Builds Utah... the "new blue" - the unforeseen build

[2fpower]

I need to give credit to @Dagha Boy for inspiring me to do the rear axle paint work. If he can do a beautiful job while fighting dust flying in from the passing zebra herd, I can surely do it here in the MW, with my MWFD putting up with parts hanging in the yard drying.

 

[2fpower]

Got outside for a couple hours last night. Started putting the rear axle back together

 

[Jdc1]

Got outside for a couple hours last night. Started putting the rear axle back together View attachment 1218781

Looks great, what paint did you use?

 

[2fpower]

Looks great, what paint did you use?

My favorite. John Deere Blitz Black over the two part epoxy. Tough as nails and you can lay it down on anything.

 

[2fpower]

Got the seals from cruiser outfitters so time for installation of rear bearings. Bearings went in the freezer for overnight, and heated up the housing with a torch. chucked up the Harbor freight seal setters in the lathe and turn them to the right sizes.

 

[2fpower]

More pics. then I started working on centering the front axles thanks to a tool I borrowed.

then I started working on centering the front axles thanks to a tool I borrowed from @tornadoalleycruiser . He will hopefully like that I printed off all the instructions and laminated them for his bag of goodies. Got both sides calculated, so I will be ready when the diffs come back.

 

[2fpower]

I went ahead and replaced the inner seal with some Marlin HD inner axle seals, after turning down another seal tool from Harbor freight. Having a lathe is a pretty cool thing.

 

[2fpower]

Rear axles.

 

[2fpower]

it looked like the inner race had shifted out over the years on one axle and oil had leaked out pretty good. soaked it in some thinner for a while then wire brushed it to make sandblasting easier. Cut the race with a die grinder and popped it with a cold chisel which made the last portion you cannot get to cut have a crack, then it came out easy, just like @SuperBuickGuy had in an old post.

Finished some blasting, and was able to spray primer and paint on it with the 70 degree weather at 11pm we had here on March 6th. CRAZY.

Question: when I put the new race in, I know to heat the race and freeze the axle; however, do you put some red locktite or something on there????

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

U have been busy. Free from work after wed so diffs go in possibly thurs or next week as I have a week off between jobs

 

[2fpower]

Sweet. Thanks tornado. here's pictures of the axles painted. Plan is to drop them in the freezer tonight.

 

[spencer arndt]

Not flaking, they don't fit in my cruiser and my dads s***ty ford 6.0 keeps blowing injectors. ive loaded them in his bed 3 times and had to come back all 3 times before even getting out of town. they're coming, i was just at his shop pulling out the injector for hopefully the last time yesterday. fastenall on redwood road is 3 miles from my apartment so its not a problem for me to get there.

 

[JohnnyC]

Your making some great progress ... Love the tie-ins ... How old is that aluminum tub ... Looks like an early gen full tub

I just don't have the patience to do axle stuff ... You got the knack for it ... Great job! Great cruiser!

 

[2fpower]

Thanks @JohnnyC I really respect your knowledge and all the help you give others. I am thinking second gen tub, as it fit the top really well; however, I really don't know.

@spencer arndt great to hear from you. Just was forwarded a pic from your kokopelli trail trip. I really hope someday I can have her on that trail again.

 

[spencer arndt]

Thanks @JohnnyC I really respect your knowledge and all the help you give others. I am thinking second gen tub, as it fit the top really well; however, I really don't know.

@spencer arndt great to hear from you. Just was forwarded a pic from your kokopelli trail trip. I really hope someday I can have her on that trail again.

if you ever do let me know, maybe ill get my 60 out there. im putting a 3FE and a H55F into her then she will be all done.

 

[2fpower]

Sounds like a good reunion!!

 

[2fpower]

That was the least amount of work ever. I had frozen the axle for a day and a half and I dropped the new races in the Powdercoat oven for about 20 minutes, got all of the press tools and hammers and Slide hammers out ready to assist getting the race in place. Took them out of the oven put them around the axle on it dropped perfectly in place. Where's that Staples " that was easy" button when you need it

 

[2fpower]

Looking back at those pics, looks like freezerburn was just setting in!!

 

[2fpower]

Started working on the rear swing out bumper again

Took a look at the 4 x 4 labs bumper and like the stop that's integrated into the spindle. I had originally bought an extra 4 x 4 spindle however it was too big for this bumper build. This spindle is smaller so fits better into the bumper, but is not does not have enough room at the bottom after you put in the bearing and the bottom seal to Cut out for the stop. I thought about welding on additional piece at the bottom, however I didn't like the concerns of warping. So I decided to cut out some more material so that the bearing and race and seal set higher.

 

[2fpower]

just reading @Coolerman thread while my computer thought....

Buy 4 horsetail or barbed 1/8 -27 NPT brass fittings. (You could also use 1/8-28 BSPT fittings) These are available from McMaster-Carr or MSC Direct for cheap. 4 allow you to do both axles, the tranny (3sp) and the t-case.

Now you CAN thread these directly in as the brass threads will deform, but I decided to cut the proper threads in the fitting using a 10mm x 1.5 die. Because the -27 pitch threads are smaller than the 1.5 pitch threads we want to cut, the new threads will seal as good as the original

Now I am looking for his parts list to convert the transfer case breather to a barb fitting.