Skunkworks DCSB

8/11/2023

Just bought this 2015 Limited DC. Need to fly up to Portland, OR next week and drive it back home.

 

Project: Gantry

I need to build one of these

https://youtu.be/S55DvPpfcjM

Building Materials:
11: 2x6x10 (wood at Lowes sucks)
2: 2x12x8 (accidentally bought 2x12x10)
1 ton Chainfall
2x2 Angle iron
1" steel rod
Casters
Additional chain
Screws (GRK 1/4" x 2.5")
Wood glue (got waterproof since it'll be stored outdoors)
Thompson's Water Seal

Will need to make it detachable in order to fit in the backyard.

6/9/2023
Got these casters from Amazon, pretty fricking beefy. Pretty much all steel. A box of 4 was pretty heavy.



6/11/2023
Went to HF and picked up this miter saw. Not looking for the best. I just need it to cut straight and cut angles.



Then I went to Lowes and got wood, glue, and screws. Gonna let the wood sit outside for a week and start putting shit together next week.







6/19/2023

Made the uprights today. Used nearly the whole bottle of glue and most of the screws already.





Gonna need a belt sander to make the bottoms flat.

9/16/2023
Took a lot longer to build than I thought it would. I applied Thompson's Water Seal so that it can last through the winter outdoors.

 

How to: Drop the frame

(Notes to self)

• order more jack stands
• order engine hoist mounts

 

Project: Short Bed Install

I'll be chopping the frame underneath the bed where the C-channel frame straightens out. This will force me to relocate the rear cab mount, which will be right above the forward leafspring hanger.



With the frame moving forward I will need to chop into the cab to allow this rise in the frame to fit underneath the cab.



The rise in the frame actually curves inwards. I will need to fab some sort of rising block and a beam to go across before I cut out the bottom of the cab.



Found footage from a back halfed CM Tundra with the rear cut out.
Based on this the RED box is where the body mount would be and the BLUE box is where I could run a tube to fortify the cab.





I guess I'd need to brace the top of the cab body mount to the brace



Looks like these are the parts:




Rather than cut, I think I'll find the pinch welds and drill them out to remove whole.

 

Project: Boxing the Frame & LCA mounts

Collecting some ideas.

• Would like to use dimple dies to reduce added weight and actually increase rigidity
• I like how this crossmember is welded onto the frame
• I also like the notches to allow water to drain out

 

Project: Atlas Transfer Case

6/11/2023

Went under the truck to see how the stock TC was clocked. This view shows the front drive shaft coming out of the TC.



So now I know it is positioned like this. 4 o'clockish



I'll unbox the Atlas TC next week to see how it needs to be clocked and also need to figure out how to mate it with the transmission. Making a homemade adapter will be super fun


6/19/2023

Took some measurements and started drawing things out. I wish I could do CAD but this will do.

This is the Atlas doubler that mates with the transmission. It has a Jeep/Dodge female 23 spline input shaft. Atlas doesn't make an input shaft for Tundras.


This represents the transmission tail housing with the male 22 spline output shaft sticking out:



This represents the spud shaft (spline adapter) I need to get custom made:


The grey piece is the custom 2.25" thick aluminum adapter I need to make by hand. The black squiggly line is a coil spring to keep the spud shaft from moving in and out.



The adapter will probably look like this. The transmission tailhousing is octagon shape and is about 10.25" wide. The Atlas is circular and is about 8" wide. The inner holes are for bolting the Atlas to the adapter, while the outer holes bolt to the transmission tailhousing.



10/18/2023

Thanks to @snivilous recommendation I finally have a shop that is going to machine the spline adapter (aka spud shaft) out of 300M. Mofo will be strong!

I've purchased transfer case punches in preparation for making a wood version of the TC/Transmission adapter.



However, I have not been able to find an M10x1.25 transfer screw so I ordered a bunch of bolts with the plan of making my own. Will cut off the hex side, place the threaded section into my drill press chuck, then use my grinder to create a pointy tip while the drill press is spinning. The tip should center itself.



When I ordered my Atlas TC I really didn't know all of the components so I winged it. I ended up with CV yokes for the front and rear output since they didn't have the flange yokes that fit the Tundra. Little did I know at the time was that it didn't matter if the flange yoke didn't fit the Tundra because I would have to get my drive shaft customized anyways and could put a matching non-CV yoke on it.

Why am I changing it in the first place?
These CV yokes stick out a lot, which would result in shorter drive shafts, especially the front, which will create steeper angles. I've also read that the 2 pins that secure the U-joint are weaker.

Here's the current yoke.



I'm changing it out to this 1350 flange yoke, which looks like the Tundra flange but is not a match so the flange yoke on the driveshaft will not fit.



This Neapco N3-2-1579 will replace the ones on the driveshaft

 

Project: Fuel Tank Tuck

With the bed off the truck I can finally get a better look at what I have to deal with.

• I'll need to move the fuel tank towards the rear diff so that this hump doesn't end up underneath the bed when the frame is chopped and moved forward.
• I will need to cut into the cab where it hangs low. This is a supporting structure so I will need to make a long C notch
• I'll probably get rid of this crossmember and replace it with one that goes under the tank and back over the drive shaft.

Once I can get the fuel tank lifted up I can then have a crossmember that would beneath the fuel tank then back up and over the driveshaft and exhaust to the other side of the frame.

This crossmember will be where I mount my fuel skids to. The goal is to have 3/16 fuel skids at the same level as the bottom of the frame.

 

Project: Body mount swap

 

Project: Reinforce sliders
- brace ends
- gusset middle

 

Project: Relocate rear shock mounts

 

Project: Skid plates

 

Project: Rear diff truss and armor

 

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This better be good, after all those "spoilers"
I kid, getting popcorn and mountain dew like Colton is, waiting for the show to begin.

 

Title change: First greatest reveal in 2.5 gen history

 

Well this was anticlimactic.

 

Changed the title

 

Skunkworks love it

 

And here I wish I could do the opposite, put a 6.5' on my CrewMax!

 

That's doable. I'll trade you beds if you're on the west coast