Hold My Pipe....

Extended brake lines and rear shocks are on. Picking up the rear axle shaft tomorrow.

 

Like I said, pick the axle with a new hub tomorrow. Also pick up a new axle oil seal as well. Get that stuff on, get the shoes on and will only have drums left to get.

All the grease is cleaned up. What an unholy mess. Very irritating too as grease would just end up getting all over everything, tools, clothes, body, etc..

Also got a set of front brake pads today. Performace Friction Brakes/Carbon Metallic.

 

New Rear Hub/Bearing




New Axle Tube Seal and ORing.




Yay!! A truck!


Started getting the rear brakes back together. Called it a night when I got to having to hook the parking brake back up. It's still covered in grease.

Also need a wheel cylinder. Had picked up a couple from Oreilly's but returned them. Zero trust/faith in the "Brake Best" brand. So I returned them and will pick up something a little more quality.

Might also sell my rims. Someone is interested. I hate the rims. I want steelies.

 

Driver rear brakes back together, mostly. Drums and a wheel cylinder left. Tighten a few bolts up, do the passenger side. Brake fluid flush as well obviously.

Do a rear diff drain and fill too. Have had the fluid sitting around for a bit.

Swapped over to quartered up tree trunk bases from the cinders since there was some crying. Truck sat fine for plenty long on em, weight was distributed in the middle of the cinders, its a single cab truck, but whatever.

Liked the look of the flares. Didnt want to tear them off wheeling. Going to derp back over where they were. Do the badges too while I am at it.

 

Outlined the flare areas on the cab and then derp'd them.

 

While I like the look of the painted over flare area, The 'derp appears to not be the best choice for such artistic endeavors. The edge lines peel to easily. Give it another go with bed/herculiner spray.

Coilovers got shipped this morning and should arrive Monday/Tuesday. Be cutting it close on getting them rebuilt and back to me by next Saturday. That flat rate box had super quick shipping.

Got some items checked off today that I had been planning on doing tomorrow.

-Got the passenger brake shoes/hardware changed out. Need to hook the springs on, but done other than that.
-Drained the old diff fluid out. Letting it drain, want to spray it out with brake cleaner tomorrow. Then fill it up.
-Removed annoying rattling heat shield.

ABS was on when I bought it. D/S Rear ABS wire was all taped up with electrical tape. Finally unwrapped it this evening. Wires broken. See what I can do about getting a pigtail or something. But won't stop me from being able to drive it.

 

Picking up a Moog CV boot kit at Noon today.

1/2" Wheel spacers arriving Wed.

Need 3 more steel wheels and mount and balance tires.

The cat will not be installed.

 

A chebby work van build.

Boss bought me a new work van. I installed all the shelving units this weekend.

 

So close. No cigar yesterday.

Got the tires mounted on the rims yesterday. Came home, proceeded to crush my left hand fingers between a rim and a drum trying to get a rear tire on. That was fun, nothing broken, index finger took it worst, some swelling, good bruise coloring under index and middle fingernails, was not pleasurable. Wasn't wearing my mechanic gloves like I normally do.

Spent the afternoon getting the passenger rim to clear the caliper, got it to where it fits up with all lugs on....and my grinder tool took a poop and died. Unable to get the driver side done as the evening came to a close.

 

Starting to look like there's gonna be a finish line! It's GOTTA be done before end of October. Hoping to see it (and you) at Black Mountain Fall Meet!

Do you have the bed for it yet?

 

It. Is. Done.

Rubber meets the road again!

First attempt to back down the hill, started up, had no brake pedal. Wifey helped me bleed em out, air still trapped in the RR line.

Got a pedal, did some back n forth to make sure, then down I went.

First trip simply around the immediate block, came back, especially to check the rims/calipers. 2nd trip went for 15 minutes or so. Got up around 55 at highest speed. Rechecked lugs when I got back.

So far it all looks good. Going to drive it to work for the week is the plan, give the Green Truck a break.

Going to pick up Levi's old bed. Hopefully in 2 weeks (7/14 wknd). Would go sooner but leaving on vacation the 30th, coming back the following Sunday. Going to South Carolina, a real vacation n shit.

I think there is a meet in August, right around my bday. Definitely be there, rush off road iirc.

 

Drove to work. Most is kosher.

Tires are killing me. E load rated tires...on a single cab taco that will never tow heavy loads.

Driver front is especially bad, getting pretty rough vibes out of it. Its tires, suspension feels like it rides just fine.

Check pressure, let some air out, hopefully help the ride. A little.

 

Back to the Green Truck until I get tires for the Single Cab. Shit feels dangerous and unsafe. What I put up front had to have been on the rear previously. The truck rode like crap when I first got it but it was in the back end. When I got them mounted and balanced, the 2 I put on the rear didn't have a ton of wheel weights on it. What I put up front, did. Driving down the road, even at like 30, you can really feel the LF tire hopping, it bounces the truck constantly and at over 60 is where I start feeling real unsafe.

 

GOOD E rated tires that are well balanced dont ride bad and offer good strong protection from rock damage. I had c rated Goodyear Duratracs and replaced em with e rated Cooper STT PROs. MUCH smoother ride partially to do with the ability to run the Coopers at a lower psi. My truck doesnt "need" em, but I make good use of them. Not a lot of choices of 33" or bigger mud tires in c rated that I'm aware of..

 

Federals are shit. Go with BFG or the cooper family (cooper, M/T, cepek)