C11MAN's 4" AWD lift and build

[C11MAN]

Morning everyone. This build started with my family’s 2002 Astro LS AWD (a fairly loaded LS at that). Purchased back in 2003 with just a few thousand miles on it. After many years of good service as a soccer mom van, it was handed over to me as it was being replaced by a crossover. Then the mods started, slow at first, but now it’s almost daily work.
As it sat a short 4 months ago
P.S. please use the zoom button in the upper left of the picture as it is a better zoom than linking to photobucket gives you


I started with doing an onboard air compressor and small tank. I used a Viar 400c and a modified fire extinguisher for the tank.



The setup has been cleaned up a bit since then but it is still functionally the same
After that, a lot changed quite quickly. Pieces started arriving and I couldn’t wait to start working on the lift.

Who needs OLV brackets?



The original plan was to keep the stock leaf spring clamps so off the overload leafs came


The last picture of her ever taken at stock height ;(
The parts list so far was
6 - 2” high, 3” diameter pucks from summit
4 - M12 x 150mm class 12.9 socket head cap screws (SHCS)
2 – M14 x 150mm SHCS from Fastenal
Pair of 22-687HD springs new from SDTruckSprings
2 - Rancho RS7112 - I decided to go with the longer shock instead of changing the stock shock mount
2 - Rancho RS7150
2 - MOOG forged upper ball joints from rock auto
With all the parts, the fun could start!

[grandamle91]

How high are you going?

[C11MAN]

How high are you going?

I went up 4". the lift as already been done but I'm just posting now and will continue to post updates here




At this point I already have the new shocks installed, even though I should have waited for the fronts until I did the body lift as it would have been much easier.

The new springs dropped in as easily as could be expected but the axle was putting up a fight with positioning hence the ratchet strap.

Can’t even tell the difference right?

The new 4 leaf spring fit decently in the stock clamps with a little persuasion, but that will be revisited later.

This is what just new s-10 leaf springs gave me, not the best look for my van 

Then it was time to tackle the front body lift.


Littler comparison between the OEM and new longer bolts






Had a little help with the SHCS with these that I made from a cut up allen wrench.
I also tackled the ball joints while I was at it, still had the stock ones before.



Had to modify the locations of the hose/cable slightly to get them to play nicely with the newly relocated joint.


Here it is with the back loaded up with 1.5 yards of bark, I can,t remember if I had adjusted the torsion bars yet or not

Well I think that’s all for today, I will try to get this thread caught up tomorrow after work. Thanks for looking!

[grandamle91]

looking good

[Jasen]

[C11MAN]

Alright, as promised here is more

Next I trimmed up the front bumper in preparation for the new larger tires

Uncut


I only removed a triangle that I made 1” out from the bottom going 8” up. But it was just about perfect for the new tires


New tires at the shop ready to go on. They are Cooper Discover AT3 30 x 9.5 R15LT load range c. They guy at the shop said that they would look good on my truck, got a bit of a look when I said they were for my van .


It came out of the shop looking like a whole new beast. I had the honor of having the biggest tires that this good size shop had ever put on an Astro. While the mechanic in the next stall over had a Gen I that the plows with. Almost every guy that walked by while there were putting the tires on commented on how it looked even though they didn’t know I was watching.


Must look very scary to small people….


But then I thought, “You know, it just looks a bit short”.

So a trip to the local machine shop and an order from ballistic fab later. I had the parts to reinstall the overload springs as well as a 1” zero rate to give the back a 1.5” boost.





While going to install the new parts, I ran into a bit of an issue with my borrowed jack stands…

So I fixed it!

Then this was the result after some work, much better IMO


How it used to be if you forgot already



And then I really like what I saw.



Alright, enough for now…

[WoodButcher]

Nice C1, how many miles on her? and what is the air for?

[C11MAN]

Nice C1, how many miles on her? and what is the air for?

currently has 120,000 miles, to date no major issues. the the air compressor is mainly for when i lower my tire pressure but also to help out not very well prepared motorists

[SilverBullet1997]

Looking good, looking good

[safariking]

looks nice

[Dozer105]

"The parts list so far was
6 - 2” high, 3” diameter pucks from summit
4 - M12 x 150mm class 12.9 socket head cap screws (SHCS)
2 – M14 x 150mm SHCS from Fastenal
Pair of 22-687HD springs new from SDTruckSprings
2 - Rancho RS7112 - I decided to go with the longer shock instead of changing the stock shock mount
2 - Rancho RS7150
2 - MOOG forged upper ball joints from rock auto
With all the parts, the fun could start!"


ok reading through your list here are my questions:

1. 6 - 2” high, 3” diameter pucks from summit - Why not 3" High x 3" wide ? Are they too big?

2.Pair of 22-687HD springs new from SDTruckSprings - Did you get the ones for the S-10 or the S-10 Blazer is there a difference? And how did you hang them ion the Astro did you change the hangers and use shackles? If so which shackles / part number ? where to get etc?

3. 2 - MOOG forged upper ball joints from rock auto - what Part number for these did you get and how to install them are they a press type? did you change the lower set? what about the coil springs in the front did you do anything to them? and where did you get the truck aligned afterward was it expensive to get aligned?

Appreciate it as I am starting my project soon I been getting lots of parts and starting next month I am going to tear into it and it has been difficult finding something that would work that would not break my bank to hard those Leaf Springs are really affordable which is nice the pucks you talked about are cheap as hell I am surprised that OLV costs so much and thanks for sharing your progress I am building a 93 Astro CL EXT mine is 2WD but I am fine with that I hope that once it is lifted right it will be like a Prerunner Tacoma in which I drive around on the beach in my area. First Time I saw a Lifted Van I said yo my self That is exactly what I need.

[WoodButcher]

Dozer, you may want to start a build thread of your own. I've got a '93 2wd and it's a different beastie than C11's gen II. We have fiberglass rear mono-leaf and the front are coils not torsion bars like the AWD.
Look here for info on that conversion, viewtopic.php?f=40&t=12783
Lumpy posted lots of good info, look in his profile and his threads.
Here is another that will interest you. viewtopic.php?f=40&t=11370&hilit=coil+spring

[Dozer105]

Dozer, you may want to start a build thread of your own. I've got a '93 2wd and it's a different beastie than C11's gen II. We have fiberglass rear mono-leaf and the front are coils not torsion bars like the AWD.
Look here for info on that conversion, viewtopic.php?f=40&t=12783
Lumpy posted lots of good info, look in his profile and his threads.
Here is another that will interest you. viewtopic.php?f=40&t=11370&hilit=coil+spring

Thanks for the info i will definitely start a thread soon I will read those links too appreciate the help I want to make this van as cool as I can so I can give to my Son when the time comes for him to start driving .

[WoodButcher]

No worries Dozer, read and ask you'll get what you need. I also recommend to all those that don't have them get the factory service manual for your particular year. While Haynes or Chilton's are good the FSM is the bible. They can be had on fleabay from 20- 40 bux for most years.

C1, IIRC your year on up they jacked the price for the fsm, can't recall why but they are up around $100

[97cargocrawler]

Haynes and Chilton are trash. I wipe my *** with them when tp runs out. FSM is essential since the other two cover 20 years worth of vans and there's never a decent pic or description in there when u need it. I love my FSM's...even thought about buying another set, one to get greasy in the garage and one upstairs to thumb through in my jammies.

[tinworm]

Looking good!

You lost your photobucket bandwith! Better start paying them.
I just recently had to do this also

[Dozer105]

I got the bible for my van I found it on Amazon for 15 bucks with free shipping I got lucky

[WoodButcher]

$15? wow, was that used?

[Dozer105]

Yes it was used but in fair conditions

[C11MAN]

thanks guys,

thought was time to bring this more up to present.

so after lifting up the back that little bit more, here is how it looks next to a stocker



then I added some lights to the outer corner lenses that are in sync with the outermost lower turn signal





also put some KC fog lights in the lower air damn, quite bright





wired up these two new switches for added control


figured I could put in a new trailer connector while I was in the wiring mood


the following week or so I replaced all three O2 sensors. all original and all 120k miles showed


much better!


next step was to change out the oil in both front and rear differentials. and believe me, it needed it. very dark and it smelled quite rancid














and as always, the van takes up its fair share of the garage when its inside!