71 4X4 Frame off Restoration

[Vova]

Originally Posted by DWilbur

After fitting the cab and getting it close I noticed that the tuck roof line is very low. A lot further off than I thought it would be. I'm thing about cut below the rear window at the line marked on the back of the cab and raise it up to fit the roof line better and fill in with a patch panel. It would be about 3 1/4" fill peice. I will see if there is anything else I can do for a better fit at the top.

Can you take a side shot to see the roofline?

[DWilbur]

I don't want to cut the roof line down. I'm 6'-5" tall and need the extra inches the burb offers. more pictures of the difference in hieght.

[72kool]

love what your doing and your metal work is great! just wondering bout the problem of the height difference, could you cut the back off the 'burb and customize the rear to replace the door? but your height problem wouldnt be an issue?

[DWilbur]

The back door of the burb is above the rain gutter not enough material to work with. I have been thinking about using the right and left corner of the burb roof. But I still have the issue with how things line up inside the cab. I leaning twards cutting below the back window and raising it up to meet the roof and add a filler peice below. I saw a picture of a quad cab that they raised the roof above the window and it looked odd.

[swamp rat]

I don't know if you have seen this guys thread yet but he seems to have some pretty good ideas going. This is all way over my head so i know i cant help any.. Good luck!

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=557019

[DWilbur]

I checked out some of the other quad cab build and it looks like I have taken a different path keeping the burb high roof. Most are cutting the burb behind the front door and keeping most of the truck cab for the back door.

[DWilbur]

I finally recieved the replacement right side floor patch panel. I miss cut the first one couple weeks ago. My plan this week end is to finish fitting the burb and truck cab together and tack weld them. I have a lot of sand blasting to do today.
The bad news is my 2012 Dodge Ram is likely to be totaled do to the damage. the front axcel and frame are bent along with all the sheetmetal damage. the repair cost is over $25,000.00.

[swamp rat]

Bummer on the truck being totaled, it means buying a replacement now, i guess the good out of that would be if you weren't absolutely happy with the truck you could get a different brand/model, still a hassle and headache meaning more payments.

Can you tell me what size of compressor you use to push the sand blaster?

[DWilbur]

The air compressor was my dads. The pump burned up couple months ago and I replaced it with one from Harbor Freight I think it is rated at about 4 HP. it's a 2 piston pump. Then I burned up the motor do to the wrong shiv size. Bought a motor from Harbor Freight and changed the shiv to match the correct RPM of the pump. It gets the job done but I run out of air about 4 to 5 minutes and have to let the compressor build up presher. the pump is on top of a 60 galon tank.

[DWilbur]

I spent a day and half meadia blasting the back of the burb and the back of the cab so I can weld them together. There was a fare amount of rust but no rot.

[DWilbur]

My brother stopped by this afternoon and he helped me fit the back of the cab to the burb and we got it tacked welded in place. the side fit good just have some smothing out to do at the bottom corners then I can finish welding it up.

[DWilbur]

I spent Friday evening and Saturday Morning removing all the aftermarket part and camper shell off my 2012 Dodge the insurance co totaled it Tuesday. I spent a good portion of my day Friday trying to getit back from the POS body shop jacked me around. I started having trouble Sunday welding my Miller matic 200 mig welder is acting like there is no shielding gas and I did remove the pain from the back of the cab. I'm welding clean sheet metal. I may have to take it in and have it checked out. the bummer is I started working a job that is 58 mile one direction. most stores are closed by the time I get home at night. I might have to wait until the swing shift starts next week so I can drop it off.

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by DWilbur

I spent Friday evening and Saturday Morning removing all the aftermarket part and camper shell off my 2012 Dodge the insurance co totaled it Tuesday. I spent a good portion of my day Friday trying to getit back from the POS body shop jacked me around. I started having trouble Sunday welding my Miller matic 200 mig welder is acting like there is no shielding gas and I did remove the pain from the back of the cab. I'm welding clean sheet metal. I may have to take it in and have it checked out. the bummer is I started working a job that is 58 mile one direction. most stores are closed by the time I get home at night. I might have to wait until the swing shift starts next week so I can drop it off.

Sorry to hear about your truck. At least you were not in it. You may want to check that the mig gun hose is fully inserted into the welding machine. I have had mine come out a bit by dragging it around my shop by the hose and it acted like yours.

[DWilbur]

Thanks for the heads up I will check out the liner to if I'm having a simular issue.

[DWilbur]

It would be great if I could win the loto then work would not get in the way of building my truck. I bought another 2012 Dodge truck that almost matches the one I lost last Wednesday. I still have to work on the issue with my mig welder working so I can weld up the cab. I spent the week end helping my brothers do some work on my mother place up north this week end. so No work was done on the truck.

[swamp rat]

On the 2nd picture of this thread you stated you got a new 6" lift kit on the truck, was the kit new and did it include shocks? just wondering what kit and shocks, if you can did up the info i'd be appreciative.

Also wishing you the best with the new truck, may it be a good and dependable one!

[DWilbur]

Hello Swamp Rat
Yes the 6" lift is a Supper Lift kit I bought from 4 Wheel parts. it came with shocks I added drop drag link and drop pitman arm for the D60 I will be installing.

[swamp rat]

I went to 4wheel, I'll assume it was a skyjacker, Thanks!

I'm still finding it strange that your 6" and my 4" from BDS appear to be almost identical in lift.. I have 12" from my 33"BFG to the top of the fender well in the front.

[DWilbur]

That's right it was Skyjacker lift kit. I would check the 12" dimension but my truck is in pieces. I could measure from the frame to the ground front and back. the only thing is no engine in front and cab is cut up no bed.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by DWilbur

That's right it was Skyjacker lift kit. I would check the 12" dimension but my truck is in pieces. I could measure from the frame to the ground front and back. the only thing is no engine in front and cab is cut up no bed.

Naw don't sweat it, its just my mind spinning looking for info to crunch, were in different stages so nothing to compare.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

[DWilbur]

I stopped by the welding shop this morning and checked out my mig welder. I hope to get it back by Friday. I also had an issue with PG&E in my area they replaced a transformer. It could be possible the the failing transformer could have an effect to my mig welder. I did cut the back of the suburban off Saturday so I can fit it with the back of the truck cab. no pictures this week.

[DWilbur]

The welding shop called and there is nothing wrong with my mig welder. I'm picking it up Friday morning and getting the bottle filled. I think the nabor hood transformer seams to be the issue. I will check voltage on the 220 outlet see what the voltage is. I hope to be welding on the cab this week end.

[swamp rat]

Just a thought, could it be an amperage issue? Check that out too cause i think most houses are 20A and welders seem to say 25A. Don't know how much that would make a difference if any.

[DWilbur]

I talked to my neighbor Saturday he said PG&E used a sub-contractor to repair the transformer and they wired 1 hot lead to neutral wire at the power poll and damaged 19 house hold items. But my welder was unplugged when this happened. The circuit is a 30amp breaker the welder can push 50 amps cranked up all the way.

[AirSpeed]

Our cloths dryer motor burned up twice and fridge compressor died in one month, couldn't understand why. One day i was standing near where the wires enter my house and could hear a sizzling sound, touched the splice and it was hot as hell, turns out it was barely connected and those motors were fried trying to start with limited amperage.