Trail_Wagon: The story of "Hope". A 2022 power wagon build

[Desertfox73]

Nice, man. Well done. Very professional.

I’m about to have to do something similar to my truck, I believe. Except much less professional.

I have no problem taking a grinder to my truck but, usually, I use a BFH on pinch weld seams and beat them over til they lay flat. That was my plan. I haven’t bothered to remove the inner fender liner to look back inside there yet so your video was helpful to me especially showing what it looks like inside there. I think can still beat it flat. I typically make a relief cut as needed and hammer the rest of the pinch weld over flat. Hopefully after that I can use a heat gun to persuade the inner fender liner to be a new shape and keep it intact.

Here’s the option I plan to go with:

He sells his kits, very nicely done.

 

[Aaandroger]

Here’s the option I plan to go with:

He sells his kits, very nicely done.

Maybe I'm not tech savvy enough..but, where does he sell the kits? I just see his YouTube channel, but no link to purchase.

Thank you in advance for helping to point me in the right direction

 

[Desertfox73]

Maybe I'm not tech savvy enough..but, where does he sell the kits? I just see his YouTube channel, but no link to purchase.

Thank you in advance for helping to point me in the right direction

Ha - it's not you, he's hard to find. I just wrote him in the comments section, but his email is tyvole.offroad@gmail.com.

 

[UNifc6pF]

For what it's worth, I reached out to him last week about pricing $280 + $15 shipping.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

For what it's worth, I reached out to him last week about pricing $280 + $15 shipping.

That’s awful high

 

[UNifc6pF]

That’s awful high

I thought the same thing. But I'd imagine he's doing all these by "hand" and isn't sending them off to a factory. They look to be cut by CNC or simliar, and have very nice bends. Plus all the time he spent to get the sizing and bends just right.

Looking at how long it take me; the fact I don't have tools to make it near as nice ... I'm leaning towards it.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

I thought the same thing. But I'd imagine he's doing all these by "hand" and isn't sending them off to a factory. They look to be cut by CNC or simliar, and have very nice bends. Plus all the time he spent to get the sizing and bends just right.

Looking at how long it take me; the fact I don't have tools to make it near as nice ... I'm leaning towards it.

I suppose I’m a hater. I’m not into spending $300 on a cover plate for a hole cut in plastic

 

[UNifc6pF]

I suppose I’m a hater. I’m not into spending $300 on a cover plate for a hole cut in plastic

I didn't buy them, b/c I had the same sticker shock. I want to cover the hole if trim the plastic - that's a lot of money for something /mostly/ cosmetic.

I can go buy some aluminum from local store, grind the edges, spray some bed liner on it and fabricated a mounted bracket for a lot less.

 

[Trail_Wagon]

I didn't buy them, b/c I had the same sticker shock. I want to cover the hole if trim the plastic - that's a lot of money for something /mostly/ cosmetic.

I can go buy some aluminum from local store, grind the edges, spray some bed liner on it and fabricated a mounted bracket for a lot less.

Thats why I made a video

 

[UNifc6pF]

Thats why I made a video

Damn, I missed your video!

Wish I had that bend tool that you used.

I'm also wondering if the thuren 1.5 or the carli springs will make this pinch weld a non issue.

 

[Trail_Wagon]

Damn, I missed your video!

Wish I had that bend tool that you used.

I'm also wondering if the thuren 1.5 or the carli springs will make this pinch weld a non issue.

I made that bend tool out of scrap. I've bent 1/4" with it just fine. Its not pretty but gets the job done.

No idea if the lift springs making it a non issue

 

[Trail_Wagon]

A quick update on shock comfort.
I'm extremely impressed the the fox's. At the softest setting on the DSC the truck lumbers and handles sloppy, at the firmest setting the truck feels like an old 3500. I've kinda narrowed it down to the low speed compression settings at 5 (front and rear) and its absolutely amazing. When hitting bumps the truck feels like my wrangler JLUR (on fox 2.0). There is zero harshness, lots of control and so much comfort. Getting a HD 2500 to ride like a SUV... thats fantastic.

I haven't gotten to play with the high speed settings yet, and I haven't gotten to take the truck off road

 

[Trail_Wagon]

I've driven from Sedona to Phoenix twice this week, about a 2 hour trip each way. I've got the low speed set to 5 front/ 5 rear and the truck rides and drives great on the highway and around town. This is my default setting. Yesterday I pickup up 750 pounds of porcelain tile. This of course threw the handling and comfort of the truck way off.

So, first I tried 6/6. This was better, but by no means good. The trucks front end felt too light, like the suspension never had a chance to absorb bumps and irregularities. The front was too firm. The rear felt too heavy, bumps, potholes, dips in the road felt exaggerated, deliberate. Like I was using too much of the available travel.

After a few miles I pulled over at a gas station, and changed the settings to 5/7. The truck became a totally different animal. The front was well damped and firm, but completely soaked up bumps, irregularities, dips etc. Back normal. The rear was now responsive, quick to control the extra weight. It honestly felt like there wasn't a load in the rear anymore. The drive home was pleasant.

For a good reference to the AZ residents... If you have ever driven I-17 north, just after you climb black canyon up by sunset point, there are a few sections of road that are horrible in any car, or suv. Large dips in the road, especially in the right lane. Usually surrounded by skid marks. I hit that section at 75 mph with zero drama, no clenching or puckering. No bouncing, lurching, bottoming out or.. well anything. My wife pointed out the car in front of us bounced so bad it almost went off the road but the truck barely bounced at all.

I really like having the ability to change the tune as needed. The biggest thing is I have to teach myself how to use them properly, for there is very very little information about how to use your DSC's out there. I currently have the high speed compression adjusters wide open at their loosest setting. Every time I turn them up, the ride gets harsh. I suspect off road, I will prefer the low speed adjusters a 1 and the high speed turned up a little. Just need things to dry out around here.

 

[Metternacht]

Being clueless to how these work,I assume there is an adjustment on the shock that is a simple tool to switch on an indexed dial?

 

[Trail_Wagon]

Being clueless to how there’s work I assume there is an adjustment on the shock that is a simple tool to switch on an indexed dial?

Correct

 

[Etoimos]

That is some good initial feedback. I'm not sure why none of the offroad shock guys have not make the damping adjustable from inside the cab yet. Tein was doing this back in 2003~4 with their Flex and EDFC setups in the sports car world. Their system just replaces the dials with stepper motors and then put a controller in the cab.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

That is some good initial feedback. I'm not sure why none of the offroad shock guys have not make the damping adjustable from inside the cab yet. Tein was doing this back in 2003~4 with their Flex and EDFC setups in the sports car world. Their system just replaces the dials with stepper motors and then put a controller in the cab.

Fox has this technology available in side by sides. It is not only adjustable from inside but it actively monitors speed, throttle and steering inputs.

 

[jenninr]

E-CLIK Suspension Direct

Suspension Direct in a vendor and manufacturer of suspension parts for Motocross and UTV Applications, selling brands such as WP, Showa, KYB, Walker Evans, and Fox

eclikshocks.com

That company makes shocks that are adjustable on the fly from in the vehicle and they will adjust for speed, throttle, etc. They have a kit specifically for Jeeps that seems to be pretty well liked. For the Power Wagon someone would have to try the universal kit since they don't have one specifically for it.

 

[UNifc6pF]

E-CLIK Suspension Direct

Suspension Direct in a vendor and manufacturer of suspension parts for Motocross and UTV Applications, selling brands such as WP, Showa, KYB, Walker Evans, and Fox

eclikshocks.com

That company makes shocks that are adjustable on the fly from in the vehicle and they will adjust for speed, throttle, etc. They have a kit specifically for Jeeps that seems to be pretty well liked. For the Power Wagon someone would have to try the universal kit since they don't have one specifically for it.

Carli has these available now for the F-250's , and working on Ram iirc. The F-250 E-Venture package is ~6k (again iirc)

 

[Trail_Wagon]

Make sure your tires can’t hit those hoses. I thought mine were up out of the way on my crawler and I yanked a hose right out of a shock once. Broke the fitting clean off.

I finally got a chance to pull the springs and bump stops, and fully flex the suspension. As we had feared, the tire would contact the reservoir at full flex. So I cut the mount off, moved it up 2 inches, inboard 2 inches, and back about 1/2 inch. Now I can fully flex without hitting the reservoir.

Its theoretically possible for the tire to rub on the hose at the absolute limits of travel, But the wheels would have to be fully turned, the suspension fully flexed and the bump stop completely compressed into the cup. Its possible to smash the bump stop into the cup, but it takes a lot of inertia. The Jounce bumper can easily hold the weight of the entire truck at static load. In reality, its nearly impossible to replicate a full turn lock, full flex, and then a suspension hit hard enough to compress the jounce bumper completely into the cup, all at the same time. Even if I somehow did, it would only just touch the hose. I'm good with that.