We pulled a couple all-nighters at KC Customs so that De La Montanya could spray the entire cab inside and out with the bulletproof Imron paint. With Kinney's flames airbrushed on the hood and all of the bodywork back on the truck, it was back to GM Truck Center in Burbank to install the interior pieces, bed accessories, and fire the engine.
Up front we went with an Off Road Design bumper and winch-mount combo powdercoated by American Bead Blasting in Santa Rosa to fit our Warn 9.5ti winch and SDB-210HB lights. We decided to shoot the lower grille valance panel with some satin black paint to give the truck a more menacing look and make the turn signals more visible.
To keep our K10's Ramjet 350 running cool on our blasts across the Mojave Desert in 118-degree heat, we needed some major engine cooling. For the price, reliability, and ease of replacement, we went with a $110 three-core radiator from our local AutoZone. Most stores stock this (PN 433161), and it comes with a lifetime warranty. For better cooling at slow trail speeds we ditched the mechanical fan and went with Flex-a-lite's 27-inch electric deal (PN 295). It features twin 13 1/2-inch, high-power electric fans that cover the radiator core perfectly. We modified Flex-a-lite's upper bracket to bolt the fan assembly to our original upper radiator mount, and then moved the side mounts to the threaded inserts in the bottom of the fan so we could secure it to the truck's lower radiator support. Wiring was as simple as installing the fan controller to the fan's shroud and running power through the supplied fuse, a ground to the battery, and a switched positive lead through the ignition.
With less than 24 hours till our departure, Henrik Hairapetian rallied his GM Truck Center team for another all-night work party. His guys wired and plumbed the ARB compressor to control the lockers, installed dual Optima YellowTop batteries, and plumbed all of the hydro-boost brake and power-steering lines.
The UA K10 uses Tuff Country's proven 4-inch heavy-duty leaf springs up front with a set of SX8000 gas shocks. We then added a set of Off Road Design heavy-duty shackles and a greasable bushing kit to really let our springs twist. To eliminate any harshness in the suspension when it bottoms out, we bolted on Daystar's foam bumpstops (PN KU09039). With such a mild suspension lift we choose to run Sam's Offroad 1410 extreme-travel driveshafts front and rear without a CV to save money and increase strength.
In the rear we used a set of 1988-1998 1/2-ton Chevy truck springs that we got from the Yodaman in Santa Rosa, California. With Off Road Design's 2-inch shackle flip kit and its prototype heavy-duty shackles, our truck sits 3/4 inch higher, and the rear rides well and has very little axlewrap. You'll also notice the dual 2 1/2-inch exhaust system that Greg Gallegos of Flowmaster artfully tucked up between our framerails while we were in Santa Rosa. For a quiet cruise that would still have the Flowmaster performance sound, we opted for a pair of 50 Series SUV mufflers with an H-pipe that crosses behind the transfer case. To finish off the look we added a pair of polished Flowmaster tips.
You'll see our UA K10 in action as part of our 2005 Ultimate Adventure. But now that we have some seat time in the truck, we've got some fine-tuning to do, one or two repairs to make, and a few things we'd like to just downright change. We tried to stay true to our budget-built theme, but the reality is that there are only so many corners you can cut and still do what we've done with this machine. If you have some ideas on how we could make it better, an idea for something you wished we'd done different, or are trying to figure out how you can build your Chevy like ours, drop us an e-mail at 4wheeloffroad@primedia.com. We'd love to hear from you.