SitDown's Build

[Sitdown]

Been working on new bumpers for some time now, which should be finished soon... so thought I’d start a build thread as well

Current (03/16):

2012 Scab

'14 Screw Fox Takeoffs
Deaver +3s (powdercoated)
Geiser Bro Coils
SDHQ Bump Stop
Homebrew Bumpers
Homebrew Bed Rack & Rear Hoop
Homebrew 3” Exhaust
Fiberwerx Fenders
WSI Partridge Tail
5Star & SVC Tunes / Volant CAI
Method Standards / Toyo 35’s / Custom OMF Rings / Vince’s Flush Billet Caps
Anthracite Grey hood & Metallic Black fender wrap
Raptor Retrofit FX-R 50w HID Projectors
Vision X Xmitter Extreme 18” Bar
Vision X Xmitter Extreme 5” Bars w/ AltOffroad Hood Mounts
Vision X Xmitter 5” Amber Bars (Front & Rear)
Vision X Light Canon Pods
RSI’s 30” Cree Bar (vX evo prime knockoff)
Rigid Diffused Duallys (rear bumper)
NAVTV/Allsync & Icom 5201
And a whole lotta wire and switches…









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Day1


Like most others, had parts on order before I took possession of the truck, the usual progression:
5star Tune
aFe CAI
Methods Double Standards & Mickey Thompson MTZs
Mid Perch

5star


Never gonna look like this again...


Perch

MTZs n Method DS

Wanting a front camera and liking the lockout rear camera feature, I picked up a NAVTV & Allsync. Lil nerve racking tearing open my week old truck. Despite some write-ups I was able to get the center stack out without removing the driver side dash bezels





In prep for the 2013 Snoball 500, I solicited a friend to help build a race rack. Wanted it to be quick and easy to remove by myself, fit under my tonneau, and accommodate space for day to day misc items.

It uses quick release style, slip fit bed connections. Raised up from the bed, I can accommodate lumber, hockey sticks, etc. underneath. Both scepter fuel jug holders used up the wasted corner space at the cab end of the bed. The fuel door side took some pretty meticulous angles to get right, with some super tight clearances. The front mounted toolbox also sports a slip on quick release connection, to make room for larger bed items. It holds much of the bulky recovery and repair essentials, including an aluminum floor jack.






















Beefy y bar, and even beefier plate...





Mocking up cans
























Was short on time before snoball and still had not sourced my block of poly, so made the next best thing… “Made of Wood, Real Sturdy!!"










Finally sourced material for my y-bar chock… if anyone is looking to build one, ebay “Delrin Rod”. Drilled her out and onto the lathe… Woulda been much easier ordering tiregate’s version, but this is much beefier.
















Added another slip fit connection off the front to mount my toolbox





Since then we've capped off the tube ends and the rack has served me well over several runs and lots of abuse.... My alum floorjack fits inside the toolbox perfectly with the other recovery gear. Considering moving that elsewhere in the bed though, and add my hi lift jack to somewhere along the bedside.

An impromptu trip to the drive-in was the perfect removal test, had everything out transformed into a bed lounger in short time.

 

[Sitdown]

Next up were M&R 6 foglight set, and then a set of Dawson’s HID projectors

M&R 6 Pack


Dawsons



Snoball was a great success, but now I knew many other upgrades were essential for future trips




Pics


My first Raptor event raffle winner, Volant intake. Great idea, worst CS I’ve dealt with ever probably lol

First bracket wasn’t even close, second required some chopping






Had to elongate some more holes and rig up another bracket for the hood switch, but all in finally. Decided to swap out the worm drive bands for t-bolt clamps




Saw many DIYs on hood light setups, but knowing id have 6hrs into it changing thisn, the sdhq klit really made sense. Great unit, went in under 10 minutes.


Just remember to turn it off



So decided a radio upgrade was in order too, ICOM 5201 mobile unit. Much needed upgrade after misleading a group of stray trucks on snoball bc I was out of reach with my wouxun. Like others, mounted on the side of the center console, beside the seat.

Pics
Pics


With the upcoming spring13, I picked up a 21” Vision X Xmitter Extreme from James. It would fit perfectly in the new bumper I was planning, but also work in the interim within the stock bumper. Wow, what a punch this little light packs! Also installed a 30” M&R behind the grill

















Reading all the EL tape threads and knowingly aware of the recon problems I rolled the dice on their SVT Fender LEDs. Decided to use a tinted Gel sheet to match the paint, and turned out good. Tapped into the front amber sidemarkers, going on several months strong w/o issue










Having been quite dinged up from snoball and many local outings, had my local detailer do a round of opticoat. Wow, truck looked better than the day it was new












After seeing the many hood wraps out there, decided to do one of my own. We found a metallic anthracite grey that is a near perfect match to the grill color. Wound up doing the hood in this, as well as the Fred mustache. Buddy had a mettlic black on hand too, so decided to trial the fenders as well. Color isn’t perfect, but turned out nicely.







A friend was interested in my RR HIDs, so decided to reach out to Dawson for another set, this go around fully blacked out 50w FX-Rs with halo’s. With the Xmitter on, the 30” was pretty unnoticeable, so decided to put that light to fulltime amber duty. Nothing too sophisticated here, a peice of amber acrylic and zip ties



Also decided change was in order, and sold my Method Double standards & MTZs… In their place came Method standards and Toyo OC MT’s. I had been working with OMF on set of rings and hardware for me, really wanting the blk/anthracite combo with blk hardware. Everything turned out great though, even have a second set in the works.










Pretty good match


Just recently acquired some flush billet caps from vince, looking forward to slapping these on when I rotate soon.


There are so many great bumper offerings out there, but my buddy who made the racerack wanted to put his new bender to work. Many bar napkin drawings, then CAD renderings, and cases of old style later we finally began progressing. Sort of took a hybrid of a few styles out there currently with some new touches. A whoooooole lotta work making these, the money vendors are asking are well worth the hours spent lol




Was going to do a easy access fold down skid, so we sourced some doorbar swing out hinges. Later Decided on a 1 piece skid now, so its just going to function and an easy to remove connection, may resurrect that idea later.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Subscribed!
Show me the money shot of that bumper!!!

Very unique design for the bed rack, I like it. What material did you use?

Yukon Joe
GLRE Support Raptor
WWW.RUNRAPTORRUN.COM

 

[ironside]

Looking good man im still in the idea phase of a bed rack for mine.

#oilfieldraptors

 

[13_Raptor]

Nice mods!

 

[Sitdown]

Bumper is mostly is 1.75" ms, and the rack 1.5". These were really our test run doing these, would love to do the next round all in chromoly

Haven't decided yet how far back we're going to cut...is just past mid way through the flare safe? Around where we stopped the weld?





Still may add a smaller hoop on the front, like the add venom has, or one on top


Some rear bumper shots in process. Im keeping the stock hitch assy in play, going to box around the stock mounts and stick flush mounted rigids in that area. Side tubes still need to be cut down some, base will be sheetmetal with the back/tire side exposed. Plan to relocate the trailer plug in that area and rig the stock plate lights in there in some fashion



Considering some other options for the dovetail, and tapering up just the rear section but don't think its going to turn out how i had planned. Really trying to keep it able to go back to stock if need be...

 

[MTUH3]

Great job on the front bumper. Very close to the design I have been kicking around in my head. Great build

 

[Macman]

Truck is looking awesome man, Big fan of all of it, those rings look awesome on the methods!

 

[rasco]

I dig it

 

[CrownOffroad]

Looking good. Like the bumpers!