MaddBaggins
Remember the KnightRider!
I spent saturday and half of sunday working on my rear bumper. I ordered the parts from Luke at 4x4 Labs as a part of the CSC group buy that Kevin set up. Thanks Tools!
It doesn't fit perfectly and I didn't expect it to. I've done enough work to know that just because he made these parts to fit an 80 series, he didn't have MY truck in front of him when he made them. I required a little extra grinding, some filler welding and lots more grinding and some thought to pull it off.
****not a rip on Lukes stuff at all. I want to make that clear**** Just the opposite, for a guy sending me a bunch of parts thru the mail, this kit was damn near perfect. It wasn't meant to be "bolt-on" . It does require some fab to make it happen. Thanks Luke! Now if you could post some detail pics of the tire carrier and gas can carrier for me and any important words of wisdom about the construction of them, I can knock those out. **HINT-HINT**
I spent ALL day saturday cutting off the old stuff and fitting the new parts, grinding tweeking and fitting again. Then finally tacked in the recovery points, made sure they were right, then turned up the heat and burned em in. Then fit the center piece and tacked it in. Pulled the whole thing off and began the lengthy process of welding the whole damn thing, inside and out. Got 99% of the welding done saturday and called it quits. Sunday, I finished off the welding, moved the whole thing outside and started the grinding, a little more welding, more grinding, then put on the flap disc sander and did some blending. The only thing the kit didn't have was hoops for trailer chains to hook to. I welded in 2 short pieces of #4 rebar from the brace to the center piece to provide a place to hook the chains. Cleaned it all up with carb cleaner and primered it. Thats the way it now sits on my rig.
Any way, on to the pictures
It doesn't fit perfectly and I didn't expect it to. I've done enough work to know that just because he made these parts to fit an 80 series, he didn't have MY truck in front of him when he made them. I required a little extra grinding, some filler welding and lots more grinding and some thought to pull it off.
****not a rip on Lukes stuff at all. I want to make that clear**** Just the opposite, for a guy sending me a bunch of parts thru the mail, this kit was damn near perfect. It wasn't meant to be "bolt-on" . It does require some fab to make it happen. Thanks Luke! Now if you could post some detail pics of the tire carrier and gas can carrier for me and any important words of wisdom about the construction of them, I can knock those out. **HINT-HINT**
I spent ALL day saturday cutting off the old stuff and fitting the new parts, grinding tweeking and fitting again. Then finally tacked in the recovery points, made sure they were right, then turned up the heat and burned em in. Then fit the center piece and tacked it in. Pulled the whole thing off and began the lengthy process of welding the whole damn thing, inside and out. Got 99% of the welding done saturday and called it quits. Sunday, I finished off the welding, moved the whole thing outside and started the grinding, a little more welding, more grinding, then put on the flap disc sander and did some blending. The only thing the kit didn't have was hoops for trailer chains to hook to. I welded in 2 short pieces of #4 rebar from the brace to the center piece to provide a place to hook the chains. Cleaned it all up with carb cleaner and primered it. Thats the way it now sits on my rig.
Any way, on to the pictures