truck build up (1 Viewer)

[azrider]

A few of you already know, so for the rest of you, I sold my Dodge Dakota I bought brand new in 1999 to put towards my cruiser. The first picture is of the 50- 100 dollar bills I got for my truck right before I deposited it. So I bought the OME J's and heavy coils, shocks, caster correction bushings, front axle rebuild kit, snorkel and 4.88 gears from cruiseroutfitters. The second picture is of all the stuff I got.

 

[azrider]

truck build up part #2

so I tore into the disassembly process, starting with the front axle. PS I found a a bearing that looked good, rolled smooth enough, plenty of good grease, but small metal particles on the shop towels, so something wasnt right. On the DS, as soon as I started to undo the knuckle, soup was pouring out the bolt holes. So obviously the inner seal was shot. See first picture. 2nd picture is of it completely disassembled. Then after I got the whole front axle torn down, I started on getting the front and rear diff housings out. The rear actuator had me stumped for a little bit, couldnt get it to come loose from the housing. In the FSM, under disassembly it says nothing of a set screw holding it in. I got both housings out and took them down to 4 Wheelers Supply and they put the 4.88 gears in for $260. A few days later I went to get them and it was alot harder to put them in. laying on my back, then rolling it on my stomach and bench pressing them up and onto the studs without messing up the RTV. It took me a few tries, believe me.

 

[azrider]

truck build up part #3

I decided to take a small break and wanted to get the snorkel on. I borrowed the hole saw from Brittan and the nutsert tool(for the A pillar mount) and taped on the template, marked the holes and drilled away. The only hang up I had was when I went to test fit the snorkel, I tightened up all the fender locknuts to get a accurate mounting for the A pillar bracket. Well when I went to undo the nuts, 2 studs unscrewed from the snorkel with the lock nuts on them. I jacked up the threads on the stud, so I had to buy some allthread from ACE and cut it down to size. I got it all mounted up, used the nutserts on the A pillar(after a practice shot on my step ladder-never used one before). I left one nut off, the top nut that is suppose to be on top, right about where the antennae is, maybe one day i'll put it on, or maybe not. The snorkel is very snug on there without it. Rob Clark, I have something for you to do at the next meet.

 

[azrider]

truck build up part #4

I had my father-in-law over at the house, and I knew he didnt want to get too dirty so I decides to put the coil springs, shocks, and steering damper in. It wasnt as easy as some of you say it is. I rented the spring compressor, and of course it doesnt fit up inside like its suppose to because of the boot thing inside there. The front ones eventually came out, had to jack the opposite side way high till it was about to lift off the jackstands that were under the frame, then push down really hard on the axle to get them loose. The rear coils werent that bad except for getting to the nuts on top for the shocks. I thought it would be a big difference when the new coils and shocks on, but visually, not really.
So over the next couple days, I tried to get the radius arms off. PB Blaster soaked and still couldnt get them to budge. Kevin says "zip, zip, zip" and there off. Yeah right!! I broke a damn socket after using a breaker bar and a 3 lb sledge. Off to Sears I go and this time I got the impact socket. They eventually came down, took them over to Kevin's and had him press them in (thanks man) while my kids watched a movie in the car. Went to install them, wasnt too bad, used a ratchet strap to pull and a floor jack to lift them in. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, you know how steering arm is attached to the knuckle and when its all torn apart its laying on the floor? Yep, put the arm in and realized the steering arm needs to be ABOVE the radius arm!!! Had to take it down and do it all over.

 

[azrider]

truck build up part #5

decided this day to go get my tires. Went to Precision Tire and got 5 315-75-16's Nitto Terra Grapplers mounted up. Out the door price was $1090, thats with road hazard too. Damn they look good!! So as of right now, the front axle is almost fully put together, had to run up to see Rob Clark and borrow his large socket, and will go and buy a fish scale tomorrow and see if I cant get this preload done correctly. I got the birf video from Rob and it shows the method, so i'll give it a shot. Disassembled the rear axle tonight(borrowed the hub tool from Jackson last week) and will hopefully by tomorrow night have both axles done. The truck might actually be off jackstands tomorrow!!! Doing all this by myself, except for the suspension, for the first time. Ive been picking at a few hours at a time for 19 days. Im tired of wrenching, cant wait for it to be sitting in the driveway. Not to mention my wife nagging me about how everything, her car, the garage, and the house smells like brake cleaner. Stayed tuned for part #6.

 

[msahr]

Looks good so far. Where did you find a fish scale?

 

[-Spike-]

I'm thinking one thread might have done the trick.

-Spike

 

[clarkrw3]

I got my digital fish scale at Cabelas but I guess some break fluid got on it and now it is in two pieces. The break fluid ate right through the plastic case of the unit...

Moral of the story is to keep you plastics away from your break fuid

 

[BMAN]

Ya know Shannon... you can post twice in the same thread. Even the ones you start yourself... It's ok... it really is.

 

[Tools R Us]

Ya know Shannon... you can post twice in the same thread. Even the ones you start yourself... It's ok... it really is.

Just trying to help the handicapped. Never merged that many threads at once, hope it works correctly.

 

[azrider]

Geez, give me a break already, It totally passed over my head to put them all on one thread . It was late, someone fixed it so all is good. I'm actually going to go to Cabelas today for the fish scale and see if I can't get this mostly tidied up today,(handicapped and all). I'm telling ya, too many hours of smelling brake cleaner does something to ya. Or maybe it's the grease and orange hand cleaner seeping into my blood stream via my busted up knuckles.

 

[Tools R Us]

... so I decides to put the coil springs, shocks, and steering damper in. It wasnt as easy as some of you say it is. I rented the spring compressor, ...

Have never used a spring compressor on LC springs, even with spacers. Maybe you need to find a little girl to do it for you?

... So over the next couple days, I tried to get the radius arms off. PB Blaster soaked and still couldnt get them to budge. Kevin says "zip, zip, zip" and there off. Yeah right!! ...

It's all about having the proper tools for the job, zip, zip, off, guaranteed!

 

[azrider]

pry bar, breaker bar, 3lb sledge and misc. hand tools. Thats what used. I dont have the dream toolbox and garage for sure!! Im sure when Kevin works on his cruiser, he never bleeds, doesnt even get dirty, and has the job done in 1/2 the time as anyone else. Not this guy. I watched the birf video yesterday, wow, its looks pretty easy and not a frustration to be had. HAAAA!!!

 

[clarkrw3]

So was that video helpful??

 

[BrotherRob]

pry bar, breaker bar, 3lb sledge and misc. hand tools. Thats what used. I dont have the dream toolbox and garage for sure!! Im sure when Kevin works on his cruiser, he never bleeds, doesnt even get dirty, and has the job done in 1/2 the time as anyone else. Not this guy. I watched the birf video yesterday, wow, its looks pretty easy and not a frustration to be had. HAAAA!!!

Hell no, but I wouldn't try that job with just hand tools. That's just self abuse. You should have spent a few of those $s on some basic air tools.

 

[murf]

Looking good! That cash goes fast doesnt it?!

 

[MaddBaggins]

Just think of the good tools and stuff you coulda got if you skipped the snorkle.

 

[medtro]

Looking good. Do you know what you need next?

 

[azrider]

Rob Clark- I went thru the video, making sure I got everything in order and mentally took note i didnt forget to put something back on or tighten up. The preload part towards the end was helpful for sure.

Brother Rob- oh yeah, air compressor and tools to do the job, would of been nice for sure, but busted knuckles heal, my pocket book wouldnt of faired so well.

Murf- all in all, Im looking at $4300 spent, all the parts, front and rear rebuild kit, and fluids. Lots of trips to Checker.

Maddbaggins- skip the snorkel?? thats what put a smile on my face everytime I went out to the garage.....that and the tires.

Medtro- my list of wants has gone down some, but future plans are the 4X4Labs rear bumper, sliders, onboard air compressor, and a Slee shortbus bumper with a winch.

 

[azrider]

Whoo hoo, finished up both axles yesterday, and put all 4 tires on it. All I have left to do this morning is to fill the diffs up, spin on a new oil filter and fill it with some oil. Now im just wondering what I didnt do, or forgot. Going to take it easy for a few miles, Wheelers recommended 15 minute intervals on the gears with a 2 hour cool down, doing it about 4 times. Well heres a few pics, not the best because its still in the garage, but at least its off jackstands.