F-350 Hi-Lift build tips thread.

[FodigoDave]

yes- sry

I was just looking at the pic. that's a great idea- I wish I would have found you sooner.

[speedemall]

Originally Posted by JasonInAugusta

Since this is a tech thread, please keep this thread for build tips and questions only. There is already a F-350 discussion in Chit-Chat.


When you build this truck, don't get in a rush. Each step in the manual is fairly "busy". Pay attention, take your time, and have fun building this one.


Here's a few little things I did along the way while building my Hi-Lift:

• 
  
• My input shaft to the transmission (BA29, Gear shaft A) was bent near the step on the threaded end. There's a shoulder right next to a thru hole. This point (to me) seems to be a weak point and a spot where it'd be easy to have a tweaked shaft without noticing it. I didn't notice mine was bent until the tranny was assembled and in the chassis. My indicator was the lock nut rotating all over the place.
  
  
  
  
• The kit manual says to use a 2 leaf pack for the "soft" setting. The two leaves consist of the main leaf with eyes and a 2nd leaf that extends nearly the entire length of the main leaf. I chose to use the shortest add-a-leaf in the bag as my 2nd.
  
  
  
  
• One way to prevent axle wrap while running a soft leaf spring pack is to take one of the 4-link mounts (L1, L10) and attach it vertically to the rear axle next to the diff housing. I used two of the included 30mm or so screws to pass through part L1 as well as the axle housing. Since the tabs on the four link mount (L1) are a bit wider than the axle is deep, I used a couple of 3mm nuts (small black nuts from the kit) to fill the gap. Just slide the nut between L1 and the axle housing and tighten the screw. Use a 3mm locknut and a washer on the remaining bit of the screw to lock L1 in place. Another 3mm screw from the kit was used to mount the traction bar and a short length of 3/16" brake tubing acts as a bushing for the traction bar and is held in place by a 3mm nylock
  
  
  
  Then make a small link that spans the distance between the 4-link mount and the screw for the leaf front hanger for the left rear leaf. To make this I used two spare ball ends from the kit (L9) some threaded rod (4-40 I think) and some 3/16" brake tubing as a sleeve. Sorry, no pics of the assembled traction bar, but you get the idea. Slide one end of the traction bar over the short 3/16" brake tubing bushing and tighten the Nylock.
  
  At the frame end of the traction bar I removed the rear screw for the leaf spring hanger. I used a longer screw (30mm I think) to bolt a spare damper collar in place. The damper collar will actually rest against the lip of the frame rail, not agaist the "bed" of the rail. Install L9 to the collar using spare O-rings from the kit. Install a 3mm nylock to keep things in place.
  
  
  
  
  Another view of the rear mount.
  
  
  
  
  There you have it...no axle wrap and a soft suspension. ;)
  
  
• For you brushless nuts, a Holmes Hobbies Revolver will fit just fine, but you'll need to flip the pinion gear on the motor shaft. The shank of the pinion will interfere with the cover for the input gears. I reamed a hole in the cover to make room for the shank of the pinion.
  
  
  
  
• The kit comes with parts (L4 and L5) to change the caster angle on the front axle. Although these are intended to be used on the front I decided to use them on the rear to rotate the pinion up a hair. Doing this will cause the tie rod on the rear to make contact with the rear leaf springs when the rear suspension compresses. The easy fix is to build two short steering lockouts and eliminate the tie rod completely. The instructions say to build one at the bottom of step 31 in manual, but parts are included to build two of these lockouts.
  
  
• When you build the axles install a Traxxas teflon shim (TRA1985) behind the pinion gear so it meshes a little deeper with the ring gear.
  
  
• Remove the tab on the pinion/spur cover that the shift rod passes through. With this tab in place you have to remove all the shift hardware from the rod to change motors or inspect mesh at the pinion/spur.
  
  
  

Feel free to add tips/tricks you guys find as you go along.

Can you please re-host the pics that were here? I would really like to do some of these tips you speak of

[twisted concept]

Also wanting to see the pics re-hosted if possible please. I need to see how you stack the leafs together.


Also, what servos do you guys recommend for the shifting and steering (metal geared of course )

[cobrawes]

Does anyone know where to find the lost pics? I am building my high lift and would like to know.

[j33p3r]

How does the 350 go with the brushless set up?
I am contemplating the change but mine was a stock shelf queen.. now it may be time to make it useful! jsut wondering before I make the b-less commitment

Originally Posted by microgoat

I'm gonna one-up your gear-cover mod, JIA I don't even have to take the servo out to access the motor

[benzee403]

Hi Guys,

Don't know if you know this already but junfac made a 4 link conversion kit for the high lift. check it out at www.junfac.com it also shows a video of the f350 converted in action.

[oldschool53]

anyone have pics of the truck changed to two wheel steer

[FodigoDave]

Originally Posted by oldschool53

anyone have pics of the truck changed to two wheel steer

I can only assume you mean front steering - the stock setup is front and rear steering.

Let me know if this helps but I took off the rear steering on my F350 (more for realism) and found you have several options as to how to finish the front steering. Moving the side duel steering servo forward gave me a place to store extra wires in a side mounted gas tank under the cab.

I found by moving the servo to the front (next to the shifting servo) you get more direct steering too [which is more responsive].
You can keep the axle's fixed wheel steering rod in the rear (next to the driveshaft) but by moving it forward the axle and swithching the steering rods, you'll have a tighter turning radius because the steering arms have more travel.

Sounds confusing - after I read it. Check out my thread iif you need more clearification Petaluma F350 Build High Lift
- you might see some other pics there that will help you but I'll take a few more if you need. I know I ran into a few hick-ups but nothing you shouldn't be able to fix and make work. The biggest problem was the steering arm.

This pic here shows the steering arm in the back of the axle. When I moved it forward of the axle, it gave me a better turning radius.




This is a pic of the steering arm in front of the axle. I had to cut a gap in front push bar bracket to accept the steering arm and locked steering rod.





This is how I locked the rear steering.




Hope that helps.

[trynacrawl]

wowtons of info. Thats gonna help me set up my highlift that I recently picked up. I'm pumped to modify!!!

[shadowknight]

hey
i have got a 350 my self and i have bought de 4link from junfarc and with that i also bought diterent axcels from the transmision to the diffs so that the flex cane get to the limed this al in combination with new shocks

[shadowknight]

i hae bougth de 4link conversion off junfac

[Makeready]

nice work!! Wow!

[FodigoDave]

Well, the 4 link Junfac setup certainly works great and is super easy to put together...but the center chassis connections makes for an unrealistic scaler attachment point - especially when you have to raise your rig. If you go custom, takes more time and hassel but you get a better low profile look with the same results as the Junfac (in my opinion). Junfac you keep the same trannie location but going custom is all about tucking up the trannie nicely and sticking to a stock look but gain more travel.

[vonclod]

i,d sure like to see a pic of the anti axle wrap mod for a soft leaf setup..anyone..lolis it like a panhard?

[dont slow down]

You can gain 1/4" of free ground clearance at your skid plate by cutting off 1/4" from the screw posts on the skid plate mount.

[silleywilley]

Just finished building mine. Fairly disappointed in the flex, I'm only running the main leaf and no coils in the shocks. I was trying to get it to sit a little low, so I would hopefully get a ton of droop, but no..

It seems that the driveshafts are causing a lot of the lack of droop due to the fact that they are fully compressed and not allowing the compressed spring to travel all the way up.

Kind of bummed out right now, spent a shitton of money on this thing and kind of hoped it would be a bit more of a crawler than a basher.

Maybe I'll cut the shafts in the middle and weld a sleeve over them after... they only need to be about a 1/4" shorter.

[tundrafan01]

hey i just got a highlift tundra and have a few question's.
1'st off what is the easiest body lift and tran's lift. and what about the bumper as well i want to fit large tire's on it and keep it leafed.
2 what is my option's on mounting a winch to this pig of a truck.
3 what are my led kit option's on it thank's yall zach.

[rustyoldjeep]

all red stripped and body lifted. has a hot bodies lightning 1/8th truggy front bumper like a pre-runner bar.

[Kylar]

Some nice looking rigs!! So are High lifts dead? or is there a newer thread?

I have one I'm looking to do a custom 4 link front and rear and could use some good pics I'm cheap so i'd rather not spend the $100 for the Junfac kit....lol

[chugdugdadug]

I have been working on my high lift, they aren't quite dead! I lifted mine to fit some bigger tires, and am considering lifting it even more to fit some Imex singled dually tractor tires and making it a mud truck. 4-link might be nice though, these things seem kind of stiff.