Big Red

Lift Kits and Being White Trash

Friday I took off from work as a Personal Day. I have never taken an actual personal day for personal reasons from work in the 6-years I’ve worked for my company, despite them offering the time. I have taken personal time in the past, but usually it’s just another day for a long-weekend road trip to somewheres exotic – and not a bona-fide personal reason.

I had a list of things of things I wanted to get done that day, like a hair cut, getting my camera repaired, and grocery shopping. But it mostly ended up being a day when I slept in and didn’t do much besides go and talk to a couple of shops about getting my truck jacked up.

Β What I’m Leaning Towards

After thinking about it for a quite a bit, I am leaning towards going with 35s, a BDS-six inch lift, and 4.88 gearing. The shop said it would probably come out to between $5-6k, but I am not sure if that includes the re-gearing. A lot of money, but so be it – I’ve been saving my money, and my truck is my toy.


white_silverado

My top priorities for the lift kit is getting a truck that looks quite nice, has better ground-clearance especially in the snow, doesn’t break-down way out in the woods, doesn’t drink dramatically more fuel, and is economical to maintain. Those might be a tough combination with a lift-kit, but if I stay at 6-inches with the lift kit, get a good brand kit with necessary accessories, re-gear to avoid straining the transmission, and only put 35s on it, I should be okay. I’d rather spend the money now, rather get broke down somewheres in the boondocks and spending a lot of money for front-end repairs.

In my ideal world, I would love to do 37s and 6 inch lift plus a 3” body lift. But alas, money is no object, and indeed, I am afraid of the damage I would do the front end and the drive-shafts, putting so much weight and load on them. I’ve researched doing that on the interwebs, but and it might be a fun project if the truck was retired to be a mud-toy around the farm, but not when it’s something I’m taking on long-trips in the back country. Instead, I’d rather spend money a quality lift-kit that doesn’t put CV boots at a bad angle by replacing proper components, which I would have take somewhere to get fixed.

4.88 gearing with the 35s is a bit lower then a stock gears, but it will give me more power on the hills, and make crawling easier. I’ve always though the factory gearing was a bit high. From what I’ve read, it also won’t hurt gas mileage much compared to a higher gearing, e.g. 4.56s. It also leaves open the possibility of going to 37s when the 35s wear out and need to be replaced eventually, without regearing, if I am willing to sacrifice some power (e.g. 4.88s on 37s are about the factory gear ratio).

At any rate, the local shop seemed to think I could do that. I think it would make my truck look a lot more muscular, and give me a lot more ground-clearance in the snow and getting in and out of campsites, and on rough roads. It will be fun in April, once my truck jacked up, and I’m on my first road trip again with the higher vantage points and better views. If I want to go higher, I will think about the body lift later on.

muller_white_1500-004

Now the White Trash Part

So after I was looking at jacking up my truck, I had to swing by the Salvation Army to look for a new sports-coat. I was disappointed that I couldn’t find one, because the one I currently wear that after 7 years is wearing out. I only wear a sportscoat to work about 100 days a year, and a such, they tend to last. I really didn’t want to spend a fortunate, but I wanted to look good. I guess I will be stuck going to JC Penny or another large chain store to get a new sportscoat.

It really felt kind of guilty shopping at the thrift shop, looking for clothes for work, after looking at those expensive lift kits. But heck, it’s helping charity, and whatever – if it looks nice – who cares if I spent $30 or $70 on the jacket. But it sure seemed trashy going there, after drooling over off-road equipment at the off-road stores.

Then I had stop by the Freihofer’sΒ Outlet store in Schenetady to stock up on bake goods and cookies. They tasted pretty awesome too. But it just seemed so trashy and tacky to be going to a discount bake goods place, after spending so much time looking at lift kits.

Note: Sample pictures used in this article are from OK 4WD’s Online Garage, which shows the quality work they do in Northwestern New Jersey. I didn’t ask permission to use the photos, and if they really object, please email me. They look like they do nice work, and I lived near them, would definately talk to their shop.

An afternoon spent visiting a 4x4 shop, then buying cheap pastries and shopping at a thrift store. It's called priorities.

Happy Monday. Plans for Veterans Day Weekend. Election Day Next Week. Got Sick Last Week. Bright and Sunny Morning.

Good Morning! Happy Monday. So we go around in the grand circle of things. Next weekend, I will be downstate for work, but the following I am planning to take a trip to somewhere. Moose Plains, or maybe Central NY with a one day jaunt down to Pennsylvania for a visit some of the parks in Endless Mountain Country. A lot depends on weather, and whether or not they already have snow at Moose Plains.

Election Day Next Week. I will probably drive or take a bus up to the Board of Elections and vote by absentee ballot, and get it done. Your supposed to be out of the county during election day if you vote by absentee ballot, but if I happen to be in the county, I can either go and vote on lever machine or risk my ballot getting tossed out if I get hauled into court to testify about my whereabouts. The absentee rules in NY State are kind of dumb – they should allow everybody to participate in early voting if they so choose, by absentee ballot.

Got Really Sick Last Week. It just was a really bad cold. But tell that to somebody who is feels as sickΒ  as dog. I slept most of Thursday and Friday, with a sore throat, aches, and dizziness. But so be it. Finally on Saturday, had enough energy to spend some of the day awake, working on some code, and then going down to the library to upload photos, and then finally, for my evening walk. At least it was just a cold, so once the virus let up, I didn’t have to go to doctor or spend money besides getting some soup and buying more nyquil, which will probably last most of the winter.

Through the Gulf

But A Nice Bright and Sunny Morning Today. It’s a Monday, and good to stay positive. To make sure I wouldn’t get hungry until mid-afternoon, I made a good breakfast up of hash browns from Empire Plaza farmers market potatoes, sweet peppers, and mushrooms, some crappy pre-cooked sausage, scrambled up a couple of eggs, and some cheese. Not to bad. Made the regular bus I normally catch with relative ease, and today the bus is a brand new Gillig Hybrid, a 4112H. Life is good.

Google Maps Added to the Blog. I have for some time been sharing Google Maps on the blog, but I never had a Google Maps of the Day feature. I built in hooks for the Google Maps of Day and full KML integration into the blog. There is still some minor bugs in the code, but I hope to post some many new and interesting maps over the cmoing months.

Dual Battery Setup on My Silverado for Camp Power

Important Update:Β Make sure to connect the negative terminals of the two batteries. Grounding to the frame for the accessory battery will not excite the hal-effect (current) sensor, which is located on the negative terminal between the starting battery and alternator on the truck.

Not making this connection will lead to both batteries undercharging, especially in warmer weather or longer trips. Failure to make this connection will cause premature failure of the batteries, potential dead starting batteries, and repeated undercharging.Β You have been warned.

New Battery Graph

Since 2004, I have always run a power inverter off my truck, that converts 12 volt DC power into 120 volt household power. I use it extensively through the summer season to provide light and power to camp for small appliances like my alarm clock, laptop, and electric lighting. Electric lighting really beats any other camp lighting.

Sparkle

My current set up uses a Vector-brand 800-watt Power Inverter, connected to a second battery, that is disconnected from the starting battery when the engine is off. There is no danger of a dead starting battery as the second battery is disconnected from starting battery when the truck is off. Once the truck is turned on, the isolator relay reconnects the second battery to the alternator.

Hidden Battery Inverter

As long as you don’t drop the battery below 11.3 volts β€” where the inverter automatically turns off due to low voltage, you will have constant 120 volt output. As the isolator does not kick in until the alternator is spinning, there is no voltage drop when the engine is cranking.

Battery Isolator

When I got my 2011 Chevrolet Silverado to replace my old pickup, I was quite happy to discover that all full-size pickups come with dual battery locations, and at least with All-Star Edition Silverado, all of the hardware for installing a second battery exists (second battery tray, high-output 145 amp alternator), except for the $5 tie down and the wiring.

Equipment Used and Costs.

The installation would have cost me a total of around $475, although $75 of it was the inverter I had already purchased years ago and have moved on over my old truck.

  • Vector 800-watt Power Inverter – $75 – Pepboys (probably less now)
  • Walmart 24DC-6 Marine Battery (101 amp/hr) – $79 – Walmart
  • GM OEM Battery Tie Down Block – $4 – DePaula Chevy Parts Store
  • GM OEM Battery Tie Down Bolt – $1 – DePaula Chevy Parts Store
  • Pacific Automotive Corporation 200-amp Battery Isolator (Large Mechanical Relay) – $65 – Boomer McCloud
  • Wire, Conduit, Connectors, Fuse Tap – $80 – Boomer-McLoud

The parts total was $305. Not too bad. If were to install it all myself, it would have required additional tools like a battery cable crimp, plastic molding puller, sealants, which if you don’t own such tools and parts would add costs. In addition, you would have to buy extra parts in packages you wouldn’t neccessarly use. That proaly would add up to close to $150, plus your time isn’t free.

I had Boomer-McCloud, on Central Ave in Albany, a chain automobile electronics/car audio wiring store, do all the wiring, install the isolator and assorted related parts. They did it in two hours of labor, which cost $150. While the wiring is not rocket science, having it professionally done, increased the quality over what it would have been done had I done it myself. I am not a wiring expert, even if I know how electrons flow.

What I Had To Do.

Boomer-McLoud did all of the wiring and installation, although I had to purchase the battery and tie down, and also provide the battery inverter.

I decided to get a Walmart Everstart 24DC-6 Marine Battery, which is a dual purpose battery for starting and deep cycle. Walmart Everstart batteries are pretty good quality for the price, they are manufactured by Johnson Controls in the USA. I would have gotten a true deep-cycle, but I was on a budget, and finding something that would fit in the battery tray was a bit of a challenge. I figured if going to take some abuse β€” occassionally being overly deep cycled β€” I might as well not spend a fortune.

Second Battery (Marine) for Powering Inverter

The Walmart Everstart 24DC-6 Marine Battery fit perfectly in the tray without sliding or being oversized, although is slightly taller then the standard Group 48 battery. It has a 101 amp/hr rating, which is sufficent power for at least a day’s worth of camp compact florescent lighting and small appliances like an alarm clock, cellphone chargers, etc. If battery gets too low, you just fire up the truck and charge it up.

Then I went to DePaula Chevrolet’s Parts Department and picked up a battery tie down. You just want the tie down plate and battery bolt. It’s like $5 for both of those parts. I then had to install the battery myself, and tie it down. You will need several long socket extensions to reach below the battery to install the tie down bolt. Once it’s installed, the battery is very secure, just like the factory battery.

Then I had to make an appointment with Boomer-McLoud, and explain what I wanted to do. They had some questions, and I showed them where I wanted the inverter mounted, and they did the rest. I just dropped it off before work one day, then picked it up later in the afternoon. Paid $315 with tax. Hit the switch on the inverter, plugged in electronics, and I was off.

Pictures of Individual Components.

This is the second battery, with the isolator mounted close to it.

Second Battery (Marine) for Powering Inverter

The isolator is like a giant electro-mechanical switch or relay, that is closed or “excited” by a small amount of current that causes the relay to shut. It is excited by a fuse tap in the Throttle Position Sensor Fuse from the main power bus. In the background is the main fuse bus, with the top off it.

Fuse Tap from Throttle Position Sensor to Excite Battery Isolator Relay

Rather then mess with any factory wiring, the main feed wire comes off of the main (starting) battery terminal. Notice the 150 amp fuse for safety. You don’t want a shorted wire to equal a fire.

Bumping Along Burnt Hill Road

Fuse Holder and Connection off Starting Battery

Here are the fuses and other wires coming off the second (inverter battery).

Second (Inverter) Battery, Battery Isolator (Relay), Second Fuse Tap

And finally, the power feed to the second battery, runs right on top of the main power bus from the Main Power Bus Distribution Box, just like how Chevy does it with the factory second battery install.

Wire Running To Second Battery

I’ve only used this set up for a couple of nights, but appears to work real well. The starting battery never gets low, the camp power works well all night long. you can easily plug in heavier loads like my 90-watt laptop adapter, and there is no dimming of headlines or sign of stress on the alternator.

I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to email me with any questions. β€” Andy

Alternator

Wire just heads to the main starting battery.

Taken on Thursday April 12, 2012 at Big Red.