Recent content by pappawheely

Today I fabricated a steering box brace for the back side of the frame. I left it long on one end so I can tie it into whatever x-member I make for the core support. Three fixed mounts and the fourth is floating. I was sure it would bind up after I welded it, but I pulled it off. I welded the...

Rear brakes are mounted. I still need to run new hard lines. This is all the crud that came out of the mounting holes on a brand new borgeson steering box when I chased the threads. Things like this are what takes time. It reminds me of doing race truck prep. You have to inspect everything...

Incremental progress. The caliper supplier says that's just a solid boss, I can grind for clearance. It's sad that when you ask a question, everyone goes into CYA mode instead of just answering the question. They immediately went into asking me the application and said I ordered the wrong part...

I said I had a good parts source and I do. It turns out that I was trying to install my axle u-joints the hard way. I called Ammon at Ventures truck parts and he sent me a video showing the quick, easy way to do it. My ignorance was expensive. I killed three joints before I learned the right...

This front Dana 44 is fighting me every step of the way. Everything is rusty, covered in baked on gunk and boogered threads. I got the ball joints all installed. Had to spend hours cleaning everything, solvent tank (it's so nice having a solvent tank), wire wheeling everything, chasing threads...

Everything I like about rusted out Dana 44 ball joint preload nuts .

I didn't take any photos in process because I had bearing grease, loctite and sillycone all over my hands, but it's back on rollers. New bearings and seals in the hubs. Everything went fine except, one of the axle bolts pulled the thread right out of the hub when I tightened it. It must have...

More work on the rear end. The hub seal was leaking on one side. Everything was caked in baked on gear oil mixed with silt and some rust. First I took the brake brackets off, cleaned them up and hit them with STEEL-IT. Then I chased all the holes, cleaned up all the threads on the bolts and...

After getting heatstroke a couple times, I have a hard time once it gets in the teens myself, but I would rather be too hot than too cold. Either way, you need to be careful in remote areas. Both extremes can be killers.

OK, rear end housing is back in and I didn't drop it. All new suspension bolts front and rear, new ubolts, all new bushings. Now it's time to move the Trooper out of the garage and the blazer frame inside. I have to put the 14 bolt together and tear apart the front dana 44. The front end will be...

LED disco lights

WoW! The paint I used on the rear end housing is a named black stainless metallic. It looked black in shade, but in the sun it's really farkley. I hope it doesn't look too disco. :ROFLMAO: No work will be done today. It's over 100 degrees out. I have to wait until the sun sets behind the mountain.

Made some progress. I replaced all the leaf spring bushings; front and rear. Had some trouble finding the correct ones for my 1990's Rancho leaf springs. I was trying to be all gentle, but I discovered the secret was to use the lube and send them home with a good old BFH. I made a new set of...

I burned out a ballast on my HID headlights. I was looking through my parts stash and found a box "F350 headlights." It was a new set of clear lenses. My old ones were all yellowed and barely translucent so I swapped them out. Had to replace the clear bulbs with ambers. Not sure I like them, but...

I spent years in the desert photographing off road racing. It was usually either too hot, or too cold. Every once in a while it would be just right. Which do you prefer? Too hot? Too Cold?