Low_Sky's Build - 2015 Power Wagon Laramie

[Low_Sky]

8/7/2018: Revised first post to fit the new subforum guidelines.

Year Make Model: 2015 Laramie PW w/RamBoxes

Current picture

Suspension Modifications: Thuren 3" Hemi springs, 2.5" King shocks (stage 2), front and rear track bars, front and rear Boogie Bumps. Traxda 1" rear coil spacers. DOR steering brace.

Exterior Modifications: Purple Cranium half spiders front and rear. Dethloff skid plate. Custom full length sliders (similar to White Knuckle).

Engine Modifications: None.

Interior Modifications: None.

Recovery Equipment: 7/16" x 75' synthetic main line, Factor 55 Splicer thimble. 1/2" x 50' synthetic extension. Rope repair kit. ARB9000 blocks. 3/4" and 7/8" Van Beest galvanized screw pin shackles. 3/8" and 1/2" soft shackles. 1/2" x 8' synthetic bridle. 4" x 8' tree straps. 2" x 20' polyester tow strap. 1" x 30' nylon snatch rope. 60" Hi Lift w/ 5/16" chain slings for winching and offroad base. 5/16" x 20' G70 chain. Full tire kit w/spoons, dish soap lube, plugs, patches. 15 lb CO2 tank.

Electrical Modifications: Hardwired Harbor Freight wireless winch remote (presently troubleshooting). Midland 75-822 CB w/ 4' Firestik.

Planned Modifications: In no particular order and no firm plans; 37x13.50R17 mud terrains (summer) and 35x12.50R17 studded and siped mud terrains (winter), TrailReady HD17s, high clearance bumpers, braided brake lines, 4.88s, AEV snorkel.

As new condition:

[Low_Sky]

The first serious chunk of change I dropped on my truck was for a set of rock sliders. I wanted to be able to drive my Power Wagon off road without worrying about costly damage to the rocker panels or door openings. I decided that I wanted White Knuckle Off-Road sliders, but they didn't have their design for the 2014.5+ trucks finished at the time. When I saw member Jnallison's custom sliders I was impressed, and his buddy who welded them was able to work me into his busy schedule and make a set for me too. He did great work, and if there are any imperfections (which I doubt), they are buried under a well-applied layer of Line-X and will never see the light of day.

These go wheel-to-wheel, and have a 2"x2"x1/4" square tube with a 1-3/4"x.120" round tube step, if I am remembering the dimensions correctly. Below the door openings are expanded metal treads for extra traction, and the kick-out at the rear is filled with 1/8" diamond plate. The mounting plates sandwich the frame for a no-drill bolt-on installation, and only require popping a couple of cable ties for the wiring harness loose to clear the mounting hardware.

When I get back from this hitch I will try to remember to take some better photos.




The guy that made these great sliders is in Farmington, NM, and said he wouldn't mind me sending more work his way. If you want his contact info we can discuss it via PM, but please be respectful of the fact that he has a day job and a family, and takes side work like this on a case-by-case basis when time is available.

[Low_Sky]

I ordered and installed a BakFlip F1 bed cover in light of the fact that I travel frequently for work, and am moving to a place that receives 68 inches of annual snowfall on average. I wanted to protect my valuables while I'm away from my truck, and keep the snow out.

If you order a BakFlip cover, I cannot stress enough. . . . WATCH THE VIDEO. I installed mine in a hotel parking lot in Missoula, MT and my memory of the video (I watched it twice a week before) and the lousy paper instructions that came in the box were not enough to get me through a correct installation. In about an hour's work I had a mechanically functional bed cover, minus the water-draining cups and hoses and a strip of seal that goes . . . . . somewhere By the time I realized my mistakes, it was too late to take the whole thing apart and start over (the install has to be done in correct sequence, more or less). For now, theft protection is what I need, and I'll worry about the water-proof bits when I have more time to mess with them.

Overall I am very happy with this bed cover. It is very low profile, and both RamBoxes are accessible with the cover up or down. Because of the F1's narrower width to accommodate the RamBox, it does not extend beyond the sides of the cab when locked in the folded up position. The full width covers do stick out past the sides of the cab when folded, and that would bother me enough to make me less likely to drive with the cover folded back.

The only "improvement" I would like to make (if it won't void the 3-year warranty) is to install some recessed tie-downs in the panels. The cover is rated to carry 400 lbs of evenly distributed load, and I would like to be able to throw my 9' inflatable pontoon raft on top of the cover and strap it down.

[Low_Sky]

The 6.4L Hemi goes through dead dinosaurs like there's no tomorrow.


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[Low_Sky]

Holy crap it's been a long time since I updated this.

Hawse fairlead conversion: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5365&sid=14b809e26c ... f0e7423e5c

Truck is on 35" Toyo CT's these days. I've been happy with the performance on ice and snow so far.

It's winter now, so the truck stays covered in permafilth.

[Low_Sky]

The PWagon is getting lots of attention this year.

I did all the breather vents a couple weeks ago. Good thread for reference info --> viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4725&sid=b0895befb5 ... 4b5#p95168

DOR steering brace and PCP front and rear spiders are on the way. Dethloff skid, Thuren goodies and kings are in the works too. It's gonna be a long two months waiting to get all this stuff on.

[Low_Sky]

That’s awesome! Going to have a whole new driving experience with all those fancy parts! Can’t wait to see it come together sir

Maybe on Don's springs and 2.5" Kings I won't back up a train of SxSs and ATVs behind me on some of the trails around here, haha. Full disclosure, there are also stretches of river bottom around here where I get passed by cyclists on fat tire bikes. The OEM Bilsteins are a joke on this truck.

[Low_Sky]

What valving did you go with?

Stage 2 plus a little extra rebound. Marcus says at cold Alaska temps the stage 2 is going to feel closer to stage 3 for you southerners.

[nts007]

Stage 1 can feel like stage 4 in the cold. I did some re valving with don on his 2.5s and changed the fluid to amsoil shock therapy light. I started at a stage 2. Now I'm at like a stage 0.75

[Low_Sky]

Stage 1 can feel like stage 4 in the cold. I did some re valving with don on his 2.5s and changed the fluid to amsoil shock therapy light. I started at a stage 2. Now I'm at like a stage 0.75

Neil, I'll probably be picking your brain about valving and oil when it starts cooling off this winter. I got started googling different shock oil viscosities and VI's the other day but decided it was a waste of effort because I couldn't find any properties for King shock oil, so I really didn't have a benchmark to compare to. As an engineer, it bothers me that I can't find any kind of spec sheet for the stuff, nor even an SDS. That tells me its either super secret unicorn ejaculate, or "the cheap shit" in a King bottle (I'm guessing the latter).

[nts007]

You bet! Be happy to share my findings and struggles.

[Colibri]

#norsemenproblems lol

That’s going to ride so damn nice low_sky! Titty city for sure

[Reloaderguy]

Because of how my rears are valved I have the same problem in warmer temps (still below freezing). The temp sensitivity sucks.

[Retired BLM Rig]

29cabn.jpg (32.1 KiB) Viewed 1331 times

[Low_Sky]

29cabn.jpg

I laughed out loud.

[Low_Sky]

Fun facts about King shock oil:
Kinematic viscosity at 100C: 4.3 cSt
Kinematic viscosity at 40C: 22 cSt
Kinematic viscosity at 0C: 180 cSt
Viscosity Index: 100
Pour point: -22F

If you live somewhere cold, this stuff is not the right oil for you. I'm going to enjoy the crap out of Don's valving this summer, and when it gets cold I'll have the pleasure of learning shock tuning with a different fluid. Probably Fox or Amsoil.

[Bill2014]

Fun facts about King shock oil:
Kinematic viscosity at 100C: 4.3 cSt
Kinematic viscosity at 40C: 22 cSt
Kinematic viscosity at 0C: 180 cSt
Viscosity Index: 100
Pour point: -22F

If you live somewhere cold, this stuff is not the right oil for you. I'm going to enjoy the crap out of Don's valving this summer, and when it gets cold I'll have the pleasure of learning shock tuning with a different fluid. Probably Fox or Amsoil.

Those viscosity numbers for the King oil are terrible... I had no idea there was that much variability
How hot does the oil get when you work the shocks hard?

I see a huge outside temperature swing here where I live ( -35F to 95F )

Surely there must be other oil options out there

[Reloaderguy]

Fun facts about King shock oil:
Kinematic viscosity at 100C: 4.3 cSt
Kinematic viscosity at 40C: 22 cSt
Kinematic viscosity at 0C: 180 cSt
Viscosity Index: 100
Pour point: -22F

If you live somewhere cold, this stuff is not the right oil for you. I'm going to enjoy the crap out of Don's valving this summer, and when it gets cold I'll have the pleasure of learning shock tuning with a different fluid. Probably Fox or Amsoil.

Those viscosity numbers for the King oil are terrible... I had no idea there was that much variability
How hot does the oil get when you work the shocks hard?

I see a huge outside temperature swing here where I live ( -35F to 95F )

Surely there must be other oil options out there

They don't warm up at -25 no matter how fast you drive.

[Low_Sky]

Fun facts about King shock oil:
Kinematic viscosity at 100C: 4.3 cSt
Kinematic viscosity at 40C: 22 cSt
Kinematic viscosity at 0C: 180 cSt
Viscosity Index: 100
Pour point: -22F

If you live somewhere cold, this stuff is not the right oil for you. I'm going to enjoy the crap out of Don's valving this summer, and when it gets cold I'll have the pleasure of learning shock tuning with a different fluid. Probably Fox or Amsoil.

Those viscosity numbers for the King oil are terrible... I had no idea there was that much variability
How hot does the oil get when you work the shocks hard?

I see a huge outside temperature swing here where I live ( -35F to 95F )

Surely there must be other oil options out there

Every shock oil has a range like that. The viscosity index is a calculated unitless number that rates an oil’s temperature viscosity stability. 100 was good when the calculation was invented. Now there are hydraulic oils with VIs into the 200s and 300s. Every oil also has a pour point, and that’s independent of the VI. An oil with a 250 VI would be very temp stable, but if it has a -10F pour point, it’s useless as a shock oil for anybody with a real winter.

[TwinStick]

https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/ ... ion-fluid/

Amsoil makes shock oil. Only 2 weights right now though. Pour point is -63*F for the #5 & -54*F for the #10.

https://www.amsoil.com/lit/databulletins/g1663.pdf

[Low_Sky]

I settled on Maxima Racing Shock Fluid. The Amsoil viscosity index is around 210. Maxima VI is around 370. Pour point is a little higher for the Maxima, but still should be adequate for the average temps here.

[Low_Sky]

My Purple Cranium half spiders showed up last night.

For anybody wanting to add these; front diff bolts are 10mm hex, rear diff bolts are 13mm hex (you’ll need a wrench or a 3/8” ratchet and short socket to reach under the rear sway bar), and the Purple Cranium stainless bolts are a 6mm hex socket. I didn’t lose any gear oil from the front, lost just a drop from the rear while making the swap. I just did gear oil, so I wanted to leave the covers in place, but if you’re due for gear oil it’d be a good time for a fluid swap since taking the old bolts out gets you halfway there.

I ordered Rust Brown powder coat. It’s a pretty decent match for the exterior paint, and in a few years the undercarriage will match too.

[Low_Sky]

How’s that for a shipping notification from Dethloff Mfg?


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[adeluca73]

How’s that for a shipping notification from Dethloff Mfg?


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Marcus is great.

[Reloaderguy]

My Purple Cranium half spiders showed up last night.

For anybody wanting to add these; front diff bolts are 10mm hex, rear diff bolts are 13mm hex (you’ll need a wrench or a 3/8” ratchet and short socket to reach under the rear sway bar), and the Purple Cranium stainless bolts are a 6mm hex socket. I didn’t lose any gear oil from the front, lost just a drop from the rear while making the swap. I just did gear oil, so I wanted to leave the covers in place, but if you’re due for gear oil it’d be a good time for a fluid swap since taking the old bolts out gets you halfway there.

I ordered Rust Brown powder coat. It’s a pretty decent match for the exterior paint, and in a few years the undercarriage will match too.

The front diff bolts are M8-1.25x23mm if you ever feel like replacing them. I switched to 13mm flange head bolts because the Carli diff guard bolts are junk and I wanted all the bolts to match.

What valving did you get? I need cold weather valving.