The CamAstro or ASTROC not sure yet...build thread

[markmitch]

The TPI has been done in the past its just not done much now since the cars TPI engines came in are few and far between now. There is a guy in this forum by the name of mr_roboto he has that same set up in one of his vans but he is in need of a bracket or something. not sure if he broke one or if he was just missing one though. I once bought one of them engines for cheap but I only used the block and internals for my van because I did not have the harness or ecm.

[stent]

i like the TPI idea.
check out the '90s auto magazines for swap tips from when this was hot & state of the art.
RATTLEHEAD !

[Hangar18]

Well I got a few more days in on the Astro. The JOR lift showed up and my spacers so I figured I'd start to tackle some of that. Time to get some more Ugly out from
under my truck. Removed the rear bumper and hitch and dug in...undercoating tight spots along the way, like where the fuel cell sits and shackle and hanger ports.
I still have my original exhaust and man is that tight at the right rear hanger.. had to do some finagling to get that leaf in. Gonna have to get the heated and bent out of the way or I may just cut it...getting duals anyway so really doesn't matter. Going through now and checking for things that may bind or pull during the front lift(wiring, e-brake cable/hanger, trans lines, etc.)

I'm sure some of u guys are gonna give me grief about my spacers. I want a wide stance on the tires while maintaining use of my Chevy rims...first I did 2in then
added 2 more. I love the stance with 4in but discovered that my sliding door wouldn't open So I may try 3in..I think it will rub but open.. we'll see.

Next step..front lift, gonna order some new sub-frame bushings before I do the front so that gives me a minuet to tidy some stuff up. I'm really digging it so far and she's cleaning up nice. And again that's where I am atm...more to come

[Leeann_93]

You might want to check the laws in your state - having the wheels stick out from the fenders is actually illegal in MD. You must have fenders - or fender extensions - that cover the wheels here.

Just a thought because I don't believe MD is the only state with that law.

[Hangar18]

Not the case here (TN) that stuff is every where!

[markmitch]

If you plan on doing any off roading those spacers may just be more unsafe then you may know. Not only does it put way to much weight on those 5 or 6 lug studs but it also puts a ton of unsprung weight on the spindles, axles and so on. By the way Maine, Mass, NH and vermont its illegal for the tires to stick out beyond the fender unless as Leeann said they have to be covered with fender extensions or something. In many states those spacers are illegal due to them being unsafe too. Be careful.

[Hangar18]

Well the most she'll see around here is some mud and ruts..I wont be rock climbing or anything and I'm most likely gonna reduce it back to 2in so I can use my door. It's not gonna be a daily driver or anything so wear and tear will be minimal.

[1lowcab]

Thats some serious poke!!!!!!

If you got some rims with more negative offset you wouldn't have to run so much spacer. I have a -12 offset on my rims and they are out past the fenders.

P.S
I imagine TN is like it is here in OH, here in OH they could give a flying rats patoot how far your tires stick out.. there are guys here running more offset then you have! lol!

[WinnieVan]

I was thinking of going with a negative offset to get my stance out a bit on my next set of wheels... I should look at the CA regulations first... I'm sure they regulate it.. as they regulate EVERYTHING!

[Hangar18]

Well I got a little more done the last couple days. Did some pre front lift inspections just to know what to watch when she went up. My steering shaft seal had been leaking for some time and since I needed to get in there for the shaft extension it was a great time to tackle that. Thanks to some great write ups in here it was a breeze. I scrubbed my gear box and the battery area of my engine bay. My battery tray was trashed but I think I'll clean and undercoat it, it's got a little life left in it.
I'm gonna go yard hoppin soon and I'll get one then. I got my 3in pucks put in the front. Two were not drilled through, which wasn't discovered until I couldn't get a bolt
through. Note to self- check your parts more closely! All went smoothly and now I have almost five inches in the wells with 31.5's. Still need to trim but will do that at the end. She's starting to look like somethin now. Having a ton of fun Getting closer to torsion keys and the final rear lift. Ordered a trap door to put in
before I reinstall the fuel tank.(97cargocrawlers great mod ) Glad I had the steering reservoir dc'd , the 3inchers pushed the hose to the limit. Also noticed that the lower radiator hose is touching the serpentine belt. Everything else seemed to move well, but there's still a few inches to go. Time for more cleaning, painting and undercoating. Will also be creating some slack on stressed items before I go the rest of the way up.

[multimoto]

its gonna be cool and all but those tires need to be twice as wide to pull off that look IMO

be great for stability in some sticky situations but that much offset cant be healthy on the front suspension components.

[Mmusicman]

I think those extreme wheel offsets are going to eventually be trouble... and probably unsafe too. Add over-sized tires...
A lot of bad pressure put on things where it normally wouldn't be.

But hey... breaking things is half the fun too.
Looks different.
Good luck.

[Hangar18]

its gonna be cool and all but those tires need to be twice as wide to pull off that look IMO

be great for stability in some sticky situations but that much offset cant be healthy on the front suspension components.

Have to agree..I really like the extra beef hanging out but they are too narrow to be out that far. Eventually I will change the tires and rims.

[Hangar18]

I think those extreme wheel offsets are going to eventually be trouble... and probably unsafe too. Add over-sized tires...
A lot of bad pressure put on things where it normally wouldn't be.

But hey... breaking things is half the fun too.
Looks different.
Good luck.

And yours would be the next reason I decided to pull em back in. Got really concerned about that much pressure that far out. Not to mention I like being able to use my slider door

[Hangar18]

Got quite a bit more done the last few days. Finished my trap door for fuel pump. Cleaned up and saved my battery tray. Got my steering shaft extension and input seal in, made a boot extension out of some shop vac hose. Got my fuel cell back in. Extended the return hose for steering res. Got my rear bumper and parts painted.
Installed new bump stops and exhaust isolaters. Got my lift keys installed(which went smooth as butter) 14 years and they just popped right out!
Finished trimming the wheel-wells and got her fired up and running So I've pretty much finished the lift, just waiting on shocks and an alignment. I was really worried
about the crazy camber created by the ball joint flip and if I was going to have to knock out the slots on my upper control arms, but once I got my keys in and stretched it all fell back in place. I may still have to, but the way it looks there shouldn't be a problem aligning it.

A correction on my tire size...I thought they were 31.5 but they are 31s and with the weight of the van they are 30.5..so we'll call em 31s. I started out at 28 inches front and 31 inches rear at the bottom of the wells. All said and done, I can max out at 39 front and 40.5 rear. Where I settled was 37.5 front 39.75 rear. She really squared up nice(and I still have an inch or so to go if I want).

Time for more cleaning and painting. Getting close to the end of phase one.

[GreatWhite]

[1lowcab]

Lookin good!!

[90safari]

Looking good is right. :waytogo:
So, when does the V8 swap start?

[multimoto]

Lookin good!!

yep, this is rapidly becoming one of the best looking jacked up AWDs on here. cargos and cargo doors FTW baby!

[Mmusicman]

yep, this is rapidly becoming one of the best looking jacked up AWDs on here.

I agree! The improvements are looking fantastic!
A nice looking combination of lift, tires, and custom workmanship!