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T3 BLT Offroad Avalanche

HenryJ

Full Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2010
Messages
516
Location
Oregon, USA
New to this forum, but not new to the forums. I have been keeping the S-10 crew cabs informed with the S-10CREWCAB.net forum for almost a decade now.
I have had a couple S-series trucks. The first was Thunder - '86 S-10 Sport , this was followed by Thunder II - 2001 S-10 crew cab. Thunder II was an awesome light expedition rig. Lots of great trips under its belt. The last trip over the Steens loop we out grew it. We needed more room and a little more power. I had been watching other s-series crew cab owners migrate to the fullsize and more than a few went to the Avalanche. I have been added to that list.
Dubbed "T3" mine is a 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche. It came nicely equipped with most of the options.

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A one owner vehicle from California with:
Power windows
Power heated leather front bucket seats
Deep tinted windows
Remote entry
Body colored wheel opening
Running boards
Power sun roof
Auto temperature control
Light sensitive mirrors rearview with compass and temperature, side with indicators , active tracking and courtesy lights. Body colored inserts
Illuminated sun visors with mirrors
G80 posi traction
4.10 ratio
Power pedals
Hyd power brakes
Active brake control
Cruise control
High capacity Air cleaner
4L60E
Built in Silao, Mexico
17x7.5 aluminum sport wheels
Leather wrapped steering wheel
Two speed auto transfercase
LT package
Front fog lights
Body color grille
S band digital audio
AM/FM/CD multiple disc radio
Homelink
Steering wheel controls
Rear seat ear phone jack and control
Premium Bose sound system
GPS
Onstar
Tow hooks
Trailer hitch package
HD trailer provisions
Engine block heater
145 amp alternator
Z71 offroad package
Bilstein shocks
Skid plates

A few of the options were things that I had to add to the last truck. That shortens the mod list a little. The idea is to get it where the last was and maybe just a little better. Light expedition ready is my goal.
I am a small truck guy and have been for a very long time. I like to be able to choose multiple lines on the trail where a larger rig has no choices. That makes this change sort of bitter sweet. I will adapt.

With winter knocking on the door some things moved to the top of the list. The transmission was long overdue for a flush and filter. The engine got a good oil filter and synthetic oil. The tires on it were old and cracking. That put tires as a must do.
In order to install the size I want a small lift was needed.
'97 Ford F150 keys replaced the stock ones

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With those I was able to raise the front a little over 2" and with Bell Tech 1" coil spacers on the rear , I am left with about 1" of rake.

The new tires-

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BFG TAKO 285/70-17 Installed and balanced with 6.5 oz Dynabeads each. Speedometer corrections and a little performance alteration done with a BullyDog GT tuner. Helps to keep a tab on fuel economy and operating conditions too.

I moved the Diehard Platinum from the BLT Offroad trailer into the engine compartment. Inside I mounted a surplus Jotto desk and the inverter to power the laptop.

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Two more power ports under the cup holder power the inverter and the handheld GPS on the dash. Under the back seat I installed yet another power port to supply the APRS. The Yaesu FT8800 dual band radio head unit sits between the stock console power ports-

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The external speaker is that square black box on the side of the console. The transceiver is hidden under the cup holder too.
Two 1/4 wave whips up top for antennas are connected via a duplexer.

I cut down a late model Suburban roof rack to fit and added my safari basket with awning on top of that-

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The back up lights were upgraded to 50 watt halogens and an LED string light underneath. 1/0 cables with quik connectors on both ends can connect to the cradle mounted winch or booster cables.
Up front I put together a 2" receiver hitch for the winch-

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The two 7" HID offroad lights are wirelessly controlled. Nice light out 1/2 mile or more.

Lots of reading on the forums was lucrative. I did the $2.49 Audio input mod for my Ipod , cut the recliner stops on the power seats and added the AOH lights mod.

Today I installed new Autolite XP iridium sparkplugs, added an underhood light -

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Hayes trailer brake controller was plug-n-play, installed a new wireless light controller for the HID lights and installed a Spectre ProFab air intake

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I added the Insultek insulation around the heat shield and stitched up a polyester pre-cleaner for the filter.

Still waiting on exhaust. New ship date is not until the 23rd. Looks like that might be a Thanksgiving day project.
 
pretty cool Henry.  I actually saw your progress over at Expedition Portal.......Would seem that Avalanche will make an awesome expedition vehicle, I was wondering why more people were not using them.
 
SoCalAva said:
.....Would seem that Avalanche will make an awesome expedition vehicle, I was wondering why more people were not using them.
Thanks , I am sure hoping this will be at least as good as the last. I have not wheeled it yet, so the jury is still out. Thus far , other than the mileage, it has been pretty good.
I am hoping that it wakes up a little and bumps the mileage when the new exhaust system is installed.
 
The Jotto desk laptop mount hindered the two cup holders quite a bit. The navagator has no really good options for a cup holder. I really wonder why they did not add one to the door pocket? Those worked great in the s-series.

Anyway...I had used a pair of the German designed cup holders available from Groit's Garage  in my old truck. They were...Ok. They survived for quite a while. The passenger side broke a couple of the pins. It still held a drink, but took efforts to close properly.
With experience behind me now, I did not reinvest in those again. Too pricey for the durability. This time I opted for the less expensive folding cup holders: NAPA Cup Holder # 751-1027 $5.49

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Availability is good. Less than half the price of the German cup holders. They fold up thinner than the others , although it does take two operations to close or open them. The upper bracket is adjustable so a larger cup can fit. That might be useful. Time will tell if they are a good investment.

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Mounted below my knee on the sides of the center console. Should work out just fine.
I think cockpit adjustments are just about complete.

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Sail panel LEDs installed. I like'em :cool:

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Youtube video (not mine)

Amber DRL and wigwag'd up front.

Today I took care of a weak link up front. Literally. The link between the tierod end and relay rod is small and is known to bend or break. These are just a couple examples:

H2 tierod failure
Pull Chevy bent tierods

Today I installed stainless steel sleeves on both rods:

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They were on sale for $50 a pair from Merchant-Automotive. I had to drill the inside threaded portion down .125" so that the sleeve would thread on far enough to set the toe properly. A 9/16" drill bit did the job.

One less worry. Next up, servos.
 
OPT , Oregon Performance Transmission set me up again. I ordered the Corvette servo , billet fourth and cover. Good prices and here quickly.
Installed tonight. It now shifts like it should.
This transmission is not the slush box the last started as, but it did need a little help. Those stock servos were indeed sloppy.
I have only the ride home under my belt. I am sure that it is a good improvement. The install took about 40 minutes. Just enough room for the install to make it fairly easy.

Next up may be the auxiliary fuel tank. That will likely be a X-mas break project.
 
AUX fuel tank.... lots of pics on that one please.  I've been dreaming of doing that for ever.  I have a vision of tearing out the exhaust and putting another stockish fuel tank in that location.  what ideas do you have in regards to fuel sender/pump ect?  Or are you looking at transfer flo type systems??

I'm definitely interested in this build thread. 
 
It will likely be very similar to the tank I had on my last truck: Auxilary fuel tank
I will use a stock in tank pump to transfer fuel to the main tank via a "T" in the vent hose. The tank venting will be combined as the stock venting emissions system has enough capacity to handle both. Measured using the stock fuel tank sender. I will have to find a compatible gauge.
Dimensions look good for a mid nineties Ford F150 18.1 gallon tank. The width and depth are good. This will replace the spare tire under the back. It may be possible to still carry a spare under there as well if I tuck things up good.

I have one ready for the attempt.

I need to see what it will require to siamese the fill necks , or mount both in the stock opening. I do not quite have that one visualized yet.
 
I just happened across this post on a bed mount rack for bikes. It sure looked similar to the rack we use on the Maxx. Inspired, I went out to the garage and dusted off the Thule 400xtr Rapid Aero clamp on racks. They fit clamped to the cover panels on the bed!
I had one Yakima Blockhead mount. I modified a couple elevator bolts to work as channel bolts and mounted it in the center of the front bar. I'll try hauling Tach's bike a few times and see how well it works. It looks like it should work well. If it does I'll buy a couple more Blockheads and carry three bikes back there.

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I have been looking for a way to vent underhood heat, much as the cowl hood did for my last truck. I did not like the engine heat vented right where the air is picked up for the interior though. No cowl hood for this one.
I did lots of looking for something that might work. There are several louvered panels available, but I'm not so happy with their appearance or methods to attach them.
I came across this install : Oman 4x4 Hood Vent Install
My search for new louvers ended when I found out they have been discontinued and the few that are still out there underwent a substantial price increase. $160 plus freight was more than I was willing to spend.
One local yard had two Pontiac Grand Prix the correct years. They had checked the green one last week and forgot to call me to tell me they were gone. I saw that they had a white 1996 hood with louvers. They had not checked out that one. I offered to come over and check it out.
Over the hill and through the snow! It was iced over and had six inches of snow on it, but they were both there. The hood was 80% , but I knew the guy running this yard and he was willing to let them go. I shoveled the hood off , pulled them and $20 later they were mine.
Returning home I coated them with paint stripper and removed three layers of white paint. I'd say this car had been repainted more than once. Down to original paint, I scuffed them good and gave them a coat of black satin Krylon Fusion.

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There are a few minor imperfections, but they are not too bad.

My son arrived home from school and off we went to the shop to get inside. Masking tape and below 20 degrees outside just don't mix well.
I had already laid out templates and spacing earlier so once masked off things went pretty quickly.
Sixteen holes drilled, there was no going back now.

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I would have liked them farther back and more toward the outside, but hood braces hindered any other positions. This was the only place with space enough on the underside. These need to be functional, so there was no other option.
I did not realize that I was out of metal blades for the jigsaw, so a run to Wally world slowed the progress a little. Once we returned I cut out the big holes. Then I installed the hood insulation and chalked it to cut holes on the interior. Once that was ready I painted the raw edges of the hood , trimmed up some 1/2" neoprene to fill the void and hold some tension on the screws, attached the screws with fender washers and reinstalled the hood insulation.

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The open area of both add up to 12.5 square inches (.25"x5"x5x2 ) The design of the louvers creates a low pressure zone behind each opening. At speed that should draw heat out. At low speeds at least it has some where to go.

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Finished after dark. I guess I get to see what I have done on the morning.  :cool:
I checked them after I parked. If nothing else they make great handwarmers :)
 
Warmed up more than I thought it would today.

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A small victory on the quest for the second fuel tank:

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Deciding on a location for a fill and having it ready is a load off my mind. They will be close, but should work. This will be better. The fill attendants always looked at me a little silly when I asked to fill both tanks on the old truck and they only saw one. This will make things much simpler.
 
things you never hope to hear...      "Sir, I filled the gas and topped of the antifreeze while I was in there"    :laugh:    nice fab job  :D
 
How about, "22 gallons of diesel comes to $73.70"..., Uhhm, diesel?  :cry:

Stay tuned for more  later (y) The battery tray is on a slow boat from back east. That will be the next thing completed.
 
Up bright and early. Sawzall in hand the first step to the tank install:

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I had to cut the fill tube and add a few inches of height. I did not have enough filler hose at the shop, so I grabbed a piece when I returned home for dinner.

Crossmembers made:

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Tank has been in and out more times than can be counted now.

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Lots of drilling , painting and welding...

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The tank is bolted in place. It hangs just below the frame rails. Tomorrow I finish the fill tube and look into hanging the spare back underneath. No going back now.
 
Sweet...    Now I'm gonna be out in the cold with a sawsall cutting my truck apart, just happens my dad has a 90 F150 junker out on the farm.  Gonna look and see if it has a tank that just might work.  Mockcopy your ider till I grow a pair big enough to tackle a stock tank mirrored install on the passenger side where the exhaust currently resides.

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite threads.  Great work HenryJ

:yourock:
 
My research says that this is the same behind axle tank from 1990-1997 Ford F150.  You might just have what you need. Grab a dozen Nutserts, 73" of 1"x2" rectangular tubing, 10" - 1.5"x.25" strap and 6" - 2"x.25" strap, a handful of bolts and you're good to go.
There will be just a few more items after its finished.
My gauge shipped , but has not arrived. I have yet to get the tee sizes figured out and line lengths. Then there is running a wire for the switch.
 
I finished up most of it today. I now have two filler caps under the door-

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All plumbed to the tank-

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Pump line tee'd into the main tank fill vent line and the tank vent tied into the main tank vent line-

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Another shot of the tank in place that gives a bit better perspective on how far up it hides. Well out of harm's way-

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It is up far enough that I decided to go ahead and hang the spare back underneath. It is a bit lower than before, but not terrible.

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A little lower than the hitch. It is above the bottom of the axle. 11" at the lowest point and 12" across the tire. While it may be too low for rougher trails, it is high enough for moderate trails and road duty. I can always drop it and toss it on top in the rough stuff , if I need to.

My battery tray arrived yesterday. Long story, but it was gathered from another dealer as the one I ordered never showed. Bob really did me a favor getting it in time for the Xmas break.

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I'll probably wire in the isolator and install the other two bike mounts on the rack tomorrow.

Once the fuel gauge for the auxiliary tank arrives I'll finish wiring it up and be done with that project.

Progress is good.
 
If you add a body lift that new tank can move up 3 inches...?

been wondering what to do with that space on mine....
 
Alaska_AV. said:
If you add a body lift that new tank can move up 3 inches...?
Yes. I'd have to make some changes to the crossmember mounts, but it should not be hard.
 
Parts finally arrived today.

The fuel gauge is in-

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All wired up and ready for fuel. The gauge is a little lower than I might have preferred. The fuel button is in a nice place though. I may have to work a little to check the fuel level. Tomorrow I think that I'll heat the panel and tip it up a little bit.
I'll fill the tank and check the gauge calibration too.

The second battery arrived. I wired it to charge from the isolator-

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...and added my surplus Battery Brain as the method of combining them.

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I can manually combine them under the hood , or use the remotes. The way it is set up this battery charges when the truck is running. It remains full and fresh. When I need extra reserve I combine them and "jump start" myself. Fairly simple right now. We will see what the future brings.
 
So the fuel panel or gauge you put in the knee panel is strictly for the aux tank?  So there was no wiring of the second tank to the fuel gauge in the cluster am I correct?  How did you wire that in then? 

Looks great man!  Keep up the good work.  (y)
 
SurvivalFreak said:
So the fuel panel or gauge you put in the knee panel is strictly for the aux tank?
  Yes.
So there was no wiring of the second tank to the fuel gauge in the cluster am I correct?  How did you wire that in then? 
Yes. This gauge can be calibrated to most stock fuel level senders. This one is set up to read out in gallons of fuel now. Then I press the button fuel is pumped from the auxiliary tank to the main tank. I watch the gallons in the auxiliary tank decrease as the gallons in the main tank increase.
The wiring systems are not connected together. Each remains its own system.
 
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