Builds Camo's build thread - 2F to 2UZ (1 Viewer)

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Zjohnsonua

SILVER Star
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Threads
56
Messages
2,178
Location
Huntsville, Alabama
Build as of June '22:

-60 body and frame
-80 full float rear axle, 80 rear discs, Detroit locker, 4.88s
-Rear springs = 5 leaf Chevy 63s with overloads, frenched shackle hangers
-Rear shocks = 10" short body remote reservoir Bilstein 7100s w/ 400 valving
-Cut and turned 60 front axle housing, 5th gen 4rnr discs, ARB locker, 4.88s, longfields and chromo hubs
-Front springs = flipped 60 rears w/ AAL, two shortest leaves deleted, third shortest is reversed, chevy 1500 overloads, frenched shackle hangers
-Front shocks = Bilstein 4600s for a 2nd gen Ram 2500
-2UZ/A750F/HF2A w/ part time
-37x12.50R17 KM3 on Sidetracked Offroad BLs

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I'd seen this truck in the sale ads for a long time, but never could seem to get a hold of the owner. Heck, I'm sure several of us in the South have. Then a couple weeks ago I was making plans to pick a few pieces from a 470 at LKQ Nashville and things happened to line up. I'd just sold some stuff and had some cash burning a hole in my pocket, and he happened to answer a few messages, so we took the long way home from Nashville to check this old girl out.

Several things were going against it mechanically to keep it from being test driven but we poured some gas down the carb, gave the battery a jump and it ran just long enough to not hear any weird noises. As I pondered just where in the hell I was gonna store it, how much explaining I'd have to do to the gf about another cruiser showing up, and why I would pick up another frigging project, solutions came up for all of these problems and we cut a deal with plans for pickup the following weekend.

I'd made a list of failures that kept it from moving under it's own power and got parts ordered or pulled from the spares bin. I recruited @ufg8r to help with the field repairs (thanks again, Chris!) and the owner pitched in to get a fresh battery charge and air up the flattened 35.

Once we returned, the workload got lighter as the "seized" clutch broke free after I gave it a few whacks with a pry bar to break mud/rock clods and dauber nests out of the clutch slave/fork works. Chris replaced the fuel pump, and I replaced a few fuel lines and rigged up a gas can to keep it fed. A little more gas down the carb to replace the varnish and she drove up the trailer.

Got it home, and tore into the carb. Varnish and debris everywhere. Nothing a can of carb cleaner and a sewing pin couldn't fix though. Half an hour of cleaning jets and checking linkages, and the thing fires right up on two hits of the pedal and half choke. Sounds mean through headers and a flowmaster! Neighbor lady gave me the you-must-be-a-redneck look. Truck 1 - Neighbor Lady 0.

Power steering pump is toast, so it'll get a Saginaw this week. Alternator looks dodgy as well, so it'll get a GM 10si unit out of the spares bin. The list of needs hits pretty much every system on the truck (except the seats...these PT Cruiser seats are COMFY **edit - they SUCK on long drives - replacements will happen**), but all in due time. Deadline is September. This thing was bought for trails and Fall is gonna be busy! The goal is to have it be able to drive to these events.

From what I can gather, this rig has been around TN for a while. If any of y'all know some history on it, send me a message, I'd like to hear it!

More to come as work progresses.
 
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Good project Zach. Is it sprung over already? What're your plans for it to be a wheeler?

Yup, already SOA'd, but it needs a cut and turn. Local guy here will do the welding for a good rate after I strip and prep the housing. It'll be a trail truck for sure - the interior is gutted.
 
Yup, already SOA'd, but it needs a cut and turn. Local guy here will do the welding for a good rate after I strip and prep the housing. It'll be a trail truck for sure - the interior is gutted.
We need more pictures...
 
All in due time mi amigo.
 
Good on ya! LMAO about cruiser storage. Story of my life. I am finally done. No more. I will leave out the count.


But now my son is buying his own herd. 😩. He is 17 and he has the bug.
 
I was hoping you'd do a build thread on this, Zach...!

Looking forward to seeing it in person some day, hopefully in early September!

- Brian
 
You’ve got some work ahead! I need to get motivated on mine so I can keep up....
 
Had a few minutes this afternoon to tinker a bit after getting some primer shot, so a little progress was made.

Got started on the power steering fix and the timebomb that was the upper radiator hose.

I used Cruiser Bros Saginaw swap kit on my other 60 and it worked a treat. I'd have gone that route again if not for the budget this thing is on. Scrap or spares are the name of the game when possible this time. So out came the sawzall, the grinder, and the welder to fab up a half a$$ replica. I'll do some poking around to find the 3/8 bolt I'll need to fasten the other hole.

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Pulling the upper radiator hose revealed a welcome surprise, a corrosion free OE radiator opening. I trimmed the new Gates hose to length, added a couple new clamps, and topped her off. Time bomb defused.

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Been a little while as I hit a couple speed bumps. I really hoped to have this thing driving by now since it runs so well.

First, the freshly rebuilt steering gear has no power assist. Pump makes pressure, but as soon as the wheel is turned the reservoir goes pink milkshake. Either the control valve or the o-rings are shot. The nitrile o-rings under the teflon rings weren't in the best shape, but they're NLA from Toyota and not included in the repair kits. Teflon rings went in easily after a while in the freezer under a clamp so I don't believe they're damaged. A buddy gave me their spare gearbox, but it gave the same issue. I'll give it a build once I get the rear end built and see if it can be resuscitated.

Speaking of the rear end...it's my other issue. I'm moving to 4:10s to help the 2F move 35s, and the rear diff I pulled from a dead FJ80 won't accept the new bearings I got from Kurt. They come about 0.030" shy of pressing all the way on once the inside corner radii crash on each other. Plenty of other stuff to get done while the diff situation is sorted out.
 
Picking up someone else's project = "it's always something"...!

Keep chipping away at it - You've got until early Sept!!

- Brian
 
Been a little while as I hit a couple speed bumps. I really hoped to have this thing driving by now since it runs so well.

First, the freshly rebuilt steering gear has no power assist. Pump makes pressure, but as soon as the wheel is turned the reservoir goes pink milkshake. Either the control valve or the o-rings are shot. The nitrile o-rings under the teflon rings weren't in the best shape, but they're NLA from Toyota and not included in the repair kits. Teflon rings went in easily after a while in the freezer under a clamp so I don't believe they're damaged. A buddy gave me their spare gearbox, but it gave the same issue. I'll give it a build once I get the rear end built and see if it can be resuscitated.

Speaking of the rear end...it's my other issue. I'm moving to 4:10s to help the 2F move 35s, and the rear diff I pulled from a dead FJ80 won't accept the new bearings I got from Kurt. They come about 0.030" shy of pressing all the way on once the inside corner radii crash on each other. Plenty of other stuff to get done while the diff situation is sorted out.
I saw your other thread on the carrier bearings in 80 Tech and wondered what you were working on. Are there different bearings you can find that will fit and work in the 60 rear axle?
 
I talked to Chris and Kurt yesterday and it sounds like we've sorted it out. There's a second set of bearings available for the 80s (that they don't list) that will accommodate the high radius. I reckon they're an unlisted option due to what they explained to be a low volume of trucks to have gotten them. They should be here by the end of the week, but no worries as my cup-o'-work is currently overflowing. That camo beast can wait in the wings for a bit longer.
 
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The 4.10 swap is done, just need to do the passenger side knuckle build to finish up the axles.

The gf pulled rank and has me putting 4.88s (that I've been procrastinating on for 2 months now) in her 80 rather than working on my "s***box". It's prime timing since we'll rack up the break-in miles over a long weekend in the Carolinas. My OCD made the tooth grinding and ring gear pressing take forever otherwise this wasn't too horrible a job. Thankfully I'm at the ragged edge of fitting the cross pin as the gears patterned out *just* clear of the recess. Oh, and so much for my theory that older 80s got the weird carrier bearings...hers lost the lottery, too. Thankfully her truck saw light duty so the bearings were in good shape and could be reused.
 
Mardi Krawl is getting ever closer, and that's as good a debut for this thing as anything. So Camo is back to the front of the line...

Today's progress: tailgate installation. The hinge mounts on the body were holes big enough to hide your favorite whiskey bottle in, so that got cleaned up and a couple pieces of 0.25 scrap plate got burned in to give the hinges some purchase.

At any rate, it's in. It needs some tailgate stays to keep the thing held up. If anyone has a set they're willing to part with please let me know.

20200813_194829.jpg
 
Mardi Krawl is getting ever closer, and that's as good a debut for this thing as anything. So Camo is back to the front of the line...

Today's progress: tailgate installation. The hinge mounts on the body were holes big enough to hide your favorite whiskey bottle in, so that got cleaned up and a couple pieces of 0.25 scrap plate got burned in to give the hinges some purchase.

At any rate, it's in. It needs some tailgate stays to keep the thing held up. If anyone has a set they're willing to part with please let me know.

View attachment 2403505
Glad to see your back on the horn with this one. What else does it need to be MK ready?
 
Passenger front wheel bearings, front driveshaft, rear shaft u-joints, fuel tank install, and assorted plumbing. That's what I know of... we'll see how it does and what else it needs after I put some miles under it.
 
You got less than 3 weeks - But I know you can make it happen!

Looking forward to seeing it in person...

- Brian
 
@bush and I gave the truck a good study last night and the result is that I've decided to push the truck to a longer term project and make it right again. There are too many details that need to be corrected to be able to enjoy the truck on the trail. As is, I'll forever be guessing about noises, breaking u-joints, and I don't trust the front end over 30 mph much less to the trailhead. So yeah, here goes another Mud thread on fixing a mehhhh-SOA.

Current situation:
  • Steerage: the current heims are too small, draglink-to-tie rod relative angle is bump-steer city, and the high steer arms are too short... So Marlin's high steer kit is on the way to get the show started.
  • Springs: will go the usual route - rears to the front and 63s out back. Probably going to have some frenching involved to get the weight down.
  • Front axle: C&T is happening to remedy the quick-n-cheap problems - like <8" shock travel due to unmodified OE u-bolt plates being used. One of Ruff Stuff's kits are on the way to help this.
  • Drive shafts: Front DC shaft is OE length - gonna have it lengthened. Rear axle was rolled up for pinion clearance - great idea except they didn't put in the req'd DC shaft. That'll happen this time.
  • Tires: she'll live at 35s. Easier to find cheap, and less likely to start popping the driveline fuses.
But she runs, drives-ish, shifts and stops. I'll take what I can get. Until next time...
 
What size heims are on it now? I'd go with 7/8 heims I absolutely love mine and have had zero problems. Mine are from Ruffstuff.
 

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