The Hillbilly Deluxe dually build

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by 83GMCK2500

Nicely done, always great when stashing something like that comes in handy down the road. You might've stared at it for years thinking "heavy damned thing...I should get rid of it" now you can put it in service. I don't relish moving them around either, always makes my friend grumble when we need to.

What are your thoughts on the disc brake conversions for those?

I know that disc brakes are the hip thing that all the cool guys are doing now. I'm pretty happy with drums though.

There's two common mods that guys do a lot of that I am not on board with.

1) 67-72 guys put gas tanks under their beds. I've never seen a filler setup I could live with every day.

2) rear disc brakes. I haven't seen many set ups that I feel offer the same power as these 13x3.5 drums do AND still keep a decent parking brake. Being a standard transmission here, a good park brake is high priority to me. I know there are calipers with park brake provisions out there, but for me, these drums are cheaper, reliable, and I am using GM engineering which I know is sound.

Basically, I'm not motivated to expend the time and energy trying to figure out the best rear disc option for this truck. I'd rather just turn my brain off and do a basic drum brake job and go on to something else.

[83GMCK2500]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

I know that disc brakes are the hip thing that all the cool guys are doing now. I'm pretty happy with drums though.

There's two common mods that guys do a lot of that I am not on board with.

1) 67-72 guys put gas tanks under their beds. I've never seen a filler setup I could live with every day.

2) rear disc brakes. I haven't seen many set ups that I feel offer the same power as these 13x3.5 drums do AND still keep a decent parking brake. Being a standard transmission here, a good park brake is high priority to me. I know there are calipers with park brake provisions out there, but for me, these drums are cheaper, reliable, and I am using GM engineering which I know is sound.

Basically, I'm not motivated to expend the time and energy trying to figure out the best rear disc option for this truck. I'd rather just turn my brain off and do a basic drum brake job and go on to something else.

I completely understand. My '83 has a 14SF and I've snagged a newer 14FF to swap in after I get it setup properly. It's a second design with slide off drums and it is from an Express with a WMS almost identical to my front axle. In my parts gathering process I have been researching the merits of disc brakes as well and I believe I have sussed everything needed to proportion the brakes properly if I go to disc. As you mentioned, the parking brake is critical to me as well with a manual transmission. I have a set of the large bore Cadillac calipers, just need to clean them and rebuild them. I am undecided on bracketry yet, there are few options out there for slide off drum 14FFs and some are just hokey. I did find a dual caliper disc kit, using dual square fronts, or one front/one Caddy...but that seems like overkill for me. Might not be if I was building something to tow with. Still haven't decided which route to go with, as you said those monster drums are proven to work and to venture to discs goes into the untested/not-engineered for area.

[ryanroo]

mechanically a drum set up is better. i prefer them in the rear on a truck that has to do real work. i did the swap in my jeep, but it is much more likely to be under water/mud and that is a much better place to have disks. as long as they are adjusted and kept in proper order they work great.

[Tx Firefighter]

Well I ordered from Rockauto yesterday at about 3 pm. The shipments are coming from three different warehouses. But, the bulk of the parts are already showing "out for delivery" when I tracked them just now. That's damn quick. I'll have most of my stuff in less than 24 hours from placing the order, and they're about half the price, including delivery charges, of what I'd pay locally at O Reilly with my shop account discount.

After ordering from Rockauto, I used that Summit gift card I mentioned and ordered some tires. I got BF Goodrich Commercial TA tires in 235/85-16 size. With that little 25 dollar freebie, Summit wound up coming in at 40 dollars cheaper, per pair, than anyone else. They show delivery tomorrow.

I did only order a pair of tires right now. I don't build trucks on debt and I'm not exactly racing through this build, so waiting a few weeks to get the other four tires is no problem. There is no penalty in cost to ordering the tires piecemeal compared to all at one time. I figured I'd put this first pair on the front of the truck and that would allow me to take the stock steel front wheels and restore them to pair up with my Alcoas on the back when I get the remainder of the tires. Then I can give Scoti my four stock steel wheels at that time.

Tomorrow my boss is off at work so that makes me the guy in charge of the station and crew so I'm gonna take my front Alcoas to work and do one last sanding a polishing on them during any (hopefully) slow times to be prepared for my tire arrival Saturday while I'm at work. I need to get some 2000 grit paper today and put the pair of wheels in my car. Maybe I can get the first pair of tires and wheels mated together Sunday morning when I get home from work.

[Tx Firefighter]

Twenty hours from hitting the "buy" button at Rockauto I have parts. Not all of them yet, but a majority of them. The rest are due Monday.

[83GMCK2500]

How did that 2000 grit polishing go? Have enough slow periods during work to get it done? What are you using, a block, a DA, your hand...?

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by 83GMCK2500

How did that 2000 grit polishing go? Have enough slow periods during work to get it done? What are you using, a block, a DA, your hand...?

No polishing yesterday. My truck got hammered with calls. I just put in some treadmill time, now I have to go see some movie with my wife today. She said it had Sandra Bullock in it so I'm not gonna complain much. Should have pics tonight though.

Of the wheels, not Sandra Bullock.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

No polishing yesterday. My truck got hammered with calls. I just put in some treadmill time, now I have to go see some movie with my wife today. She said it had Sandra Bullock in it so I'm not gonna complain much. Should have pics tonight though.

Of the wheels, not Sandra Bullock.

Put up a pic of the wife.... w/the wheels

[Tx Firefighter]

About to go it on "date day" with Valerie, but I got a good UPS delivery yesterday.

Something I haven't touched on yet is that the wiring for the lights on the bed is crap. Electrical tape and wire nuts and stuff. All that's gotta go. I've got a real trick idea in mind. But, I also needed to stock up on some of my electrical supplies. I found a great new place to buy in bulk. I got hundred foot spools of 16 gauge wire, lots of terminals, bulk loom, a roll of 4 gauge battery cable, and some real trick battery cable ends.



The terminals are the bomb. They are preloaded with solder and flux. You just strip 7/8" of insulation from the end of the battery cable, clamp terminal in a vise, heat until solder melts and stick the cable end in place.





Bulk quantities are so cheap.

[ryanroo]

What is the place? i will be needing a bit of electrical supplies when i finally get my cab back from the bodyman. the local gypsy electrical supply fellow isnt what i would call cheap.
Ryan

[Tx Firefighter]

Www.delcity.com

You have to register an account with them but its just normal email address and shopping address and stuff. Orders over 99 dollars ship free.

Now, the secret is, go there, register, fill up your shopping cart, and forget about it. In a few days you'll get an email from them for 10 percent off. Then a few days later 15 percent off. Then finally after about a week 20 percent off. That's when you hit the "buy" button. It apparently drives them crazy for a new customer to register then fill up his shopping cart but not complete the sale. So they throw the 10-15-20 percent off emails at you until you finally bite the hook.

It's a great place though. Not cheap slimy online. They're legit. Other than the discount offer emails they haven't ever bothered me with spam or anything.

[83GMCK2500]

Oh, that is fantastic! Headed there now...

[tip]

Nice find! Been looking for a good bulk supplier for electrical stuff.

[Tx Firefighter]

I've been working on the rearend today. Specifically rebuilding the brakes. Powdercoated the backing plates and installed the new parts. I'm still waiting on my wheel cylinders to be delivered tomorrow but I wanted to snap them together to make sure I had the right spring kits and adjuster parts.



Still much to go. Just the drums and hubs will be a project. And the differential housing itself will be a project. Much, much work still ahead.

[ryanroo]

Thanks for the link and info. appreciate it. that backing plate looks great. i wish i had the set up to do my own powdercoating. everything you do is fantastic. i dont have the patience to collect all the stuff i need done and haul it to my local guy.

[ryanroo]

ok, i just checked and bookmarked that page. awesome.

[snm95ls]

You sir have far more patience than I do. The Alcoas are looking fantastic!

Also, Delcity is good stuff. Check out Waytek Wire as well.

[Low Elco]

Oooo purdy! Good hookup on the wiring stuff. Can't wait for the update!

[Tx Firefighter]

Mid day break. I've been working hard this morning.

First, I got the rearend as torn down as I'm going to. Its the housing with the gears left in the middle. I don't have any reason to mess with that setup. I still have to do about a day's worth of cleaning to the housing before I can start going back together. I did have to order two speedi-sleeves for the axle housing where the outer hub seals ride. One of mine is junky and had been leaking, and the other is on its way to be junky, so I'm just gonna do both. I have a lot of time and effort, not to mention money tied up in these rear brakes and I'm not gonna let a leaky seal ruin all of that.

Factory locker of some type. I don't know my 14 bolt lockers. Can anyone ID what type of unit this is ?





While I'm waiting for Speedi-sleeves and am working on cleaning and painting the rearend, I gathered up all of the hardware and will drop it off to be replated tomorrow. My local shop is so cheap that I do a lot of this. Those Alcoa lug nuts were rusty and streaking rust on the wheels, so I'll have them rezinc'd to stop that crap. In the pile is also the axle bolts, rear cover bolts, rear wheel studs, brake back plate bolts, and emergency brake cable bolts. They will charge me their 25 dollar minimum for this stuff. Well worth it when the new lug nuts are 4 bucks each.



Do it once, do it right. Nice new restored lug nuts on new restored studs, everything screws together by hand. No rust for years.

Valerie said she'd make my new Alcoa stickers tonight so when the sun goes down, I'll be sitting on blankets in the living room floor finishing up the wheels. Tires are due delivery tomorrow.

I also got the rear hubs all torn down and cleaned. There's a lot going on in 14 bolt hubs if you've never done them before (I haven't). They are completely rear loading. The seal, then inner bearing, inner race, a snap ring, outer race, then finally outer bearing. Anyway, I got it all apart (looks like 1 questionable bearing) and the hubs are in the oven getting burned off now. The heat kills any grease and grime and turns it to powder so I can blast them clean without contaminating my media in my cabinet. Much work left, but I'm giving it hell.

[flashed]

Tex ,I will say it again ,your builds and knowledge amaze me ,I always enjoy your builds and tips ,Thankyou for sharing it with us all.

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by flashed

Tex ,I will say it again ,your builds and knowledge amaze me ,I always enjoy your builds and tips ,Thankyou for sharing it with us all.

Thank you for the kind words. This one should be pretty sanitary when I'm done. Not trick though. No expensive trendy parts. But lots of hard work and detail. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna keep this one and my little stepside for the long haul. I've bought and sold a bunch over the years, but I'm getting older, and tired. These two should do me from now on. Might as well do work that I can live with for the rest of my life.

[bluex]

Great build, can't wait for the one on the stepper.

Quick question, when you powdercoated the backing plates did you clean off the areas where the shoes slide before reassembling them?

What are your thoughts on powdercoating the whole axle housing (after gutting it of course)

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by bluex

Great build, can't wait for the one on the stepper.

Quick question, when you powdercoated the backing plates did you clean off the areas where the shoes slide before reassembling them?

What are your thoughts on powdercoating the whole axle housing (after gutting it of course)

I just coated the entire thing. I figured the shoes will rub off whatever coating is there over time. I don't know if its right or wrong but I've done a lot of them that way and never given it a second thought ..

Coating a rear housing is very doable. I've done a few but they're kind of a pain. You get them clean, then when the heat hits them, old traces of oil ooze out of the cracks. You really have to clean them, cook them for a few hours, then blast them before coating.

[83GMCK2500]

Quck ID, if there are 3 pinions or ends of cross shafts it is a G80 locker, if there are 4 pinions (each end of 2 cross shafts) it is an open differential.

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by 83GMCK2500

Quck ID, if there are 3 pinions or ends of cross shafts it is a G80 locker, if there are 4 pinions (each end of 2 cross shafts) it is an open differential.

Thank you for that. I'll look more closely tomorrow when I start working on the rearend housing.

I started today off by dropping all of my hardware off at the plating shop. He said 25 dollars and one week to do it. I use these guys nearly monthly and they've never not been on time.

My two speedi-sleeves for the hub sealing surface of the rearend are on their way from Rockauto. They show delivery Thrusday.

Tomorrow is my big work day, but I wanted to finish up some smaller stuff today before biting off into cleaning and painting the rearend tomorrow.

My wheel cylinders arrived today so I finished putting the brakes all together.



I cleaned, straightened, sandblasted, and powdercoated the rearend cover. It's nowhere near nice. The cover was very, very rust pitted. I wound up powdercoating it and being unhappy with the pits so I DA sanded it to metal using the powder like filler primer to fill in the pits, and recoated it. Its much better the second time around, but I probably should have done it one more time to get it nicer. I'm not going to though. My OCD has limits.



Cleaned the hubs very thoroughly. Notice the raised areas around the bolt holes from previous overtorquings.



So I took it to the hillbilly machine shop. That's code speak for I used a nice big file to surface the hubs smoother. This is critical so I don't have to be one of those guys who slathers thick silicone on the to keep it from leaking. Then, clean again and powdercoat.



FedEx just came by.



Tomorrow should be a big day. The forecast is perfect for working, and I completely mowed my yard today so there's nothing to keep me from working myself into the ground tomorrow. I'm gonna drag the rearend outside and go medieval on cleaning and painting it.