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

Since all my wiring worked perfectly, I began the task of bundling it up and securing it. First step was mounting my dimmer switch to the floor, then enclosing exposed wires in split tubing.

For securing the wires I found these awesome little self-mounting zip ties. They are like a conventional zip tie but with a snap-fit mount at the base that plugs into a 1/4" hole - no clamp, screw or bolt required.

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

Oh I ain't trying to be better, OH HELL NO, I don't have a thing about Bondo. Crap, that bondo if even sorta done properly will out last all of us!

My big thing is the rust, I am going to spend some time with it and see. The front panel, pretty sure I am going to by a new one. Then I have to see about that tail gate, I did it nice 35 years ago but it has cracked some, we will see.

Brian

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

...but if you see them every day with their clothes off you start to take them for granted... NOT!

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

I got the rest of the parking brake parts sandblasted, along with all four lower fender braces and will get them primed over the next few days.

I can't believe all the sand I wasted up until a few weeks ago when I started re-using it. I do all the blasting over a concrete area behind the garage, use something to block it, in this case an inner fender. I sweep it up, filter it through a screen clamped to the bucket with vice grips and wham, I am using it over and over and over!

Brian :)

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

Today is still young but yesterday, hauled ~1,000 lbs of gravel up to the retaining wall I'm back filling. It creaks and pops a little under the load but goes, stops and steers just fine.

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

At the muffler shop today, I got a complete exhaust system installed but I'm not happy with it. They installed the pipes much too high, running them too close to fuel and brake lines, wiring and the floors. Looks like I'm going to have to have a confrontation with them tomorrow. On the bright side, it sounds killer! But now I can hear all the other rattles!

Then when I got home my door bumpers were waiting in the mail. $3.99 from Jegs Ebay store with free shipping - what a deal! It took a few minutes to install them, cause I had to remove my striker plates, then reinstall and readjust.

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

Is that the truck in your Over My Head build thread?

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

One of these days I'll figure how to post pics. Got the front end off the truck today. Ready to lift the cap off tomorrow. Found out that the front suspension has been messed with. The cross beam is not straight to the frame and one side is missing two leafs of the spring combination.

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

Got all the parking brake stuff ready to prime tomorrow morning.

Brian

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

I'm continuing to work on wiring, probably for about 3 hours a day on average. I've started by building up my relay panel on the bench because I don't want to be soldering under the dash any more than I have to

The American Autowire "Highway 22" kit is great, but I'm on my own lot of times because my circuits are not on their page. I've got 11 relays that they don't know about, for instance, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Now if I could actually settle on the wire colors BEFORE I pick up the soldering iron...

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

LOL, yes it does look a lot like mine!

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

That's amazing!

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

You guys are bruthas from different muthas!

I got my five minutes in today before 7:30 AM. Got out to the garage and primed my parking brake linkage and a seat I repaired for my son. I left it with heat lamps on it and came home at lunch to put them out in the sun.

Brian

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

Are your all for the power windows like mine?

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

Interesting, As a sailor, I was informed by a Mate that solder had "no place on a boat or a car." As an electrician, I questioned it but now understand. If done correctly, it will work. Unfortunately most do not do it correctly. Proper flux and tinning. Crimp connections are best for 12V. Solder can melt under load plus it will corrode.

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

I'm an electrical engineer with 43 years experience in industry, working in special machine assembly (like, installing 8 miles of wire in an engine transfer line for Oldsmobile Canada), electronic test, control assembly, control design, and dozens of other facets of the electronic industry. (Oh yeah, and 4 years as an Aviation Fire Control Tech, USS John F. Kennedy [Phantom II radar] as a sailor.) Never heard that. I guess you learn something new every day.

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

Like I said, I too am in the industry. Not sure on how accurate his wisdom is, but it made sense when he showed the consequences. I think that mostly it is on a boat in salt water but that follows thru to living in snow areas that salt the roads. Not that you would drive your truck in those conditions, but the principle remains.

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

I just looked at a Holley EFI tech on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faLn-SjVfwY
He preferred crimps, but he was also selling high-dollar crimpers, so I dunno. I think it's all in the tooling, or, as you said, in the soldering methods. I also know there are a lot of solder flow circuit boards out there that work well in the 12 volt range and below. There is a also lot to be said for hi-tech crimping with great tooling, but most of us don't have that around the house.

Here's another video where the guy has tried both, likes soldering because of the way it looks, but says he's seen more fails with crimps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0i3CAELaC8&t=190s
Note that butt crimps were used, and neanderthal pliers. Sooo...

IMHO, good practices make the difference, regardless of which way you go.

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

Got out there and boxed up the parking brake parts for storage until assembly. Pulled apart the brake linkage bracket and pedal parts, think I am going to have them powder coated. But if I need something to do I will sand blast and epoxy prime pieces too to get something done.

Brian

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

Well that makes me happy to know that I think like someone who knows what they are doing!
As for the solder vs crimp, I have found many problems with crimped connections, and can't remember any with soldered connections.

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

As I said in post #2318, "IMHO, good practices make the difference, regardless of which way you go." My problem is, I don't have the high-dollar crimpers to do a good job. I have those one-size-fits-all "neanderthal crimpers". :eek:

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

Have had resonably good results with a chinese cheapy. I do a double crimp. One to set connection with first set of jaws and second hard crimp with the jaws nearest the tool hinge. I use shrink tube over the connection and pull hard on it to test. Any problems are usually (actually always) my fault and not the tool or connector.

https://www.harborfreight.com/9-1-2-...ool-36411.html

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

Get these, best money I've spent.amazon.$40.00

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

Installed my AC vents. Ran my Ebrake release threw it on the driver's vent.

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

It's great to see those little widgets appear on your ride as you work on it, isn't it?