APEMFB's Air Force One aka The Silver Bullet

[tcm glx]

Silver Bullet as I refer to this ride is going to be sweet for sure. Chris knowsthis build has a special place in my heart! 1) this is the same color scheme as a F150 my dad built which I got to drive in high school. 2) its my shot at making chris spend all his money as he has made me do on Susie. Hahaha


Nice to see you kept it simple with 5100s. Lol

[BajaBronco13]

This is so cool! Chris it's super exciting to finally see you making a solid effort toward building something. I would love to be there for the first shake down. You've got to have some anxious anticipation. I sure would!

I was just thinking, how much would it suck if I stuff the front end and trashed it the first time out, lol. Okay I better not jinx myself. But yes you'll definitely be welcome to join me out there Brian. I doubt I'll keep up with you but I'll try.

Chris

[yikes]

My only issue now is do I cage it or not.

Do it! You like to drive fast and you're going to need that Bronco for real pre-running when we're racing C3 against each other in the future.

[ChaseTruck754]

Cage it you chicken!!!!

[BajaBronco13]

My biggest beef with caging it is that it won't be long haul friendly. I love our Baja runs and the thought of me not wanting to drive it four hours straight or longer is a real drawback. Thoughts?

[yikes]

PFGHGHHH!! Just have Tony put sound deadener on everything. Or get headsets.

[BajaBronco13]

PFGHGHHH!! Just have Tony put sound deadener on everything. Or get headsets.

Ha ha ha Done on the headsets. I already have a new intercom and new rugged radio headsets for this Bronco.

[BajaF250]

Then what's the problem? I'm fully caged and have no issues with the long haul... very comfortable! It'll make the Bronco last longer, it's safer and things work better. Just do it!

[philofab]

My biggest beef with caging it is that it won't be long haul friendly. I love our Baja runs and the thought of me not wanting to drive it four hours straight or longer is a real drawback. Thoughts?

Grow a set?

[SteveG]

My biggest beef with caging it is that it won't be long haul friendly. I love our Baja runs and the thought of me not wanting to drive it four hours straight or longer is a real drawback. Thoughts?

That's the problem with caging a truck. You can do it on the [relatively] cheap and lose interior space or drop serious coin (or time and effort) and tuck it way into the inner sheet metal so you don't lose interior space.

This is why mine is not caged. I've wanted one for a long time but the type of cage I could afford (time and money) to build would ruin the truck for my practical purposes.

I've toyed with the idea of building a really nice frame/bushing mounted roll bar but, really, that would only be a life-saving device and not something that would keep the truck from falling apart around the frame.

[DirtFiend602]

Why does it need to be welded to the frame to deter stress cracks? I have been going through this same dilemma, but after countless ideas... im welding the tube from the frame to the underside of the cab, but using junction plates with 4 bolts each plate at every exit/entrance point... still seems like bushed or bolt in it would still be rigid..

[SteveG]

Why does it need to be welded to the frame to deter stress cracks? I have been going through this same dilemma, but after countless ideas... im welding the tube from the frame to the underside of the cab, but using junction plates with 4 bolts each plate at every exit/entrance point... still seems like bushed or bolt in it would still be rigid..

I don't weld anything to the frame unless absolutely necessary. I'm all about modular, bolt-on parts.

[tcm glx]

DRIVE TRAIN PROTECTION
Southwest Performance custom belly pan / skid plate

Since we are totally taking over Chris build thread here, anyone else built or have pics of a belly pan skid..... I know Mark did a great job on Shanes rig, and that is similar to what Chris will be getting, but more tucked in. Just curious if other have done something like this... and what it did for the rigidity of the truck. Shane says it completely transformed his rig... looking for others that have done it, and their opinions.....

[philofab]

Tons of flex between the crossmember and firewall. I see tubes break in half on race trucks in this area all the time. Losing rigidity from the factory front clip when installing fiberglass makes it even worse.

[DirtFiend602]

Why does it need to be welded to the frame to deter stress cracks? I have been going through this same dilemma, but after countless ideas... im welding the tube from the frame to the underside of the cab, but using junction plates with 4 bolts each plate at every exit/entrance point... still seems like bushed or bolt in it would still be rigid..

I don't weld anything to the frame unless absolutely necessary. I'm all about modular, bolt-on parts.

As am I. From what philo said above, sounds like my bolt in cross member was a good idea. Might be adding some more tube to that.

[DirtFiend602]

Just the flex from that small crack on the power steer gearbox mount was incredible, it was moving well over a full inch.

Tons of flex between the crossmember and firewall. I see tubes break in half on race trucks in this area all the time. Losing rigidity from the factory front clip when installing fiberglass makes it even worse.

[Nick]

My only issue now is do I cage it or not.

Do it! You like to drive fast and you're going to need that Bronco for real pre-running when we're racing C3 against each other in the future.

By the tine you guys are ready, it will look something like this!

[bajascott]

YES!! i love that poster..........
as for caging and long hauls...well i know a thing or two about this with mine, i spend way to much time in my bronco and yes the cage kinda sucks for noise but if you do the cab part of the cage tight and keep the window bars simple(if any) you can do a headliner to hide it and use some closed cell foam on the sheetmetal likr the rubatex that the insulators use on exterior chilled and hot water piping systems(no not the crap you can buy at home depot) you can cut down 90% of the noise. avoid bypass shocks on hiems and finish the interior. as much as i bitch about the clicking and clacking of my cage i am glad i have it and would not change it in my bronco.

[bajascott]

oh yea dont be a pu$$y!!

[BajaBronco13]

LOL, love that poster Nick.

Okay this is what I am thinking if I go the cage route. I would have Mark build it out of 2" DOM and make it Score legal. Yes more cash, more time but if I'm going to cage it might as well make it Score legal. Plus I already have a Fiberwerx Navi dash in the garage.

Navi.jpg (38.24 KiB) Viewed 793 times

And Steve's buddy Jason has already machined for me some solid pucks to hard mount the body to the frame.

And last, another hang up I have is that I really want to get a stretch Bronco built (using the red Bronco I have in my garage).





That's going to be my dream ride, 120" wb, 4WD with 3.5 wider beams and built just like I want it. That one will definitely be caged so that said, gotta think of my budget for these rides as the cage for the Silver Bullet could get real pricey real fast. We will see guys.

Chris