Full circle tow rig project

[91samurai]

I’m currently working on what will be my new tow rig and daily driver. A 2003 Chevy 1500hd quadrasteer. This truck was originally my dads that he bought in 2005 with 20,000 miles. He drove it to 142,000 miles in 2017 when it was in a wreck and bent the frame. While it was running I took my driving test in it and used it to tow my samurai when it was first built. I drove down to Florida with the trailer to pick him up and bring it back. The insurance company totaled the truck but dad bought it back. In 2019 dad had some health issues(he’s doing ok now) and decided that big projects weren’t his thing anymore. So the truck was hauled to my house and sat in the woods until I was ready to mess with it. Recently I have found myself in need of something to daily drive and the timing has worked out to start working on this. A couple weeks ago I winched it into the drive way and started cleaning the parts out of the bed.

I had to rob the battery out of my suburban but it started up and ran. It would move some but the right front wheel was locked up. In the wreck one of the pistons in the brake caliper cracked. I just pulled the caliper off so I could drive it in the yard with no brakes.

I’m preparation for pulling the bed I took the bumper and hitch off and unbolted the bed. The tailgate closed better once the bed was unbolted because the frame was so twisted up.

One of the reasons I was willing to tackle this right now is I just got the building setup at my house with some used lights and a used 2 post lift. I don’t have any pictures but I managed to pull the bed with some ratchet straps between some trees in the yard. Having a lift is such a game changer for getting things done quickly and after being an automotive tech for 4 years it’s hard to not get upset doing things on the ground and not having a good workflow at home.

I bought a frame from a 2004 2500 that had been rolled over. Even though I hadn’t picked it up I was ready to start taking the truck apart. I pulled the cab and rolled the frame back out the door of the shop. Then unbolted the vise from the fab table and rolled it under neath. I lowered the cab onto some blocks of wood and ratchet straped it to the table for good measure. The 4x8 table was the perfect size. Next I rolled the cab as far forward as I could in the building for more room to work.

The core support came off next followed by the engine and trans.

I winched the frame back in and set it up to start pulling the rear axle and fuel tank and leaf springs.

I’m about ready to roll this frame outside and start on my new one. There is a tight turn from the shop into the driveway so I’m thinking about finding a piece of square tube the same size as a hitch receiver several feet long and using it in the hitch of my k10 to support the back and wheel it outside

My new frame looks like it’s in good shape. The salvage yard included all the front suspension. But with 370,000 miles I think I’ll swap all of mine into it. I will have to try and straiten my transmission crossmember since the one for this frame wasnt Included. The only difference between the 04 and 03 frames I have found so far is the charcoal canister mounting location. So I will have to cut the brackets off and swap them out.

I knew the ac never worked great in this truck and after seeing it at work several times I was sure it had a clogged up orfice tube. But this one is bad!

The truck was well taken care of but I’m going to try to take care for some of the obvious ls engine stuff that’s easy to get to now. I will be getting all the broken exhaust manifold bolts out while the engine is out and it’s easy to weld nuts to the broken bolts. I’m going to change the o rings on the coolant crossover tube and the little block offs in the back as well.

 

[mtnbiker4evr13]

Cool project, the quadrasteer rear ends are intriguing. Always wondered how they held up towing.

 

[91samurai]

Cool project, the quadrasteer rear ends are intriguing. Always wondered how they held up towing.

From what I’ve seen it’s a Dana 60 center with beefy knuckles. The rear outer tie rods are worn out so I’m replacing those. But all the ball joints are good. I think it’s pretty tough, it survived a lot of drifting and spinning the mud off the tires on the road leaving the flats. It was always whose truck could spin them longer, My k10 or this.

 

[91samurai]

One of the torsion bar bolts was broken off. I welded a nut to it to be able to remove it.

I also welded a nut to the top of the front sway bar links, So I can put a wrench on them instead of trying to grab the thin metal piece with Chanel locks

This is how I got the frame with no rear axle out of the garage. It handled pretty good. Going backwards was just like with a trailer.

I replaced both control arms and the wheel bearing on the right side. I thought it was a good idea since that was where the truck was hit. It already had a junkyard knuckle on it before I got the truck.

The charcoal canister location was different on the new frame. I cut the old bracket off and welded it to the new frame so all the evap lines would work.

I couldn’t find the saddle I made for a bottle jack so it was kinda sketchy but it worked to straiten the transmission crossmember. I will still be on the look out for a new one to replace this one down the road.

I rolled the frame halfway out the garage and installed the engine and trans. Then I rolled the cab on the table under the lift so I could pick it up. While the cab was in the air I removed all the broken exhaust manifold bolts and installed new ones. As well as the coolant block off o rings on the back of the heads

Now the cab is on and bolted down. One of the areas where the cab mount sits had to be hammered back flat so it would bolt to the new frame.

 

[Croatan_Kid]

You might check and see if they make (or make your own) tie rod sleeves. IIRC, they're on the back side of the axle and under power, the tires would want to go toe out. If they're the same thickness as the front ones, it doesn't take much to bend them.

 

[91samurai]

You might check and see if they make (or make your own) tie rod sleeves. IIRC, they're on the back side of the axle and under power, the tires would want to go toe out. If they're the same thickness as the front ones, it doesn't take much to bend them.

I see that could be an upgrade down the road. But the ones on it haven’t given any trouble yet so they can stay for now

I set the drivers fender on it a few nights ago. It’s not bolted on but it looks so much better than it has for the last few years