71 4X4 Frame off Restoration

[mud.man.rj]

Bed is looking good alright, a lot of work.

[DWilbur]

This bed is one of those thing ( you get what you pay for) I picked it up for $400.00 and the floor was rotted out so I picked up a new bed floor $1,000.00 + the other bed I bought $400 back when I was still building a long bed. by the time the body work is done it will have cost me about $3,400. I took parts from both beds to make the one short bed. I am happy with how it's turning out. At least most of the bed is original parts except of the floor. I do have a long bed floor in good shape and bed side that are ok the side have the gas tank door cut in the right and left side.

[7dee2]

Bed is looking super, it's gonna be sweet!

[DWilbur]

I'm like a kid in candy store. I can't get the sheet metal painted fast enough. With my rear shackles not being the same I ordered a shackle flip kit from ORD and it was sitting on my door step last night when I got home from work. the kit will eliminate the 4" blocks as well. Now I just need my frame back from power coating.

[DWilbur]

Called my power coater today and they have not started my frame. They said next week. I'm bummed out garage full of part and no place to put them. I did get a new piece of glass and gloves for my medial blasting cabinet so I can get it back up and running.

[Dieselwrencher]

The bed looks great! Good luck getting your frame back soon!

[cmabolt]

My favorite restoration saying...."hurry up and wait" If I had a dollar for every promise a company made me regarding time, I would be restoring two trucks instead of one.

Can't wait to see that nice powder coated frame.
Chris

[DWilbur]

This is the first time they let me down on delivering on time. Part of the delay might be I asked for pricing on the 29 part I'm having them power coat. The owner Bob was not in when I dropped off the parts. Got my blasting cabinet back together I installed a sheet of polycarbonate to protect the glass and now I get reflection of what is behind me, I think I will remove the poly and run with out it. I did get some window and door latch part for the drivers door blasted and painted yesterday.

[puller]

Going to be a cool truck! subscribed

[DWilbur]

Just got off the phone with my power coater and I will be able to pick up my fame Friday Morning. only bummer is it is going to be raining Friday through Sunday and I don't have a shop to work in.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by DWilbur

Just got off the phone with my power coater and I will be able to pick up my fame Friday Morning. only bummer is it is going to be raining Friday through Sunday and I don't have a shop to work in.

Can they blast and prime? A little more out of pocket now may prevent a headach from dealing with flash rust down the road ??

[DWilbur]

I picked up my frame and 28 other parts from power coating today. All the parts look great. I can't wait to start putting it back together. but it has been raining sense I brought it home. I picked up some new center bolt for the leaf springs at 4 wheel part and they only had 1 pair. Have to wait until next week to get the other pair. Ya I know my garage is full of tools and part what a mess.

[Dieselwrencher]

That stinks it's raining, but at least you got the frame and parts back! My shop is in a similar state. I have to clean it up before I can get a truck in the other side of it.

[swamp rat]

Do you just leave that overhead hoist in the driveway all the time? I want one bad but no where to put it.

Your garage looks like mine so i decided to spend the last couple weeks with the wet weather building a small lean too shed so i can get some of the stuff out of the garage and out of my way. almost done with it.

Cool that you got your parts back now too.

[DWilbur]

I just leave the hoist in the drive way. when I'm done with all the work I can lower it down and roll it over to the side yard I have 5' gate it will just fit. I got some work done in-between rain drops today. Installed the shackle flip brackets on the frame along with a couple challenges. I left 2 bracket that supported the stock spring perch on the bottom of the frame and it is interfering with the shackle flip kit so I broke a drill bit drilling out the rivets. finally got them installed had to touch up some paint though. put the rear springs together and started on the front springs but I will have to wait until Monday to get the 2nd pair of center bolts so I can finst putting them together.

[DWilbur]

Raining harder today so I worked on the front leaf springs prepping them to install the center bolts. I'm having a hard time finding new clutch and break peddle bushings attached is a picture of what they look like. LMC sells the smaller bushing for the clutch peddle I have not had any luck with the larger bushing for the break peddle.

[DWilbur]

I found the break peddle bushing from Classic Parts Inc. and the clutch peddle bushing at LMC Truck. Now I can finish rebuilding the peddle assembly.

[7dee2]

Making progress! Sucks having to leave the frame outside.

[swamp rat]

Might be time for a car cover and weight it down with ropes and heavy objects.. Rain just sucks.

[DWilbur]

It's bummer to leave it out side. I had a cheep easy up but I did not tie it down and it cost me $2,000.00 to fix my neighbors car last summer from the wind blowing. Its a pain to move every time I need to lift something heavy with the over head lift or cheery picker. I might do something after the heavy work is done and set up another easy up.

[DWilbur]

After installing my front leaf springs I noticed that they are way short the shackle is in the wrong position. Even back in September with the stock shackles they are the same. I bought the 6" lift from 4 Wheel Parts about 2 years ago. Does anybody have dimension of the spring bolt centers. my spring measure 41-1/4" center of bolt to center of bolt. I think they should be around 45" for the correct shackle angle.

[ryanroo]

i would bet they look better with the body and drivetrain squishing them. all i have around here for reference is 4" springs and 2.5"

[DWilbur]

Originally Posted by ryanroo

i would bet they look better with the body and drivetrain squishing them. all i have around here for reference is 4" springs and 2.5"

Could you measure the center to center as a reference point.
I called ORD this morning a Chris said the stock springs are 44" measuring along the curve. I measured 41" straight across. I will check the dimension along the curve after work.

[mud.man.rj]

I just wonder about the "real" length of the springs and shackle angle with the weight of the truck and engine on them, length should increase because they will flatten out and lose some arc ans shackle will move back further also, pretty much a given.

[swamp rat]

I When i ordered my BDS springs the offroad place had me measure eye to eye but follow the length of the arc and not straight across, they couldn't tell me if i should follow the bottom spring or the top spring and i could never get an exact measurement the spec sheet listed. Here's a link to my front springs part # 001402, they list eyelet to eyelet at 43"

http://bds-suspension.com/product-display?sr=001402

Here's a pic of my truck with the BDS springs installed with ORD shackles, they do lean slightly forward at the bottom. Next pic is the old Rancho 4" springs with the stock shackles, then also have slightly more forward tilt at the bottom. Makes me wanna see a pic of the stock springs and shackles for comparison. One thing i learned was the actual eye to eye dimension never matched the mfgr spec exactly.

Once you get the truck assembled and on its feet the springs will settle (obviously) with the weight, they will settle a little more after its driven a bit too. If you need me too i can go out back and measure the old Rancho springs this weekend.