Chevy & GMC Vans

Great info, thanks. Good luck with your transfer case install, I'm looking forward to putting mine in. Having a low range will be a huge improvement

Good looking package. How do you like the Beta?

Are you on Dual Sport BC forum?

Yeah, your front end looks nice and high. Perfect stance.

Love the trials bikes !!
Looks great,
the 2 of you should be very happy together.

Only one is a trials bike. The other looks like a crf 230 or something. Hard to tell size when they are tied down without a fork support.

Now how did I miss that trials bike?! Well, I guess because I was admiring the trailer & van out in a beautiful environment. Would so love to have a trials bike!

My bike is the Beta. Love it! Used to ride a 2006 Honda CRF450x. The other bike is my wifes 2008 CRF 150r expert (big wheel version). I'm not on the dualsport forum. If you want some great riding, check out the FVDRA. BC Nickelmines is the location. Here's a video from the weekend... Getting off topic, but I'll write the rear suspension swap soon.

http://contour.com/stories/bear-shit-bo ... eter-brian

I don't want to clutter up your lift thread, but your contour page looks good. Except that, on my laptop anyway, it won't play, it just says "Loading Player". I'll try it on my tv computer so I can watch it on the flatscreen later.

Looking forward to comparing your Contour vids to GoPro vids. I've heard about McNutt, haven't ridden there though. I've tried out my van at Vedder Mtn, about an hour away, but haven't ridden
there.

Pretty neet job as i might have to go that route as i am having some issues to order the part for my lift kit, so i will take your ideas.

Now how did you manage to fix the Steering Shaft? did you had extended or took it off from another truck? how did you got around that area?

Nice ride, nice write up. Thank you for the link to the springs; I've been looking to upgrade from my axle blocks and the springs are 20% off this weekend!

RE your ball joints. I've had my torsion bars cranked to the max for 8 years now and 70,000 miles. I now need to replace a ball joint for the first time. The boot was split so I'm not sure if the joint failure was from the lift or not.

My idler arms probably need replacing to.

The 70k weren't street miles either; many miles of rough desert roads with some occasional light to moderate "4 wheelin". Enough that my rear springs are pretty tired and I've lost an inch or more lift up front from tired torsion bars.

BTW- I never did get around to having my van aligned after the lift, never steered weird nor did it have any uneven tire wear (until the ball joint failed)... just sayin.

AquaAngel wrote:Pretty neet job as i might have to go that route as i am having some issues to order the part for my lift kit, so i will take your ideas.

Now how did you manage to fix the Steering Shaft? did you had extended or took it off from another truck? how did you got around that area?

On the '03 the steering shaft works with the lift. I think on the earlier models you need to swap it to an early 2wd version.

photo_van wrote:Nice ride, nice write up. Thank you for the link to the springs; I've been looking to upgrade from my axle blocks and the springs are 20% off this weekend!

RE your ball joints. I've had my torsion bars cranked to the max for 8 years now and 70,000 miles. I now need to replace a ball joint for the first time. The boot was split so I'm not sure if the joint failure was from the lift or not.

My idler arms probably need replacing to.

The 70k weren't street miles either; many miles of rough desert roads with some occasional light to moderate "4 wheelin". Enough that my rear springs are pretty tired and I've lost an inch or more lift up front from tired torsion bars.

BTW- I never did get around to having my van aligned after the lift, never steered weird nor did it have any uneven tire wear (until the ball joint failed)... just sayin.

I replaced my Idler arms the first week I owned it. They were shot. Did the front brakes too. A neat trick on the idlers, for greasing, is to install the idler onto the drag link but not the frame and grease it. I could see that getting the grease gun on the drag link side when installed was going to suck. After it's all greased up then bolt it to the frame.




I've yet to align my van and it drives great too.

Yer directional rotors are rotating the wrong way...

We have very close to the same overall miles re: idler arms. Thanks for the greasing tip.

I'm curious why you went with the s10 truck springs (1350#) rather than the s10 Blazer springs (1450#). Not a huge difference, but inquiring minds??? I've never been able to find a rating for my stock 2+1 springs, only 3+1 rated at 1410#s.

astroturf wrote:Yer directional rotors are rotating the wrong way...

I just put them on the way they said on the box. Looking at my Camaro brakes I see your point. Hmmm....

photo_van wrote:We have very close to the same overall miles re: idler arms. Thanks for the greasing tip.

I'm curious why you went with the s10 truck springs (1350#) rather than the s10 Blazer springs (1450#). Not a huge difference, but inquiring minds??? I've never been able to find a rating for my stock 2+1 springs, only 3+1 rated at 1410#s.

I rechecked the catalog as I couldn't remember why I wouldn't have done that. Then I remembered. They quote different capacities, but the spring part numbers are the same. I was happy with the ride quality of my stock springs, so didn't do the HD springs. I didn't want to need to wear a kidney belt when the van had no load in it. If I have a load issue I will turn to air bags or air shocks.