If you have a job that pays $40. hour and you take off 2 hours lost time to work on the truck, then YES, you lost $80.

If you were going to watch TV for 2 hours, you lost NOTHING... If you were going to set in the local bar and drink beer, then you probably SAVED MONEY by working on the truck............ If you want to keep track of the hours and just say " I saved this much compared to the shop", then I agree........ BUT it did not COST you anything unless you gave up a PAYING job to work on the truck.

 

any update?

 

Hi all,
I was literally going to post an update today, glad you asked! Summer was super busy at work and weekday work spilled into the weekends quite often so time or energy to work on the project was quite limited. I have managed to randomly pick away at it from time to time and made some significant progress last night. So far we have prepared the new frame by cleaning it and painting on a coat of POR-15 with a topcoat of frame and chassis paint from a rattle can. I also used Eastwoods internal frame coating for extra protection. We have around 4 hours time and $200 in paint/grinder/sander/supplies for this portion.
As for disassembly of the truck, I've slowly picked away at it until last night where I finally feel like we made some good progress. It wasn't terrible getting it this far although the rust seriously deteriorated most of the clips that hold nuts from turning. First step was removal of the bed/box and that went fairly well. Next I disconnected the driveshafts, hoses, wire harnesses, ground cables etc. Upon planning and studying this truck I've decided to lift the cab and drivetrain (engine, transmission and transfer case) together as an assembly. Much like it was assembled at the factory. I installed a large steel tube over the engine bay and connected a chain to the engine front, installed another chain under the transfer case to some extrusions under the cab. This saved a lot of time as I severely minimized the number of items to disconnect. All coolant, A/C, oil cooler, transmission lines etc were able to stay intact. Even the exhaust y pipe is still bolted to the manifolds as there was a splice in the pipe just before the muffler to utilize. I haven't been religious about writing down every minute spent working on it but I know I don't have more than 8 hours or so for this portion......and a can or two of PB Blaster lol.

Veiw of cab/drivetrain assembly lifted from frame


Engine front suspension

Replacement frame painted and ready

Cleaned and flushed out interior of frame

Donor frame as received
Next is to start transferring chassis parts from the old to the new, hopefully I can pickup the pace to her back on the road! I hope the pictures help tell the story too.

 

Never thought of moving the engine/ trans with the body........ looks like a good idea.

 

Man oh man, you have a lot more patience than I ever would.

 

Ingenious idea to keep the engine with the cab but I have to ask, how stable is it on the lift with all that weight in the front? I would strap the rear of the cab to the lift for piece of mind. It would be bad if it fell off. The engine assembly is on the frame when being built and the cab is lowered down. There's actually not much to disconnect when lifting the cab with the engine on the frame but I like the way you did it.

 

We may have differences in opinion in regards to what you are doing. But I must recognize and acknowledge that you have put a lot of effort into this project. You get a thumbs up from me. I hope it works out for you.

 

that is some impressive work my friend


I read on cumminsforum one time a guy had a fairly new truck that got into a wreck and sustained frame damage. the insurance company would not total it and paid (the lowest bidder) to replace the frame.

 

also Im not a Ford defender or anything but the damage must be from salt because our 2006 looks new underneath (we live in Texas)

 

Dang man. I just bought an 08 fx4 with 153k miles on it. There is nothing wrong with it regarding the engine and transmission. I saw a little rust on the frame and thought it was a manageable fix. Turns out the front half of the frame behind the fender guard on both sides is rusted/rotted and won't pass inspection because of the floor panel as well. I am looking to get this repaired/replaced as well to get some kind of use out of the truck and I can't risk it right now because I have 2 little ones

 

You have options. All are expensive. Up to you to decide how far you want to go, and how much money you're willing to spend.


I doubt that you can "fix" rust on the frame. The solution to that is a replacement frame. You could try to get a new frame. You could try to find a used frame in good condition. Then you have whatever a "floor panel" is. Are you describing the floorboard of your truck cab? Maybe a good metal fabricator could cut off whatever is rusted, then weld in new pieces of metal. Maybe you can find a new or used track cab.



Try not to spend more on the truck, than what the truck is worth.