Chevy & GMC Vans

thats 1.5 inches more then my add-a-leaf, I'm fully loaded and my rear measures 19" this is another very useful thread

Forgot the money shots with the new sneakers...

Looks AWESOME!!!!

Just making sure before I order that all the links you provided for the front components are correct, right? Thanks for all the details here. Helped out a TON!

spug wrote:Just making sure before I order that all the links you provided for the front components are correct, right? Thanks for all the details here. Helped out a TON!

Use the links in the post that begins "I just ordered the following" You will need to use washers under the heads of the bolts. I used one hardened washer under each which I purchased at a local hardware store. Plus you will need an additional TWO washers under the hardened ones at the four locations that the M12 bolts go in as all the bolts are 5mm too long and the threads do not go down the bolts far enough to draw the sub frame up tightly.

It is your responsibility to be sure the sub frame is drawn up sufficiently!

Just as the disclaimers on Overlands Site state It is the installers responsibility to be sure the vehicle is safe!



You may also need an extended steering coupler... I did. I used one off of an older Rear drive Astro which measured an inch+ longer than my original. The original shaft worked but I did no feel it had sufficient overlap at the sliding joint. It will be up to you to decide if you need a shaft or not as well as which one fits as I went to a salvage yard with a tape measure and just measured until I found one that was longer. I have no idea what year I used just that it was an earlier Astro/Safari 2WD that had either Throttle Body Injection or a Carb because it had a air cleaner mounted on top.

Cool deal man. Thanks.

What did you torque the subframe mount bolts to? Just finished but need to torque 'em.

spug wrote:What did you torque the subframe mount bolts to? Just finished but need to torque 'em.

Tight!

Sorry but I don't know the spec... I ran mine in with a 1/2" air gun and then used a 1/2" breaker bar to snug them a bit more. After I Drove the van 10-15 miles I snugged them again.
I'm sure someone will chime in with the specs. I've been in the auto industry for way longer than I would like to remember and you just get a feel for these things after a while.

My lift kit from Overland vans says: "First the larger 2 center bolts (114 ft. lbs.). Then the front 2 (66 ft. lbs.). Followed by the rear 2 (66 ft. lbs.)." Check after 100 miles.

SnoDrtRider wrote:I looked at the shackles that Auto Zone has for $39.95 that someone was complaining about in another thread and I really don't see a problem with them... they are at least as heavy as the OEM shackles and going by the photos the only difference is Overlands have three adjustment holes and AZ has two. Overland wants $110 + $20 shipping... I can buy THREE sets of AZ shackles for that price.

Hey Sno-man Excellent write up!
One thing I was looking for was a pic or a link to those shackles...
Did you end up using any? or did you get that much lift with springs only?

Looks great! thanks for the open source. I love the shock mount mod. Nice!

Happy Trails !

Great write up! BTW, leaf springs with the same dimensions as Astros (I believe): 82-94 Blazer and 95-05 S10/S15 PUs. Various pack sets and arcs.

doyoulikeithere wrote:

SnoDrtRider wrote:I looked at the shackles that Auto Zone has for $39.95 that someone was complaining about in another thread and I really don't see a problem with them... they are at least as heavy as the OEM shackles and going by the photos the only difference is Overlands have three adjustment holes and AZ has two. Overland wants $110 + $20 shipping... I can buy THREE sets of AZ shackles for that price.

Hey Sno-man Excellent write up!
One thing I was looking for was a pic or a link to those shackles...
Did you end up using any? or did you get that much lift with springs only?

Looks great! thanks for the open source. I love the shock mount mod. Nice!

Happy Trails !

Thanks!

Here is the link to the shackles...

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/access ... 204654_0_0_

great thread, love your economy. I have never been able to get spec torque on these bolts as they have that rubber donut underneath and after impact and Johnson bar, they still squirm, I cut my own spacers out of polyethylene round bar stock so I made some 3/8 spacers to replace the rubber donuts ( with big washers underneath), then tossed the rubber donuts. I did not know that 8.8 metric was grade 5 SAE. higher grade allows higher clamping pressure, spec torque for a grade 10.9 12mm is 83 ft/pds. and 14 mm is 131 ft./pds. I was not able to achieve either as the rubber just wrapped up and squirmed.

Yah, OLV is pricely, here (Ontario) I can go to "Nut and Bolt Supply) and buy 150 mm bolts for $1 each, which are perfect for a 2 1/2 inch lift. I am surprised you had a problem getting a better choice for length. How so you feel about those spacers?, if you are worried about lateral shear do you think those hollowish spacers will collapse?. I turn my own because I have a lathe, bar stock and can make any length we need, it shocks me that the industry casts those hollowed out ones to save pennies. A solid spacer seems a lot safer to me.

Here is a torque spec chart, I tape them to each vertical beam in my shop, also below that is a drill bit guide for number, letter, fractional, metric sizes.

http://www.dansmc.com/torque_chart.htm

http://www.goodson.com/contact/Decimal_Chart.pdf

The spacers are what is used in the kits to lift much heavier duty trucks all the time and designed/engineered for that purpose... I don't think they will have a problem/failure on a lighter duty vehicle like our vans.

SnoDrtRider wrote:Thanks! Here is the link to the shackles... http://www.autozone.com/autozone/access ... 204654_0_0_

Nice, Thanks, those have a lot more holes than the OLV units. What were the complaints you heard and were they real, or just whiners?