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New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:26 am
by RickU
I bought my Safari the day before Thanksgiving '07 in Kalamazoo, MI. In Dec.. I added a bunch of upgrades.
I started out just doing a brake job and tires, but while searching the internet for the biggest tires I could put on my stock truck I found astrosafari.com. I saw all the cool things people where doing and I was hooked. I notice a lot of the same member names here, so I guess I'll be settling in here.
While giving the van a once over of changing all the fluids and giving it a general lookover. I noticed it needed a right lower ball joint, so I decided to change all of them. Also the idler arms wher a little sloppy so I decided to change them. So I figured it's got 100,000 miles I might as well do the tie rods and drag link or whatever that bar is called that goes from the steering arm to the center link. I used all Moog pieces. I also put in a new front sway bar and links, because mine was cracked at the ends. I figure now it needs a lift so I put in a 2" sub frame lift and new indexed torsion keys so I could crank up the bars. I put taller shackles in the rear and added a leaf with air shocks in the rear and rancho's up front. I put on Cragar wheels and BFG A/T's 31 x 10.5's. I've bought a rear sway bar kit and a TranGo shift kit & corvette servo which I haven't had time to install yet. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for the right V8 deal, because that's up next.
Here's some clickable pics.
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That's the before
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That's lifted
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That's lifted with tires and wheels.

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:46 pm
by GEJ
Welcome RickU,

Keep the posts coming.Lots of folks here to help.Don't be afraid to post any questions.Might want to do a search in the how to section to see if the subject in question has already been covered.Good looking van,looking forward to the progress you make on it.

Gary.

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 2:49 pm
by RickU
Thanks Gary.

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 4:24 pm
by WVKayaker
Great before and after pics! Look how silly it looks lifted with the stock tires!
Thanks for sharing and keep us updated. We drool over stuff like this.
And welcome!

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 4:34 pm
by Southern
Welcome RickU!

You sure don't waste any time doing mods to your van. The moog part should last the life of your van. Any idea on what size V8 you want to put in your Astro?

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:52 pm
by RickU
I'm looking at the L31 VIN code R 5.7L from 1996-2002, but it has that weak Central Sequential Fuel Injection system which probably what attributes to it's weak output numbers. 255 HP & 330 ft/lbs of torque. I've read of a MFI replacement system for this, but I don't think it can give performance gains just reliability improvements. If anyone has any information about improving these motors HP, but retaining the PCM (no carb) would be greatly appreciated. My state checks the obd II and it must be functioning with no error codes.

If I can't somehow make that setup work my second choice is a Gen III LQ4 VIN code U 6.0L from 2000- ? which would entail a lot more hassles, but creates 300-325 HP & 360-370 ft/lbs. of torque. That's about the limits of the 4L60E.

The 5.7 would fit the easiest, but gaining only 65 HP & 65 ft/lbs. of torque doesn't make sense. So right now I'll keep searching till I find a solution that allows me to keep all my systems operational, and gets me in the area of 100 HP 100ft/lbs. of torque that I'm looking for.

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:15 pm
by ihatemybike
Sweet van!

Which Chicago burb you from?

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:53 pm
by TheChopFather
Sweet Lifted Van!
welcome aboard and another member of the lifted Astro/safari society lol
I love those beedlocks :heart: :heart: :heart:

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 8:35 pm
by Jboy2
Woah....Sweet van
I like the way it looks =P~

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:17 pm
by RickU
ihatemybike wrote:Sweet van!

Which Chicago burb you from?
Thanks, Arlington heights

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:59 am
by peter
If I didn't know better, I'd have thought you'd bought BLAZER's truck. Awesome! It's a got a "don't you dare dick with me" look. No chromey bling bling, yet pretty at the same time. Looks great :supz:

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:36 pm
by RickU
Thanks Peter, now I just need to get some power under the hood.

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 4:39 pm
by peter
I'm comin' over, GM catalogue in hand..... \:D/

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:16 pm
by RickU
I see your running a Ramjet induction system and an electronic trans. Does the MEFI controller from the ramjet interface with the stock PCM at all? Or did you have to run a seperate controller for the trans. Does your obd II port still function? I need to run a setup that allows me to have a functioning obd II port with no error codes. So please bring your catalog and help answer my questions. ](*,)

Re: New member from Chicago area.

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:59 pm
by RickU
OK, I reread your swap thread and that answers some of my questions. You did need a trans controller and you got the OEM computer to function just not as a PCM, but what happens when you hook a scan tool to the obd II port? Does it puke up a crap load of error codes? :vom: