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

[aztoyman]

The flange I made fits perfectly under the lip of the link bracket. It gives me a great lap joint to weld it on solidly. I went around the sides to help prevent it from bending upward.

The flange I made for the skid plate has open corner joints and will be solidly welded as well.

The two flanges would be parallel if not for the 4 degree slope so there is a small wedge side piece welded to the skid plate. It's an inch lower at the rear of the skid plate.

 

[aztoyman]

Top side is welded in. I still need to do the bottom. I cut the ends long so I can grind a radius and avoid sharp corners. I need to buy some nuts to weld on the top side.

 

[aztoyman]

Man, I sure can make simple, complicated. Geeze .

I was determined to use my skid plate. It's paid for and works great.

I still need to do the passenger side. It's going to be a little tougher to fit. It looks like I might need to trim the notch for the drive shaft back further because of the amount of suspension droop. I might only get 3 bolts on this side.

 

[aztoyman]

I didn't get a lot of time to work on it today. I did get the passenger side done though. I'll finish welding the bottom side once the engine and trans are out.

Tomorrow I'm going to clean up the rough/sharp edges and sand the skid plate paint off. And get the FROR mount off.

 

[Broski]

ENOUGH of this battery box. It's welded in from the top..... FINALLY. I gotta quit being so picky.

Gonna try to get the bed and cab off tomorrow. I don't have a lot of garage space left so we'll see how it goes.

View attachment 3342805

The battery box turned out great !
Being picky is how thing come out that way.
I would spray the lid with a rubberized covering just in case
When I moved my battery up for tire clearance it was to close to the hood for me so that’s what I did.

 

[Broski]

I’m following this build but never get the updates, so frustrating.
Should be a simple thing in this computerized world that we live in.
I always have to go looking for it then I’m a few pages behind
Sorry for the Hi jack

Great build, keep up the good work and thanks for posting!

 

[aztoyman]

I cleaned up the skid plate. I used Rust-Oleum appliance epoxy years ago for paint. That stuff hung on tight. I used a 40 grit sanding disc on my 4 1/2" grinder to get to bare metal.

We'll see how the Rust-Oleum Hammered Gray holds up. I added hardener and brushed it on.

 

[aztoyman]

Ok the paint is hard enough to mount the skid plate. I removed the FROR cross member and I'm happy going back to the OEM style mounts.

 

[aztoyman]

For the rear cross member I decided to fabricate a new one rather than piece a modified one together.

I had to cut sections out to get the original at least positioned where it originally was. I just tack welded it to the pieces that were still attached to the frame.

I can use the muffler hanger if I need it later and I definitely need the section with the holes and bracket for the E-brake linkage and cables.

I'll make a new one from 3/16" steel I have on hand. The original is pretty thin.

 

[gnob]

nice work dude. very sexy.

 

[ntsqd]

If you copy the basic design of the original part I think that you could use 1/8" and be fine - and keep some weight out of the truck.

 

[aztoyman]

I have some 1/8". That's about what the original is.

 

[Manhattan]

Wow. Every post... wow. Love this build!

 

[aztoyman]

I had appointments today so I didn't get started until this afternoon. I made a cardboard pattern to fit up against the original cross member while tacked in position. The top of it is really close to the bottom of the cab and the raised transmission puts the drive shaft really close to the bottom of it.

I need to make sure the parking brake linkage and cables are going to work and I need to allow room on the driver side for exhaust.

So all I got done so far is cut out the front side. I'm going to see if I can mockup the parking brake and the exhaust up to the cat at least before I cut anymore parts out for the cross member.

 

[ntsqd]

MISF put a thin wall tube (5" truck exhaust tubing) lined tunnel thru a cross-member for the exhaust on his last project vehicle. Don't think that you have quite that much room, but maybe it sparks an idea.

 

[aztoyman]

I'm running 2 1/4" or 2 1/2" exhaust ( I don't remember)and I was planning on either a tube like you mentioned through the driver side of the cross member or an arched notch there if no room for the tube. It's tight. I DO appreciate any and all ideas. Thanks.

Maybe just up through the bed like a diesel stack. With a RAIN CAP!

While I have access to the rear of the engine I should probably figure out my fuel lines too. I'd like to convert to AN fittings.

 

[ntsqd]

His exhaust is probably 2.5", the 5" tube tunnel made sure that it wouldn't touch going thru the cross-member.

On the fuel plumbing topic, be careful about which hose you use. I wouldn't bother with the rubber lined SS braided hose for fuel. Teflon lined only, which dramatically increases the cost. Reason being that the std rubber lined braided SS hose has a history of not doing well with some of the modern fuel ingredients. It turns to carp in a couple of years and will need to be replaced.

The alternative is to use the "Emissions Barrier" type of fuel hose on Push-Lock/Barb-tite hose fittings. This hose has a thin liner made from something (polyethylene?) that is impervious to those ingredients. And these hose ends screw onto AN adapter fittings. I've used this combo on several vehicles for nearly 10 years without a problem. On one street car I even used the hose as the Walbro fuel pump mount. That was 6+ years ago and it's still fine. I would NOT do that on a 4x4 though. They can be a bear to push together, but they do not need or want hose clamps, and the assembly is good to the pressure rating of the hose. Generically the fittings look like these: Earl's Performance AT709111ERL Earl's Performance Super Stock Hose Ends | Summit Racing - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ear-at709111erl

 

[aztoyman]

Today I finally got the parking brake cable and linkage figured out. I thought I could just attach the linkage as is to my new cross member and be done. Nope.

 

[aztoyman]

I hooked up the rear cables to the levers on the backing plates. I found that I can run the cable up on the right lower link and to the new location for the attachment at the linkage on the cross member.

Originally it ran along the frame rail. The link bracket blocks that now.

So the "relocated" linkage assembly was lined up with the new cable routing but it was forced into a kink right at the cross member.

So I cut along the edge of the bulge on the bracket that put the kink on the cable. Stuck in in my press and flattened it out. FIXED the kink but CAUSED a misalignment with the lever now.

Cut the lever bracket off and repositioned it for proper geometry and welded it back on.

Woohoo it's gonna work. I just need to weld on the bracket that the front section of cable from the cab attaches to. I have to remove that cable from my 88 because the one that was on this truck is broken off.

 

[aztoyman]

While I was under the 88 figuring out the cable situation I pulled the exhaust. Got the mandrel bends and usable tube apart and got the muffler off to use for mockup. The cat and muffler look rotated in the pic but they are level with the floor.