Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Monday, February 22, 2010

Ted and I pretty much knocked out every thing we had planned on for last week... The 12V is now mobile. We spent most of last week working on that project. There are still a few details such as the dual battery set up, the gauge cluster, and neither of us are happy with the brakes. After we bleed them some more, we'll decide if a different master cylinder is in order.

We reorganized and cleaned the shop, did shocks on a Strand truck, service on one of their vans, John's CJ7 received a 14B disc brake swap with a radiator hoop and rear bumper in store this week, and I finished the winch mount and spring hanger bracketry for Jeff's K5.

This week Ted will finish up John's CJ7 and install the Inchworm t-case on Ed's FJ cruiser. I will be working on the engine cage and front end sheet metal pinch on the K5. When the Total Chaos long travel and King shocks show up, Ted and I will switch projects. He will commence the solid axle swap on the Osterhus brothers' Tahoe. And I do believe our new technician/fabricator will be starting on with us this week. More to come on his background.

Monday, February 15, 2010










Last week was a whirlwind. AK installed some bushwacker fender flares on Dave's JK and continued on Colby's LJ, getting the links installed front and rear. Ted got the 12V running. Besides a few finishing details, clutch o-rings, exhaust reinstall and some gauges... she's ready to rock. He also managed to do a transmission swap in a Strand Van. The three of us tag teamed JK bushwacker flares on another Dave's JK. I spent most of the week finishing Joe's Prerunner bumper for his 3500 Dodge, with two aluminum skid plates. I also installed Light Racing upper control arms on Ron's Prerunner Tacoma with the adjustable Bilstein struts.

This week will be another busy one. AK has a family emergency and will be out of the shop all week. Ted will be finishing up the 12V to get it rolling, start on the rear of the SAS Tahoe, tracing wiring on a YJ, and doing 14B disc brake tuning and a radiator hoop for John's CJ7. I will be manning the office, pinching the front of Jeff's K5 with an engine cage, aluminum radiator, and winch mount, and starting the Total Chaos long travel and inchworm t-case install on Ed's FJ Cruiser.


Here are some pics of our finished Dodge Prerunner Bumper

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Our phone lines are down until tomorrow evening. thanks AT&T :( If you need direct assistance, please email me at cam@krawltex.com with a phone number or message. It will go straight to my blackberry. Sorry for all the missed calls

Monday, February 8, 2010

After months... the 12V Suburban has come to life! After the special oil for the NV4500 shows up, we should be able to pull her in and out of the shop. Once the gauges are all in and the switch panel finished up, we'll shake her legs.

This last weekend, Ted spent his efforts on the Burban. Matt and I removed the rear bumps from his Tacoma, in prep for their new location when the rebuilt King unit comes in.

As far as this week... AK will finish Colby's Jeep. The rear link system is done. The front links and hydro steer need to be fabricated.

Ted is going to finish the odds and ends such as the clutch master and gauges on the Burban, a leveling kit on an 08 GMC, modifying the oil bath on Brent's Harley, and start on Jeff's K5 front end pinch/engine cage/aluminum radiator mount, and a tranny in a Strand Van.

I will finsih up Joe's Prerunner bumper and 5" exhaust, install some Bushwacker JK fenders, brakes and struts on a Rav4, uniball a-arms on Ron's Tacoma, and a-arm gussets for Ed's FJcruiser

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Total Chaos Desert Suspension




Krawltex is now featuring Total Chaos desert race suspensions. After working with this company on Matt's 05 Tacoma, I can personally attest to the fit and function of their products. Combined with DMZ's rear suspension, we took it out for test and tune a few weeks ago on the South Padre Island sea shore. Both the front and rear kits worked flawlessly, soaking up whoops and washouts at 50+ mph all day long. Andwhen we pulled back on to the interstate... the suspension was smooth as glass and the alignment was perfect. Sunny at Down South Motorsports nailed the valving for the King triple bypass shocks. If you are interested in getting the most out of your IFS Toyota, this is the company to look at.

Thursday, February 4th Wheeling Meeting 6:30

We are moving our meeting to Thursday to hopefully make it easier for people to attend. We will discuss upcoming events, such as the opening of Katemcy Rocks and do the usual BS over a couple beers

Monday, February 1, 2010






last week was pretty brutal. AK's truck left Ted stranded over the weekend. We spent monday tracking down a loose injector wiring harness. I finished out JB's Cherokee cage, adding some gussets and exterior tie in bars, as well as the dash bracing. Sam's TJ got a harness bar and some minor cage additions by AK. Ted and I worked on the 12V Burban wiring and redid some under hood brackets. Another TJ got some spacers to level the front and an adjustable track bar. Robert Cannon came in and got a saddle bag mount for his KTM welded up. And Ron got his Tacoma front end leveled out.

Instead of going to Canyons, I took the weekend off and built a prerunner bumper for the shop truck. Ted commenced with cutting the rear of his Jeep tub off and pulling the cage. WE'll see how far we get before Katemcy reopens.

This week, we are bulding a bumper, swapping an intake and exhaust for Joe's Dodge. We will be building bump stops and clearance fenders for a 2wd chevy. Colby's LJ should receive the final 14B truss and have the rear links in place. I hope to have the 12V movable around the shop. If the Total Chaos parts show up this weekend, I will start on the a arm gussets and triple bypass mounts for Ed's FJ Cruiser. Jeff's K5 will start to get the front end pinched and the winch mounted.

On the weekend, I'll cut the rear bump pads off Matt's Tacoma in preparation for rehanging them perpendicular to the frame. I screwed up the first time, thinking they would hit if angled towards the arc of the spring, not taking in to account immediate side loads on one rear tire with the other at full droop. Completely grazed the side of the bump pad.

Next week, we will be building a prerunner for Matt's Tacoma, continue with the 12V, building an engine cage for Jeff's K5, starting on Andrew and Eric's Tahoe 1 ton solid axle swap, and continuing the work on Colby's Jeep. By then, the inch worm doubler may show up for Ed's FJ cruiser and we'll get to play with modifying the gas tank for clearance. And if we some how get ahead of ourselves and get done a little early, maybe we can pull Mack's CJ in to the shop to start the 5.3L, auto swap and put that Jeep on 37's.

My hair is getting more gray as I type.