Was just to nice to take down Christmas lights yesterday as my wife told me to... so I started on the rear end. Just dropped the 9" and removed the leafs and hangers.

 

Nice welding job!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Not bad for a guy just learning... For real most of those really nice welds are a buddy's. The kid grew up on a farm in Kansas and learned from all the welding on the trackers. Mine are getting better.

 

Mocking up the new rear leafs and hangers. I just put the cross member in there that's not where it goes.

 

Any updates?

 

Ok so here was the hold up. After measuring the crap out of the rear leaf set up I couldn't figure out why things where not adding up. Well it came down to the leafs themselves. The little pin on the leafs where in different locations as you can see from the pics. So I've been waiting on them to send me a new set. Well the new set got here and both of them where in different locations as well. So out of the four leafs I have I found the two best and they where dead on. Then just for *****s I put the other two together and they matched up. So I don't know if they have jig that's off or what. Anyway I get the rear leafs and hangers mounted last night and I just mocked up the 9" and tires.

 

 

Any update?

D

 

Abandoned the Ford 9" that came in the truck for a explorer 8.8 with disk brakes and the 5x4.5 bolt pattern. I got the old leaf spring mounting plates cut off and got it mocked up on the truck.

 

Nice, I'm doing the thunder IRS but the only challenge is the bolt pattern is 4.25. The explorer is a good option with a solid axle design.

D

 

A small mild stone last night. I now have a rolling chassis. Got the rear end bolted on and it came off the lift and rolled on it's own for the first time with the new suspension. Last step will be getting the rear shocks cross member mount put in. Then it's time to pull in the donor truck and pull a motor out.

 

Damn... Reading this thread just motivated me to get off my *** and go work on mine. Thanks? Great job on yours! Can't wait to see it done. Wish I had taken the time to document mine like this. nice shop!

 

Thanks Lucky. I need to spend a little more time on mine as well. lol

 

Trying to get this rear cross member put in. Does look like the shocks they sent me are long enough. They are fully extended in this photo and you can see that they won't reach their mounting location.

 

Brought in the donor truck yesterday. Time to strip her down.