My truck is going to be on TV!

[Mike Phillips]

I've never been a fan of the divorced t-cases, although some people love them. But, I usually play with flexy crawlers rather than mud trucks. Either way, it should be tough as heck.

I used a 2 Ton military transfercase in my first monster truck.  You can see it hanging down in the center in this pictures.  A divorced setup enables you to increase lift without increasing driveline angles.

Go LS, you won't regret it. Just last weekend a friend finished his 6.0 build for his mud toy, an LQ4 rebuilt with 13.8-1 compression on e85 with ls3 heads. Performance wise, it blows his old 496 out of the water. The 496 wasn't a slouch, it was built to run c16. We took it for a spin around town, almost literally. It would fry the 53" boggers anywhere in any gear.

I'm sure you're right about the power but I'm pretty much set in my ways when it comes to engines and I just like and want a simple big block Chevy engine.  HEI for ignition and carberator for fuel.  My preference is to Keep it Simple Simon.

How much lift are you running? Just a little trimming let 49" IROK's clear with a 4" lift on my old trail beater. It was an old military k30. Of course, it wasn't a pretty truck like yours.

I'm running 12" lift kit right now.

[SomeTexan]

Ok, makes sense I guess. I was into rock crawling, so I always wanted a low center of gravity and nothing hanging below the frame rails to catch on stuff was way more important.

They do make a timing cover for ls engines that takes a distributer, and there are plenty of carb intakes. Ls engines are stronger, lighter and make more power and can be even more simple than the outdated boat anchors.

12"? Why? For looks or does it offer some kind of advantage? I'm not a mud guy, so it's not something I know much about.

[Mike Phillips]

Ok, makes sense I guess. I was into rock crawling, so I always wanted a low center of gravity and nothing hanging below the frame rails to catch on stuff was way more important.

I did the mud bogging thing for about 7 years in Oregon.  Had a lot of fun.





Now days my truck is just a pavement pounder.  I LIKE driving a big truck and because I have an artificial leg (Drag Boat Accident), I find it easier to get UP into a monster truck than it is to lower myself down into a car.  Plus getting into my truck won't tear up my only good knee over the course of the rest of my life.

They do make a timing cover for ls engines that takes a distributer, and there are plenty of carb intakes. Ls engines are stronger, lighter and make more power and can be even more simple than the outdated boat anchors.

Nah... I want a big block...  don't care if a small block is better or not there's just no bragging rights to say,

"Yep... she has a small block in her"

12"? Why? For looks or does it offer some kind of advantage? I'm not a mud guy, so it's not something I know much about.

In my case it's just for looks.  If you want to go mudding then "yeah" getting the body out of the way helps a lot.



Plus my wife like it so it ain't going away.

[fitz]

Mike, do you still have the big block out of your blazer?

[SomeTexan]

Ok, makes sense I guess. I was into rock crawling, so I always wanted a low center of gravity and nothing hanging below the frame rails to catch on stuff was way more important.

I did the mud bogging thing for about 7 years in Oregon.  Had a lot of fun.





Now days my truck is just a pavement pounder.  I LIKE driving a big truck and because I have an artificial leg (Drag Boat Accident), I find it easier to get UP into a monster truck than it is to lower myself down into a car.  Plus getting into my truck won't tear up my only good knee over the course of the rest of my life.

They do make a timing cover for ls engines that takes a distributer, and there are plenty of carb intakes. Ls engines are stronger, lighter and make more power and can be even more simple than the outdated boat anchors.

Nah... I want a big block...  don't care if a small block is better or not there's just no bragging rights to say,

"Yep... she has a small block in her"

12"? Why? For looks or does it offer some kind of advantage? I'm not a mud guy, so it's not something I know much about.

In my case it's just for looks.  If you want to go mudding then "yeah" getting the body out of the way helps a lot.



Plus my wife like it so it ain't going away.

Are those pics from Fosters? I went with a friend back in 98 or 99. Although not really my thing, it was fun.

I can understand low cars being a pain to get in and out of, I crushed L2 and L3 in a motorcycle wreck and messed up a knee on dirtbikes. I've got an Audi TT that I use for long trips where I won't be getting in and out a lot, but around town I prefer a truck. My Atom hasn't let the track in 3 years although it's tagged, inspected and insured. It's a pain to get in and out of. What kind of bait did you run? I used to run a 19' Liberator with a 280efi offshore, and I've built a few v-drives over the years. I miss my old Howard flat bottom, 540ci meth injected, blown with a 500 shot. I loved to embarrass jets with that one.

I don't consider an LS to be a small block as its nothing like an sbc. It's a whole different animal. When it comes to big blocks, to me they aren't worth the extra weight until you get to the aftermarket bore space tall decks. But for a cruiser they are still cool.

I can understand that. It's your truck, as long as it makes you happy when you are behind the wheel, that's all that matters.

My girlfriend is right about 5' tall, I can't imagine here trying to get into a truck that tall.

[Mike Phillips]

Mike, do you still have the big block out of your blazer?

Yes and that's the one I'll probably have rebuilt for the Silverado.  I  have to admit though, I found an engine builder by the name of Skip White selling DART BIG M SPORTSMAN BLOCK engines on eBay and the description for  how they're built sounds enticing.

At the same time... my truck is just a daily driver so I don't need an exotic power engine.

[Mike Phillips]

Are those pics from Fosters? I went with a friend back in 98 or 99. Although not really my thing, it was fun.

Yes, the Foster Mud Flat Races.  I went every year till they shut it down.

 What kind of boat did you run? I used to run a 19' Liberator with a 280efi offshore, and I've built a few v-drives over the years. I miss my old Howard flat bottom, 540ci meth injected, blown with a 500 shot. I loved to embarrass jets with that one.

That was my favorite thing to do... embarrasss Jet Boat owners.  I owned a 1970 Sanger with a Tim Briggs 402 BBC for 20 years.

My girlfriend is right about 5' tall, I can't imagine here trying to get into a truck that tall.

One of my favorite aspects about my truck is helping my wife get in and out of it.

[philo_beddoe]

That jet boat looks like uncle romans from "the great outdoors". Lol

[Irish_Alley]

[Irish_Alley]

big enough?

[SomeTexan]

I really need to fix my old computer now. I should have a pic on it of a 69 Sanger that was black with red stripe behind an almost identical looking 76 K5.

You have a cool girlfriend Mike. If mine was dressed like that, and I tried to take my w250 on 35's, she would just walk to my 90 swb and give me that "don't be stupid" look. The 90 is a lowered ss454 clone, kinda. It's her favorite of my toys.

[Mike Phillips]

That jet boat looks like uncle romans from "the great outdoors". Lol

The boat in the movie "The Great Outdoors" was in fact a Jet Boat.

This my friend is a V-drive Drag Boat.  If you look close you'll see a shiny spot behind the rudder at the bottom back of the boat in this picture.  That's a 2-blade 11 x 17 speed prop.

[Mike Phillips]

Here's Jared working on the cab corners...






 

[Irish_Alley]

tell them if theyre looking for a crew cab cummins, i may know where to find one 

[Mike Phillips]

***Truck Update***

Mike the in-house fabricator for Brenton TV Studios sent me a few new pictures showing the progress on my truck.

Here's the cab corners fitted and  welded in by Jarrod.  I have a lot of friends in the body shop and custom paint world and when I get my truck back my buddy Paul Grosso at Grosso Garage is going to finish the body work  and paint the cab corners.  Down the road after the big block goes in and a number of other upgrades the entire truck will get a new paint job.






After fabricating the custom transfercase crossmember Mike cleaned, prepped and painted the transmission and transfercase crossmembers.  (Thanks Mike!)








This is the key component when swapping a divorced system for a mated system










Looking good!



Mike's having custom front and rear drive lines made right now, hopefully some more pictures as these are built and installed.

I'm sending the link to this thread to Mike so he can see his work being shared on 73-87ChevyTrucks.com


Can't wait to get my truck back!