race car's fresh paint

Last week was such a whirlwind, I didn't have time to update the blog. Ted made some head way on the Tahoe SAS. After realizing we needed some different heims, we went ahead and ordered frame and link brackets from Ruff Stuff. They should be here mid week and work can resume. For the links to clear the frame and have a decent ride height, a front axle crossmember with triangulated upper links will be in order. It also looks like it will sit about 8" taller than stock. This means the add a leaf and block in the rear will not be quite enough to level the truck out. More than likely, the Tahoe will be getting a rear shackle flip.

Ted also built some sliders and is in the process of tying the cage in to the frame on Jason Hall's stretched early Bronco. After some foot plates are fabricated, the body will be clearanced and some extra supports will be tied in. Patrick's Runicon was in here for a leaking front diff seal and an auto skid plate modification.Looks like there is also another Strand van to knock out maintenance work. Ted should be here soon to help with the EB, the Strand van, and have the race car in tow.

Matt tackled the hydro assist on Eli's YJ, a budget boost and body lift on Paul's TJ, and a clutch on Nicholas' Rubicon last week. I focussed on book keeping, office duties, shipping out the t-case back to Inchworm, ordering materials, and reworking the front bumper on Jake's 12V.

This week we will be very busy at the shop. The Community Impact Newspaper for Cedar Park and Leander will be here tomorrow. If you get a chance, check out their website and newspaper for a full write up on the shop. There should be pics, video, and a story about Krawltex on the web shortly. On Wednesday I will be meeting with Ed about the possibility of a new class 7 desert race team through the shop. Preliminary discussions point towards a Ranger or Tacoma campaign in the Best in the Desert Series.

Later on Wednesday, I will be meeting with the autotech instructor at Vista Ridge highschool. We will be exploring the opportunity to bring in their advanced class on a weekend and teaching their best students about roll cage design. Krawltex looks forward to showing the future fabricators our class 5 buggy, as well as giving some hands on experience tube bending and notching a family cage on Marc's TJ.

Beyond that, we need to prep the class 5 for the Sweetwater race this weekend. Krawltex will be closed on Friday so we can tech and prerun the car. It has been a long time coming, with the front suspension down since October. In the mean time, we will be finishing Jason's cage work, doing a throwout bearing and possibly clutch in my Superduty, road testing Eli's YJ, fixing a Strand van, pulling every thing together for the AW4 swap in Chris' TJ, working on the Tahoe SAS, finishing out the 12V bumpers for powder coat, waiting for the rear King shocks and t-case on Ed's FJ cruiser, and possibly starting on the 5.3L, cage and full width conversion on Mack's CJ7.

Another busy week at the shop!

Matt has been doing great. He swapped the rear 14B and removed all of the IFS with frame bracketry from Andrew's Tahoe. We should be swapping the Dodge front axle and building the link mounts next week. Currently, he's working on regearing the front axle on Eli's YJ after building a new crossover drag link.

Ted has worked on a couple Strand vans, a fluid swap and tune up on Jeremy's YJ, the inchworm t-case install on Ed's FJ Cruiser, and is currently swapping an 8.8 in the rear of Ralph's TJ.

Yesterday I finished up the Total Chaos 2.5" long travel on Ed's FJ Cruiser. It now has a 5" wider track width and 12" of travel from the King coilovers and triple bypass shocks. While we were in there, we added the upper and lower a-arm gussets, modified the front body mounts, installed a front ARB and regeared the truck with 4.88's. Next week, the King reservoir emulsions should be in. After mounting those up, it will be on to a front engine cage.

As far as what's on the table beyond that... the 5.3L and auto should be here shortly for Mack's CJ7, we will do some more finish work on the 12V burban, build the Tahoe SAS 4 link, install a hydro assist set up on Eli's YJ, do a body and spacer lift on Paul's TJ, do some maintenance on a couple Strand vans, track down the proper AW4 for Chris' auto swap in his TJ, and pull the class 5 back to the shop to prep it for the March 27th race in Sweetwater.

Krawltex would like to welcome the newest member to our team! Matt is an ASE Master Tech leaving the BMW dealership after 8 years to fab and wrench on 4 wheel drive trucks. Before his professional start, he was a student at Wyotech with a focus on metal fabrication and chassis design.

It's 10AM Wednesday morning. Ted and I left the shop about 3:30 this morning and are dog tired. I have spent the last several days on Jeff's K5. It received boxed leaf spring mounts, a winch mount, engine cage, aluminum radiator with a dimple died adjustable mounting system, and we bobbed the front end. I shortened the grill by 22", hung the fenders on the engine cage, and Ted and I have been working on the hood. It took 6 separate pieces to follow the lines and we are doing the final fit before it is hard mounted with hood pins.

Yesterday was Matt's first day. He did a rear main on Jason's YJ and began a list of solutions for Eli's YJ... steering correction, oil leaks, and a few odds and ends. Today he and Ted will be swapping the rear 14B in to Andrew and Eric's Tahoe. After it is at ride height with 6" of rear lift, the front will come off and the SAS will begin.

Ted has been helping me with the K5, finishing the inchworm install, modifying the shifters and making a custom console piece for Ed's FJ cruiser. Today He will button up the FJ's interior, help me finish the K5 hood, and help with the Tahoe SAS.

The next couple of days after that, we will be doing an 8.8 swap on Ralph's TJ, hunting down a tranny problem on Alec's F150, working on the steering of Eli's YJ as well as a front regear, and I will be doing a long travel 2" over stock width Total Chaos suspension on Ed's FJcruier.

Next week after we finish up what ever we didn't this week... button up the interior and wiring on the Suburban, figure out a brake master cylinder alternative for it and take the bumpers to powder coat. We will assess Mack's CJ7 and start a game plan for a frame up build. It will get a 5.3L and automatic swap, a BDS suspension with the YJ spring conversion, 35's, POR15 frame, and a slew of other items. We will continue the SAS Tahoe project and work on Ronnie's Bronco II project.

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.