Help understanding previous owners fabrication

Trying to understand what the previous owners fabrication was and for what? Just bought the truck but it’s riddled with redneck wiring and flat bar welding. I’d like to refresh the suspension but first need to understand what was done. Any info is greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

Using shocks as steering damping or sway bars? lol idk..

 

Holy bat fuck Robin.

 

Obviously this is the work of a far higher intelligence than we mere mortals are capable of understanding.

My opinion...put her up on jack stands and remove the entire mess and rebuild it back to factory.

Can we get an outside pic? Is this thing lifted to kingdom come?

 

Can't you ask the original owner you bought it from?

 

I believe it’s lifted but I’m just not sure how. The previous owner won’t be of any help as he was just a bridge to me and had it only a few months.

 

This looks like a steering stabilizer set-up........but not a good one. I have no idea how or why the upper shock bends upwards.

It used to be popular with some offroaders to reduce or eliminate steering wheel wobble with a lift and bigger tires.

 

The top shock isn’t connected ‍♂️ Thanks for the input.

 

Maybe the top one got stuck and they just built around it to have a functional stabilizer

 

Is this a bracket lift? Also, Did you remove the top steering stabilizer shock, or was it broken?

 

I think it’s a body lift now. I didn’t check before because of the wackiness of the suspension area. I haven’t had time to remove all the parts and bolt on a new stabilizer. Been spending full days addressing the interior or lack of. Finally located a rear glass and tailgate locally.

 

Well, there was a thread in the 5th gen forum about how hitting the wrong rock at the wrong time could wrench wheel fast enough to blow everything out…. And the steering wheel shimmy complaints…. Hmmm, I think I may have some flat bar laying around

There are a lot of smart people with more time than money out there. I say it’s worthy of study before condemning the modifications. “Flat bar welding”( )… it can be made presentable by hitting the corners with grinder. Take your time with the finishing details it will look as good as anything “aftermarket”. If the design results in good function, you may want to save it.

After all, when people get bored of buying pristine examples of anything on bringatrailer, the next rage will be cars that feature “folk” engineering lol.

I’m just passing by from the 5th gen forum and dont know anything about 1st gens, but did these have torsion bar springing? Maybe the front was lifted by cranking the torsion bar around a bit more. The CV boot looks like it has a bit of angle to it, so it could be both body and suspension lift.

@Rcjdm97 , you got a sweet looking 1st gen. It looks pretty solid underneath corrosion-wise for something so old. Next time your under the rig, I wouldnt mind looking at more angles of where those stabilizer shocks mount up to, just to see if it makes sense.