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.

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

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