Builds New here, no idea where to start.

[Nader]

That's insightful of you, skidplate. I've grown attached to this rig as it's become a member of the family. I am now more emotionally, and monetarily, invested in it than that first sketchy couple of weeks.

I finished the other side of the rear suspension, and I think I'm getting better at this. Hopefully the fronts will go even smoother. I bounced up and down on the rear bumperettes, and the rig felt like a big, silent marshmallow. Not like those noisy marshmallows I hate. In the process, I also wire-brushed a couple of the wagon wheels and shot a fresh coat of Duplicolor wheel paint. Don't mind the overspray, these 30 year-old tires are going in the dumpster as soon as I get my BFG ATs.

 

[Nader]

I'm trying to decide on tire size. It's going to be BFG ATs, but not sure if I should go 33" vs 31". If I go 33", it would be better on the highway and trails, but I might not fit in my workplace parking garage which has a 6'6" limit. Actually, I'm just procrastinating getting to the front suspension. Doing the rear left me sore (that's what SHE said!).

 

[Curt]

I went from 31's to 33's after i did my lift couple months ago which also left me stiff and sore. Definitely digging the rubber overdrive on the highway and it is easier to drive around town. If height is the only issue take that top off! that aside i don't think it will fit under 6'6".

 

[fyton2v]

It definitely won't fit with that lift kit and 33s if the clearance is only 6'6". It may not even with fit with 31" tires. It'll be scary close to overhead stuff.

 

[Nader]

Thanks, fyton2v. Nice llama you got there. I'll get the big tires and just park outside with the riff-raff.

Just about done with the suspension project. Need to do the U-bolts the last front spring, and few odds and ends. The fronts went a lot faster. I painted the remaining 3 wheels, too. Including the one that blew out while the seller flat towed it to my house. I need to get on the ball and order up tires as this suspension project comes to a close.

Oh, check out these old gas shocks. I compressed them all, and only one still had enough charge to slowly re-extend. Is there any worth to these old parts? I'm thinking of unloading them on Craigslist. Part of me wants to try my hand at sword-smithing with those leaf springs. You know, build a forge on the back patio, swing a BFH to pound out a blade against an anvil. I heard leaf springs make good swords for the DIYer. I got good practice and a workout beating out the seized suspension bolts on the 40. I'm on my way to having one huge arm, like a fiddler crab!

 

[Nader]

Got the new tires. BFG AT, 33X10.5X15. Man, they're bigger in real life than the dozens of pictures I've seen on de interwebs. They're bigger than the tires on my F350. Beefy!

To do something right, you have to do it yourself. But in this case, since I don't have a tire changing machine or wheel balancer, I used a shop. From a national chain. And me being a magnet for poor service, even this simple task was botched. Only one of the five tires got a new valve stem. Originals are metal, and I asked for rubber. Don't you prefer rubber stems if you're wheeling? Anyway, after getting home, I notice one of the tires is half flat. Looking closer, I see the original metal stem and it's hissing air. WTF? Only one of the five wheels with new tires got the rubber stem I asked for. I've said this before, and I'll say it again (and probably again and again): Why does this always happen to me? It was after hours by this time, so I'd have to call them about it the next day.

Just as I discovered this, my phone alerted me that I had a new email from the tire store. It was asking me to fill out a survey about my recent experience. Sure I will! Supposed to be anonymous. I was very fair until it asked if I'd recommend their shop to others. I replied absolutely not. It prompted another screen asking why not, and I explained the situation with my valve stems and flat tire.

Today, I got a voice mail from the manager of the shop who was alerted about my survey answer. So much for survey anonymity. But I'm glad he followed up instead of me calling them. He was very apologetic, and assured me they'll fix it whenever I can bring it in. What gets me, is that these guys do hundreds of tires a day, thousands a week. Once again, this time in a sobbing Nancy Kerrigan voice, "WHY ME?!"

 

[ginmtb]

That would be just "why?"

 

[Nader]

Good news: It's close, but it fits! But fitting in is another matter entirely. My vehicle is the only one in this garage with rust. Not that I care. It's also the only one with a winch!

 

[Kleatus]

Just saw you turning at 112th and Main! Looking good!!

 

[Nader]

Just saw you turning at 112th and Main! Looking good!!

Hey, small world! Just checked out your own thread; very impressive! I think we have a few things in common. I also started out in Missourah years ago (are you a Mizzou alum?). I really like your DIY approach to bodywork. I'd love to do the same, but I don't have it in me anymore. And I kind of promised my neighbors I'd have this thing looking half-decent by the end of summer. I think I'm going to punt and have mine re-tubbed and buttoned up through Torfab.

 

[Kleatus]

Hey, small world! Just checked out your own thread; very impressive! I think we have a few things in common. I also started out in Missourah years ago (are you a Mizzou alum?). I really like your DIY approach to bodywork. I'd love to do the same, but I don't have it in me anymore. And I kind of promised my neighbors I'd have this thing looking half-decent by the end of summer. I think I'm going to punt and have mine re-tubbed and buttoned up through Torfab.

Thanks for the kind words. I didn't go to Mizzou, but am a Rolla alum. We did however venture up there on a number of weekends of course. The tub has been a bit of work. I have enjoyed it but just wish I could be moving faster on it. Looking back another tub or an aqualu tub probably would have made more sense, but all my rust is gone and it all looks OEM. I'm fortunate in that nobody can see what I'm doing here and I have yet to hear any complaints about any noise, so I'll keep on keeping on. Looks like a dedicated trap gun you tried out in the roof clips - give me a shout if you ever feel like breaking some clays and talking cruisers!

 

[Nader]

I normally keep a can of Tri-Flow in the booze compartment to squirt the squeaky things that I stumble into that need squirting. Fer instance, while waiting for a ferry boat a few weeks ago, I managed to rehab the stuck ashtray. The other day I squirted a coupla hinges. Things like that. Fits perfectly. No, I don't work for Tri-Flow.

 

[Nader]

This evening, I took the '40 to the store to get the bottle of single malt that I've been looking forward to all week. It comes in a fancy cardboard tube that keeps it from fitting in the booze compartment. Delete the tube, and we've got a half-decent fit; using the booze compartment for its intended purpose. I think booze came in shorter bottles in the '70's...

 

[Nader]

I just fitted a tow bar, with plans to flat tow it to Torfab to get a good mechanical once-over, re-tubbed, and painted. I knew enough to keep the transfer caseAs I did my practice run around the neighborhood, there were a couple slow sharp turns at intersections where the '40's front wheels didn't want to follow, and even turned the opposite direction. Didn't happen at every intersection. I noticed it when I encountered extra resistance to the tow as I started the turn. I had to jump out of the tow rig and run back to manually turn the '40's steering wheel in the correct direction. Disconcerting, to say the least.

I got back home and made sure the pivots at the hitch end of the tow bar were loose and then I greased them. Anything else? Special techniques to encountering 90˚ slow turns?

 

[Nader]

I'm back. When was that last post? July? Soooo, the truck was at the shop for almost 4 months. About half as long as I've owned it. I didn't mind at all, because I needed this project out of my hair for the summer. I looked at it as free storage.

Plans were for a general mechanical check-up, and a restoration requiring a re-tubbing because of rot. When I got the quote that exceeded the value of several of my cars (put together), I asked for just the mechanical stuff. So now, it's got a new water pump, radiator, windshield (remember the bullet hole?), dash pad (remember the lantern burn?), and basic tune-up. Oh, and the crank pulley was cracked and wobbly, so that's been replaced. Now it has an extra groove for another expensive accessory (power steering? A/C?). I'll patch up the bodywork myself.

It's nice to have the truck back home, despite my lack of space for it. It's the fourth vehicle in my driveway. My neighbors aren't crazy about that. I'm reacquainting myself with the truck with some small projects. First up was installing an "Anderson" high amperage plug between the winch and the battery leads. I have this Harbor Freight hydraulic crimper that I bought when I wired up my race car from scratch. Awesome for this kind of work, makes monster crimps.

 

[Nader]

I also did this relay trick for my newish gear reduction starter. I didn't like having a dangling wire left over, the one that's used to "excite" the coil before starting. So now the coil is theoretically excitable again. Not sure it it works, because my battery is dying and I couldn't get a good cold start out it. At least I don't have any dangling wires now .

 

[Nader]

Oh, in reviewing the prior post, I noticed that shiny new addition to the engine block, covering the flywheel timing mark inspection port. The shop lost the original, so I remade one out of light weight, aircraft aluminum. Not kidding. I bought sheets and sheets of various grade and gauge of aluminum from Boeing back when they had their surplus for sale to the public, over ten years ago. I bought them without knowing what they'd ever be used for. Turns out they're great for fabricating parts for race cars, motorcycles, and now, old Japanese trucks.

 

[Flatlanderfj40]

Got the new tires. BFG AT, 33X10.5X15. Man, they're bigger in real life than the dozens of pictures I've seen on de interwebs. They're bigger than the tires on my F350. Beefy!

To do something right, you have to do it yourself. But in this case, since I don't have a tire changing machine or wheel balancer, I used a shop. From a national chain. And me being a magnet for poor service, even this simple task was botched. Only one of the five tires got a new valve stem. Originals are metal, and I asked for rubber. Don't you prefer rubber stems if you're wheeling? Anyway, after getting home, I notice one of the tires is half flat. Looking closer, I see the original metal stem and it's hissing air. WTF? Only one of the five wheels with new tires got the rubber stem I asked for. I've said this before, and I'll say it again (and probably again and again): Why does this always happen to me? It was after hours by this time, so I'd have to call them about it the next day.

Just as I discovered this, my phone alerted me that I had a new email from the tire store. It was asking me to fill out a survey about my recent experience. Sure I will! Supposed to be anonymous. I was very fair until it asked if I'd recommend their shop to others. I replied absolutely not. It prompted another screen asking why not, and I explained the situation with my valve stems and flat tire.

Today, I got a voice mail from the manager of the shop who was alerted about my survey answer. So much for survey anonymity. But I'm glad he followed up instead of me calling them. He was very apologetic, and assured me they'll fix it whenever I can bring it in. What gets me, is that these guys do hundreds of tires a day, thousands a week. Once again, this time in a sobbing Nancy Kerrigan voice, "WHY ME?!"

View attachment 1480631 View attachment 1480632

unless you went to the busiest Discount Tire in the nation less than 1% of Tire dealers are doing 100 tires per day. Regardless, it’s stuff like you experienced that gives our business a bad rap. Truck is looking good!

 

[Nader]

Hi Flatlander. The Discount Tire I went to has six bays and they're usually pretty busy. Regardless, it's like any job manned by highschoolers, whether it's Jiffy Lube, McD's, etc., you often have to keep an eye on them. I have six other cars I take there, and the service is mostly as expected. I'd say about 85% good. But I also limit my exposure to risk by bringing in wheels off of the car so they can't eff things up on the lift or jack. I have a few odd cars that have very specific jack points. With my luck, they'd screw it up and pinch the oil lines or eff up the floor pan.

Because again, I'm a magnet for poor service. Even today, I went out to pick up the Sears Diehard AGM battery in a Group 34 that I purchased online, and the very nice guy at the auto center's desk went back and retrieved a regular (flooded) battery. I drove 45 minutes out of my way to this store for this battery because the Sears website said this particular store had this battery in stock, while my local one did not. So I pointed out to the guy that this was not the AGM battery that I had ordered. He said they didn't have it in stock after all, and that it was his mistake that he fulfilled the order that sent me a text saying it was ready for pick-up. He apologized and asked if a 34R would be okay (the "R" has the terminals reversed). I said it would be fine, because I have enough slack in my battery leads, and I can re-fab them myself if needed. Remember the hydraulic crimper ? Furthermore, one of my other cars takes a 34R, so it might be useful to have a backup for one or the other.

I swear, I can't leave the house without some kind of let-down. My wife sometimes calls me Eeyore because I'm often sullen with disappointment; I guess I just need to roll with it. But come on! So here's the new 34R battery with the reversed terminals. Same as a Ferrari 348!

 

[Nader]

I also have a couple things to report. First, that relay off the starter is a bad, bad idea. At least on my truck, despite following the simple instructions from another thread on this site. Retaining the coil "exciter wire" not only keeps the new gear reduction starter on for a few seconds after the the truck is running (albeit disengaged), but also caused some coil malfunctioning such that the engine was difficult to start, missed badly, and died easily. I disconnected it, and all was well. I'm back to having a dangling unused wire.

In other news, I wanted to start doing some of that bodywork I alluded to, and plan to start on the rotted floor under the passenger seat. The PO removed the original gas tank, so there's empty space under there, and full of litter. Leaves, broken glass, cigarette butts, and a couple of those disposable Bic lighters. The coolest thing I found was this Remington 280 cartridge. Remember the gun clips on the top of the windshield frame? This was a hunter's rig in Idaho. Wonder what he hunted?