[gearsturnin]

I just worry about things (like cooler lines, fuel lines, battery cables...) on the outside of frames especially in the fender area. The reason being the tires flinging or pushing sticks, rocks on the trail, or metal on the highway from some a$$holes ladder not being secured...:shaking: thrown into your cooler lines leaving you stranded or worse, making a pinhole in your cooler line only to spray onto your nice warm header (causing a thermal event)...
Dont ask me how I know this...:mad3:

Then the tires alone can be a trouble if say the tread was to come off on the highway like so many tire carcasses seen on so. cal. roads...

Catch my drift? (hijack off)

P.S. Where did you score that sweet radiator from?

 

[muddindog]

Got the radiator from speedwaymotors.com, it is a very nice, well built piece. I paid 130 shipped to my door.

 

[muddindog]

I just worry about things (like cooler lines, fuel lines, battery cables...) on the outside of frames especially in the fender area. The reason being the tires flinging or pushing sticks, rocks on the trail, or metal on the highway from some a$$holes ladder not being secured...:shaking: thrown into your cooler lines leaving you stranded or worse, making a pinhole in your cooler line only to spray onto your nice warm header (causing a thermal event)...
Dont ask me how I know this...:mad3:

Then the tires alone can be a trouble if say the tread was to come off on the highway like so many tire carcasses seen on so. cal. roads...

Catch my drift? (hijack off)

Been looking at those tranny cooler lines and I am gonna change then after I get the truck a little further than it is. I still need to get a new tranny dipstick , so therefore I havent put any tranny fluid in it yet.

 

[RebelK25]

Progress looks good. Did you leave room when you did the new transmission hump to be able to pull the T-case up through the floor? That's one of the best things you can do IMO. I've found that if you leave the room, you can use an engine hoist to pull the T-case right up through the cab and save a lot of pain and cursing resulting from laying under the truck to throw in a heavy case/doubler setup.

And that radiator is nice! I need a new one for mine, think I may steal your idea there on where to source the new unit.

 

[muddindog]

I did not leave enough room to pull it though the center of the cab. That would have been a great idea. Wish someone had told me that 8 months ago.

I haven't done much to the truck in the last month or so, just tinkering with it here and there due to getting ready for my son's birth. He was born a week ago Monday and have had little time to work on it since. My dad and I did do a little wiring to it one day when he was here, just need to do some more to get it done.

 

[muddindog]

I bought two traction bars off a buddy to modify and use on my truck. I figure I need one due to running a pack of 3, 63" springs. rebelk25 bent his with the same set up, and i'd like to prevent this. What do you guys think about welding two bushing's on the back and use the heim on the front? or should I use bushings at all three parts on the bar?

Also school me on how the bar should be set up. I read that the longer the better, this bar is 55" long without the heim and the bushings welded on. I have also read that the bottom of the bar should follow your driveshaft line? is this true, from the builds that i have looked at, it dosen't seem that this isn't done very often.

the bar is beefier than it looks

 

[thepunisher]

nice i like how you did the trans tunnel

 

[pennsylvaniaboy]

I'd really consider re doing your cooler lines. It's a clean install, but is just going to be nothing but bad news unprotected like that. Spend the time now and put them on the inside of the frame while everything is clean and not going to contaminate the fluid. On the trail it would suck to have to fix that.

my steering lines run like that and i have a narrowed front, so that's even more exposure, and I have never had an issue. I think you will be fine

 

[muddindog]

my steering lines run like that and i have a narrowed front, so that's even more exposure, and I have never had an issue. I think you will be fine

I was looking at these yesterday and was thinking about them again. I had a ford truck when I was young and dumb, and I ran the fuel line loosely along the outside of the frame, i never had any trouble with that. Maybe ill just leave them. Its not like i'm gonna be wheeling every weekend. Hell, i'll prolley break the dana 44 the first time it is out, I just have to wait til it breaks to convince my wife that I need a 60. When I took my wife to the hospital nto have out son, I found a 60 on craigslist for 300 bucks!!!:mad3:

 

[joshgammill]

I used heim joints off of a tractor top link for all three ends of mine. If you want it to flex this will be the best way.

You need to run it parrallel with your drive shaft, that will determine how long it needs to be. It also needs to pivot as close to where the ujoint pivots on your driveshaft at the tcase.

Having the shackle at the one end alows your rear axle to flex without getting axle wrape.

 

[muddindog]

Today I have tried to do a little wiring on my truck. I have started from scratch with no wiring harness. What I am wanting to do is hook up the ignition, should I run this through a relay or just put it straight to a toggle switch? What about fusing it? thanks in advance for any help.

 

[BRORSAM]

If you don't have the factory harness to work from, I'd strongly suggest as a first step picking up a good service manual. I believe a Haynes manual would have an electrical schematic, though I can't vouch for the accuracy.

The factory harness typically uses a fusible link, but you could probably substitute a fuse if so inclined.

You're using a large cap HEI with internal coil? You don't necessarily NEED a relay for the ignition. What you do need is a reliable power source to supply power to the coil---I believe 10 gage is recommended for most HEI applications. Nothing wrong with having a relay in there if it helps clean up the circuit.

To me though, the larger question is whether it's worth it to do all the wiring from scratch, or if you would be better off starting with a decent factory harness and cutting out the features you don't need. No guessing about the appropriate wire sizing that way.

Also, be advised that the typical auto parts store wire is not the best choice for underhood applications due to the type of insulation used, and that the factory harness is usually built with a wire having a better grade of insulation.

 

[muddindog]

My factory harness was trashed and cut of from all the po's. My dad was suppose to be helping me with this, he has been a mechanic all my life, but his wife had surgery today and I don't want to bug him.

I don't have alot of wiring to do, just the motor, headlights, gauges, and the fuel pump. I have alot of it done. I can do all of it, I'm just not sure about this. I suppose I will just run it off a relay with the 10g wire and fuse the relay.

I ordered all my wiring from a wire supply company, it was not cheap by any means. It has nice thick hi-temp insulation on it.

You think that all the people out there doing this would have it posted on the web, I have been looking forever, just not the right spots I suppose.

Any more insight?

Edit- Yes, I am using a big cap hei

 

[ak_petey]

this build is pretty clean I have to say. makes me want to start over!

 

[muddindog]

Not too bad for my first build I suppose, 3 years ago I wanted a 12" lift and 44's, then I found pirate. Its all history from there, learned a lot reading builds and the 12" lift wouldn't do what I wanted the truck to do. It's not too bad for a young guy with a budget and not all the right tools. I make due with what I have. Thanks for the compliment!

Now on to what I have gotten done this weekend, not much! I did get some wiring done, it's going really slow but i'm being careful to keep the wire clean and simple.

Also I made a couple new core support brackets so I could finally bolt the core support down and mount it where it needs to be instead of resting on the frame. I got it all set up to weld and when I pulled the trigger to weld only about 1/4" of wire came out of the welder and had none left:mad3:. So hopefully this week I will get around to getting some wire.

 

[JsChevy]

hey man I love your build keep it up I am very interested bud, great work

 

[muddindog]

hey man I love your build keep it up I am very interested bud, great work

Thanks for the compliment!

I didn't even go out the garage this weekend to work on the truck, it was kinda crappy and wet out today and yesterday was my birthday. I hope to get most of the wiring completed next weekend, ran out of butt connectors for the few factory plugs I am using and for tieing into the relays.

Well in the morning I leave for work again:barf: and i'm pretty sure I have to work Friday so I wont be able to work on it til then.:mad3:

 

[muddindog]

Well it is time for a update.

I have the truck almost ready to hit the trail. Actually there is a mud sling coming up on the 29th and I want to go to it. All it is, is a truck drag on a watered down dirt track, should be a good place to stretch the motor's leg's a bit.

On the other note, i have most of the wiring complete. I only have the fuel pump to wire and the fuel sender on the fuel cell and put it all in the loom. Hook up the rest of the fuel lines and the fuel will be complete

I'm gonna put the battery in the bed of the truck so I need to throw togather a mount for the battery.

I mounted the bed and fuel cell today. My wife came out and helped me work on her a bit. I also got the front drive shaft in and to no surprise it needs to be lengthened, so I will prolly build one out of square tubing.

Also, need to go the the pic-a-part and get a power steering pump and figure out why the front cab mounts are too short, I don't know, i'll add some big washers I suppose.

Got some valve covers on here that dont look years only finally!



Well enough chit chat, here is a few pics

 

[wingnuts514]

I'm no professional mechanic but I once heard a shroud is actually necessary to help pull air through the radiator, I'm sure someone else will chime in and say otherwise....:flipoff2: Your truck is looking good, happy trails.

 

[BRORSAM]

Well it is time for a update.

I have the truck almost ready to hit the trail. Actually there is a mud sling coming up on the 29th and I want to go to it. All it is, is a truck drag on a watered down dirt track, should be a good place to stretch the motor's leg's a bit.

Just a friendly bit of advice: open element air cleaners---especially those with paper elements---don't tolerate mud and water too well. Not saying you need a full-on snorkel, but at least consider some sort of shielding to prevent mud and water from having a direct shot at that filter.