[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

Someone forgot that the shocks & frame side track bar mount have to share the same space…. nothing a 5” zip disc can’t fix 😀

[D100 Hydro boost brake upgrade]

Picked up the cut parts & some more TIG practice, really happy how this is coming along. Next to pick up an ACDELCO 18M230 master cylinder as it has a 1 5/16” bore that’ll move lots of fluid for my Chevy 3/4t calipers.

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

Having the correct tool to support the 3rd’s makes setting them up much safer. I wouldn’t want one falling on my foot ☹️

Making a pin wrench from some old tube & a couple of M8 bolts was quick and saves a lot of messing around 👍
 

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

Links back from the fab shop and time to get the front axle located. Going to add some captive nuts onto the x-member for a belly skid plate.

 

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

Got the new radius link mounts bolted on, had to add an access hole behind the x-member to get the nut plate in for the 1/2” anti-rotation bolts. Hopefully have all the new links back from the fab shop later this week, decided to get the cap passes done by a real welder 😉

 

[D100 Hydro boost brake upgrade]

28 minutes ago, miketomcat said:

Thank you. So I guess it kind of works in a similar way to a steering box.

Mike

Yup…. if you look in the tech article I posted, near the bottom is an explanation on how they work.

[D100 Hydro boost brake upgrade]

Here are a few pictures of the clearance I have on the (rear) rims and the custom front caliper brackets I designed based off this data to work with the modified Dodge 1t knuckles.

 

[D100 Hydro boost brake upgrade]

8 hours ago, miketomcat said:

Excuse the dumb question, why and how much better is this over the standard vacuum servo.

Mike

No dumb questions here… basically the hydro boosters give you approximately double the hydraulic pressure to your calipers over vacuum boosters for the same amount of pedal pressure. It’s an easy way to get a significant improvement in braking performance when going to larger tires and when you mix & matching brake parts.

With the physical limitations on caliper size by keeping my 15” Stazworks rims I opted to use single piston Chevy 3/4t calipers all round on the 609 axles. There cheap & readily available but obviously won’t perform as well as a more modern 4 pot caliper. So, to offset this hydro boost gives me a ‘boost’ in line pressure. Will see how it performs once it’s all back together. If I’m not happy then there is the option to swap the calipers out for ones from Wilwood. They make 4 pots in the same physical size but there $300 each ☹️

Here is a great tech article on brakes for off-road trucks :

Billavista’s Brake Bible…..

To note, most 3/4t and all 1t pickups here have hydro boost brakes from factory due to their increased weight and the heavy loads they can tow.

Hope that answers your question 👍

[D100 Hydro boost brake upgrade]

Got some parts in, clean & repainted the booster… AN6 adapters added & just waiting for the water jet cut parts to get it installed.

 

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

Made a start on the new rear top links, good opportunity to practice my TIG welding on the root pass… 😀

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

Temporarily installed one of the new outer front link mounts, the x-member and got the new axle squared under the truck at ride height. Tube lengths are measured and we’ll get some 2” OD x 1/4” wall DOM tomorrow. Looks like  the track bar axle mount will fall just to the left of the fill plug. Need to get the new pitman arm modified & installed to make the drag link up, then we can finalize the track bar.

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

Bit of an update, have killed the Photobucket account so not sure how long the pictures will handing around. If there is interest I can edit all the posts & add them back in.

Have now got the rear axle under the truck, working on making some new links as their length is slightly different and I wanted to swap to bungs with hex’s on them, something that wasn’t available when I originally made them.

Picked up a new D1 pitman arm and have reamed that out to suit the Chevy TRE’s I’m using, it’ll need some beefing up around the end & tabs adding for the Gwyn Lewis hydro assist ram to attach to.

On the front the old axle is all out & am starting to install the new one. Have a new frame side track bar bracket drawn up & out for cutting. Once I have the new frame x-member & link brackets installed I’ll be able to make up the links.

Rest of the 3rd member parts are on order, am using Yukon housings with a spool in the rear & a Zip locker in the front. Am hoping on getting it all back on the road by end of June, time and $ allowing…..

[D100 Hydro boost brake upgrade]

Whilst I wait for the cut parts, did some searching and figured out all the part #’s for the adapter fittings to use 6AN hose & fittings as I already have that on my 5.3 LS PAS pump setup. There all on order and will add those to the next update.  Next to give the pedal tower & booster a good clean & fresh coat of paint ready for reinstalling.

[D100 Hydro boost brake upgrade]

With a bit of CAD magic we have a custom adapter drawn up and the end plates are out for water jet cutting from 1/4” steel. Should see those in a week or two.

[D100 Hydro boost brake upgrade]

Next I cut the clevis off the original vacuum booster with a short piece of the shaft left up to the point it reduced in diameter. Plan is to cut the eye off the hydro booster shaft, thread both as there 3/8” diameter and use a simple threaded joiner & jam nut. This will make service/replacement in the truck an easy job if required. Here we are working out the length of adaptor required to make this all work. Seems 2” is the magic length between the front face of the brake pedal tower and the booster.

[D100 Hydro boost brake upgrade]

Starting with a used booster off a 2006 Chevy Silverado 2500. Whilst removing the unit from the factory mounting plate the nut decided to break into 3 pieces, welded it back together whilst I looked for a replacement. As luck would have it a regular LR spindle nut is exactly the same thread.

[D100 Hydro boost brake upgrade]

An currently working on installing a GM hydro booster in my D100 to compliment the Chevy 3/4t callipers on my 609 axles, if any ones interested I'll post up progress... let me know.

[100 Inch Defender]

Here’s mine for some sweet dreams…. None of that IVA BS here so it’s linked, LS swapped, heavily modified & will be getting some custom 609 axles once I can afford the last few parts… enjoy 👍

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

10 hours ago, Bowie69 said:

Forgive me if already stated, is this a road-going vehicle? 

Around town & forest roads... we have about 450,000km of them in BC. Attached is a snip from a backroads map book, all the lines are Forest Service Roads used for logging & fire management access as well as recreation.

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

9 hours ago, hurbie said:

on heavy good's vehicle's with cranked steering rod's they use a sleeve on one side with a left hand thread on the outside and right hand thread on the inside , so you can adjust the tracking without taking the steering knuckel's apart.

Yes, we have that on our Western Star plow trucks at work. Problem is finding one after market that fit the Chevy threads and your then introducing another area of weakness. For the few times it needs adjustment it’s an acceptable compromise.

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

15 hours ago, landroversforever said:

Nice!

Are you concerned about adjustability of the tracking with the steering cranked at each end? 

Not really, just need to pop the ends out to adjust it. At the end of the day once it’s done, shouldn’t need doing again.

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

The cheap chinese 7/8”-18 taps arrived today so I could chase the TRE threaded bungs as they tightened up a bit after flowing the welds with the TIG. Clearance looks great at full lock & we should have a bit better steering angle too.

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

For a small intermission... got back onto finishing off the D100. Just a few little jobs to do and it’ll be ready for a VI, back on the road after a 10yr rebuild 😃

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

Got the steering link bent up and trimmed, just needs final welding now.

 

[Cheap'ish 609 axle builds]

Picked up a couple more brake rotors & redrilled them for my use.

Next to make up the steering link out of 1.5” x 0.25” wall DOM tube.