The Hillbilly Deluxe dually build

[squaredaway]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

Not much. I'm waiting until Tuesday for my tie rod ends and adjuster sleeves to arrive. After that, along with installing the front brake hoses, the front end of the truck will be completely finished.

At that point, it's time to start swapping the rearend and the bell housing. At the pace I'm working, that will probably take about a month. After that though, the truck will be on the road and running. Then it will be a matter of addressing the interior and paint and body. I'm having a hard time keeping a steady course though since that 4wd is calling to me every time I see it.




Damn, why didn't I know about that ? That is so simple I never even thought about it. I sure wish I'd have kept the band clamp for future service so I could separate the system for ease of removal. Lesson learned. You can rest assured I won't forget that trick.

I can relate to the trucks calling to you, that's for sure! Unfortunately, mine knows how to call international long distance! Keep prodding along, you'll start on the 4WD before too long.

I've never heard of that foil trick, but it makes sense. I'll have to file that one away as well. That's my number one pet peeve, a leaking exhaust.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

My 63. This was a pretty cool little truck. I was honored to have it chosen for TOTM.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=373970

Yes it was, I really loved that build. Imagine my disappointment when I followed the link to go visit an old build and a lot of the finished pics where gone. What happened?

[rs74]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

I don't want to lend the impression that I'm gonna sit around collecting stamps. Actually the opposite. These old trucks have taken so much of my time, effort, and money that I've neglected a lot of other areas of my life. I've got 11 acres that need tending to. Heck, I need to build a carport in front of my shop so I have some shade to work in. My tractor never starts without fussing with it for half a day. My lawnmower has had an eternally flat tire for 5 years, I just air it up on mowing day. I've got a gate in my barn that wont stay closed so when I put my cow in the stall I use one of Valerie's old belts around the post to hold it shut. Pure ghetto living there. I've got a million things to do aside from old trucks. I figure if I never touched another old truck, it will take me five years just to get caught up.

All the while, I'm doing crap like powdercoating brake drums on a dually or fussing over wire routing unnecessarily. It's just time to finish up what I've started and tend to some other business.

I understand everything you just said. I am would like to get done with my projects as well. I have a ton of stuff to get done around the house and property too.

You have done some amazing work and I am glad I was able to read along with some of it and learn while doing so. Great work!

[Tx Firefighter]

Small update. Should have more tomorrow.

FedEx just dropped off my Rockauto parts. This is everything I need to completely finish the front end. That's all new tie rod ends and adjuster sleeves. Next time I work on the truck, I should have the front end completely finished and be ready to move onto the rearend.



I want to point out that every one of those Moog boxes says Made in USA right on them. The Internet is full of guys saying that Moog has gone to crap and is Chinese now. I put on a lot of their parts, and have never, ever, seen a single time when they weren't made in the USA. Do not believe all of the Internet commandos that poo-poo on Moog.

[Tx Firefighter]

I accomplished a good bit today on the dually.

First, bad news. There was one part I thought I could get by without replacing on the front end, the Pitman arm. Wrong. Even though it is pretty new, the guy who put it on screwed up the threads on it. He ran it down tight with his impact, but it bound up before the taper seated fully. So, the taper was loose in the center link but I couldn't tighten it any further. So I had to use a cut off wheel to cut the pitman shaft and remove it from the center link.



Now, to buy a Pitman arm. I considered buying locally at O Reilly. 70 dollars plus tax.



But wound up using Amazon. Valerie even paid extra for next day shipping and it came to half what O Reilly charges. So, I'll have it by Friday and I saved 35 dollars. Same Moog part, same part number. Half price.



Using my new (eBay used) SnapOn line wrench, I had the front brake hoses swapped in 10 minutes. Both sides. No hassle at all. If anyone wants my old Craftsman line wrenches, you can have them. They're spread out in the field behind my shop as far as I could throw them.





You could visually see the Craftsman wrench open up when I pushed on it. The SnapOn just spun it right loose with no problems.

Old brake hoses were worse than you might think upon close inspection.



Yes, I know my shirt is frayed. I caught it on fire while welding a while back. I dress worse than any homeless person. Its kind of cool though. They guys at work know me as an eccentric craftsman. They chuckle that I worry more about buying quality bearings or good gaskets but not clothes.





New hoses were 8 bucks each for Wagner brand from Rockauto. Money well spent for safety. Seeing the old hoses up close just reinforces that.

Out with the old....





And in with the new....









Yes, I know there are no cotter pins in the steering linkage. I'm waiting until Friday when I get my new pitman arm. Once I get it installed and the linkage is all in place, I will torque and pin the parts. Don't worry I won't forget. I spend hours under my stuff double checking before it ever leaves the driveway. Remember I used to work on airplanes. Safety, safety, safety.

I also want to apologize for the low quality, uninspiring pictures in this build thread. In times past, I used Valerie's DSLR and a laptop for my Internet machine so I could post some hi quality shots. Now, I just use my iPhone and iPad since I don't have a working laptop anymore. The photobucket app makes it easy, but the pictures are pretty shabby looking. My old iPhone is tired and takes fuzzy picture.

[rusty76]

I don't think the pictures are all that bad personally. Glad to see you getting some work done on the beast. Hope you get the pitman arm soon.

[darkhorse970]

Very nice work, as always. This truck should drive like it did when new. Interesting price comparison on the Moog parts, I will certainly shop around more in the future.

[rs74]

Just wanted to touch on the buying of parts. I used to buy all Napa parts but got very disappointed in quality over the last few years. So I started going to O'reillys for my suspension and steering components since they were better parts and cheaper. However I have since started to buy from RockAuto this last year.

What a difference in price. I just bought all new steering components and upper and lower ball joints for my father in laws 89 C1500. Price at O'reillys for all Moog parts came to $675. Same Moog parts with same numbers from RockAuto was $326 shipped. I did have a 5% discount I used on that order other wise it would have been like another $16. So basically saved the shipping cost on that. It just blows my mind that the local stores have such the markup that they do. The only downfall for me which isn't that bad is the shipping. Usually 3-4 days. If I am in a bind I will by from O'reillys but if not then RockAuto is the source. Just wanted to share. Sorry for the ramble Kevin.

[Tx Firefighter]

Ramble on brother. You're better with words than I am.

I know exactly dick about retail, but I would have never figured that O Reilly's and such had that much profit built into their business model. When Amazon can deliver it next day to me and still beat their price by 50 percent, its obvious that O Reilly makes a killing on every sale.

The Rockauto shipping deal rarely bothers me. I drive a little Honda car around for the good mileage so these old trucks are not critical if I need to wait for something. It also forces me to manage the financial outlay in little bits and pieces. I have two little items on my weekly budget, truck parts and tools. A little at a time. I'm patient.

[Greenlee]

Guess I need to checkout RockAuto. I have spent a small fortune at the local O'Reilly's and Autozone.

Nice work on the truck!

[Sodell]

Yea, a kid at Orielly's asked me a while back for my account number...lol

[Sodell]

BTW, Amazon Prime will save you some money if you use Amazon frequently...

[rs74]

Originally Posted by Greenlee

Guess I need to checkout RockAuto. I have spent a small fortune at the local O'Reilly's and Autozone.

I will say this and be done. Not all parts are that dramatic in price between RockAuto and the other stores. RA is still usually cheaper. Some parts are somewhat comparable in price but when it came to these parts that was the difference. Maybe this might have some guys check RA out and save some pennies that can be put to use in other areas.

Carry on!

[Katrina/10]

I really like Rock Auto, have been using them for a few years. It's nice that you get your choice of parts quality, and more variety than the local parts store. I got a 2 day delivery time on an order right before Christmas!

[Low Elco]

It's comin' right along! I looked up all the parts for LBT, and was shocked at the difference in price. If you ain't in a hurry, that Rockauto's the deal!

[squaredaway]

Kevin,

I have a few questions that I hope you don't mind answering:

Do you happen to have a checklist that you go through when restoring trucks? Something like a priority of work breakdown. You just happened to be very detail-oriented and a set way of going about things. Have you ever put this into an actual checklist, or is it just committed to memory now?

Also, do you have a list of stores that you look for each part through? It seems you always find the best deal or at least the one that makes the most sense to your needs.

Thanks for your time,
Reuben

[Tx Firefighter]

Reuben,

It sounds simplistic when I type it, but I replace a majority of the moving parts and all rubber parts.

Moving parts, meaning ball joints, tie rod ends, pitman arms, idler arms, suspension bushings. Basically, any place where two parts move in relation to each other, there's gonna be some amount of wear. I try to address all of that. That includes bearings too.

If possible, I always try to maintain as many GM components as possible. Control arms for instance. You can buy a brand new Chinese control arm, fully assembled with ball joint and bushings, for the same money as just what Moog ball joint and bushing alone will cost. Then you have the hassle of cleaning the GM arm, installing new Moog parts, and you haven't saved a penny in the end. But, you wind up with a proven high quality GM arm with top quality parts on it. In the end, you've worked harder and haven't saved any money, but you wound up with a better final product.

As far as moving parts, think about it this way Any part that is bolted permanently in place on the truck with no movement won't ever wear out. Doors don't wear out. Cabs don't wear out. But, that hinge between the two darn sure will. So, new pins and bushings to remove all wear. About 5 bucks per hinge for the parts.

When considered individually, the wear parts on these trucks are dirt cheap. Bushings and bearings are very inexpensive to buy. No reason not to change them. The reason new trucks drive so well is that there is no wear in any of the parts. The reason old worn out trucks drive so poorly is that everything is loose.

Rubber parts. I change them. Pretty much all of them. I will not own a truck that leaks. Not a drop, not a seep, not a weep. I can't tolerate it. Seals, hoses, o rings, gaskets, etc will wear and dry and weather over time. I just replace them. Any piece of old rubber is going to be deteriorated. I have found the cheapest radiator hose I have ever replaced were the ones I swapped out in my driveway before they failed. Antifreeze is over 10 bucks a gallon nowadays. If you run old hoses, you're eventually gonna have one fail. Now you have to change it, buy new antifreeze, and hope like hell you didn't overheat your engine when it failed. Cheaper and less stress to just pay the money up front and do it on your terms.

For parts, lately it's been Rockauto mostly. I do buy some various things locally at my only parts store in town, O Reilly (it's truly a small town). Some fluids I get at Walmart.

But, like the pitman arm....

I opened three tabs on my ipad. One Rockauto, one Amazon, one O Reilly. Then I look up the part number through O Reilly or Rockauto to determine exactly what I want. Then type the number into all three tabs and look for the lowest price. In this case, my wife is an Amazon Prime member which means she gets free two day shipping on all the stuff we order. But, a bad weather front is approaching next week, and I wanted to make sure that I got the front end done beforehand, so she added next day shipping option for an additional 4 bucks so I'll get it tomorrow and not Monday.

Another fantastic place to order from is Summit Racing. They offer free shipping over 99 dollars so that's something to consider. I preach loudly on here for folks to never shop for price of the part, but to shop for bottom line delivered to your door price. If you're ordering expensive heavy stuff like drop spindles or something, no one beats Summits to your door price with that free shipping deal. How many times have we seen folks on here order from Flybynight.com because they advertised something a few bucks cheaper than everyone else, then they pay an additional 28 dollars shipping to get it delivered, when in reality Summit would have been cheaper overall, and they'd have ordered from a place that really does offer customer support if needed.

[squaredaway]

Kevin,

Thanks for letting me pick your brain. That's pure gold for me. It's all common sense, but sometimes it's hard to put it all together when looking at it in a broad sense. So, for you, it's truly eating an elephant, one bite at a time, huh? I like it. Thanks again for your time.

[jhama78]

Definitely a lot of sense made in that post. The quality of work is outstanding as well Kevin. But what I want to know is why ya didn't polish the back side of the wheels as well?

Looking forward to updates as well as the build thread for your 4wd.

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by squaredaway

Kevin,

Thanks for letting me pick your brain. That's pure gold for me. It's all common sense, but sometimes it's hard to put it all together when looking at it in a broad sense. So, for you, it's truly eating an elephant, one bite at a time, huh? I like it. Thanks again for your time.

That is the exact analogy I've used before when talking about building trucks. If you look at it as a whole there's no way you could stay motivated. You got to tear off a little at a time until there's none left to eat.

Originally Posted by jhama78

Definitely a lot of sense made in that post. The quality of work is outstanding as well Kevin. But what I want to know is why ya didn't polish the back side of the wheels as well?

Looking forward to updates as well as the build thread for your 4wd.

You got to be careful when you say things like that on polishing the wheels. Remember what happened a few pages ago when the guys pointed out an ugly weld on my fuel filler. That cost me a full day work to go back and fix it. If you plant a seed in my head, sometimes it grows.

I spent an hour or so working on the 4wd yeaterday.

Funny story about that. I tend to sit on the couch and stare into space like I'm in a trance when I'm mulling over something. Yesterday I was doing that and Valerie said something to me. It broke my trance and I turned and snapped something at her. She asked what I had been thinking about. I told her I'd run a compression and leak down test on the 4wd engine and that I had a burnt valve on number 1 cylinder and that I would have to pull the heads and do a valve job.

She said that explained why I was so happy yesterday. I have a new challenge to grind through. That kind of thing puts a little spark into my gut.

[ryanroo]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

She said that explained why I was so happy yesterday. I have a new challenge to grind through. That kind of thing puts a little spark into my gut.

i have that problem too. i get disinterested until i find a problem(or make one) i need to fix. recently it was my engine mounts. i finally got the push i needed to redesign. i did more work in the last week than the month prior i think. which reminds me... i forgot the darn mount plates for the block at work... oh well. im beat anyway, so i think ill look at some other stuff and then retire to the couch for my own think tank session

[jhama78]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

You got to be careful when you say things like that on polishing the wheels. Remember what happened a few pages ago when the guys pointed out an ugly weld on my fuel filler. That cost me a full day work to go back and fix it. If you plant a seed in my head, sometimes it grows.

I was just ribbing ya man, looking forward to updates

[slikside]

Had to subscribe.

Your write ups are as entertaining as they are informative.

Keep up the great work.

[aggie91]

Great info and discussions the last page or so. From shopping parts on line for the best "at your door" price to the method of updates/repair to these old trucks.

[Tx Firefighter]

Thanks fellas. I like it when lots of folks join in on the conversation, even if we talk about stuff not directly related to the build at hand.

I'm literally pacing around the shop today waiting for UPS to drop my pitman arm off. I'm usually late on the route each day. I've got the wrenches and cotter pins sitting here and the grease gun is loaded with a new tube of grease.

In the mean time I've been so stir crazy that I've been organizing my tool box drawers. It's been a long time since I've been that bored.