Honda Ridgeline "Wabi-Sabi" prerunner build

[driftnslide]

How's it going guys. I had the bright idea a while back to start a project I thought would be unique. The original plan was to just build a mid-travel kit for dirt, biking and light off-roading. But it's evolved a bit since then into a tube chassis center linked fun haver. Anyway, I'll upload some pics of the process. I started Jan 1st 2024 and committed to 1 hour a day. She's pretty close now.

 

[badlinesgoodtimes]

ohhhh boy! Never thought I'd see a LT Honda Ridgeline

 

[driftnslide]

Here's some build pics

 

[driftnslide]

Getting the steering sorted out

 

[driftnslide]

More of the Y frame building

 

[the bodj]

Well done! This is really cool!

 

[driftnslide]

Picked up this body for 500 bucks with a title and registration. Front end was in an accident so it's perfect for what I'm about to do. These trucks actually have four frame rails so cut out the inner rails from the body and removed the floor and firewall. Measure twice. Cut once really does work

 

[blue oval]

Incredible work. You are REALLY committed to riding red!

 

[BlackJacket705]

Well this is different, cool and very unexpected!

 

[driftnslide]

Well done! This is really cool!

Thanks Buddy. I honestly expected more hate being a Honda Ridgeline

 

[driftnslide]

Incredible work. You are REALLY committed to riding red!

No kidding. I don't have a Honda dirt bike anymore but I do still have a betta which is red as well.

 

[driftnslide]

Well this is different, cool and very unexpected!

Glad you liked it. I honestly expected a lot more hate. Everybody loves to hate the Ridgeline, but so far everybody seems to like mine LOL

 

[driftnslide]

Got the seats loaded in. Picked these up for an absolute steal. Time to add some more tubes and tin work after this and get the accessory drive sorted out.

 

[driftnslide]

I have to give props to all the guys that do tin work for a living. This is incredibly difficult. I've never tried this before and I knew it would be hard but Jesus. So tedious and time consuming. I want to get back to cycling suspension after this

 

[badlinesgoodtimes]

Glad you liked it. I honestly expected a lot more hate. Everybody loves to hate the Ridgeline, but so far everybody seems to like mine LOL

I mean a regular Honda Ridgeline is pretty trash IMO This thing is rad.. Unique. Keep it up.

 

[driftnslide]

So it looks like the geometry calculators did their job. Rear cycles 36. Cleanly and the front cycles 27 in. I'll definitely be strapping that back. I have no need for that much travel. Probably set it up somewhere around 24/32. It's on 35s right now but the plan is to be able to fit 40s. With the 35s, it has about 6 in of ground clearance from the frame to the ground fully bottomed out.

 

[Turboyota]

This is badass! There would be hate if it was a Tesla truck maybe??

I thoroughly enjoyed picture perusal thus far. Please post more!

Also, it looks like you had to cut out a metric fuckton of structure from the bed area—I bet that was miserable!!

 

[driftnslide]

Pulled it out in the driveway and had to turn it around so I could work on the rear. Got some work done on the exhaust and had to do some clearancing around the coilover springs. Brakes are plummed and working. Getting down to the nickels and dimes now. This is the really slow part

 

[driftnslide]

This is badass! There would be hate if it was a Tesla truck maybe??

I thoroughly enjoyed picture perusal thus far. Please post more!

Also, it looks like you had to cut out a metric fuckton of structure from the bed area—I bet that was miserable!!

Honestly the rear was a piece of cake. Everything unbolts and all the panels are polycarbonate or fiber reinforced polycarbonate so it's all pretty light. Plus the whole rear subframe unbolts and comes right out. The only cutting I had to do was on the fenders and rear bumper support. Plasma cutter makes short work of that stuff

 

[driftnslide]

Trying to square away the power steering system right now. It's definitely kicking my butt. Spent my "hour a day" making this power steering filter mount today. Also trying to square away a good intake setup. Temporarily going to be running dual k &n filters in the cab I'm trying untill I figure out something better.