Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher (Post 5548057)

I also picked up this spare cluster from a friend.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/IMG_1048.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/IMG_1049.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/IMG_1050.jpg

Originally Posted by 1972RedNeck (Post 5557384)

How do people get lucky enough to stumble across something like this?

Originally Posted by ryanroo (Post 5557513)

i had that same thought. considering i am building a diesel truck as well, i have been keeping my eyes peeled for a diesel tach cluster and Ryan ends up with 2. some guys have all the luck ;)

Ryan

Originally Posted by doubleb's69 (Post 5565103)

Looks great Ryan.

Originally Posted by birdistheword (Post 5565587)

Looking good keep at it.

Originally Posted by ryanroo (Post 5565689)

Sweet

and that reminded me i need to mail that block for our crewcab. its still sitting in my garage....

what did you do to change the rear suspension height? i think mine is going to be high in the rear. i prefer it to be a bit higher, but without the fuel tank batteries and a bed i'm not sure yet if ill have to adjust it or not.

Ryan

Originally Posted by Str8-6-68 (Post 5566219)

Very nice progress Ryan, this orange beast will be burning rubber in no time now!

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher (Post 5566678)

Thanks man.

That's funny you mentioned that. I was looking around for it because I couldn't remember if you sent it or not and I thought I lost it like all my other spare parts. LMAO. I prefer the back to be higher a little too, but mine was literally 4" higher. I didn't want to raise the front that much because I don't want the truck to look stupid. Big lift, small tires you know. I ended up replacing the front spring hangers on the rear springs with 2wd ones and removed the 4wd ones. This literally dropped the rear 4".

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher (Post 5566683)

I just remembered some thing else. I saw on another thread where some one was saying the studs on the D60's like to break off? I can't imagine that unless you get in a wreck or severly shock load the front tires. The same guy mentioned going to crossover steering, which isn't a bad idea. But you still use the same area to mount a tie rod to, so what's the diff? :lol:

Originally Posted by ryanroo (Post 5566858)

That was going to be my suggestion if you didn't figure something out. great minds think alike i guess. did you have to leave the shackle bolted real close like it was? i think if it stays that way it will make the ride real choppy.

Yes I did have to leave the shackle bars short. I may have to make another set and give it a half inch or so. I don't know yet. We'll see how it rides I guess.

i know with the block there is a little more chance of it happening, but in the stock form in a driver type truck its a non issue. with huge tires and hydraulic steering sometimes they do shear simply from being over stressed. the off road world has solved that issue by making knuckles and arms that are keyed. in a stockish height truck and with the intent being street driver/tow i much prefer the GM factory style steering. crossover wants to push the axle on the springs and is really not that easy to get rid of bumpsteer with. the steering on my jeep is crossover and i spent plenty of time making sure the drag link is flat and everything is correctly matched. i still have a little bumpsteer wiggle on bumps on the street. with all the components in good working order and the drag link angle reasonable and sane GMs stuff does great. the only improvement would be to have the swing point of the steering in line with the spring eye so the drag link and axle swing in the same arc.

Ryan

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC (Post 5566916)

Are you going to have full steering to the left like that? I was looking at a square body the other day with a dodge arm and it looked like it was going to need two of the short tie rod ends for it to work right, and also the hole reamed out from the top.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/IMG_0076.jpg

Originally Posted by 1968vetL-71 (Post 5573040)

Hey Ryan, just cruzin through and checkin out the progress. Great job! :metal: Everything is going together well. Can't wait to see that bad boy beatin the pavement. Again... great job man.

Originally Posted by mknittle (Post 5573493)

Great job Ryan, looking good!

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher (Post 5574383)

This is aother concern of mine. Once I get a steering column in it I can check that. I'd like to find a GM style steering arm for it, but if I can't, I'll have the rod ends cut and tapped so I can get it shorter. We'll see I guess, :lol:

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC (Post 5576877)

I just got to thinking and my idea with the two short ends won't work, the long one is right handed threads and the short one is left handed threads. So like you said you will either have to find a short one with RH threads or cut it and have it threaded.