Pieces
 

I figure I would try my hand at this and try to keep more of a running log of things of what is happening to the pile of "Pieces" that is my old 70 stepside. This weekend I got a good bit done, so I'll start the thread from there.

Saturday I had finished stripping and painting the rear part of the frame. I decided to pull out the trailing arms and panhard rod to put new bushings in them. After I pulled them. I soaked them in oven-cleaner, then pressure washed the oil and grime from the trailing arms. Prepped and painted everything with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator.

Re: The Palf70step Build
 

Today started by pressing out the old bushing from everything and installing the new poly bushing in the panard and trailing arms. Once I got back home, I installed and tightened everything down.

Re: The Palf70step Build
 

Next came the work to put in my blazer tank. My tank is from a 72 blazer. I had painted the tank the other day when I was doing the trailing arms. The tanks had been cleaned and coated with Eastwood's tanks stuff from the guy I got it from.

I couldn't find my tank hooks (they were her Friday...stupid shop ate them I guess :rolleyes: ), so I used some dowel rods, lock nuts as a substitute. Cut the rods to about a 8" length for starters. I lifted the tank into place, and held it with the jack.

I used a split fuel line as a buffer between the lower frame rail and the tank to prevent metal to metal rubbing from happening. Snugged everything down and cut the dowel rods off shorter. I may cut them more later, but who knows.

Re: The Palf70step Build
 

For those of you wondering about clearance here are a few shots. Mine is stock suspensions, so from the tank to the floor is 13".

Re: The Palf70step Build
 

Now to figure out how to run the fuel filler and what I need to modify on the bed. So on with the bed, temporarily anyways. The rear brace has to be notched to clear the top of the tank, you can see the approximate cut in red.

I have some extra cross rails from a step side bed I may try to use to add some strength when I cut the fleet side brace. I'll work that out once I figure the cuts and all.

Originally I was going to do the fuel filler behind the side marker, but my filler tube is forward of the brace and clears for some reason which form others on the board seemed to have a problem with.

I think now I am going to look at installing a fuel door in the rear wheel tube, and run the filler to there. I may also just install a marine type fuel filler in the tube. Hmmm......decisions, decisions.

Anyways, she sits now with the bed on wood blocks waiting for me to get back and cut the brace and work out the fuel filler details.

Re: The Palf70Step Build Thread
 

Nice job and good pics. I personally like a fuel door coming out od the side of the bed. Looks like factory when you get the door off a burb. Or 73 up truck. My friend did this to his and it looks good.

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Lookin good Bill. I wish I was gettin' something done.....:o

LockDoc

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Bill,

The truck is looking great. Why not put your fuel filler in the bedside?

Rob

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BarryB and Hart_Rod.....I'm still debating that too. My outer bedsides are really nice and my welding is still in the learning stages, I guess I'm afraid of warping the bedside. I have a square fuel door assembly from an 84 GMC truck that might end up on the bed side. Still looking at ideas.

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Looks good Bill.

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Looks good Bill, wish I coulda got down there Friday.:(

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Holy crap, that section doesn't even exist on my truck. I guess I will need to think of plan B for gas tank relocation!

Thomas

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looks good...looks like you got alot done...what size tank is it..

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Great progress! Gotta love build threads.

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Looking good Bill!!! Keep it up!

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Keep the pics coming Bill!!!!

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I got some more done on it today. Jacked the bed up and braced it so I could cut the cross brace that was in the way of the tank. This time I was smart enough to take off the wheel so I could maneuver the engine hoist easier. I cut the brace from the the inside edge of the frame to the other side. That way I still have the reinforced bolt mounting areas. Once I confirmed it cleared, I cleaned up the area and shot the area with some rustolium for now.

Everything clears real well. Now I have to work it to my filler. I think because of tire clearance issues, I am going to put a filler door in the bedside, then run it to the tank. Trying to put it in the wheel tube would create a clearance issue, especially if I ever decide to go with a larger wheel/tire.

I am probably going to have to notch the cross brace again so I can run the filler line and not have a low spot in the filler tube line

Re: The Palf70Step Build Thread
 

While I waited for paint to dry, I removed the lower trim form the bed sides. Mostly make busy work. I then mapped out about where I want the fuel door to be, then I used the ole plasma cutter to make an access hole on the inner bed wall. I have a section from an 84 GMC truck, but I don't like how it fits in the area, so its off to find a fuel door panel. Hit one of the small yards I normally hit and he didn't have anything he would let me cut up ( GM Truck/blazer). I may try the U-pull it place tomorrow (weather dependent) after I get my daughter off to school. Things may slow down a bit since I start back to work again tomorrow or Thursday.

Last couple shots is how the old girl sits now. Once the bumper is back on, I don't think the tank will even be visible.

Well off to pick up the youngun and play Hot Wheels! :metal:

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Very nice thanks for the pics

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Nice build!

Any pics of your bed lift?

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LooseCannon
Here is the thread showing how I made mine. It's not super hitech, but it does work.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...highlight=Lift

Re: The Palf70Step Build Thread
 

Bill - I got a round one out of a 80's Nissan Sentra. It's about 5 1/2 in diameter and has a remote release.

Rob

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Between troubleshoot (and not fixing :( ) the daughter car and the Dodge, I was able to get some time in on the 70. I began merging of old and new so to speak. I picked up a fuel filler door from a 88-98 model C1500, and started the grafting into my bed side. I spent a couple weeks working on the measuremetns on how the panel will fit and the tube will run. Today, was getting the patch into place.

I roughed out a hole with the plasma cutter, then clamped in the door from the backside to get the measurements for it's patch. I trimmed up the cut areas so the patch would fit in smoothly.

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Now it was stitching in the panel. Man it is hard to not try and rush this. I guess I was lucky as I had two other problem vehicles to work on while things cooled down between stitching.

Anyways, it is not too bad. I'll have to do a bit more welding to final it up, then I can work on finishing the tube, then make the cover panels for the inside of the be.

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:cool: Glad to see you're making progress. BTW Ed got me to Barry's, it turned out to be a better way of going anyways.:D I'm going back down there Tuesday morning, depending on the weather, hopefully it will be the last trip. One of the two 200's works, gotta stab the other one in my truck and see how it does.

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Kool. I may be looking for a tranny too, for a Bonneville. :(

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That fuel filler door looks great. It's just a hair higher than mine. At that spot everything should line up nicely with the blazer tank. I love mine. It's one of those neat things most people won't even notice :D

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I finished up the welding tonight. Test fitted the door and filler neck. Everything lined up real nice. The filler neck is right in line with the tank and just a hair higher. It clears the brace under the inner bed fender tub, so it doesn't appear I'll have to do any more trimming on it. Once I lift the bed back off again, I'll adjust the tubes so they will be same diameter. I had to do a little dolly work to smooth things out. Thin layer of filler. I' don't think I should need anything else, but I'll know more when I get back to sanding hopefully later in the week.

Next will be building up the enclosure for the inside of the bed. I have a few Ideas working in my head, but not sure exactly what I am going to do yet.

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Looks good Bill! I think we're going to be ready to roll by Cruizin the Coast, ;).

Rob

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looks like a pro is working on this ordeal, nice project going well, wish I was part of the project @ hand.... sweet sweet

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Very nice work! Always cool to see something different.

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I just did the same thing on my 80 GMC... I used a square hole door with mine though, and while it is straight as compared to the bodyline, the wheel well opening makes it look horrible crooked. I'm thinking I'll probally go the same route as you did, and change to a round fuel door to eliminate that crooked look.

Also may have to cut out the inner box wall similar to how you did so I can do some dolley work, and get the back side all rust proofed, so I don't have rot coming through from the back side.

Keep up the good work!

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Nice work! enjoying the thread, keep the pics coming. J

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WOW!! Some real progress there, Bill. Lookin' good. :metal:

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Great job on the work, Bill. That is a gorgeous truck!
Dave

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Welcome to the board windancer.:D

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Nice buildup and pictures. Timely too, as I'll be ordering my Blazer tank soon and expect to follow your path very closely. Thx again.

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WinDancer thanks for the comments and like Krue said welcome to the board. I think she'll look a lot better when I get the pieces all back together. Not making much progress at the moment due to playing single dad for a while while the wife is away at school.

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From the depths of the cob webs she arose. First time since beginning of January that I have had time to do something other than walk by her. She was so excited to see me with the tools and the welder she pee'd on the floor. Ooops, never mind, that was me not her. :rolleyes:

I cleaned up the inner skin around where I added the fuel door, then I painted everywhere I could reach with some Eastwood, then sprayed rust converter where I couldn't reach for now.

Started making panels to fill in the inner wall of the bed. I got one two pieces welded part way in, then I ran out of gas for the welder. I cut the other inner bed wall panel and have it held in plce for welding later. Started to clean up the welds some, then I got side tracked because my compressor threw a belt and the engine pulley isn't locking in correctly. Hopefully I have ot fixed for now, but we'll see when I start giving it a work out later on.

Got side tracked helping a friend with his car (in our monsoon). Last think before clean up was making templates for the box/cover that will hide the fill tube. Templates are set, not to cut some metal and weld it up also.

It felt so good to work on here again. Hopefully after this month, I'll have more time on it since the wife and I won't be on the road so much.

OK my rant is done. Hopefully this won't sink to the 6th layer of hell again before I get to work on it some more.

Re: The Palf70Step Build Thread
 

:cool: You need to get through with yours so I can park mine in your shop and work on it.