The Hillbilly Deluxe dually build

[Average Joe]

Cool build. I always learn alot from your threads and posts. Quality work!

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by Troy Sr

I'm really enjoying your rebuild, and I admire your restraint in not "CHARGING" it on the credit card as I'm sure a lot of projects end up being!!!

Originally Posted by Average Joe

Cool build. I always learn alot from your threads and posts. Quality work!

Thanks fellas. Troy, I don't even have a credit card anymore. That way there is no temptation.

[Billy81]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

I don't even have a credit card anymore. That way there is no temptation.

Same here if something doesn't fit in my budget then it either gets cut or set aside until i can save up enough to make it fit. I found out the hard way last year when my folks passed away that your debts can become your children's debts.

[truckfan]

subscribed

[Tx Firefighter]

Not too much progress today. I've been short on time the last couple of days.

I did get the tires busted off two of the stock wheels so I can restore them to use as rear inner wheels.



Then dipped into the stripper vat to get them to bare metal.



Next is to sandblast and powdercoat them. I should be able to get them finished Friday. Then to mount the new tires to them.

Also, not shown in pictures, I got the rear brakes bled and started adding oil to the rear differential. On these full floaters, I always fill them with fluid then drop each side down and let it hang at an angle for awhile, then refill fluid level. This dropping and hanging each side causes the gear oil to migrate outward to the hub cavities and submerge the bearings in oil so they don't run dry upon initial test drive. The factory setup relies on centrifugal motion to slosh gear oil outward to the bearings as the truck is driven, but you'd be driving on dry bearings until you turned left and right enough to get the oil out to the ends of the axle.

I'm about to go pick my daughters up from school and will run by the parts store to get a pair of new valve stems for these wheels. I'm running true heavy truck bolt in brass valve stems on these. They're only a couple of bucks each, but a bit hard to find. I'm having to go by a parts store I usually don't frequent to get them. Still, worth the effort as opposed to rubber pull through valve stems as used on cars and light trucks.

[TheBlueBomber]

Interesting technique on the FF. Is it just those axles that need to be gravity filled that way or do all axles need it?

[Tx Firefighter]

Two dollars and fourteen cents out the door for the pair. The kid behind the counter kept trying to sell me some chrome crap in a blister package for 6 bucks. Finally I virtually blocked him behind the counter and made him go into the back with my part number and find them in the bulk packaging. I wanted true brass high pressure truck valve stems not chrome plated car stems.

Originally Posted by TheBlueBomber

Interesting technique on the FF. Is it just those axles that need to be gravity filled that way or do all axles need it?

I only do it with full floating axles.

Here is why....

On a semi float axle, the outer bearings are inside of the tube. There is one bearing per side. On a FF axle, there are two bearings per side, and they fit around the outside of the axle tube. The hub which contains the bearings acts as a reservoir to contain a pool of gear oil that the bearings ride in. If you think about it, the bottom of the bearings are below the axle tube (since they fit AROUND the tube), so the gear oil would have to run out the tube in sufficient quantity to fill the hub cavity for lubing the bearings. I have something like 70 dollars for the new bearings here so I want to make double up sure they are well lubed the first time I release the brake and drive away.

The hub acts as a reservoir.



The lube travels out the axle tube and fills the hubs. Note the machined area where the bearings ride on the outside of the axle tube as opposed to more common semi float axles where they ride inside the tube.



Now, some mechanics just pack the bearings with grease when they install them. In this way, the bearings are well lubricated from the start. Then, the gear oil eventually mixes with the grease and dissolves it. I just don't care for that method after the effort and expense I did on this project to make sure everything is "just right". I'm not saying its wrong, I just chose to do it the slower and more tedious way of tilting the axle side to side as I continue topping the level up.

[SCOTI]

Is there a good tutorial on servicing these HD housings? My rear brakes never worked on the dually & that needs to be corrected. I have never worked on a dana HD-70 so I would like to educate myself to limit my 'doh' quantity.

[TheBlueBomber]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

I'm not saying its wrong, I just chose to do it the slower and more tedious way of tilting the axle side to side as I continue topping the level up.

Gotcha yea that makes sense. They teach you the fast way to do things at shops around where I am, not the right way. Thanks for explaining that.

[TheBlueBomber]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Is there a good tutorial on servicing these HD housings? My rear brakes never worked on the dually & that needs to be corrected. I have never worked on a dana HD-70 so I would like to educate myself to limit my 'doh' quantity.

I've been going onto ebay and picking up the service manual for these trucks. They're specifically for the trucks and only a little outdated.

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Is there a good tutorial on servicing these HD housings? My rear brakes never worked on the dually & that needs to be corrected. I have never worked on a dana HD-70 so I would like to educate myself to limit my 'doh' quantity.

I do all my 1 ton learnin on Pirate 4x4. Those guys are hard core axle freaks. The brakes are just brakes like you're familiar with. The only unusual stuff is installing the hubs and setting the bearing preload. My GM service manual states to torque the bearing nut to 50 ft/lb while turning the drum. Then, loosen and tighten hand tight and set the keeper in place to hold it at that.

Originally Posted by TheBlueBomber

Gotcha yea that makes sense. They teach you the fast way to do things at shops around where I am, not the right way. Thanks for explaining that.

I'm sure the packing with grease deal would work splendid. I just spent so much time getting this thing surgically clean inside I wanted to run fresh clean gear oil and not have it get muddied up by dissolved grease.

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by TheBlueBomber

I've been going onto ebay and picking up the service manual for these trucks. They're specifically for the trucks and only a little outdated.

The very first thing I bought when I started this project. Money well spent.

[SCOTI]

I've been looking for some service manuals locally but not on e-bay (I have the chilton/parts store typre reference books & they're not specific enough).

I did google Dana HD-70 brakes.... But 99% of info that pops up is related to disc brake swaps for SRW axles in extreme duty/4x4 app's. Hope to have the rear housing yanked tomorrow night & wanted to pull it apart then to see if my lack of rear brakes is just an adjustment issue or if there is more to it. I already did the same mods as TX & removed the rear weight bias module & went w/the traditional brake line routing like the 1/2 ton trucks.

[Tx Firefighter]

I got the wheels powdercoated today. The color is semi gloss black in an effort to hide the inner wheel through the holes in the Alcoas.







Now to find some mudflaps that make me happy. Fortunately, the dimensions are 24x30 which is typical semi truck size. That should improve my options of finding something neat.

If anyone has any suggestions on inspired mudflap choices, speak up. I want something with a bit more bling than plain black rubber flaps. Maybe a logo or at least stainless steel plates on the bottom. I've tried to find something whimsical like "Texas" logo flaps with no luck.

[Katrina/10]

Those chrome-plated naked lady silhouettes are always classy.

[maxxxy]

^ Lol.

Like these?
http://www.iowa80.com/DirectionsWEB/...es/l200249.jpg
or these?
http://mudflaps.com/i-8118666-go-ind...exas-pair.html

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by maxxxy

^ Lol.

Like these?
http://www.iowa80.com/DirectionsWEB/...es/l200249.jpg
or these?
http://mudflaps.com/i-8118666-go-ind...exas-pair.html

You just linked to the two EXACT items I've been considering ordering. In the entire spectrum of the Internet and all the pages out there, you hit the nail exactly on the head, twice.

I've been poking around to find a work around on the Texas bottom strip deals. Iowa80 is trying to rape me on shipping real bad. I'll find a work around to get them cheaper. I might just plasma cut something out of aluminum myself.

[eldogg]

I just clicked on you thread to check out your progress and Hillbilly Deluxe came on Pandora. Weird but cool. lol. Wheels look great. Check out http://www.4statetrucks.com/ for tons of mudflap weights.

[surly66]

Kevin,

I really enjoyed reading your build. I appreciate the way you take the time to do things the correct way, the first time.

Have you tried amazon for your TEXAS weights?

Grand General 30051 Chrome 4" x 24"...

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by surly66

Kevin,

I really enjoyed reading your build. I appreciate the way you take the time to do things the correct way, the first time.

Have you tried amazon for your TEXAS weights?

Grand General 30051 Chrome 4" x 24" Bottom Mud Flap Plate : Amazon.com : Automotive

Those things were right under my nose the whole time since I'm such a frequent Amazon shopper. I never thought to look there for them (face palm). They show ships in 1-3 weeks though. I wonder what's up with that.

[9teen69]

Awesome build...thanks for taking the time to take pictures and give details...I've learned quite a bit!

[TheBlueBomber]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

You just linked to the two EXACT items I've been considering ordering. In the entire spectrum of the Internet and all the pages out there, you hit the nail exactly on the head, twice.

Buy them both and you'll have one of each.

[SCOTI]

Tx, per our dually wheel discussion, the Square body wheel....

[SCOTI]

The GMT/NBS wheel....

[GCncsuHD]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Tx, per our dually wheel discussion, the Square body wheel....

Originally Posted by SCOTI

The GMT/NBS wheel....

I missed the discussion, but just to throw it out there, the Square body and GMT 400 (88-2000) wheels would have a 4.56" center bore, the NBS 2001-2010 (GMT 800, 900) would have a 4.60" center bore. .04" is probably not enough to cause a noticeable vibration, but it's there.