89 CC build thread Frame off resto!! - Bad Idea

[junk]

We were gone most of the weekend so i didn't get much time to work.

I did get the driveshafts installed. I was slightly nervous about this as I now have an NP205 and it required one different U-joint set and I had a couple driveshaft lengths changed. The front drive shaft appears to bind up slightly. I'll have to take a carbide burr and clearence the driveshaft yoke a little. I'll try to get pictures up tonight. How much angle is too much for a U-joint? Currently I'm at 13 degrees. I should probably have a CV F-350 style shaft up front, but I never did before and I never noticed a vibration. I'll run this for now and worst case I get a new driveshaft worked up and get the new yoke for the NP205. The slip joint on this shaft is also loose so a new front shaft won't hurt my feelings.

I also did some wiring. Not sure if you guys use these WeatherPack connectors, but they are the Cats Meow! I've used them several times. I don't have the official crimper for them, but will be getting one. I typically crimp them best I can with plyers then solder the joint.

http://www.whiteproducts.com/connectors.shtml

 

[seawalkersee]

Binding? As it sits level or have you cycled the suspension yet? If you have not cycled it and are having problems, you need a different shaft. Because if you go into the 4X4 mode and it binds, there is no telling what will break if it is under power.

SWS

 

[junk]

It has a spot that hits when I turn it by hand. I can turn it past the point by hand so I know it's barely touching but you can feel it. Also I don't have a cab, front clip or anything, but the engine & transmission on the frame right now. So I'm going to clearance it and then see what type of clearance I have once it's all together and the full weight is on the front end. I'm not too worried overall, but if I end up needing a new shaft no biggie. Also it's the shaft for the front axle and it's probably spinning 15% of the time and at low speeds.

 

[junk]

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Here are the pictures of the u-joint angle. I also put in a picture with a deadblow hammer on there to show scale.

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New and improved Oil line routing. The 45 degree connector just eased up the routing making the line fit really nice.

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Here are a couple pictures off the back of the NP205 showing the driveshaft with the hanger bearing. I thought this lined up really nice.

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Last these 3 pictures show the 99-2004 superduty shackle mounts I put in my frame when doing the superduty springs on the front of my truck. They went in pretty easy. I used a big holesaw to put the big hole in the frame and then marked and drilled the remaining holes.

 

[seawalkersee]

Even how that sits now, I would get a different shaft. That is too far.

SWS

 

[junk]

I did some more work here this weekend. Got the cab stripped and took it into town to power wash it. I didn't have access to the bottom when it was on the trailer so I'll have to clean it up the hard way.

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These are pictures before I washed it out. There was a lot of dirt in there.

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I got the cab standing up. Now I'll have good access to the bottom to clean it up and get it read to undercoat. Oh and fix rust issues.

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This is all the insulating pads I removed from the inside and outside of the firewall. They are pretty ratty and I don't want to put them in. I'll probably check LMC to see what they get for a set. I'm questioning how much they help and I'm planning to put Lizard skin on both sides of the firewall anyway. So I'm debating removing them altogether. Who's removed them? How did it go?

 

[War Wagon]

Looking good. Waiting to see it finished. A lot of people don't like the brick nose body style, but for some reason they grow on me. Maybe because they look big and ugly like me?

 

[junk]

Yeah, I'm actually switching it to the 92-97 front end when I'm done. All my Bricknose stuff was toast and I like the 92-97 front end better. On the interior though I'm completely cool with the 87-91 dash.

I'm looking forward to seeing it done also!! I'm getting anxious to drive it again.

 

[War Wagon]

92-97 Ford are definitely my favorite above any other years.

 

[junk]

Well I did some repair on the truck this weekend. I cut out some rust on the floor and fabbed up a new piece. I don't have the new piece installed yet. I also welded up a bunch of cracks in the cab. There's a lot of work left to get the floor patched up, but it's getting there.

This is the hole that needs patching. I still have some more stuff to cut out. Once I started cutting I found some more thin metal that needs to come out. The bottom lip of the rocker panel was rusted off. So I cut that off and am fabbing up a new bottom lip for the rocker panel. The top of the rocker panel looked pretty good so I left it and will just piece in the bottom lip.

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This shows the profile I'm recreating.

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This is the piece I fabbed up.

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Heres the ends clampled in to show how well they fit.

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I'm extremely pleased with how well the piece fit. I don't have pictures yet, but I used PHIX rust convertor on the surface stuff and a weld through pimer on the area that will be lap welded. Oh and I ground off all the light surface rust so we had nice metal on the new piece I fabbed.

I"ll post more pictures once it's welded in. Then I also need to finish cutting out the floor and fabbing a piece for it.

 

[junk]

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Guys not sure why the pictures are showing up so large. I even decreased size. If there is a better way let me know.

Anyway I got the front drivers floor all patched up now. I fabbed my own panels instead of buying a floor piece. In the end I'm pleased with it. It's all getting coverd with lizard skin and carpet so it is definitely going to work.

I was putting plug weld holes in the panels, but didn't really trust my plug welds so I ended up welding on the sides also. My puncher does 3/16 holes for plug welds and I'm wondering if they are too small for welding through. I actually checked this and the guys on an autobody forum are using 5/16 and 3/8" holes for plug welds. So my 3/16 stuff is definitely small. I also put a SEM weld through primer on all the lap joints before welding then together.

I have the cab corners to touch up and a rust hole in a rear cross member on the bottom of the cab and then I'm ready for primer and Lizard skin. Then after that we're mounting the cab!!

 

[junk]

Next step before primer is I need to finish cleaning all the rust and gunk off the bottom. Any of the rust that I can't get cleaned to bare I'm putting a product called Phix on. It evidently converts the rust to some sort of phosphate zinc coating. I've used it a little bit and it seems to work OK. We'll see. I need to grind down any of the clunky welds. Seam seal all the lap joint seam seals. then I'm going to prime everything with an epoxy primer. Last is the coats of the Lizard skin products.

I debated sending the cab out for blasting. My experience with blasting from the local guys is they don't get the bottom of car bodies or cabs well. They don't have lifts to really get under things well. Also my paint was adhere'd well on most of the cab so I didn't feel that the entire cab needed a strip.

 

[Optikalillushun]

Lookin good! Wish i had the room for a body off.

 

[junk]

Finished up some more welding tonight. I got the rear cross member that was rusted out patched up. I also welded a nut in for one of the seat mounts where the kept nut was broken out. I was surprised the seat bolts were standard. I'm so used to working on newer wrecks that are always metric.

Yeah I'm lucky to have the room to do this. The main area of my shop is 17'x46' and with the frame in there and the cab it's pretty much full. Oh and I have tools and benches all down one side.

I forgot that I want to paint the interior of the roof with Lizard skin also while the cab is sitting on the back wall. So I need to patch up five 3/4" holes in the roof. I'm thinking they were from some sort of antenna's on the truck. I think I'll bond those patches to the skin. I don't really want to weld on the roof as all the patches gotta do is just patch the holes.

 

[junk]

Well looks like I'm going to weld the roof panels after all. I talked to the body shop supply guys and they said the bonding stuff will ghost into the paint after a while. While that isn't a big deal on the roof of the truck nobody will see it made it easy for me to go cheap and weld instead of buying another specialty 50 dollar caulk gun to shoot 40 bucks worth of panel bond.

And I did spend another 58 bucks on sand paper and a tube of seam sealer. Last week was 170 for some primer with the fixings and sandpaper. That's the good thing about body work, you never have to worry about having extra money in the paint budget!!

So tonight with any luck I'll get the roof patched up and start seam sealing all the weld joints.