My new build thread: Stage 4!

[swyfor5]

Yes, liteb, I got the dana60 single front spring perch from DIY4X. Back in 012 it ran me about $26.00 shipped. Yes, John cut the original mount off, and getting ready to mount the new one exactly where it needs to be for my 8" superlift front springs.

[swyfor5]

Looking at my setup today, I am going to have to remove the dual front shocks. Not going to be enough clearance for the second shock to mount without hitting the brake calipers. No problem, gonna upgrade to some better shocks after the axle swap anyway. Next step to figure out is the 1 ton brake booster upgrade, no real problem, just need to make room. Parts are here and ready!

[swyfor5]

Yes! Great day today. Dana60 is 89 percent done. Got the dual shock mounts off, just need to remount a pair of shocks and clean up the u-bolts. Also got the crossover DOM welded up, going to get it blasted and painted before final install. Got all that done , and moved on to the rear. Ripped/cut the 12 bolt rear end out. Torched out the rear shackle rivets on both sides and removed them also. Going to have to drop the rear of the fuel tank to install the DIY4X4 shackle flip brackets, but that's no big deal. Got the GM14 bolt mocked up under it to see where John needs to weld on the new spring perches. I also changed out my tall valve covers for some short ones to make way for my 1 ton brake booster upgrade. Very, very, happy to get this much done. Here's some pic's!

[VA72C10]

It feels good when you start making great progress! With all the parts you have saved up for this you should be able to really continue to move on it!

[swyfor5]

Right on! Thank's VA! Hoping to have it driveable real soon. It really is nice to see some of these parts that I have had for so long getting installed!

[litebulblsc]

Originally Posted by swyfor5

Yes, liteb, I got the dana60 single front spring perch from DIY4X. Back in 012 it ran me about $26.00 shipped. Yes, John cut the original mount off, and getting ready to mount the new one exactly where it needs to be for my 8" superlift front springs.

Thanks. I will give them a call tomorrow. Glad to finally see some progress. Really looks like your doing it up right.
Posted via Mobile Device

[swyfor5]

Thank's Litbulb. Off topic. but shot some pic's of a real nice C10 Custom today at the park next door to my house. Owner said okay to snap some pic's, tried to get the women to pose also-but no luck! 1969 C10 LONGBOX, REAL NICE!

[swyfor5]

U-bolts ordered for the rear today. Should be ready tommorrow, maybe day after, local pickup. Gonna stop after work and pick up a 5 gallon jug of 85/140 gear oil to fill the front and rear diffs. Hopefully be enough to do the t-case and 465 transmission also! It's coming faster than I thought it would, but that's good!

[swyfor5]

Got the 14 bolt u-bolts today, look real good. Also picked up a gallon of ATF fluid so we can flush out the power steering pump and lines before hooking up the new steering box. John decided he needs to fab up some reinforcing plates/brackets for the rear frame to tie the DIY4X shackle flip brackets into the rear bumper mounts. You guys know there is not much steel there to begin with, and my K5 has had a few rear bumpers mounted on it. A lot of holes in what is left there, and it needs to be beefed up for the rear bumper John is going to build for me. That way we only need to drop the rear of the fuel tank once, instead of a second time when we install the new rear bumper. John is heading out camping tommorrow for the holiday weekend, but his youngest son will be at the shop, working on his rollcage setup. I'm going to spend some time there grinding the frame in places to clean it up and do some primering and painting of the frame and parts. Oh, almost forgot-John got the crossover and high steer setup blasted, painted and installed today! Looks great!

[swyfor5]

Not much done here today. I did dig the gas tank skid plate out and clean it up real good. Got it powerwashed and I will primer and paint it tommorrow. Skid plate and tank are both out of a 1972 Suburban I picked up for parts years ago. Tank is the same for a K5, except I cut the fill neck off shorter. No problem there, been running it for years. Just wanting to get the skid plate ready to reinstall after we get the rear shackle flip and bumper bracket reinforcement finished.

[swyfor5]

Yup, fuel tank skid plate is ready to go back on. Primered it yesterday and this morning. Sprayed it black this afternoon. Looks real good to me!

[swyfor5]

Only had a couple hours to work on it today but we got the t-case out. Out with the old Dana20 and in with the New NP205! Had to leave early to go to the kid's track meet, hoping John got some more done after I left. Here's some pic's!

[turp mcspray]

You mean you can't set it on your chest, and bench press it into place? I have a buddy that used to remove and install th400's that way! He's an animal! I could do it in my elcamino, with the muncie. LOL!

[swyfor5]

Yes, Turp- that is the way John usually does it. A matter of fact when he came to the house to get the NP205 he through it up on the tailgate of my 04 Sierra by himself. It was just so much easier this way, with the interior pretty much gutted. T-case is in, twin sticks installed,crossmember with poly mounts done, stock front driveshaft is mocked up-but is going to have to be shortened a little, front shocks remounted, front u-bolts cut off/cleaned up. Angle on the front driveshaft looks really good so far! Started redoing the front frame horns for the new wincher bumper. John made some templates for the frame rails front and rear to have some custom plates made to weld in to reinforce the frame areas for the bumper mounts. Gotta do a little tweaking of the twin sticks so they line up better, but man am I happy. Start on installing brake components tommorrow! Here's some pic's from today's progress!

[swyfor5]

Not too much done today. Mocked up the rear shackle flip and it looks like the 4.5" shackles are going to work good. Waiting on getting the frame plates for the front and back to reinforce the frame rails. Need these to go ahead and mount the front bumper and the rear shackle flip brackets. Dropped off the Warn winch, the original Dana20 trans hump cover, and the new replacement NP205 trans hump cover. Making sure the Warn Tabor winch will fit behind the wincher front bumper with no clearance problems. John is working on ideas for the the rear bumper to incorporate the spare tire carrier also. Man, this is looking really good!

[swyfor5]

Original 1/2 ton brake booster/master cylinder/prop valve setup off. New 1 ton setup mounted today. Gotta change out all the brake lines next. Then start mounting calipers and etc. Frame plates will be done by monday for the front and rear bumper mounts! Working out a deal with John and he is going to use almost all this take off stuff to build a 1956 chevy 2wd into a 4wd! My dana44, rear axle, brake booster system, turn it into a real nice 1/2 ton 4x4 with 39.5 super swampers on it! Pic's asap!

[swyfor5]

Looking good! Not much done today except got the rear calipers mounted, other projects going. Only one pic today of the 1 ton booster setup mocked up!

[swyfor5]

Got the alternator off the SBC to install the brake combo. Wanting to upgrade the charging system to the internal regulator alt. Any advice on what to use? Anybody know of any venders here that can hook me up with a new alternator? Thank's.

[swyfor5]

Not much here today. Did almost completly strip all the 4 different colors of paint off the windshield/hood cowl. Getting ready to put it back on and wanted to clean it up first. Crazy, this K5 started out white, then green, then, blue, then brown. What some PO's were thinking we will never know! Used paint stripper and scraped and sanded it to about 90 percent done. Hopefully finish it up tommorrow, and get it primed and painted, ready to install.

[swyfor5]

Still waiting on the frame brackets, should be here soon. Got the cowl final sanded and primered tonight. Paint it semi-gloss black tommorrow! Could have went a little further with the sanding, but this is not going to be a show truck. Looks real good in primer, pic's soon!

[VA72C10]

Nice progress!

[swyfor5]

Thank you Va! Still waiting on the frame reinforcement plates to come, but John also ordered some sway bar parts for his monster bus to be fabbed up at the same time. I'm sure they will all be done in a couple of days. I got the cowl piece sprayed black tonight, and man it looks good. I took it off a while back, thinking I was going to do a total teardown of the front clip. What with getting these axles and etc installed now, I'm going to put it back together and wheel it a bit to check for weak links! I'll snap some pic's ASAP!

[swyfor5]

Not much new today, just some pic's of my cowl ready to go back on!

[swyfor5]

Got a new trash/debris guard for the cowl area yesterday from LMC. Looks good, got the black one of course! Cought John leaving the shop tonight, said he got the frame brackets in and they look good. Hopefully get them welded in soon! Pic's ASAP!

[swyfor5]

Going to the Chaos shop this morning to work on tweaking the front bumper to fit. Hope to see some progress today.