveshafts go with that as they're both fixed yokes now.

I could swap everything except the motor, but at that point...it'd be easier to swap all the whole motor vs the individual parts. Having the motor out gives me access to cover the firewall and transmission tunnel with a nice, foil backed heat deflection and sound deadener material as well.
Click to expand...

Chassis twisted in the crash ?
 
I'm sure I will :D
 
Got tags on the "new" truck on Friday.

I snagged the radio, floor mats, and a handful of other small things out of the other truck. Had to spend some time unfcking some stuff from the previous owners. I forget how awesome I am sometimes...just look at that radio harness! Solder AND heat shrink! To think, I did that 8 years ago. The one that was in it had wire nuts on it....

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Finally got all of the speakers working for now until I can swap in the ones from my old truck.

The cab lights are 100% getting gone, but since they're there for now...they're going to work. What a fuster cluck that was, but I got it. For the record, I hate it. Cab lights and marker lights should 100% be amber. This looks stupid.

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The driver's seat doesn't move, so I've got to swap some stuff over from my other truck on that as well. The heat pads work though and that makes me happy.

Replaced the air filter and cabin air filters.

The left front wheel bearing is noisy. Just has me motivated to swap the Dana 60 under it sooner.

I REALLY need my buddy to focus and help me out with getting my old truck loaded up and over to his shop so I can get to work, but he's got my trailer loaded with logs for some reason. I can already see that I'm going to have to make him get his own trailer.


Anyway...getting stuff done a little bit at a time.
 
Got a trailer for you anytime you need it
 
@Clubbs It was a lot more convenient when you used to live across the highway from me šŸ˜‚

Speaking of trailers: I've got to get the gooseneck hitch and trailer brake controller swapped over soon too. I still can't move my own trailer!

It's also really weird going back to a bone stock truck when you're used to driving one with over 600hp, a built transmission, and a solid axle. The struggle is REAL!
 
Got my mom's car fixed earlier. 2017 Equinox with 82,000 miles. It got both front wheel bearings and a set of PowerStop pads. She's good to go now.

I went and dropped her car back off and got my truck so I could do put a wheel bearing on it too. I guess it was wheel bearing day. I didn't really want to spend the money on it, but I need to be able to drive it until I can get the 60 stuffed under it. Plus, I have a buddy with an 04 Dmax and another buddy with an 05 Dmax, so it won't go to waste.

We kind of agreed that neither of us would get "paid" for the lift we did on that 2024 Denali HD Ultimate a couple of weeks ago and we'd snag a two post lift. That'll be a big help with getting the cab and bed off my old truck AND for slightly lifting up the cab on the new truck when it gets some S&B body mounts :D

You can see the two post standing next to the four post. It's going to be realllly nice to be able to back a trailer under it too!

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Tomorrow, I'm hoping to hit it hard on the CUCV. That'll be a big relief and next weekend, I'll have a nice, fist full of cash.
 
Good news...also...bad news.

Good first: I got the driver's seat in the new truck working. Had to go in to work 3 hrs early and left 3 hrs early. I had taken the seat out of the old truck over to my buddy's shop so I could mess with them.

I popped the seat bases off their frames and saw that the seat control module wasn't plugged in. The housing was also broken because dude before me had adjusted the seat all the way down and crushed it. It still worked one I plugged it in, but I swapped the one over from my old seat anyway.

It's a much more enjoyable driving experience now, I must say.

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Bad new time:

I started dicking with the CUCV's rear brakes. Popped the diff cover off to let the gear oil drain. I figured it needed to be changed anyway and I was entirely correct. However, I was not expecting to see these shenanigans...

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As disappointing as that is, the pinion looks fine, all the bearings are tight, and the magnet definitely did its job. Now then, this has VERY likely been this way for many, many years. I broke a shaft and that took out the Detroit a while ago. I'm thinking that spot was where the shock load hit the ring gear when those two teeth were up against the pinion. I swear I didn't see it when I replaced the axle shaft and the Detroit! Hell, I had the entire carrier out for that process. So, I'm guessing it fractured and the chunks came loose later on.

I watch a LOT of "Air Disasters" on The Smithsonian Channel. I'm basically an accident investigator, as you can tell :D

Most of me wants to replace it, but the logical side of me says it's been that way for almost 13 years and held up to dozens of WOT pulls at 57 lbs of boost and north of 1000 ft/lbs of torque. Soooo, F it, right? šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø What say you, @Jody Treadway ?

The guy is supposed to come buy this damn thing on Sunday. Had I not pulled the cover and wasn't planning to sell it, I'd still be rocking it until it broke all the way.

This was the carnage from years ago. May of 2011, to be exact. Like I said, this probably had something to do with it.

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There's actually a teensy bit more good news! I have figured out what to do with the spare Dmax drivetrain I'll have left over. Yall are going to LOVE it. The best part being, once it's done, it'll be for sale :D
 
justjeepin86 said:
This brings one question to mind though. If it's off the contact patch, why did it fracture? Deflection from over power when it broke the axle and locker?
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A large chunk of the broken *edit* locker wedged in there, likely in the middle of the tooth. The middle of the tooth is strong AF whereas the inner portion is the weakest. It's simple physics that if the tooth had to break somewhere, the inside edge is where it would have.
 
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Probably a chunk of the locker drive teeth. The shaft broke clean and out towards the flanged end. The splined end looked fine.
 
skyhighZJ said:
Dmax drag truck out of your S10????
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Nope! Way better than that. Duraburb! Minimal investment and should be maximum profit...depending on who wants it when it's done.

I've got an entire drivetrain, cooling stack, front suspension, rear axle, driveshafts, TCCM, transfer case switch, shift cable, a FASS lift pump, fuel tank sump, engine wiring, ECM, TCM, exhaust, frame side motor mounts...literally everything I'll need. The only thing I'd really need to make/modify/buy would be the fuel filler neck.

Of course, I'll have to spend a little bit on fluids/oils, probably some seals/gaskets, and a few miscellaneous things here and there that will get replaced. I figure I might as well swap on an HD hood and grille whike I'm at it. I'll probably put the Ranch Hand from my new truck on it too. Maybe tires/wheels. I don't figure I'll actually spend more than 8 grand and could most likely double that, or a little more, from selling it.

Of course, I'd have to drive it for a little while to make sure it's good to go :D

The plan is to have a really clean, quality swap with some good upgrades sprinkled in that also looks factory. I'd go ahead and freshen up the suspension, steering, brakes, lighting, do some sound deadening, replace the body mounts, maybe upgrade the trailer hitch, and add some airbags under the rear. It should turn out really nice!

When all that happens, I'll just have to do another build thread!
 
Croatan_Kid said:
Nope! Way better than that. Duraburb! Minimal investment and should be maximum profit...depending on who wants it when it's done.

I've got an entire drivetrain, cooling stack, front suspension, rear axle, driveshafts, TCCM, transfer case switch, shift cable, a FASS lift pump, fuel tank sump, engine wiring, ECM, TCM, exhaust, frame side motor mounts...literally everything I'll need. The only thing I'd really need to make/modify/buy would be the fuel filler neck.

Of course, I'll have to spend a little bit on fluids/oils, probably some seals/gaskets, and a few miscellaneous things here and there that will get replaced. I figure I might as well swap on an HD hood and grille whike I'm at it. I'll probably put the Ranch Hand from my new truck on it too. Maybe tires/wheels. I don't figure I'll actually spend more than 8 grand and could most likely double that, or a little more, from selling it.

Of course, I'd have to drive it for a little while to make sure it's good to go :D

The plan is to have a really clean, quality swap with some good upgrades sprinkled in that also looks factory. I'd go ahead and freshen up the suspension, steering, brakes, lighting, do some sound deadening, replace the body mounts, maybe upgrade the trailer hitch, and add some airbags under the rear. It should turn out really nice!

When all that happens, I'll just have to do another build thread!
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We've been eyeing the duraburb conversions for a while, they sell for a pretty penny too usually. I'd definitely tune in to watch you build that. Good luck!
 
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