A pair of 74's...

[93Broncobuff]

bitchin man!!!

[ESHALLBETTER]

That thing is going to be the perfect truck when its done!

[ChaseTruck754]

Thanks guys!

That thing is going to be the perfect truck when its done!

And yeah, that was my hope. Looking back hindsight is always 20/20 though and I wish I would have mixed a little more go fast type performance in there. Plan was always to have this one as a hauler & another toy though so I'll have to try & stick with that I guess.

[ChaseTruck754]

It's been a while with nothing much going, but the crew had a change of surroundings this week so I guess it's time for an update...

Before that, the was a very slight "progress" a week or 2 ago... I walked into my shop to find these waiting for me!



That's 4" wide x 70" long 14 ga. 316 stainless. Should make for some blingy tank straps when I get back to working on the thing!



So back to the move.

My buddy dragged it out on the forklift. MUUUUUCH easier than pushing it like I did when we moved my machinery!
The thing drooped out pretty good once lifted up, and this was the 1st test of that front hitch receiver I made as that's what he lifted the thing by.



Next came the 2nd test on that hitch receiver/cross member - the tow truck guy hooked the winch to it to pull the truck up on the flatbed. He wanted to hook to my axle but after him seeing the new brake lines there & no great way to grab the axle without crushing them he let me talk him into just clipping to the D-ring in my receiver. He was nervous about the D-ring not being strong enough... yeah...



So up on the trailer it went - full of a bunch of heavy junk in the bed and full of boxes of parts for it in the cab.



And it's leaving the complex! No more safe & warm home for you Muttly - you get to live outside again!



And her she is getting used to her new surroundings. My "RV" access on the side of the house is a tight fit for even this truck. Working on the thing in this area could get interesting!



And that's all for now. Back to the sh--t show that is my life & moving. Was working on my "custom" pallet racks on lunch so I can make room to squeeze the last of this nonsense in the garage & my beloved port-a-band crapped out. Not sure if it's the switch, cord or motor, but it's dead as a doornail now and I've got work to get done! Hoping to borrow a buddies saw so I can continue and then get back to diagnosing mine.

[ChaseTruck754]

So believe it or not I actually have a real update. 1st one in a looooooong time

Bear with me - it's kind of long...

I had a bit of free time around the holidays since work was a bit slow & I had actually gotten much of my stuff around the house done.

Not a lot of pics here & not a lot to show for the time that was spent, but hey I'll take any progress I can get!

1st - I started messing a bit more with the cross member that goes in front of the fuel tank & will hold the straps. I had originally thought I was going to use the stock, angle iron looking "crossmember" that went across the frame in about the middle of where the fuel tank now sits. I was going to use custom made, stainless T bolts to attach the straps to this. In thinking about it a bit more there will be a LOT of weight from the +/-46 gallons of fuel and this tank so the T-bolts and small size of this "crossmember" (it seems to be a piece of .125" thick steel bent at 90* - can be seen in the 1st pic. It's the rusty one) scared me a bit.
In talking with a buddy he came up with a good idea for a I_I shaped bolt. I decided this & a thicker "crossmember" should work.
I then picked up a piece of 1/4" thick 1.5" angle iron to use. Looking at this I was still a bit nervous, so I did what I do best & came up with a way to overkill the sucker!

The thought is I will turn the stock "crossmember" upside down & lay it on top of my new piece of angle & make a box. I will run bosses through this for the bolts that attach it to the frame & also fit the new U-bolts that will attach the fuel straps to this. I will then tie the bosses together as well. Should be way stout (& heavy) when I'm done...

I started by cutting the new angle to length & drilling 3/4" holes for the boss material.
Since I had already drilled the holes for the 1/2" bolt in the original "crossmember" I had to re-drill these. It was a bit tricky since the new holes overlapped with the existing, but I got it!



Once I got as far as the photos above things went on hold because I needed the new u-bolts to place 4 of the bosses, and also because I had never wired up my lathe, so I couldn't turn down the bosses so as to be square & up to my anal standards

So I wired up my lathe. Yay for progress!!!


Next I got to work on the rear end. Since I had to run to Deaver to get the custom u-bolts I figured I should take the leafs I have for the truck to get cleaned up/prepped at the same time. This meant I should finish up the lower shock mounts on the rear axle & limit strap mounts, etc. That way when the springs were done I could put everything back one last time & be done with the rear axle pretty much.

So the leafs came apart & the rear end got cycled a time or 2 to figure out shock mount & limit strap tab locations again since it's been almost a year since I left off doing this portion.

I finally got to weld on the tabs I drew & had Erik cut for me so long ago as well as finally really welding on the spring perches.

Here is a little before full bump.



Here it is with the boxing plates on. The 2 tabs really close together off to the right are for the limit straps. The tab on the limit strap goes between them.
Based on having the shock hoop under the bed the shocks hit full extension well before the leafs bottom out (like 4-6" before!), so I'm limiting the travel so I don't kill the shocks.



And that's about it for now.

Axle has been painted & the leafs went to Deaver & got freshened up a bit. I came home with the U bolts for the fuel straps & also new u-bolts for the axle as well. I need to get them all zinc. plated before I'll put them on as they are all raw steel, but that will just make me get back to this load I started cleaning up for cad plating about a year ago...

I'll be getting to the fuel tank straps & back on that crossmember as I have a bit more time.

Hopefully it's not another 9 months or more before the next update...

[greaslife]

Sweet. Keep up the progress

[yikes]

Wow Steve! I'm beginning to believe again. Well done.

[ChaseTruck754]

Haha thanks.

As I've said - there is no lack of WANT to be working on it. Just with getting married, buying a new house, getting a puppy & having a kid due in 3 weeks I've been forced to work on other things.

That being said - I'm squeezing in what I can when I can. The benefit of working out of the house now & having my "shop" at the house means lunch time can often be productive time. As can the time I usually spent driving to & from the office

I'm currently making yet another tool (or rather a mount for a tool) so I can use that tool to make some progress on the fuel straps. Should see something soon.

[D1cker1]

Haha thanks.

As I've said - there is no lack of WANT to be working on it. Just with getting married, buying a new house, getting a puppy & having a kid due in 3 weeks I've been forced to work on other things.

That being said - I'm squeezing in what I can when I can. The benefit of working out of the house now & having my "shop" at the house means lunch time can often be productive time. As can the time I usually spent driving to & from the office

I'm currently making yet another tool (or rather a mount for a tool) so I can use that tool to make some progress on the fuel straps. Should see something soon.

Wait.. Kid due in 3 weeks?

You work Quickly.

[ChaseTruck754]

yup.

[hobbyturnedobsession]

On everything but his vehicles hahahah. Sorry Steve I had to.

[Silverslk]

On everything but his vehicles hahahah. Sorry Steve I had to.

Thats true though.... can't believe I didn't think of that one.

[ChaseTruck754]

Funny - I had just thought a minute ago that I wish I had edit because I should add that! Came back to post it & saw this...

So yeah, no offense taken and you guys are right. Priorities are what they are though.

Karen is almost 35, as am I, so we needed to get rolling on the kids thing quickly to hopefully avoid some complications.
All this may slow down the builds a bit, but I'm ok with it as some things in life need to be more important than others.

[D1cker1]

:-!

[hobbyturnedobsession]

Ah now I see. Your creating your own assistant.

[ChaseTruck754]

Minions. I prefer to call them minions. haha

[hobbyturnedobsession]

Haha I'll have to tell Carly that one

[Dust]

All this may slow down the builds a bit

You have no idea

[cs_drums]

I started my build witha 10 month old. Its all in how you look at it. You can worry and say I cant cause of the kid or do what I did...Its now or likely never! Kids get more expensive with age so do it now so you can have it done and enjoy it with them. I have so many pics of my sone growing with the bronco project and it is awesome. He is 3 now and loves the bronco and the grind is done now just small jobs and enjoying it. Start building His in a few years!! Ok mine new one and he can have the bronco

Get er done now so you can enjoy it with them not hold it against them. The longer it sit unusable the more the significant other wont understand the time and money in it.

( stepping off sop box now.)

Boy or Girl?

[cypher]

I started my build witha 10 month old. Its all in how you look at it. You can worry and say I cant cause of the kid or do what I did...Its now or likely never! Kids get more expensive with age so do it now so you can have it done and enjoy it with them. I have so many pics of my sone growing with the bronco project and it is awesome. He is 3 now and loves the bronco and the grind is done now just small jobs and enjoying it. Start building His in a few years!! Ok mine new one and he can have the bronco

Get er done now so you can enjoy it with them not hold it against them. The longer it sit unusable the more the significant other wont understand the time and money in it.

( stepping off sop box now.)

Boy or Girl?

So true.