[buckroseau]

Thanks for the pics Mike! I figured my fuel tank stuff was right, it is.

Once I saw those rear bump stop brackets in your pics.....I should have know that. I'll do better next time.

Thanks again, Matt

[JasonH]

You've got me rooting for your springs to show up, just so I can see some more progress pics! I love threads like this.

Nice Malibu too.

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by JasonH

You've got me rooting for your springs to show up, just so I can see some more progress pics! I love threads like this.

Nice Malibu too.

Good, I need all the help I can get .


Springs shipped yesterday out of Salt lake city, Utah. I have the UPS tracking #'s, although it's not giving me a est. arrival date, yet.... I believe they will be here next Tuesday or Wed. I still am going to need an extra day to get all the blue paint off, prime and re-paint black. My bushings from SOR are supposed to be here today and my shackles should be here tomorrow or Monday via. USPS.

NOW, ASSUMING....that my springs are correct? They should be, but they took 2 1/2 months to get from the Netherlands? And assuming, my shackle and bushings are correct? My plan is to have the entire chassis and drivetrain back together next Friday night, assuming that all my parts coming in are correct and fit.

If that all happens, I have every intention to start blasting and sanding the tub next Saturday. If I can get a full day in on Saturday and most of Sunday next weekend I might have it into primer. Then it should be a couple 2 to 3 weeks on welding in new metal, pounding out old metal and smearing a little plastic all over it and sanding it all off.......

Please keep rooting for me.....I'm going to need it .

Thanks, Matt

[cruiser ken]

That looks sweet, you don't want to run Warn hubs on such a nice build, locate some Aisins.

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by cruiser ken

That looks sweet, you don't want to run Warn hubs on such a nice build, locate some Aisins.

I agree, I didn't spend a lot of time cleaning up the warns. If some Aisins become available I will pick them up.

Matt

[buckroseau]

I got my bushings and pins from SOR on Friday. Shackles showed up today via USPS.

Problem , SOR sent 4 - 289-45 B-A bushings, when it should have been 289-45 A-A bushings. The packing list says 289-45 B-A, and I'm sure I said A-A, in fact I asked if I could repeat the parts list back to him?

I'm going to have to call SOR on Monday and have blue labeled to me so I can have them Wed. I'll see if SOR will step upto the plate and take care of it as far as shipping, but I doubt it. Since there's no way to prove that they made the mistake?

I've had problems with every cruiser parts supplier out there, except Kurt and Cruiser outfitters? I'm beginning to think it's me? Just seems like a never ending cycle of delays and screw ups.

Anyway, enough venting, I will be ordering parts either way on Monday.

Matt

[Ground Up]

Bummer!

I hate it when that happens.

Just wanted to let you know I love the thread. It is making me get antsy to get mine going.

[cruiserbrett]

I think the vendor screw ups are par for the course, I do have pretty good luck with SOR.com, but in the case of the order showing the part # they shipped, I would be VERY surprised if they picked up the tab.

For the future, use the online ordering at SOR.com

Glad to see the 45lv getting the right attention! Cant wait to see what it turns out like!

[IDave]

When SOR has flubbed with a part like that for me, they have taken care of it pronto, and without charge.

I do agree with Cruiserbrett about doing the online order thing with them. I like being able to see it in print.

[Owyhee Jackass]

Originally Posted by IDave

When SOR has flubbed with a part like that for me, they have taken care of it pronto, and without charge.

I do agree with Cruiserbrett about doing the online order thing with them. I like being able to see it in print.

I've seen the pile of SOR boxes in your garage...I'd expect they'd treat "their #1 customer" right.

[IDave]

Sometimes I feel like I know those people!

[buckroseau]

I couldn't sit on my ass any longer, springs or no springs, I was going to do something tonight on the lv.

Drug out the body and blew 6 - 90lb bags of sand on the bottom of the tub, that's all I had at my house. Went pretty good I thought? There is quite a bit of undercoating underneath and the sandblaster does not like the stuff that is still stuck on. Some of it just blows right off in sheets while other areas you have to auger away on it for a while.

Driverside rocker is in tough shape along with an area in the floor, but overall not to bad? I guess I've seen a few photos of entire floors gone so I should consider myself lucky. I think a good weekend I should be able to have most of the new sheet metal work done. Probably won't get to blow anymore sand until this weekend, assuming it doesn't rain?

Thought I would post some pics, springs are scheduled to be here tomorrow, although I just checked the tracking # and they have been Sioux falls, SD since 7 am this morning and nothing has happend? I'm sure they will show up
Bushing should also be here tomorrow to, replacing the others.

Also, lv owners. Take a look at each piece of metal under the rear wheel wells that is fastened in with 5 or 6 screws. Is that factory? It kinda looks like it, because they are both the same. Or is this something else the Doobie bros. fabbed in?

Thanks, Matt

[buckroseau]

more

[buckroseau]

some more

[buckroseau]

And they say sandblasting sucks???????????

[Radd Cruisers]

You ROCK................


Keep the pics comming.

[buckroseau]

Look what just showed up??

Took a rag and tried wiping off the blue paint with MEK, didn't come off very well. When I go home for lunch I'm going to try a little reducer, if that doesn't work I will scuff them up and prime and paint over them.

U bolts, 4 long ones, 4 short? Don't quite understand that one, check against the stock ones when I go home for lunch.

Bushings from SOR showed up today also should be good to go

Matt

[calfj60]

If you don't mind me asking what did those spings set u back $$?? and why did you choose them over say something like Alcans?? Thanks and I look forward to your updates each day..Keep up the great work

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by calfj60

If you don't mind me asking what did those spings set u back $$?? and why did you choose them over say something like Alcans?? Thanks and I look forward to your updates each day..Keep up the great work

Why parabolics? I saw them first in an article a few months ago in Toyota Trails I think written by Allan Loshbaugh (or he had something to do with it?) It was a well written article describing the benifits of a parabolic spring vs standard leaf pack springs. I posted some questions many months ago on mud asking if anyone had them. Few people did, some people claimed that you can't live without them, others said the were noticeably better, but not a huge difference.

Either way, I believe everybody's answer was that they were better in terms of ride quality, on and off road than conventional leaf pack springs. I personally am not concerned with off-road ability, but more on road quality of ride. During this time Allan was organizing a group buy, 30% off of list if ordered by Feb. 15th, 2005. I ordered Feb. 14th, just got them today. Price of the springs, u-bolts and bushings was approx. $700 on that group buy. I still had to pay for shipping from Utah to Minnesota, also bushings are useless to me, so I had to buy those anyway.

The concept on why/how a parabolic spring works better that a leaf pack spring makes sense to me. I guess that's the main reason I decided to buy them? I will let you know how they work, once I try them, but it might be a few months.

Matt

[calfj60]

Matt,

Thanks I will go and look more into the springs and no need to beat that to death here. I was just curious since I will need something when and if I ever get started on my truck...thanks and again keep up the great work..

Tim

[buckroseau]

Spent about an hour with the DA and 150 grit going over the parabolic's. Reducer, MEK or Laquer thinner wouldn't really touch the blue paint. I thought of blasting, but that could be hard on the springs. I figured if the paint is sticking that well, scratch it up good, smooth it out and paint it.

I shot a light coat of PPG DP90LF and then 2 coats of MTK single stage urethane. Turned out real nice and I don't think it will be coming off anytime soon. I wasn't going to shoot the DP epoxy primer, but after DA'ing it had a lot of bare metal, so I figured 1 light coat would be good.

Few pics.

Heading back out the shop to turn down Polyureathane bushings in the lathe, I want to be installing springs tomorrow night.

Matt

[buckroseau]

I even got the wife out in the booth tonight prepping her springs with DX330.

[buckroseau]

Just finished machining all the Poly bushings down to .125" flanges. Also machined down the anti-inversion shackle bushing to 3 1/16". Figured that 1/16" extra would probably be good for it?

Should be putting springs on tomorrow night.

Matt

[buckroseau]

1 more, ready to go

[Radd Cruisers]

Man you can paint boy, springs are tough will all the edges. You also use my product of choice for paint, just love the PPG line.

My paint helper prep person wears baggy ass jeans and is real ugly, I will look to hire another helper based more on appearance and gender.

I guess we will be getting our parabolics real soon.

When I turned down the bushings for our FJ45 the bushing material would bind up and pop out of the lathe, looks like it went well for you.

Rob

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by Radd Cruisers

Man you can paint boy, springs are tough will all the edges. You also use my product of choice for paint, just love the PPG line.

My paint helper prep person wears baggy ass jeans and is real ugly, I will look to hire another helper based more on appearance and gender.

I guess we will be getting our parabolics real soon.

When I turned down the bushings for our FJ45 the bushing material would bind up and pop out of the lathe, looks like it went well for you.

Rob

As long as I take it slow in the lathe, it goes real good. I turn at a pretty high speed, but don't take much when I turn it off. I had a couple pop out, but I just put them back in and keep going. I used a metal bit for the poly, used the carbide on the steel. The carbide doesn't seem to work that well on rubber? All of them turned out extremely nice, they all look factory on the end and are right on .125". I think the spring install should go really well tomorrow night, all my measurments are right on.

Thanks on the painting compliment, I take it very seriously. I like PPG's stuff. I also like Dupont and Valspar, I would say Dupont is as good as PPG in my opinion. I guess I've always used PPG so I've just stuck with it, it does work well and is easy to use.

You might get a better looking female helper, but it's kinda of a pain in the ass when they complain about having to touch those icky, stinky chemicals.

Matt

[usmcruiser]

Originally Posted by buckroseau

Figured I better post some pics. Been doing a few things on the wifes list, tonight I was hanging wood blinds. Not a whole lot of progress on the 45, but I am still moving ahead.

Finished up the axle rebuild. I was planning on putting the calipers back on, but having a tough time getting the brake pad pins out. I'm going to bring them into work tomorrow and die grind off the ends and try to punch them out. Using all metric Stainless steel hardware from now on .

Also got my BF 33 x 9.5 mounted today, slight problem. Tire guy said 3 of the 4 rims were bent They weren't out of round, the mounting surface and the rim itself weren't parralel to each other. 2 weren't that bad, but noticeable on the balance. 1 was enough, had to add quite a bit of weight on the rim. He said it might not be noticable, but I think I might have to round up a new/used set of rims. If I find another decent 3 I will sandblast those and powdercoat them with the same stuff. So if anyone has 3 decent stock welded rims...........

Matt

I just saw these in the "For Sale" section. Hope it helps.

http://forum.ih8mud.com/sale-parts/44057-5-stock-wheels-w-tires.html

Man this looks incredible. Keep up the good work and I hope it stays on schedule.

[Ground Up]

Originally Posted by buckroseau

Also, lv owners. Take a look at each piece of metal under the rear wheel wells that is fastened in with 5 or 6 screws. Is that factory? It kinda looks like it, because they are both the same. Or is this something else the Doobie bros. fabbed in?

Thanks, Matt

Here is a pic of mine. The two I have had both have/had them. I would assume from this that they are stock.

[buckroseau]

Had a friend of mine come out and give me a hand with the parabolic spring install. Took about an hour and 45 minutes to install the springs and shocks.

Went a little faster than expected, so I figure I better put the drivetrain back in

I still plan on sandblasting the body on Saturday. They are forecasting rain in the afternoon and I really want to blast. I called a guy locally who does mobile sandblasting. $50 bucks an hour plus the sand. I told him to plan on 2 to 3 hours Saturday morning. He is meeting me at my place with his equipment and I am going to run mine also. Hoping to turn a 5 to 6 hour job into 2 to 3 hours.

Blast the body in the morning, get it back in and primed before it rains, at least that's the plan? I think it will be a good $100 to $200 spent.

Matt

[buckroseau]

Motor installed.