Bumps on my 78’s rear tub/fenders? (5 Viewers)

[78Cruzr]

Longhunter, There are allowables for rivnuts but as you can imagine, the supporting structure is key. Rivnuts are designed for attaching bolts to structure where tapping threads is insufficient and/or the area is inaccessible for nuts.

A swing away tire carrier has the additional problem of imparting high dynamic loads into the attachment. Bottom line, is the supporting structure capable?

Guy

 

[Gusb]

It rolls - ready for a top and shelf.

That red Rustoleum is not exactly powder coat but hey it's just a work bench after all.

Came up with a simple way to keep the top (wood) from moving around (photo #2) - may still do something with the Rivnuts for mounting a pull handle, steel top, etc.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Real nice there Gus - I was just looking for a place to move a pile of tools. I tend to slowly bury whatever I am working on with every tool in my arsenal. I could use a tool cart.

 

[Gusb]

Disposable maple plywood top and shelf in place - maybe brush on some linseed oil so the dirt and grease don't soak in as much. Good for now, I'll make some accessories as I go along. Back to the 40!

 

[My wife said no FJ!]

Nice work

 

[ktmusa8]

Looks really nice. A little too clean though. I'm sure you'll fix that little problem after some more wrenching on the FJ.

 

[Gusb]

Looking at the passenger-side rocker and I think I've decided to pull the running board steps (or whatever they're called) and clean everything up as much as possible. Everything seems in pretty good shape but I can feel lumps of rust swelling the bracket areas.

That must be original factory primer under the steps?

Anyone know if those clips/flaps (green circle) held anything in the past?

 

[Gusb]

More details ... can almost make out the swelling rust/bracket areas (green circles).

 

[antFJ]

gusb,

I believe that line you have marked gas is actually the line that comes out of the vapor separator.. the metal line should be held against the rocker using those two (or three?) clips and then more clips hold it to the firewall.. as it enters the engine bay a rubber line connects it to the charcoal canister.

hope that helps!

Lookin good

 

[REZARF]

Stellar work bud, I just spent an hour reading through the thread, I am going to start attacking the rust on my 76 soon. I appreciate all the detailed pics I know they add a lot of time to the project.

Drew

 

[Gusb]

gusb,

I believe that line you have marked gas is actually the line that comes out of the vapor separator.. the metal line should be held against the rocker using those two (or three?) clips and then more clips hold it to the firewall.. as it enters the engine bay a rubber line connects it to the charcoal canister.

hope that helps!

Lookin good

Thanks antFJ,

That is the vapor line. [EDIT: wraps around and ] runs in front of the tank, and then uses the clips going forward toward the engine (see photo). I was just wondering if those empty clips between the brackets had ever been used for anything.

 

[Gusb]

Way better than the driver's side was, but this rust is already eating it's way up into the rocker. Would no doubt have worked it's way out through any new paint in a few years...

 

[waiting for time]

Are you going to remove the rocker to adjust the rust between the floor and the rocker?

 

[Gusb]

Are you going to remove the rocker to adjust the rust between the floor and the rocker?

When I got the truck in 2008 I needed to pull the trans cover at one point to address a broken wire on the overdrive switch. With everything pulled off the floor I decided to do a quick and dirty POR15 to keep the rusted areas from growing. Cleaned everything, treated the rust (MetalReady) and covered with POR and some color-matched Ace stuff. At the same time, I examined the inside of the rocker channels through the "port" holes and only found a little surface rust in the seams. Cleaned them out, treated the insides and sealed the areas with POR and some of those long wire handles with the paint ball dauber on the end. Those black paint runs you can see in some of the current bracket photos are run-out from that project. I think (hope) those areas will be solid for a long time. But I'll try to replace any bad stuff around the brackets or any other areas that are more than surface rust.

 

[Gusb]

Pulled the running board and broke 2 bolts in the process. Couldn't get heat on the underside mount because of the rubber, etc.

 

[Gusb]

Middle bracket looks better but rust is still eating it's way up into the rocker floor.

One way I've managed to get to some of those hard to reach, goober factory welds is with a carbide burr and die grinder. Good for getting into spots the angle grinder can't get to and eats the weld blob away.

 

[Gusb]

Broke the same bolt on the driver's side running board.

Decided to use Heli-coil inserts instead of fighting the old bolts out. Probably makes for a stronger thread anyway. These seem to be M10 X 1.25 for OEM hardware.

 

[jimhendrixx]

and time...

 

[Gusb]

Balance of 14 GA brackets for the rockers.

Looked at buying a small Grizzly bench brake but in the end just more hammer and vise.

These are just roughed-in - need a little more file/hammer work. Should have made all 4 at the same time

 

[Gusb]

16 GA. or 14 GA.?

In earlier drawings I showed the material thickness for these brackets at 16 GA. That thickness was based on the first one I pulled, driver’s side rear, which was pretty toasted. The only clean areas I could mic were .060 max. Assuming 16 GA. comes in around .0598 I made that bracket and 1/2 bracket from 16 GA. These (the balance of 3 from both sides) seem markedly heavier than that, measuring in at .065 and up. Cold-roll sheet coming in all over the place, (the “14 GA” I just bought measures .069 - .006 inch under the .0747 that 14 GA is listed at) I made these a little heavier.

So these 3 brackets are .004 thicker than the material (.065) that was put in at the factory.