waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

I didn't take it as a knock, thus the smiley face.

You should really use valid contact info though in your order profile.

:wabbit2:

fierohink

Wait what?!?!
It looked good when i typed it in????

flg8r22

iTrader: (1)

hats off to you man. you said from the start it could be fixed and we all thought it was junk. lookin great!

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Maybe it wasn't you yesterday. It was a LONG day and I didn't process anything when I got home last night. Shower then bed.

:wabbit2:

fierohink

While I'm waiting for my replacement hands fabricator (still sidelined with a broken wrist), I can start some side projects on the truck. Clutch kit, flywheel, slave and master cylinders have been replaced, thank you for 186k miles of service.

My Poly Urethane bushing kit has arrived:

So now I can prep the body mounts, spring hangers, sway bar links, I think the control arms will have to wait until warmer months when I can do this outside with some more space.

fierohink

Well I got an afternoon out of my welding hands (my brother) and got a lot accomplished.

Which sure beats the open hole I've had for the passed.... um I dunno a long time.

fierohink

He also got my spring hanger re-attached

I'm sure my ride will be improved over a free folating hanger.
Tomorrow the cross member should go back in. Then POR-15 and reassembly. I was shooting for 30 days for a turn around. I'm cutting it a little close. I think without a detour to an orthopedist I would have easily finished in a month.

streetlancer

iTrader: (1)

Wow, Great work!
Now, did you treat the inside of the frame rails before welding on the patch?

Magnusian

What inside of the frame rails? Have you been reading this thread? He didn't really have a frame behind the cab to begin with!

streetlancer

iTrader: (1)

I guess your right, Lol, there wasn't much left to begin with.

fierohink

So there was only a few things left on my punchlist before reassembly could begin. I needed to reattach the crossmember, patch a small hole near the transfer case crossmember, patch a small hole near the spare tire carrier, fab up a new o2 sensor perch, and replace my shackles that I had to torch off.

fierohink

Well the UPS man brought my shackles.


I underestimated the HD quality of TrailGear parts. Apparently they have a different definition of stock replacement then I do.

fierohink

I made a "new", and I use that term loosely, o2 Sensor perch:

If you can see the gobs of weld, well thats what happens when you try to weld left handed.

fierohink

I got a crossmember reattached:


here is a better shot of my brother's purdy welds:

fierohink

He even threw in some extra protection for the spring hanger so I don't run into problems in the future.

I guess he thinks I'll have this truck for another 17 years to need frame repair again.

fierohink

And now I've started the process of the POR-15 application with a good cleaning of Marine Clean:


which washed off this:


For mostly new steel, there is a lot o dirt and grime that stuff takes off.

fierohink

And just for comparison, this is a piece of metal I cut out of the frame:

It is full factory thickness on the right of about 2.5mm steel and over time rust and rotted to nothing along the left side.

fierohink

And I replaced it with this:

I don't think I should have any structural issues

fierohink

So I mentioned before that the Marine Clean portion of the POR-15 process was done, and now so is the Metal Ready:

That whitish coating is a zinc plating/etching that allows the POR-15 to bind harder with the metal. Awesome.

fierohink

Tomorrow is the big painting day. The rig might even see the light of day.