66 Short Step farm truck

[CRGRS 66]

Wow! Yes, we haven't heard from yo in a while, but you have been busy!
I am jealous, I want to get started on mine, plan to get busy on it end of next month.
Keep up the great work!

[x1buellist]

My goal is to have the frame,suspension and steering done before the cold weather gets here. Over the winter to get the drive train installed and to start on the body work in the spring. Hopefully I'll have a driver by next summer

[likaroc13]

nice progress...keep it up, you're doing a great job!

[x1buellist]

Kind of took a step backwards. I removed all the rear suspension pieces so I could paint the frame. I decided to primer the frame instead of using the POR-15. So I got it down to metal and primered it with Transtar 2k primer. Sanded it all down and now I am ready for the Bill Hirsch Super Black Chassis Undercarriage paint. If I ever do this again I will just send the frame to get sand blasted. I spent way to many hard hours getting this frame down to bare metal.

[x1buellist]

I painted the frame. I am really happy with how it turned out. I am just learning how to paint and this frame project took a ton of time to get it prepped to paint but now that it's painted I think it was worth all the trouble.

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by x1buellist

Kind of took a step backwards. I removed all the rear suspension pieces so I could paint the frame. I decided to primer the frame instead of using the POR-15. So I got it down to metal and primered it with Transtar 2k primer. Sanded it all down and now I am ready for the Bill Hirsch Super Black Chassis Undercarriage paint. If I ever do this again I will just send the frame to get sand blasted. I spent way to many hard hours getting this frame down to bare metal.

sounds like a case of that snowball effect, lol...it's a disease I tell ya! but when you get down that far, it's almost a shame not to take the extra time to slick things out

Originally Posted by x1buellist

I painted the frame. I am really happy with how it turned out. I am just learning how to paint and this frame project took a ton of time to get it prepped to paint but now that it's painted I think it was worth all the trouble.

Looks great! Very nice work for a rookie I'd love to learn to paint someday myself.

[AJII]

Originally Posted by x1buellist

So I am going to try and keep it running more or less while I work on it. That may be a challenge in itself. How to restore it while all the time staying within a day or two of having it a road worthy truck.

I see you went with less!

It's amazing how it goes from let me clean the glovebox, let me remove the glovebox, let's go ahead and do a frame off.

Looks great though!!!

[GMC Jester]

Great build thread! Cannot wait to see that truck up in action!

[x1buellist]

Originally Posted by AJII

I see you went with less!

It's amazing how it goes from let me clean the glovebox, let me remove the glovebox, let's go ahead and do a frame off.

Looks great though!!!

HAHAHA, my friends told me this was going to happen. I was in denial right up to the time I removed the cab.

[x1buellist]

This weekend I installed the ball joints. I used Moog components and I bought a MAC ball joint press off of Ebay, it worked great. The A-arms were sand blasted and primered by my Dad. Saved me a ton of time .



The trailing arms had been painted with POR15. I lightly sanded the POR15 and primered them with Transtar 2K than painted them with Bill Hirsch Chassis paint. I scratched the paint a few places getting them mounted. I will have to do a final touch up of the paint when it's all in place.



I spent quite a bit of time getting most of the rust off the front cross member, glad that's over with. I painted one side with POR15. After I finish with the POR15 I will be putting a top coat of paint on it also.



Thats it for this weekend.

[x1buellist]

Finished putting together the rear suspension and rear axle. Painted the cross member, A-arms and cross shafts using Bill Hirsch chassis paint.

[Bugeyev8]

Looking Good !! I am in Ca too if you need any special tools or advise let me know !

[x1buellist]

Thanks Bugeye. Since you asked. I am getting ready to put back together these A-arms. The A-arm cross bars (I think that's what they are called) have inner and outer threads on the cross bar caps. One thing, when I painted the A-arms, the threads on the A-arms also got painted. Is that of any concern when assembling the cross bars? Also, is the torque adjustment to the crossbar caps critical or is it just important to get the paly out of the crossbar? Thanks, Scot

[x1buellist]

Well I got the A-arms and cross shafts all installed, I painted the springs which are 2" lowering springs in the front, painted the spindles and installed the left side. I won a used Branick CST-520 spring compressor from ebay to do the job safely. I'll get the right side done this weekend and than start on the front brakes.

[BK'66Step]

Wow, looking great!! Why did you choose to switch from the POR 15 to the Bill Hirsch stuff? I love seeing these trucks get rebuild bolt by bolt. Such a fun process!!

[x1buellist]

I was super unhappy with the oxidation that the POR15 had within a short amount of time so I wanted to top coat it. My dad told me the Hirsch paint is good stuff so I went with that. Check out the difference:

This is how it looked after it was first coated with POR15. The paint is dry here.


And this picture is about 5 weeks later.


And it got worse than that as more time went by.

[scot 6 feet eleven]

looks good man!!

[mark 66]

its a thing of beauty. nice job

[CRGRS 66]

[BK'66Step]

Yea it says on the label that it is VERY sensitive to UV rays from the sun so it needs to either be covered immediately or you have to put a protective top coat on it. I guess this is why. Lol. But the chassis paint looks REALLY good so you made a good choice!!

[McMurphy]

Man I am REALLY glad to see you posting again !

I needed a photo reminder of where the bed cross sills went and your pic of that was exactly what I needed !!!

Oh, and just so it isnt all about ME, great progress too
Good thing to know about the POR-15 I had contemplated using that stuff myself and I may in the future but I guess only for strictly shop or garage builds eh?

[x1buellist]

Well it's pretty embarrassing but I let the truck project sit for many years while I got carried away with Marriage, work, life, Jeeps!
I have now retired and my first goal is to make continuous progress on building my truck. So, with that behind me. First thing is to replace some body rot on the cab.
I have rot on the inner rocker area and kick panel.
I got the cab on the frame, I was super happy about this because it had been 12 years since that cab had been on the frame.
I bought new inner and outter rocker panels, kick panels and lower A frame pieces. Time to get to work cutting out and replacing the rot.

[joesscamaro]

Nice! Got some fun work ahead of you with the rust replacement but once it's done...it's a great feeling.

[Turtleman]

Originally Posted by x1buellist

HAHAHA, my friends told me this was going to happen. I was in denial right up to the time I removed the cab.

Hilarious!

Happens to everyone...

[Snowbound]

Glad to see you are back at it! I also bought my project in 2012, and just now getting back to it LOL. Life happens, and you do the best you can.

The costs are sure higher now than back in 2012!