Well, i posted this over on NTC, but i figured I might as well re start it here.

I bought this truck from a friend, who got it from another friend, who bought it from another friend. I've known this truck for give take 10 years now. Its a ex cab, 5 speed, 22re, 151k, pretty decent rust wise, just a small rust patch on the rear of each rocker. The truck ended up in its resting place about 3 years ago when the frame just got beyond repair. I got it cheap and figured i would flip it. But then i came into some parts from a friend.

This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 202KB.

Originally i was going to go 4.3 because i got one with a standalone, and i got a deal on a TH350 with a toy adapter and case. But i decided if im swappin, im going diesel at least. So i'm going to run this 22re for a while with the truck. The lot of parts I got from my friend came with a full doubler setup ready to bolt onto a tranny also, so that will be used most definately. As well as a set of 15/35-15 TSL's that hole air and are on rims. Not too long after i found this a friend of mine was selling a yota bed he cut the rear up on, which i would have done anyways for a steal...so that went in the pile!

A few weeks ago my friend called me about his project he got from another friend....do you see a trend here? Anyways, the frame is a early 90's extra cab frame, with a RUF solid axle swap done, and stock rear leafs. The rear axle is a Trail Gear fabricated housing with an e-locker, and the front is a stock yota axle with every weld on thing you could buy, knuckle gussets to shock mounts to steering limiters. It had a high steer, with flat pitman arm, with steering box, even extended brake lines! Upon me measuring the wheelbase, i almost fell over. I want to wheel a toyota, not a crew cab long bed...so thats where the bob came to be.

My plan, I'm taking my 95 body and motor and putting it in the frame that already has axles, seeing as its extremely clean. Im going to cut 4" out of the frame just after the cab, to where it starts to angle up. Then, if my tape measure is correct i can move my rear axle 3" foreward before i hit where the frame will angle down. Thats a good 7'' less on the wheelbase, which makes for a happy justin. The bed ultimately will end up being 4' 6".

Why you ask? Why not build a reg cab and stop whining? Im 6 foot 3 and 245 lbs. i no fit.

I have everything in my back yard apart right now, pulling the cab off and the motor out hopefully tonight. stay tuned!

This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 188KB.

 

Well I went and picked up the frame today. The front swap the previous owner did is just atrocious. I meant to take pictures today but my phone died just as i unloaded it off the trailer. On that topic of removal...now that i am older with big toys at work...unloading a frame with axes under it is way more easy to move around with a loader with forks on it then it was in my backyard alone when i was 18

The rear leaf pack lierally have a big aluminum spacer/block and then like 9 leafs. I can't wait to take it out. Im going to be running 2wd F150 springslong side foreward, so these will go to the wayside. The shock mounting in the rear isn't the best either, but i will run it until i chop the frame down.

This wheelbase is SO LONG. seeing it without a body is just silly. I was shooting for cutting the frame after the rear body mount 4 inches...but now im thinking i may go 6 or 7, then move the axle foreward in the frame 3 inches when i do the F150 springs. Im right at about 120, and i would LIKE to be under 110, but it looks like 110 is about the best i can do currently. Shes gonna be quite the sight for sore eyes!

im so excited to be starting on another wheeling rig, finally. Yes, im buying a solid axled frame...but Im re-doing all the work, so don't flame too hard! ill have to post some other jobs and builds and things from over the years to prove im worthy

 

Well, git the frame/axles into the shop. You have to start somewhere! First off...LSPV delete.


Here is the frame, bare and ready to be shortened!


The wheelbase was actually ~124 inches. WAY too long to only be on 37's in the end, in my opinion any ways. Im going to actually take out more like 6.5 from the frame. Thats about all i can get before the frames up-sweep begins to interfere with the rear of the cab. With the 3" foreward i will be moving the rear axle as well, i will end up just about 114. That is still a tad longer then i was shooting for, but it will do for now. My bed will end up being right around 4 feet. This truck is going to be a sight when its done!

Tomorrow if weather holds out I should be able to get the cab on my trailer, and the motor on my flatbed. Tuesday I'll be preparing for the daytrip to laconia, my bike needs a new licence plate mount and an oil change. I probably wont be on the truck again until thursday.

In the meantime....does anyone have some 87-95 (years?) F150 2wd springs they would like to part with?

 

Well...not as bolt on as i would have hoped, but I hate wheeling anyone anyone else built anyways. I finally got some time to tackle some more of the frame work. Weekends are a hard time to get stuff done with these two laying around the house
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 248KB.

Anyways. The more i looked at it the more i did realize the steering box would needto be moved. The previous "fabricator", and yes i use that term lightly...just basically swung the steering box up, rather then actually move it. He also did take any time to put a sleeve in the frame, which lead me to my next small project.

The frame had a few welds where welds should not be, aka his homebrew steering box fixit didn't work so hot for him. I ended up just making a template which i will plasma out and stitch weld to the inside of the frame. It will start against the front crossmember and go back to where the frame gets thicker. Im going to use 3/16 for this. It actually works out well, because the frame came without motor mounts on it. It will make me feel a lot better knowing my motor is mounted as solid as i possibly can be...it will be overkill looking for sure, but keep in mind i will have a heavy rattling diesel in here, so i need all the support i can get.

Heres the frame plate i traced out...I can maybe run a few off if there is any interest in them on here :donno:
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 153KB.

Heres the 1/4" motor mount plates i made. I will be running stock toyota mounts for now with the 22re until I have the diesel completely sorted out. There not done yet, just cut out.


I found some 1/4" wall 2x2 steel in the scrap pile, so that is what i will tie the motor mount plates to the frame with.
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 132KB.

Heres a little teaser of the frame all smoothed out ready for a nice fat gusset plate!
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 183KB.

Heres a quick shot of the cute little mount the previous owner made for the front leafs...yuck. That will be gone soon too!
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 202KB.

So, i tend to not really worry about sparks because 90% of the time i grind at work im wearing my leather/composite miller jacket. Its funny because i never wear it when i fab on my own stuff, and i always end up doing this to my shirts. Another one bit the dust today...sad part it, the big bottom hole, and all the little small holes were already there!
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 128KB.

Did a quick job for my friend, he had a "test pipe" on his 2.0T jetta that cracked...it was like 300 bucks for a new one...so i did this and charged 40 bucks, he was a happy camper.
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 145KB.

 

Got a few more hours in on her today.

I got the two of these cut out
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 164KB.

then ground and clamped in place
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 157KB.

Tomorrow im going to mock up motor mounts so i can find out where to plasma out the plug weld holes. I have a template so i can cut 1.5 inch round holes, Ill put one every5 inches or so, space/location depending

Got the motor IN the frame tho, with tranny and tcase on it. I did snap off one of the t-case bolts trying to unbolt the stupid driveshaft gaurd thingy, that bummed me out a bit. It did snap off close enough to the head that i can get it out easy if i split the case. I will be splitting the case too, because this truck has a topshift case. My doubler setup is two top shifts obviously, so I will ahve to work that out.

I forgot i had a bomb-proof t-case mount laying around. It will be used as part of the doubler mount. I'll post pictures of my idea on that tomorrow or thursday hopefully.

Which one would you trust?
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 158KB.
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 144KB.

It was 11:15 when i finally stopped cleaning up, so i forgot to take a pic of the motor in between then frame rails before i took it back out of the shop with the loader. Hopefully it will be a bit more permanent tomorrow, not just resting on a piece of square stock like it is now

 

sooo, went to the girlfriends last night, missed out on posting, so this is that last 2 nights of progress.

I've spend the last 10 years making cool/dumb/whateveryouthink stuff...and now i can really aprreciate the tools i have...like the gantry crane i've been using to fit my motor. Such a simple thing, that is so FREAKING useful doing a project like this. This engine hoist is equally as awesome....heres the 22re flying high waiting for landing!
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 145KB.

Here she is all tacked in place on the frame.
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 158KB.

The frame had the crossmember still in it, but no motor mounts. I had to use those holes to reference the motor mounts, just to make it easy, cheating if you will. After that it was just a matter of centering it on the frame and getting the height. Im going to further gusset these. I want to make sure they can hold ~2180hp/320tq without a hiccup.


Go fast holoes! woo! We know what there for...and for what i am doing to this frame they are surely needed. Right before welding,


Welded in, and ready to rock. I brought them down to where the frame gets thick again. At that point, this is enough meant to the frame to not need the gussets anymore. Plus, the motors force is stretched out over alot more area then it would have been.
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 140KB.
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 142KB.

I spaced the holes accordingly, so that i would be able to move the steering box foreward the 2 inches for my RUF swap. Im using the rear 51'' alcans that came on this frame in the rear to do so. They have a slight arch, maybe a 3-4" spring, but with 10 leafs. Ill be dropping that to 6, maybe less depending. They will work perfectly i think. If there too long, i can just as easily replace them with the common rear 48'' yotas...as i have a few sets kicking around.

Still looking for a set of F150 rears so i can get that back all done this weekend. I have to work for 2 hours in the morning tomorrow, then its fun time all late morning/early afternoon! I should be getting my McMaster order of the stock to put in the frame for my steering box mount, so i don;t have a re-hash of the previous oners home brew ithinkthiscouldwork steering box relocation

 

Today was a long day, these last 3 days of 95* heat n high humidity have been BRUTAL to weld all day/10 hrs in, then find the steam ( no pun intended ) in myself to go fab on my won stuff for another 5 hours. I got the axles out from under the frame right now...and one word comes to mind... NEVERSEEZ!!!! or anti-sieze, or never sieze, or whatever brand name you favor...WHY DON'T PEOPLE USE IT WHEN THEY PUT TOGETHER BOLTS ON VEHICLES IN NEW ENGLAND!!! My god, fought with the shackels for a bit, then finally torched the front leaf mount off.

I've the rear 51'' alcans apart finally. They were 8 leaf packs, with a 1/2 leaf on the top for spring wrap. I took the bottom 3 out, and am going to run that as my front setup. My axle will actually move foreward about an inch rom where it is now, not ideal...but it will do. I have plenty of room to move the steering box foreward, especially with the flatty pitman arm. Heres a shot of the 51" alcan main leafs against the 45" spring thats in it now.
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 194KB.

The truck must have been driven year round before I got it because its quite crusty. I ended up taking both packs apart and sandblasting each leaf. Tomorrow morning ill hit the store early and grab some satin black paint, hopefully some of that teflon impregnated stuff thats supposidly the balls for leafs...I think its a gimmick and a waste, but might as well try while its all apart.
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1023x612 and weights 173KB.

I will be needing center pins as well, these were rusted to crap, and new u-bolts. Someone had used a round u bolt instead of the square on for the short side of the diff...scary. Ill be making my own u-bolt plated tomorrow, no sense in buying what i can make. I an now however, realizing i will definately need some boomer shackles. Most likely ordering Sky's monday first thing. Im excited to build the front spring hanger tomorrow, that and mounting the steering box, are my goals.

jgood added 7 Minutes and 15 Seconds later...

Looking at my picture, i must point something out. I know the front of the 51 looks like its sticking wayyy out, buts its an eye.

The previous owner made that disgusting drop bracket hanger thing and welded it further back then needed. My guess is he only had the 45" springs, so he moved that mound back to relax the shackle a bit more. With the weight of the motor/tranny/duals the truck BARELY squats, so I definately want the shackle angled back a bit more. Hense boomerang shackles. Currently, my bracket will have the center of the front spring hanger bolt 1/2 inch from the edge of the frame. What i lose in approach i will gain with the 3 extra inches of the springs flex i hope. I will build a tube bumper off the mount as well, so it doesn't end up being a dead-man to smack against rocks...rather, it will be a mount to a slider tube.

Also, Im going to run the springs as close to the bottom of the frame as i can, no drop bracket. After mocking it up today, i noticed even at the height im at the pinions is actually angled down. I will need to get new perches and re-weld then at some point, as well as a cut and tun on the knuckles. So, the whole pinion and knuckle degree thing is out the window. This girls gonna be slow and low

 

Looks like your balls deep into this one!