So what did you do with your truck today?
- Thread starter GOOSE
- Start date
Cant Write
Full Access Member
Hooked up battery cables, cycled GP’s twice and Wally fired instantly!! Surprised me as it had been 4+ months I think.
Took it up the highway to warm it up. Crisp shifts and I forgot how much power it has for NA and 7500’ elevation.
On a bad note, I smell mice. Need to fix the #1 return line so I can put it back in the driving cycle.
Took it up the highway to warm it up. Crisp shifts and I forgot how much power it has for NA and 7500’ elevation.
On a bad note, I smell mice. Need to fix the #1 return line so I can put it back in the driving cycle.
Cant Write
Full Access Member
Why did you stay mechanical? Were you ever debating electric? Seems most are converting. I plan to stay mechanical as well.
Cant Write
Full Access Member
Where do you keep your trailer spare? Mine was mounted to the bed front, but that didn’t work. I’ve been thinking about swapping an 8-lug axle underneath so I could just use the 1-spare for both the trailer and tow vehicle.
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
I throw it in the truck bed when I'm moving. When it's stopped, I'll leave it sitting on the trailer frame in front. I'm it's a big load in both the trailer and the truck bed, I'll strap it down on the front of the trailer frame. If it's parked at my garage, I keep the spare inside the garage.
Old Goat
Full Access Member
Auto Tires and Trailer Tires are made differently.
Trailer Tires should not be used on an Auto/Truck.
And Auto/Truck tires should not be used on a Trailer.
Even has it on the side wall of the Trailer Tire.
Has something to do with side wall flex as I remember.
Maybe in a temporary situation to get by....
I was thinking of buying one of the under bed cable winch tire carriers. My 82 Datsun KC has one. Turn the crank and the tire is lowered down on a cable. Then the Tire is out of sight, and
out of the weather.
Goat
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How do big man hands fit in that spot? Doing a hard line delete soon and changing the pump at the same time.
Moving forwards on the refurb project...
Got the frame stripped & painted around the rear suspension for reassembly. Used a 4" cup brush + non-woven abrassives on the grinder, then 2 acid washes and then some more scuffing to get the rust off. Finished it with epoxy primer + tremclad semi gloss. The hitch I'm replacing when I build my flatbed so I didn't bother with the rear end.
I can finally reassemble the rear suspension, breaks & axle, all freshly painted. I used electrolysis to clean most of those parts, including the leaf springs.
The springs also got a coat of ez-slide graphite paint in between them & roller clamps, hoping to get a slightly smoother ride.
Found an aluminum cover for 60$ so I upgraded that too along with stainless cover bolts.
Hopefully I get it all back together before the first snow, I only have the spring hanger brackets left to strip & paint...
All this started with a busted axle seal and I kinda slightly went all out on everything attached to the axle because why the heck not!
Got the frame stripped & painted around the rear suspension for reassembly. Used a 4" cup brush + non-woven abrassives on the grinder, then 2 acid washes and then some more scuffing to get the rust off. Finished it with epoxy primer + tremclad semi gloss. The hitch I'm replacing when I build my flatbed so I didn't bother with the rear end.
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I can finally reassemble the rear suspension, breaks & axle, all freshly painted. I used electrolysis to clean most of those parts, including the leaf springs.
You must be registered for see images attach
The springs also got a coat of ez-slide graphite paint in between them & roller clamps, hoping to get a slightly smoother ride.
You must be registered for see images attach
Found an aluminum cover for 60$ so I upgraded that too along with stainless cover bolts.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
Hopefully I get it all back together before the first snow, I only have the spring hanger brackets left to strip & paint...
All this started with a busted axle seal and I kinda slightly went all out on everything attached to the axle because why the heck not!
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
Well this is still a pickup. It just doesn't have any power of it's own. I see no reason why pickup tires won't work here. It's what everyone that I know who has a pickup bed trailer does. Runs the same tires.
What has always worked the easiest for me was to remove the ground cable from the block. That also includes the transmission line holder for an automatic that still has it. Then I remove the hard line to the filter. You will already have the bottom of that line removed from the pump anyway. It even helps to get the nut on the bottom of the line started in the new pump if the top of that line is loose. Once that's all gone, there's a fairly big space to work in there. Unless you have a van.
Cant Write
Full Access Member
@IDIBRONCO and I both have redneck pickup box trailers. I noticed his trailer axle (which is an old pickup axle just like mine still with leaf springs) has a different lug pattern than his tow vehicle, just like mine.
I do just like him actually, I throw the spare on top or strap it to the front. I try to keep it out of the sun as much as possible.
I do appreciate your safety concern!! I am aware that “typical” trailers have a different tires with much stiffer sidewalls as the suspension differs.
Funny story, I tried buying a LT tire for my pickup bed trailer, they wouldn’t sell me one. I then asked for a tire for my 1984 C10 (which is my trailer) but it was being pulled by a ‘79 C10 and the person didn’t know squares. They sold me one!! I walked out, grabbed the blown spare and carried it to them. I was dumbfounded at the stupidity of the situation, but you gotta please the lawyers.
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
I've also thought about switching mine over to a 8 bolt axle, but I now have plans for my "spare" axle so I guess that's out for now. This trailer is what's left of my last Dent Side truck. It's a 79 frame and axle, 78 bed, and the springs came from a 1986 F350 ex cab, dually with a 6.9 and a C6. I went with a friend when he went to buy the truck. He bought it cheap because the differential was bad. He sold the 6.9 to another guy who needed one. He probably sold it for as much or more than he paid for the truck. He let me have the springs. All I had to do was remove them. Then he wanted a trailer so he took the dually bed off, turned it around, mounted it to the front of the frame, and made a trailer. It kind of looks like a VW Bug with the tires cambered out quite a bit when it's empty. The C6 probably went across the scales with the rest of the truck. I'll bet you didn't think I knew that much of the story on a donor truck, did you?
Cant Write
Full Access Member
@IDIBRONCO I love it!! They are handy as all get out. Mine was my first vehicle. Had more rust than dads ‘79 so it became a trailer. I bought it in ‘93 for $500. Drove it until ‘03 when it became a trailer. Been a trailer half it’s life now 
It was ordered as a 1984 C10, 305 sbc, TH-350C with a 2.56 rear gear. Everything is still in use in other vehicles.
It was ordered as a 1984 C10, 305 sbc, TH-350C with a 2.56 rear gear. Everything is still in use in other vehicles.
Have owned the truck for 13 months now. Have been keeping track of fuel and miles. I did not catch up with the fact the sun had faded a few pages on me so do not have total milage but I have good records for 4005.7 miles with 273.679 gallons going through the system. I farm and for the most part I pull a trailer with a 150 gallon fuel tank on it. Through the months of July-Oct I had a 270 gallon tote full of water on the truck itself. Travel mostly gravel roads that are not level so much of the time 4th gear is gear of choice. As far as I can tell still original IP and injectors. Truck is sitting at 147K miles. So 14.636 mpg is not bad for the job I am asking the truck to do.
Cant Write
Full Access Member
That’s great mpg given what you are doing. The newer rigs may beat you on power but not on mileage.
My BIL farms as well, his deleted 6.7 CC flatbed shows 13 on his read out and I’m not sure he pulls as much as you until harvest or bringing bales home.
My BIL farms as well, his deleted 6.7 CC flatbed shows 13 on his read out and I’m not sure he pulls as much as you until harvest or bringing bales home.
