Here's the photo album with over 60 pics of the build: http://www.krawltex.com/newtex/g1/album282


Last week, I tackled the front Total Chaos A-arm gussets and the DMZ spring hangers with 10 leaf Deavers. Tonight I finished the frame plating, gussets on the tubular crossmember, and the engine cage. AK knocked out all of the plate work with the plasma table, some with the aid of my card board work.

Tomorrow I will cut in to the bed, knock the bed cage loose, reinstall the bed and do the final burn in on the bed cage. Then its final paint and reassembly. More pics to come with a couple other finishing surprises...

I'll try to post up some pics tomorrow of Matt's Tacoma. The DMZ spring hangers and 10 leaf 62" Deaver packs are installed. The bump pads are built and the cans are mounted. The majority of the bed cage is built. I still lack double shearing the upper shock mounts and plating the top of the cage. The lower shock mounts are mounted and dimple died. The rear driveshaft has been shortened and mocked up. The factory crossmember/spare tire carrier have been eliminated and replaced with 1.75 DOM.

Tomorrow I will finish and plate the bed cage, gusset the frame cossmember, mount the limiting straps and cut the bed up


Ted's assignment is to work on nothing but getting the 12V running this week, no excuses! We are also on to what is making the hum in Patrick's rear 44.

AK will be finishing up a very trick swing out/tire carrier and catologing parts for our e-commerce launch.

Wow. It's been forever and a day since I have updated the blog. Where to begin?

In the last few weeks, there was the Christmas party at Tony's. It was a blast with a band called Slab Trash... then a large group of Krawltex guys screwing around on the instruments. Thanks to everybody that came out! The BBQ was delicious and the washer pit was always entertaining.

As far as work goes, Ted converted a hack job of a quarter elliptical to coil springs in the rear of a 72 Early Bronco, is building a gauge cluster and wiring the 12V suburban, did a rear main on an 03 suburban with the 8.1L, started work on additional cage work to another Early Bronco, as well as some general fleet maintenance on a couple of Strand AC vans.

AK has been working on the Juggernaut, helping with sales, learning the CAD Torchmate software, and building a custom swing out bumper for the 12V suburban. It will hold a 37" tire, swivel in two pieces similar to the rear barn doors, with a shovel/hi-lift/3 jerry can mounts on the other side.

I have been in and out of the office setting up some promotions with a future Red Bull Event this summer in Houston, finishing up turbo/intake/intercooler/radiator work as well as the front bumper on the 12V, a leveling kit on a 3500 Chevy and a desert suspension for an 06 Tacoma. The Tacoma has received front 14" travel triple bypass King shocks as well as knuckle and a arm gussets on a long travel 3" over King coiled Total Chaos front suspension. On the rear, I am in the process of building a DMZ 17" long travel 62" spring conversion, plating the rear frame, and building a bed cage with 17" travel King triple bypass shocks and 4" King air bump stops. This Tacoma will soon be able to fly over the whoops and be a chase support/pre-runner for a class 7 Best in the Desert race team!

A collaborative Krawltex effort was made during the evenings to build a long arm suspension, 8.8 swap, sliders, seat mounts, and front bumper to shoe horn 37" MTR's on JB's Cherokee.

Check the photo gallery often for updated pics on all these builds.