My Big Can of Worms Build

Went to Brawley to sell some shocks I ended up not needing and kept going to Jacumba Wilderness Area for a little exploring. Luckily I sold them for a couple hundred more than I bought them for so the trip was paid for and then some. I decided not to cut my bed. Maybe go with LSK's cantilever system or just do shock hoops - we'll see when I figure out my school loan payments...



It was about 103* on the valley floor down below sea level.



I worked my way up from the valley floor for the first time (red star) by some wind generators (purple triangles) - usually I enter from the west (green star) where you basically traverse the lower ridge one major step down from the mountains that basically form the natural border.



For those of you not familiar with the Jacumba Wilderness, it's 40 square miles where a lot of people cross into the country. The large mountains and igneous landscape makes it extremely challenging to navigate, not to mention super hot temperatures that make it perilous to those not ready to navigate it with the appropriate provisions. I have found signs of people crossing in all my trips there. The terrain is similar to some of Joshua Tree - but more mountainous and treacherous from loose grains on a lot of the rocks.

Going was slow, but eventually I made it up to the giant wash that creates a kind of plane between the southern peaks and the eventual foothills that lead to the valley floor. Surprisingly, there's a lot of green up there even in late summer - most of it came from these ocotillos.



To the west behind me when taking this picture a couple yocals were shooting off and on all day - by the time I wanted to head back they had left since I stopped hearing reports and took the wash down to the wind farm.



I figured they left after they ran out of ammunition, but judging by how they drove out to the fire road I think the limiting factor was running out of beer.



I decided to check out the turbines - usually they're fenced off, but I guess not enough people come out here to make it a priority. Man they're huge - it had gotten windy and if the specs I got online are accurate the outside tip of the blades were going 80 mph. They make quite a sound!



By then the sun was getting low and it was a short easy walk back to my truck. I know it's supposed to be about the bean, but the whole trip was based on selling those shocks for it... so here's the faithful burro lol



Sunset was pretty beautiful



Taking the long way home, I found a gold nugget.



Yes 24 hour donuts and salt free drinking water - what more could you ask for? I'm not usually into taking pics of food, but screw it - this hit the spot

 

Since you have white fiberglass is your truck The SoyBean now?

 

Ha - I've been thinking up a new name, but eventually it'll be painted off white / light tan so I figure the pinto bean. In the meantime it can be the ethnically cool panda since it has the blue door

What's new with you? In school already?

 

Haha nice. Yep back in school for a couple weeks now ugh, miss the free time and less stress already.

 

13 months ago



Present day



Not exactly a break neck pace

Thanks for all the help guys!

 

That is a smooth sounding engine!!!

 

Later I revved it a few times, man can't wait to get a radiator and rev it some more lol

 

I remember when I turned on my motor after I swapped it. Such a great feeling. Congrats! You waiting on a champion radiator? How much longer until they are available again?

 

Seriously. Thank you! I called them today and they said they'd check and call back - never happened. I'll call again tomorrow.

 

@SilverGhost they said call back next week - they're supposed to be in mid-September

 

Damn, yeah when I saw the thread I jump right on getting one. There was only a couple available at the time.

 

Sometimes you get sent to the "good corner"



Picked up a second set of bumps for a decent deal - rear bypasses are all I need to have all my shocks

 

2nd gen axle

 

Installed some bigger windows

 

Sweet build! Things sure escalated quickly.

 

Picked up some 12" bypasses for the cantilever LSK kit. Need some shorter rod ends and to convert them to remote reservoir. Gonna rebuild and refinish them - think I'll try Steel-It. Got a decent deal on them so it should work out for the best.



Anthony (250) is helping me make some shock hoops. We're kind of working on it via text message and I'm getting the tubes bent by Ryan who's about half an hour away aka @Shmellmopwho so it's going at a moderate pace - basically the trick will be getting the driver's side bypass to clear the booster. Bobby (Solo) got in touch with a friend at King to see about getting a little special treatment for getting my rod ends welded since the bypasse are brand new (even though I bought them used). His friend was at SEMA so I'll hopefully hear back from him next week. That will get me about an extra inch under the booster to fit the bypasses.



Got some body work "finished" - little rough, but when the po dragged it across a tree it left a deep / tight dent running down the side of it right under the body line. Looks alright, maybe I'll touch it up before I give it a real paint job.



Had to superglue my finger after slicing it on a burr when pulling the dents out with a screw in a hole. Went to the grocery store to get some baking powder to have it set quick.



Got some bondo from a year ago - the hardener smelled spoiled - ew.



Decided to test out some hammered tones paint from Rustoleum - possible trim color for when I paint the truck



Daylight shot:



Don't have a good before pic, here's one I found from another post:



This was the last thing I wanted to get done before soundproofing the cab and putting my interior back in (a good portion of it is in my bed). Then I can sell the camper shell. Then I can remove the bed. Then...

 

So the limiting factors on this kit's up travel are the fender well and the brake booster getting in the way of the bypass. Getting welded rod ends will provide an extra inch of clearance for the bypass - gotta get them taken apart and brought to king.

Didn't want my bypasses to get cold (or scratched haha)



See where the uca hits the fender and the bypass basically hits the brake booster at the same time.



And finally how close the bypass is to the booster at full bump - no thank you haha.



Getting pretty quick at tearing the coilover out of this thing lol

 

Big thanks to Anthony - he helped me take apart my shocks to save $ and time getting them worked on by King. Went to his place and got all 4 shocks taken apart as much as needed for the fronts and totally (almost) for the rears.

One rod end gave us a little bit of a hard time until we got the loctite nice and melted.



Two hours later we had all tasks completed. Super glad to have the shafts ready to bring in on Friday.



Saw this on my way from work to King



Possible paint job option...? J/k



One bypass tube on my rear shocks was bent - hammered it some with a plastic mallet. Cut off the resi mount and I'll bend it more when I figure out a better method.



I stripped down the shock bodies and cleaned them and got everything organized for rebuilding them after I get seals, valves, hoses, and shims.

 

Time to class things up around here.