Build 86 Xtra Cab Build (4Wheelunderground 3 link front, 4 link rear and 3.4 swap)

[ntsqd]

yeah..... I get that!

I think aztoyman has done a masterful job of finding a good balance on that. There's the rare guy who can do high quality fab really fast. For the rest of we mere mortals it takes longer to do it well.

 

[Broski]

I didn't have a time expectation on this but I didn't think it would go this long. Had a LOT of life events, A couple really horrific ones I never mentioned. Maybe around a campfire one of these day but not online. Plus I started this when COVID was really kicking in. I told my kids, I'd like to wheel this before I die. I really miss wheeling. Even day trips on local trails.

Thanks for the well wishes.

I hope I didn’t offend you
Just really wanting to see you fulfill your dream
And get this rig on the trail.

 

[aztoyman]

No offense taken at all. Some of this picky stuff I do ends up being done because I need "something" to do while handling unexpected and urgent matters.

Two days on the dang sensor bracket I just made out of scrap literally picked up off my garage floor is one of those examples. Moments I get more for my sanity than real progress on the build.

I found a bit of time last night to get good tack welds on the floor portions on the cage and got the tops all welded, unbolted it from the floor and pulled so I can hopefully find some time today to weld the bottom and reinstall it. Just the passenger side.

On the positive side, you guys have a good thread to follow in the mini truck section. It's like watching Yellowstone. Can't wait for the next episode, you get sucked in and .................?

 

[aztoyman]

Got the floor tubing welded up. There will be two tube connectors on each side, but first I have to disconnect the back stays, separate the rear and front half of the cage and let the rear section drop forward so I can finish welding the inaccessible areas on top. Same for a couple areas I couldn't reach at the floor plates.

The connectors are needed on the floor tubes because it will be the only way for me to have access to welding the bottom of the sill bars at the floor plates and main hoops. I'll get pics when I get there.

 

[aztoyman]

I had moments to work on this today. After welding the floor tubing, I was a bit worried that the bolt holes tying it into the cab floor structure wouldn't line up anymore. Fortunately, They all still lined up perfectly. I marked where the tube connectors need to go and got the tubes cut and the connectors fit up. Hoping to finish that up tomorrow. No pics until I'm done.

My Summit Racing order arrived so I made my hose for the oil pressure sensor. Really had to thread the needle with the hose. You can see there is no room for the sender on the block and the hose had to slip between the lower rad hose and the oil cooler hose. Plus avoid the alternator and belt. It cleared everything, but I'll add a zip tie or clamp for extra security near the belt. The pigtails are on the two sensors but, I haven't routed them through the speedo cable opening yet. I need to get a grommet. First pic is looking up from under the engine.

 

[Mudder]

Sorry to hear about your Golden. I’ve lost two cats to cancer and it’s never easy. I’m glad to see some updates and progress being made. This is one of the cleanest builds I’ve had the pleasure of watching and one that I’ll use for future projects.

 

[ntsqd]

May have noticed that the hose in my last picture is black. I should have mentioned why. It is braided SS under the heat-shrink. I've taken to adding the heat-shrink for two reasons. It keeps the grit out of the braid as over time that grit will wear out the braid. It might take 20 years (in which case I don't care) or it might take a year. Just depends on how much the hose moves around and how much grit is in the area. The other reason is that the braid is pretty abrasive to anything that it rubs against. Years ago we had a -10AN braided dry sump suction hose wear mostly thru an aluminum belly pan and put a flat spot on the braid in one season. Granted, that's the perfect storm, lots of grit, lots of movement, and some oil to help capture the grit.

I wouldn't take a hose end off if you want to do something like this. Instead I'll suggest wrapping it with 3M 130C Linerless Splicing tape. It will fuse to itself and is fairly thick. Once it has fused your only removal option is to cut it off, you aren't going to be able to unwrap it. It isn't particularly cheap, but it is a really good option to know about.

 

[aztoyman]

@ntsqd , I didn't know about the product you mentioned, or even think about abrasion from dust getting into the braid. Good info.

I did have concern about it rubbing on my rubber hoses that it's passing between. I have a few things I could wrap around the hose as a cushion. Decided against it for now. The way it's clamped and the rigidity of the hose, it doesn't seem like it will touch. It has more space between them than what the pics show. I am definitely going to monitor that. Any sleeve I put on the hose will create contact so I'm conflicted on that.

@Mudder Rufus is feeling MUCH better on the meds we have for him. His appetite is back and he's already putting weight back on. He was getting too thin. He's playful again but his days are numbered. I will bring him in as soon as he declines. Sucks knowing this is coming, but he's had a great life and we won't let him suffer.

 

[aztoyman]

Yesterday I got the tube connectors welded in. The way this stuff moves with welding, I had everything bolted down tight before I welded anything. I mean the entire cage. After heavy tacks, I welded as much of the joint as I could reach. Let it cool and pulled the floor section back out to weld the bottom of the joints. I clamped it in my bench vise.

This all paid off because it all fell back into place and the bolts threaded in.

Here's some pics of how little room I have. Those bolts sticking up from the floor plates are just what I had at the time.

 

[aztoyman]

My wife and one of the dogs had appointments today so I didn't even get on this until after 4:00. I have to be careful about my order of operations so I don't weld myself into a corner, so to speak.

I unbolted the entire cage and seperated the front and rear sections so I could tilt the rear down and weld the tops of the joints. I welded the areas I couldn't reach around the base plates too.

There's 4 tubes from the tube connectors to the main hoops I can't weld yet. Things have to be bolted down again so I can weld the tops, unbolt it again so the bottoms can get welded. If I had already welded them, the cage wouldn't have tilted to weld the tops near the roof. NOW I know why guys cut the roof off for this stuff.

I have to prep it for paint so you might not hear from me for a few days at least.

I need to at least paint the bottom of the floor tubes. I still have to weld on harness mounts.

 

[aztoyman]

It was time for Rufus to go. Took him to the vet this morning. He's no longer suffering but we are.

 

[Broski]

It was time for Rufus to go. Took him to the vet this morning. He's no longer suffering but we are.

You did the right thing ! It’s doesn’t make it any easier !!
One of the hardest things we have to do.
Sorry for you loss

 

[gnob]

It was time for Rufus to go. Took him to the vet this morning. He's no longer suffering but we are.

sorry buddy. never an easy go.

 

[ntsqd]

That is the horrible decision that you sign up for with a pet of any species. It is worthwhile, but that doesn't make it any easier.

All dogs live forever in my head.

 

[bkg]

My wife and one of the dogs had appointments today so I didn't even get on this until after 4:00. I have to be careful about my order of operations so I don't weld myself into a corner, so to speak.

I unbolted the entire cage and seperated the front and rear sections so I could tilt the rear down and weld the tops of the joints. I welded the areas I couldn't reach around the base plates too.

There's 4 tubes from the tube connectors to the main hoops I can't weld yet. Things have to be bolted down again so I can weld the tops, unbolt it again so the bottoms can get welded. If I had already welded them, the cage wouldn't have tilted to weld the tops near the roof. NOW I know why guys cut the roof off for this stuff.

I have to prep it for paint so you might not hear from me for a few days at least.

I need to at least paint the bottom of the floor tubes. I still have to weld on harness mounts.

View attachment 4180801

small part of me will be sad when this build is finished... it's been fun to watch.

 

[Mudder]

It was time for Rufus to go. Took him to the vet this morning. He's no longer suffering but we are.

I’m sorry to hear that. It’s never easy even when it’s the right call for quality of life.

 

[aztoyman]

Thanks everyone. You all obviously have been through losing a pet.

 

[aztoyman]

I finally got some time to work on this. I've had the floor sections in and out of the cab numerous times. As much as this tubing moves while welding, I made sure EVERYTHING was bolted down tight and spacers and such were in place before I struck an arc. There's too many bolt holes that still have to line up after it's welded. There's a bunch of them and they still do.

I pulled my roll pins so the sleeves in the A-pillars would slide down inside the tubes and I could than pull the lower halves and weld in taco gussets. You can see that the passenger side is already out and so is the dash bar.

I angled the gusset so it sits over the body mounts.

 

[aztoyman]

Then it all had to go back together so I could fit my tubes from the center floor sections to each leg at the floor plates. I put every bolt in and tightened them. Even the back stays were in place. This stuff was in and out several times because after welding the tops, I had to pull it to weld the bottoms side. I did each of the 4 tubes separately because if I couldn't get my bolts back in, I'd know which one was the problem and adjust as needed. After getting it all fit up and welded, everything went back together and actually fell into place. All the bolts went in without fighting it. I pulled it all out again and hit all the pieces with a palm sander and some 80 grit.

I actually painted the back stays a couple days ago but it's been 110 degrees in my garage and it's monsoon. Pretty miserable and too hot to paint. So today I focused on getting the back half of the cage moved forward and tilted down enough to put it through the windshield opening. This got it far enough forward that I could weld the bottoms of tubes at the floor plates. What a bear to get done. I had to leave my hood off, put the top of my head on the floor, position my welding gun and zap the very bottoms of the sill bars with my eyes closed. Yikes. I actually got it done. I used to put a welding lens in my cutting goggles for stuff like this but I don't have them anymore.

So looks like I'll be sanding and prepping it all for paint before I move it back. The only welding left is the seat rails and the dash bar once everything gets put back in position. I have an idea for tying my body A-pillars to the cage A-pillars as well.

 

[aztoyman]

The driver side B-pillar has two tubes tied together at the base plate for a pretty good footprint. The passenger side just has a single tube with a lot of tubes welded to it at the top so I welded a taco gusset in for more surface area to the base plate.

I also got most of the sanding done and actually got some paint down.