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Rockwell Taco

46K views 133 replies 34 participants last post by  Supra TT 
#1 ·
I've built a truck that I think is pretty unique, I'm not aware of another one exactly like it. Many thanks go out to all the people who have inspired me with ideas and know how by doing similar things before me and sharing the experience. I have combined a lot of other people's knowledge, and a little of my own vision to make this build possible.

This is more of an overview of the build than an actual build thread. The reason for that is that this build took a long time to accomplish, in fact it's still not finished (not that it ever will be). I faced a lot of issues in bringing this all together, and there are bound to be details that I forget to include, or think would be boring, so if anyone has a question, feel free to ask. It's the least I can do to repay the online community for all the help I have received.

There will be a bit of a lack of pictures, as I didn't really focus on picture taking or want to handle my camera with my grubby hands. I do have a few though.

I guess I should set the story up...

I bought this truck new just after graduating college. It was my first nice truck, and I will always love it. Right away after getting the truck I wanted to start the modding. I didn't have any money, I was paying for a new truck, so the mods were what I could afford. The first thing it got was a body lift and some 33's. I drove it like that for a while, then it got a 3" Revtek lift and some 35's. Along the way it got a locker in the front and 4.88 gears. It also ended up with a supercharger and supporting fuel upgrades from URD. I drove it like that for a few years, my modding itch was being scratched by my motorcycle hobby. Then I had a baby come along so the bike thing needed to take a back seat to something the family could enjoy, I decided that should be my other love, wheeling. I decided to try to stay with the stock drive line, so I put a 6" Fabtech on top of the 6" I already had. I then put a set of 18x39.5 Boggers on it, and that did a couple things, one I could no longer daily drive it and needed another truck to drive, and two made it REALLY hard on CV shafts. I tried to get by with it like that by babying it, but it was just too delicate, I had ruined my baby, so I decided to fix the problem. I believe in fixing a problem permanently, so I went big and sourced all the parts to put a set of Rockwells under it. That's where the story starts.


Here it is sitting beside a stocker, in the configuration it was in at the start of all this.


I went and picked up the new axles.



And went to work tearing them apart to be narrowed.

These are the shafts, the joints are HUGE, just like everything else about these things. In the second pic, that is a milk crate they are laying on.





Pile of "weight savings"



Tool I made to use on the spindle nuts.



The narrowing begins.



The narrowed one compared to a standard one.



Building a mount for the steering ram.



New steering components.




Oil pan off.



Rolling the axle under the truck.



Frame braced up.



There isn't much room for this thing. Even with the truck being pretty tall, it needed to be taller to clear the diff. I wanted the truck to be a short as possible, so a custom pan was in order. I thought about a dry sump, but that was cost prohibitive.



This was my first attempt at a pan design.




I didn't end up liking it, so I made this one. It has a few seeps, so it will be pulled off and fixed up. All the welding here was with a 220 Lincoln stick welder, so nothing fancy here.




It is just now to the point it can move itself around. I took it out and crossed it up to get an idea about how things were going to work.










Here are a few highlights. It has ARB lockers front and rear, pinion brakes, front and rear hydraulic steering, 18x39.5 Boggers on 15x14 steel wheels, and receiver hitches front and rear. The frame was plated front and rear, and the rear springs (All Pro 5" lift springs 230# IIRC) were moved in to a 33" center to center measurement to allow the rear tires to turn. The front springs are 28" center to center, All Pro 6" lift springs with a rate of 220# (I think). There are other things, but that's the general idea. The whole project was done outside with basic tools, a torch, stick welder, drill, grinder, and a big ass piece of plate steel.
 
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#124 ·
Nice...wish I could have seen it in person!! Wheelin' w/you makes me want 1tons and 43's!!!!
You definately need that rear steer at KS Rocks!!!!! I'll holla at ya when we plan another trip(if/when it ever cools down)!!!!
Off topic: Tim just picked up a Suzuki X90 (super clean) for a build... built Toyota axles, linked f/r, dual cases, and 37"Toyos. Keeping the buggy, just wants to build/wheel something w/Air Conditioning!!! Will be ready for BMR 13.
Hope you all are doing well.
 
#125 ·
This heat will definitely make you think about having A/C. Lol I have A/C and I still don't want to go out in it! I think I'm getting soft in my old age. We'll try to get out to wheel a few times this fall. I'll take the boys to the Halloween thing at KS Rocks, and we're planning to make a camping trip to SMORR at some point.

We're all doing well. How are things up north?
 
#126 ·
We're all good!!! Busy w/work and family, and Zack(samurai) is having a baby in Sept.
Hit me up on FaceBook when you decide to go to KRocks/SMORR. I'll go to Halloween at KS rocks for sure, and I'm always for SMORR.
 
#127 ·
I made a few changes to the truck over the summer. I decided I needed more clearance between the top of the axle and the oil pan, so I started putting together the parts for a dry sump.

I started by buying a used oil pump from a dirt track race team, then I picked up the remote filter mount, hose, fittings, and adaptor to plumb into the block. I then built a new pan out of 1/4" plate steel and 2 -12 AN fittings.



Once the pan was in place I needed to make a bracket to mount the oil pump. It hangs below the A/C compressor.



Then it was time to build the mount for the gilmer pulley that's needed to drive the pump.



The last major piece of the puzzle is the reservoir. I shortened the injen intake tube to make room, then built the box. It has about 3 gal of capacity, and operates with about 7.5 qts of oil in it. The whole system takes about 12 qts to fill when it's dry.



After all the hoses were made and the truck was running, there was a problem. The used pump was junk, so after a few phone calls to the manufacturer, I shipped it to them for a rebuild. The old pump was torn down and officially declared dead, so a new pump was in order.

While I was waiting for the new pump, I threw on a new set of tires. These are 43x14.50 TSL SX stickies on 17x12 double beadlock Marsh Racing wheels.



This is how they sit now with 6 lbs of air in them.
 
#129 ·
Any close ups on how you moved your rear leafs inboard? I like that idea!
 
#130 ·
I don't have a pic handy, but basically cut the hangers off and put them each on a triangle that is welded to the inside of the frame rails.

These new tires are a different ball game... The truck is very much more capable than it was with the boggers. The first time I took it out, I made it though a day and a half before I broke it. I was admittedly showing off a bit climbing a ledge... I decided to floor it and let the stickies eat, the truck jumped about 4' high and broke both drive shafts, both anti wrap bars, and a cross member. The frame has about a 4 degree twist in it now too. Lol I have repaired all the damage and am taking it a little easier on it now. I have a new frame in the shop I'm working on that should hold up better. I'm leaning toward links and coilovers all around for the redux.
 
#133 ·
Lol! Yes it does need sliders. I've been slowly working on a new frame for it, and am just waiting for that to be done to build the sliders and bumpers to fit. I know it seems dumb to smash the rockers up, but I'm just going to cut them off and make them flat anyway.
 
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