Bigler Boyz Crew Cab M35A2

[joshuaz223]

i honestly haven't seen your posts lately for the same reason i hadn't seen this post until today. for the record i agree with the post that states he did very well with the sheet metal but the rest was marginal. i was a weldor before becoming an engineer and worked in ndt and weld failure analysis. a lot of the things i see done by hobbyists amuses me but i try not to say anything unless i feel it's dangerous. your statement was wrong and made it seem to me like you were just dog piling. now that i understand that you misspoke and were probably referring to torsion or bending i will agree with you. hopefully you don't hold a grudge because i don't. you can ask doghead i am very easy to get along with and i try to be helpful.

 

[KsM715]

Thank you for the "torsion or bending" statement. Thats the term I have been looking for. (and its been driving me nuts all day since I re-read this thread) I thought maybe deflection would have worked aswell.

If someone were to build it for their own personal truck I would not care but in this case it is being built to sell. I would hate to see some unknowing person buy a vehicle like this thinking it was built, designed and tested for off-road use only to find out the suspension binds and breaks after the first few off road excursions. The OP's comments about "whats the difference between theirs and ours is what prompted my response.

No hard feelings here.

 

[plym49]

I have two comments.

The first relates to the painting of the undercarriage. There are many places - underneath and edges - where the gray primer has not been covered by topcoat. This is not attention to detail, unless, of course, if that was corrected before the truck was delivered to the customer.

The second relates to aftermarket or homegrown traction bar/etc. designs. Many do not permit adequate articulation. On a dragster this is not a problem. It can be for a street vehicle, and definitely is an issue for off road. To permit articulation, either the bushings/bearings need to be able to accommodate the twist. Or, the bars themselves must be designed to twist (like the stock Deuce links).

There is one more design criteria. If the suspension parts are all moving in different arcs, then there must be accommodation for interference movement. Usually this is by the use of compliant bushings. If there is interference movement and rigid bearings/bushings, then suspension members, brackets or the frame is flexing, and this can lead to metal fatigue or bent parts.

I do not know if this build has issues with interference movement or articulation, as it is hard to conclude that from the couple of photographs. So I will take the builder at his word that it is designed and executed properly. But I can see the areas the painter missed.

 

[SPCWarning]

Nice !

Biglerboyz, this is an awesome looking truck! I've read this whole post and saw a lot of arguments about this and that. Bottom line, I'd drive that crew cab anywhere and everywhere! I don't even have a regular cab deuce or 5 ton (yet), but seeing your level of metal fab and the interior work makes me want one that looks like that! Just curious, did you use Gillespie paint? Beautiful job!

 

[Mark2X2]

The floor of the cab was sprayed with the bed liner including all access panels. All of the panels still open or can be removed depending on which particular access panel. (whether hinged or bolted down)

Really nice job on the truck! Dose the spray bed liner deaden the drive line noise much? They did some stuff on "Myth Busters" the other night, pretty amazing stuff. Should eliminate the rusting floor boards, way better than a rubber mat. Again, real nice work.

 

[biglerboyz]

First, in regards to the underneath, I am assuming you are referring to the pictures of when the truck was still being built. The entire truck got 3 coats of paint after those pictures were taken. There are not any bare spots and the primer was black epoxy.

Second, there is no binding, no harsh riding, no bent parts ect as a number of members have decided to imply. The traction bars work perfectly as designed on and off the street. For those that don't want to believe it, the offer still stands to come see for yourself in person. I will be more than happy to show you that the bars work.

The spray-in liner on the floor does reduce the vibrations/cab noise, but it doesn't really do much in terms of engine noise. If you wanted to reduce engine/exhaust noise, the best solution is to relocate the exhaust and/or add a muffler.

For the rest of you, thanks for your support.

 

[biglerboyz]

Biglerboyz, this is an awesome looking truck! I've read this whole post and saw a lot of arguments about this and that. Bottom line, I'd drive that crew cab anywhere and everywhere! I don't even have a regular cab deuce or 5 ton (yet), but seeing your level of metal fab and the interior work makes me want one that looks like that! Just curious, did you use Gillespie paint? Beautiful job!

Thanks for the comments. The paint is PPG.

 

[biglerboyz]

With the interior finished off like that how is interior noise level. I would assume it helped alot with thte rattle and squeeks in the cab, also the floor being lined like it is one would think that the florr rattle and some engine noise would be cured.

Looks awsome excellent fabrication

Thanks, the interior noise level in terms of exhaust/engine noise is close to the same. It does reduce the in cab vibrations/rattles.

 

[plym49]

First, in regards to the underneath, I am assuming you are referring to the pictures of when the truck was still being built. The entire truck got 3 coats of paint after those pictures were taken. There are not any bare spots and the primer was black epoxy.

Second, there is no binding, no harsh riding, no bent parts ect as a number of members have decided to imply. The traction bars work perfectly as designed on and off the street. For those that don't want to believe it, the offer still stands to come see for yourself in person. I will be more than happy to show you that the bars work.

The spray-in liner on the floor does reduce the vibrations/cab noise, but it doesn't really do much in terms of engine noise. If you wanted to reduce engine/exhaust noise, the best solution is to relocate the exhaust and/or add a muffler.

For the rest of you, thanks for your support.

The photos I am referring to are of the chassis painted green after it had been sandblasted. I see what I thought was gray primer in the nooks and crannies, especially underneath. For example, underneath the front shock bracket, and along the sides of the air tanks.

I thought that those were areas where the green paint did not cover the gray primer.

But you say that you used black primer.

That means that these are areas that are raw sandblasted metal with no paint. If you shot more green afterwards, maybe you got those areas, but then they still do not have primer. All of those areas will rust on the new owner.

It is difficult to sandblast without disassembly and to get all the nooks and crannies. I understand that it is difficult to make margin on a job like this, and that taking it all apart would add a great deal of labor.

 

[biglerboyz]

That means that these are areas that are raw sandblasted metal with no paint. If you shot more green afterwards, maybe you got those areas, but then they still do not have primer. All of those areas will rust on the new owner.

We get all of the hard to get areas in the first round of priming and painting. Then the truck goes back into the paint booth and gets another 3 coats underneath after assembling most of the truck. We use the epoxy primer as added protection, the paint we use is apply to bare metal, does not need primer. So I guess your actually getting $500 worth of epoxy primer free.

 

[swampzr2]

Great fab work, the only thing I would change would be using FLAT paint.

 

[biglerboyz]

Great fab work, the only thing I would change would be using FLAT paint.

Yes, you are correct, the military paint is flatter. We have found that by using between a flat and semi-gloss it is easier to clean and doesn't scratch as easy. Thanks

 

[copperhead10]

Love the truck! Great fab work.

 

[biglerboyz]

Here are a few pictures of the truck with the 6" lift, air steering kit, led turn signals, led tail lights and new 53" XZL's.

 

[biglerboyz]

A couple more pictures

 

[biglerboyz]

The truck also got hemtt wheels, ouverson's hubs and the front axle was moved forward at the buyers request.

 

[salvorone@aol.com]

its allways great to see profesional fabrication , looks great

 

[8up]

x 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

[KsM715]

You need longer wheels studs. Are grade 5 fasteners strong enough to hold your suspension lift parts in place?

 

[needmoretrucks]

Sweet truck but did u ever add any slip to those traction Bars?
I may have just missed it, did you use a shackle up front or some kind of slip section? I've thought about doing something similiar with the two links. I just wonder if the axle might 'dogleg" too much during articulation.