High Lift Custom
 
We are starting with a bone stock F350, plenty cool all by itself, but that's no reason to not tear into it.  This was a customer project that I ended up purchasing.

This truck is to be a contender in the Tamiya High-Lift Build-Off.
 
First order of business is to remove the bed, for good.  The plan is to have it open and close using the stock hinges and body clips for holding it down.

I am playing with the idea of also removing the plastic extensions from the hinges.  It would allow for the bottom of the bed to sit lower.
 
I started with the main line that will help to recreate the shape of a bed and form the lines for the rest of the build.  The side rails and hoop up over the cab is one piece, and took quite a while to get perfectly even!

 
 
Here is the first cross brace that will form the spare tire mount.  This was the easy one.
 
THIS one, however, was quite time consuming.  Matching the first cross bars bend wasn't so bad, but getting it centered just right and making sure it still attached to the main frame exactly like the first one, well, was fun.
 
Here is a mock-up on the truck...

The side rails are going to end up being fenders, and the bed floor will be as low as I can get it to the frame.
 


 
 

Build Day Two

 
I started today by adding a set of side rails to hold in any cargo that might be carried up on top of the fenders and give it a little style.  They flow nicely with the body.
 
I spent quite some time trying to come up with a good way to mount the bed to the factory hinges.  I finally came up with this.  The section in the center won't be visible, it will be covered in a sheet of aluminum.

This is essentially a mock-up, as all the braces between the main frame and the hinge mount are not yet installed.
 
The aluminum sheet on the floor of the bed will have to clear the shock towers, so I reversed the shock screws so the nut is on the outside.  This will allow a smaller hole for the shock, or more clearance for the floor, whichever way it goes.
 
I made spacers as short as I could and still clear the corner of the end of the frame.  The factory plastic bed mount extensions will not be used.
 
Here it is, functional.  There is a tiny space between the bed and the frame, is drops beautifully.
 

Build Day Three
 
I started the front brush guard today, it's nearly done with 3 hours involved already!  Tomorrow I'll add the supports and figure out a way to mount it...
 


 
 

Build Day Four
 
Finished the guard tonight, tomorrow it gets paint.  As soon as I figure out a way to mount it anyway...


 
 
The bed is nearly done as well.  It still needs the center panel mounted and the side panels made and mounted.  That should all be done tonight as well, then paint tomorrow along with the guard.

The panels are each massaged to fit right into place, they look great.  There are small nuts brazed onto the frame and the panels are all attached using small hex head screws.


 


 


 
The bed is almost done (I keep saying that...).  All that's left at this point is to take it all apart (there are 14 screws in this thing!) file all the edges of the panels smooth and paint all the parts.
 

 
 

 
 
Well, the bed is all painted.  I'll assemble it in the morning when it's dry and snap some pics in it's completed state.
 

 
The guard is half painted.  By morning I'll flip it over and paint the other side.  By evening it'll be done.

We ended up mounting it by running screws through the hood and bumper with nuts underneath.  That way, there is no ugly brackets sticking out.
 
The tuber bed is complete and installed.  It looks sexy as you-know-what and I can't wait until the brush guard is finished drying so I can get it mounted and see the truck complete.  I'll take nice nice outdoor shots at that point.
 

 
 

 
 
It's 100%.  Enjoy the pics and look for more of it on rccrawler.com.

 
 


 
 


 
 
I purchased this truck from my customer I built it for.  I has no run time on it, so it's essentially new.

First order of business was a good thrashing, had to get it out of my system.
 
The fogs were added to the guard, but I need to re-install them better, the glue won't hold long.
 
For electronics, I am running what I have laying around.  HiTec receiver with MX-3, LRP ESC, various batteries, junk 3003 servos for now.
 

...Several weeks later...
 
This truck hasn't seen electricity in weeks, so it's time to screw with it.  I cannibalized it for the esc and steering servo, so I am replacing the stolen parts with a Rooster and 645 servo.  Not to mention a new Diaz Designs aluminum chassis.
 
The trans bolts up perfectly, you just need to get a hold of some longer screws, perfect time to upgrade them to hexes if you haven't already.
 
I had the springs 75% installed when I started noticing that there was something seriously wrong.  The springs were all being forced to the outside at the tops.  The fix was to flip the shackles spacer to the outside, away from the chassis.
 
Same deal for the spring mount, remove the plastic spacers that are there.  Now everything fits just right.
 
Here is a side shot of the front...
 
...and the rear.  Looks like my bed will NOT work with this chassis.  Time to sell it and build another that will fit.
 
There are a couple things that will require some mods to make the chassis fit like stock.  There are no holes on the top of the rails, so mounting the front servo mounts and cab support/electronics tray is difficult.

More to come when I figure out the way to solve the "no holes on top" issue!
 
Electronics are now reinstalled.  Brand new Rooster, Airtronics receiver for the VG400 stick radio, Radio Shack water-resistant switch and Traxxas Titan 12T motor.
 
I finally got the electronics tray installed.  I made some simple brackets for the rear.
 
This is a bad pic, but it's as good as can be.  For the front of the cab mount, I removed the rearmost of the front transmission mount screws, drilled a vertical hole through the trans mount and ran a screw through it.
 
I mounted the steering servo and got the linkage straightened out.
 
K.I.S.S.

Keep
It
Simple,
Stupid.

No funky Z-bar, no ridiculous stock system.  Straight-up, basic simple steering.
 
I moved the shocks to the rear of the axle, which gave me all the room I needed in front after flipping the knuckles for max available steering.
 
Here it is after the cab and bed were reinstalled.  It looks taller now, I guess it's time to 2.2's and some Geo's...
 
I locked the shifting rod and went for a drive.  The Diaz chassis is amazing, the high speed cornering on pavement did not result in a rollover anymore!
 
Here is a shot that kind of shows the flipped knuckles and new steering setup.  Plus, I like the shot, so now you have to look at it!
 

I tried a droop rear suspension setup.  It should work, but it doesn't, still needs to testing and modification.  It'll work eventually, but I am not looking for tons of articulation with this truck anyway, just a little bit more.

 

 

 

 
I don't recall why I set the chopped Clod cab on the chassis in the first place, but it changed the entire direction of the project.

 
The first order of business with this body is to return it to a realistic scale appearance.  Not many of these trucks came with sunroofs, even fewer with blowers, and I would imagine they all had backs on them!

 
Wheels and tires will remain the same, although I'll have to get rid of the red, it just doesn't match anymore.

 
I made a custom grill section and painted the body in a leather-esque brown/tan color.  It looked like a color one might expect to see on a truck like this back in the day.

 
I painted some panels and installed the grill and glass permanently.  Also started playing with off-road light placement.

Next part will have to be some kind of front bumper.

 
I added a front brush guard, painted the passenger door black, rammed it continuously into and against some rock to get true scale damage, and added a ton of sponsor stickers.

I am not sure exactly what direction I am going with this, but I like it and I think I need different wheels.


 


 


 
I finally grew tired of the tube bad, and wanted something new, so it was sold and I set off to come up with something new.  I had some trouble in the creative department, and my first concept was crap.

 
 
I cut it all off and left this in place to start again.


 
Here is the artwork I came up with.  I really like it, and seeing as how I was nearly out of material, it was made with scrap pieces!

I would consider some of the features of this flat bed to be multiple diameter tubing, differing angles and multiple textures, all which come together to please the eye.  The bed area will be covered in diamond plate, and there is expanded metal protecting the rear window.


 
While I was at it, I painted the new deer killer as well, all in Chevrolet blue.


 
Installed the wipers, well, wiper.  As a beater goes, only the driver side works!
 
Thought I'd add some smack-talk element to the truck, so a score was added...
 
...and a custom weathered bug guard.
 
   
   

Hit Counter