The Hillbilly Deluxe dually build

[aggie91]

Yeah, I know it has been done, but those spining lug nuts could do some serious damage to the fingers and hand...The machines I have seen to do this do not spin the wheel very fast, the motor on the buffing wheel is spinning way faster...

[Tx Firefighter]

This week's update is a bit mundane. At work we get three different size paychecks. So I have a good pay day, a medium pay day, and a small pay day. Well, my small pay check coincided with my heaviest bills, so truck money is short until next pay day.

So, I figured I'd clean and rebuild the leaf springs and paint the rear frame rails beneath the flatbed.

Supplies bought....



I called Champion Spring and they have the little plastic sliders for the leaf springs in stock. I'll try and get down there and pick up a few. Then, disassemble the leaf packs, clean and paint each leaf, and reassemble with new plastic sliders. A lot of work but not too much money.

Will post pictures when I get further along.

[68Timber]

I've seen someone else here blow apart the leaf packs and paint them and put them back together. It is probably the only detail job that I don't quite understand why you would bother to do. It doesn't seem like the paint would last very long when they're back on the road.

[Tx Firefighter]

My purpose is mainly to detail the exposed parts under the flatbed and renew the plastic slider bushings between the individual leafs.

[68Timber]

I guess what you said earlier about replace/repair/refurb all moving parts applies there too. I didn't mean that to knock anyone who does it.

[Tx Firefighter]

What I've been doing is wire brushing each spring leaf, then running over them again with a flap wheel to remove any burrs on the ends. This allows me to check for cracks or issues. Then a coat of Rustoleum and let it dry. Then a second coat and let it dry. Then turn over and repeat.



I'll go down to the spring shop Monday and pick up a handful of these little plastic slider buttons to replace the old cracked originals.



Sucks waiting till Monday, but that at least gives the paint plenty of drying time.

Valerie has been out of the country this week and is coming home tonight. I'll probably be spending a bit of time with her tomorrow rather than messing with trucks.

[Tx Firefighter]

Cleaned, wire brushed, and painted frame rail and hangers.





If I can swing the budget, I'm going to get a couple of cans of sprayable undercoating for the bottom of the bed.

[darkhorse970]

Looking good! I can send some powdercoating work over there if that will help fit the undercoat into the budget...seriously, I would like to pick your brain on some powdercoat ideas when you have a few minutes.

[joe231]

That looks great Kevin!!!

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by joe231

That looks great Kevin!!!

Thanks Joe. I'm working real slow today. I caught some kind of crud from a coworker so I'm spending more time coughing and blowing my nose than I am working.

[Tx Firefighter]

Keith, text works best. I can't get phone reception at my house with the ghetto cell phone carrier I use. I can usually get texts though.

[flashed]

Dang Tex ,that looks good ,you are making me want to work on my 72 one ton but my budget is going to my 1/2 ton thats in the bodyshop.

[rusty76]

Looking good.

[KrazyRay]

Kevin, Thanks for proving that you can still have quality on a very tight budget. I used your guidelines on my 87 SWB GMC with DJM spindles, Moog ball joints, and having patience to do the work right when the money comes in. Your influence prevented me from cheapening it up and, therefore, being unhappy with the results. I would like to figure out the powdercoating in the oven at home one day.

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by KrazyRay

Kevin, Thanks for proving that you can still have quality on a very tight budget. I used your guidelines on my 87 SWB GMC with DJM spindles, Moog ball joints, and having patience to do the work right when the money comes in. Your influence prevented me from cheapening it up and, therefore, being unhappy with the results. I would like to figure out the powdercoating in the oven at home one day.

Thank you. It's a wonderful compliment when someone follows my suggestions and winds up very happy with the results.

I haven't done much to the dually in the last few days. I came down pretty sick with some kind of head cold and Valerie came back from an out of country business trip so I've kept pretty much inside. Yesterday, I pulled off and did a few hours works to my stepside to return it to true daily driver status.

Tomorrow morning when I get off work, I'm headed to the spring shop again to get a few little things to finish rebuilding my leaf springs on the dually. Then it will be time to install the new rearend and get it all back together.

[GCncsuHD]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

Tomorrow morning when I get off work, I'm headed to the spring shop again to get a few little things to finish rebuilding my leaf springs on the dually. Then it will be time to install the new rearend and get it all back together.

Uggghhh I remember how fun those were to assemble and put back on the truck. In hind sight I should have bolted the main leaf in first, then used a piece of all thread to line up all the other leafs. Instead I benchpressed the 120lb spring in by my self and did a balancing/acrobatic act to get a bolt in the hanger while holding the leaf.

Why I had to rebuild my pack:

(before anyone says anything, those aluminum blocks were not from my truck, they were removed from a lowered Mazda minitruck)

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by GCncsuHD

Uggghhh I remember how fun those were to assemble and put back on the truck. In hind sight I should have bolted the main leaf in first, then used a piece of all thread to line up all the other leafs. Instead I benchpressed the 120lb spring in by my self and did a balancing/acrobatic act to get a bolt in the hanger while holding the leaf.

Why I had to rebuild my pack:

(before anyone says anything, those aluminum blocks were not from my truck, they were removed from a lowered Mazda minitruck)

And that's the reason I wanted to take my packs apart and go over each and every one individually with a wire brush. Better now than later. Do it once, do it right, and move on to the next thing.

[KrazyRay]

Kevin, Let me know if you need some parts for your 2500. I have this one going for scrap soon.

[Low Elco]

Amazing how nice just cleaned and painted nicely can be. Good stuff.

[ryanroo]

id have trouble throwing that transmission away. evidence, i have one in my garage already. i have problems

[Tx Firefighter]

Wow, I just caught that. That's a 4L80E isn't it ?

[KrazyRay]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

Wow, I just caught that. That's a 4L80E isn't it ?

Yes. Its a 4L80E mated to a 241, but it only has 2nd gear. I asked locally if anyone wanted it and had no interest. The interior is thrashed and there are $1000 in DMV penalties.

[GCncsuHD]

Originally Posted by KrazyRay

and there are $1000 in DMV penalties.

Say what?

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by GCncsuHD

Say what?

I saw that too, but I just left it alone. California in their money grubbing ways, levies fines on guys who don't keep their stuff either registered or listed as non op status. Let some guy quit registering his vehicle and not list it as non op on the rolls and the state starts adding fees until the vehicle is soon valueless.

I've thought about driving to California and buying vehicles like that. In Texas, they could care less. As long as you have a title, its legal. You only register a vehicle when it's driven on the roads. If you choose to park it for a few years, just don't register it. Next time you decide to drive it on the roads, go register it for a year. I could go to Cali, buy a vehicle with thousands of dollars worth of penalties and trailer it to Texas and I'd have a cheap vehicle that I could register without issue. Piss on the California fines owed.

The joke is, California as a state is flat broke even though they do crazy stuff like that to grub money.

[bluex]

Originally Posted by KrazyRay

Yes. Its a 4L80E mated to a 241, but it only has 2nd gear. I asked locally if anyone wanted it and had no interest. The interior is thrashed and there are $1000 in DMV penalties.

You should pull the flares before crushing it. They would sell over on GMT400, I know of one guy that would buy the front two anyways...