Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Well learning paint lessons as I go, yesterday i wanted to shoot some epoxy primer on my door exteriors. It was in the low 80's for temps and i thought my reducer was good up to about 90 so I thought i was good to go. I mixed up about 20oz of paint and added an extra 10% reducer because i wanted to make sure it layed down smooth and flat. Got the gun set and started spaying, it was going very good, looking just right. About the time i was finishing the first load in the gun I noticed it wasn't laying down quite as smooth. Reloaded the gun with what I had mixed up and it was spraying globs. It was flashing off faster than i could spray it. Guess I should invest in sand paper stock, big mess to clean up. After i finished I pulled out the data sheet and it didn't say it was good to 90 it said 84 degrees was the limit, warm air out of the compressor, on top of very close temps didn't work. Hate do overs.:dum:

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Do overs is what my truck has been from the start! Keep the faith

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Cleared more out of the yard, got the front clip and other truck parts off the frame so I can start on that (when the sun goes down tonight) so I touched the truck.

But clearing stuff out is a big deal for me right now. I had this cement mixer, I am there moving fenders and stuff and it's in the way, it hit me, I have had it for 20+ years and used it twice! OK, on Craiglist it goes. I ran the electrical cord out there to see if the motor works to spin the drum, wham sure does, right on. Then I went to rotate the bucket as you would when you fill it and dump it. It wouldn't rotate! This was last night, I put oil in the joints then even late last night went out there to oil it more. I went out there this morning and beat on it, oiled it, pushed pulled, NOTHING. I could barely move it. I pulled the cover off the motor to oil it from the back, that's when I saw the broken pulley. Forget it, cut the sucker up and threw it in my trailer and hauled down to the shop and put it in the metal bin.

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Well, I got out there for my five minutes on the truck. I went over the plan on the frame, lubed up all the bolts so hopefully I can remove them tomorrow night.

The one thing that continues to make me nearly vomit is that I cut up the inner fenders for that damn Camaro clip, CRAP! If I come across a pair for the right price I will be replacing them, either that or make the patches to put in there, crap!

I am so torn on what front to use, wish I had a dropped axle that I was suppose to get but someone else got it first, CRAP again.

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I installed the radiator and it was sitting to close to the fan. I was able to move it where its just right. I was hoping to get the shroud measures and cut today but instead spent the time getting the distance correct. Its going to work well I think. now im ready to deal with the shroud.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

How did you move it?

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

"For want of a nail..."

I wasted the entire day away and a tank of gas trying to get ONE GROMMET. I need a rubber grommet with a 3/4" hole to route my main wires through the firewall. I live 45 minutes one-way from the nearest hardware store, so that's quite a trip for one grommet. But when I got there, they didn't have one! I went to another store that stocks them, but the bin was empty! Finally went to Harbor Freight and bought one of their 180 grommet kits. Got it home only to discover that the biggest grommet in the kit was too small.

Result: three hours driving, half a tank of gas, blew away an entire day looking for a simple grommet - that I STILL don't have.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Sid's??? Or does he need a core?

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Yeah, I sent them a message to see how much shipping could cost. They do drop yours, or at least they want yours as a core.

Speedway has one of theirs in their "garage sale" for only $199! But the king pin bolt hole was drilled wrong, so you have to drill another hole and put a "locking bolt" into the pin to hold it. I don't like that, so am looking at the dropped OEM. Yeah, I am seriously thinking about dropping my IRS front end and just bolting in the dropped axle and or springs. I find 2.5 dropped springs but that's not quite enough for me.

Yeah, with rebuilding the IRS, I am thinking I won't be much ahead of just spending the dough on the dropped axle.

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

It kills me that I had "Mor-drop" axle right near me up until just a couple of years ago. They were there for like 60 years! Then closed up just a few years ago. I use to drive right by it every time I went to the used car lot my dad managed when I was in high school.

Remember seeing PILES of dropped axles there. LOL

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I had to Look this up. I was going to go with a CPP drop axle, but now you have me thinking other wise. Maybe come drop time this will be a better option.
:dohh:

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I am really torn on that style AM dropped axle or dropping the original. It's much cheaper to go with that AM one like CPP has. And it "could" be better, perfectly made with todays technology it may be better than a worn out old axle. But damn it's a hard call.

I am now seriously thinking about scrapping the IRS that I had going, when I add up the parts to rebuild it, it's getting right there with the cost of the dropped axle with new springs and hardware. And it would be MUCH less work, I am thinking..................

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I'll give you a piece of advice I found here on the forums. Hope it Helps.

"ask yourself what are your expectations on driving this truck. What will you be using it for? If it's daily driver down the freeway at 70, do the frame "swap." If it's towing a boat through the mountains, do the frame "swap." "

:hc:

But seriously! whats your end goal? Driver?

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

LOLOLOL, no really, LOLOLOLOL

Thanks so much for the laugh. And YES who ever said that is a BRILLIANT man! The axle is plenty for me, I rather get this truck done and drive it with an I beam axle than not get it done and have it in the garage with a IRS being installed.

I am even thinking of just the 3" dropped mono leafs. 3 inches, is it enough, not sure, really would like 4. So do I go with a 2.5 dropped spring and a 2" dropped axle? Hmmmmmm, decisions decisions.

And again, thanks for the chuckle.

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Inside of the rear fenders got a couple coats of SEM bed liner...

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

ive got a sid's dropped Ibeam in my truck & find its great. I went 3" to keep the tie rod above the scrub line. rebuilt the springs & mounts & installed poly strips between the leaves. Does it ride & handle like a new truck? no way !! but its great fun to drive

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

That is the only reason I do this, sometimes I get carried away and have to remember, I am only doing this for fun. No since in adding stuff that takes away from the fun of the drive. If it’s gonna drive like a new car, I should have bought a new car!
At the same time,To each his own, some of the complete rebuilds are freakin sweet.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Finally got the dang grommet.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Looks great. Spray on?

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

It can be sprayed, I chose to roll it on

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

miraclepie,
if looking for a fairly flexible rubber grommet for wiring to go through firewall etc, you may try a rubber seal from a semi truck air line that supplies the semi trailer. the airline has a big quick connect style fitting with a set of grommets. they are called "glad hands". any truck supply place or truck stop will be able to set you up foe pennies. they also come in different colors but black is most common.
google it, glad hand seal.
sorry I didn't get on here a little sooner and see you were looking for a grommet, one of these may have been the ticket.
haven't done anything on my truck for a couple of months. it's starting to get lost behind a pile of stuff that needs to be sorted out and disposed of. one day....

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I know I have seen the truck but can you post a photo of it from the side? So the springs are stock, with just the 3" dropped axle? Did you drop the rear 3" too?

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I got out there last night and pulled the old brake lines off the frame, and started my documentation of the parts I have. I am so tired of thinking I need something that I have. So I started fully documenting them.

I am starting another "five minute a day rule" it's "five dollars a week," spend five dollars a week on parts I will be needing. Of course that five dollars usually ends up to be $50 but you get the idea. Just buy SOMETHING I need, so when it gets nearer assembly time I won't have to break the bank.
And right out of the gate I have already bought something I didn't need, crap! Thank goodness it was cheap and the new one is nice to have anyway, but damn it.

I am also pretty rock solid that I am going to put the I beam axle back in it. I don't need something to spend a bunch of time on with the IRS, at least not as I see it right now, I believe I am going to have my axle dropped and put lowered springs and done deal.

I want to DRIVE this thing!

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Coincidentally I am a retired semi driver and have a collection of gladhand rubbers in my parts bins. I never even thought of using one as a grommet (face palm)...

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

At $5 a day you can build a $10,000 truck in only 5-1/2 years! Go for it! (Oh, in my project though, it only takes about 7 seconds to use up $5 in parts, so 5 minutes, on average, actually costs me about $214.29 :ack:).