81 Cab & Chassis Build

[JohnnySpeed]

My wife and I went to look at this truck about two hours away in Joplin. It seemed pretty solid. I can find a little bit of bubbling in the rockers. The cab supports and inner rockers are rock solid. I climb all over it and the only thing I don't like is the bed. It is a homemade job with 2-3/8 drill pipe for runners then 2x12s laid over that and them sheeted in .125" diamond plate. Looks decent but nothing I would bolt a goose neck hitch to. It hadn't been tagged since 2012. The guy had a diesel tank on the bed and drove it to town one a month to get fuel for his tractor. The preacher that owned before the gentleman I bought it from died at 85 with quite a vehicle collection. They were buddies and the guy helped the widow sell off most of the vehicles. I guess he kept this one an a couple others for a few years.

BRB. Have to go do something.

[JohnnySpeed]

There were no cracks in the dash pad and the odometer read 65,000. The old man that owned painted it red which kinda sucks because it was originally the bronze brown color which is my favorite solid color for these trucks. It neede an alternator before we left town. So 50 bucks later for an alternator and a belt stopped at Walmart for fuel and headed home. Here it is getting gas to head home.



Made it home and got 10 MPG on 10% ethanol. 120 miles home. Ohh it's a 454 with a 400 turbo.



I have hauled quite a bit with it since I got it home. It has left me stranded twice both with fuel problems. Replaced the pickup and the fuel pump and have ultimately decided that the cam lobe is wore out and put an inline electric pump on it. Runs great now. Pulls a trailer like a champ.

It had a little from end shimmy at certain speeds. I jacked it up and the bearing feel loose. So I thought about just snugging them up and then pulled my head out and pulled the hub off to repack the bearings. They were the worst bearings I had ever seen. Pitted horribly.

So I ordered new bearings,races, seals along with moog problem solver upper and lower ball joints inner and out tie rods and idler arm and pitman arm. Cleaned all the crud off of everything and sent it off to the powder coater.

Along with a new rag joint rebuild and upgrade to the 9/16 ubolts for the LCA shafts.

[JohnnySpeed]

Another picture

[JohnnySpeed]

Here is one of the bearings I pulled off.

[JohnnySpeed]

The plan is to finish the front end. I am not bolting anything back on the front that is not new. I am curious if the is a steering box out there that has a little faster steering ratio?

If any one knows about it please let me know.

After I get the front end back together I am going to move to the interior. And freshen up the doors and window seals.

Next I plan on cutting the bed off and building a new one. With a goose neck hitch and LED lights and some under bed boxes. I also have a 35 gallon tank I am going to put under the bed and ditch the saddle bag tank. While I have the bed off I want to lighten up the leaf springs to Better the ride and add some air bag helpers. If anyone had any input on anything especially the bags please chime in.

[mongocanfly]

Here is a pic of my 81 and the bed I built for it

[JohnnySpeed]

Installation Instructions for the Lower Control Arm Shaft. The instructions in the service manual are a little lacking. Someone might get use out of this.