Yea your work/free time schedule it a rough one to handle with your own life, wife and vehicle schedule. Plus you are about 2.5 to 3 hrs one way from me. Just though I would ask. Maybe I could just bend your ear for some advice about it.

 

Sounds like you're near Clinton, it's not particularly burdensome to get up that direction & I've got some family in Polk County in need to go see anyway, not that i really want to. Wife's favorite flea market is that direction too. Should be doable sometime, just need a little heads up to physically help. Can talk pretty much anytime due to that lack of a weekday schedule.

 

1 hr south of Clinton, and a little west of Bolivar. I can handle the physical part of the work, I just need a experienced eye watching me to make sure I do not screw up something important like back lash. I will PM you my # and we can talk about a meet up sometime. Thanks again for the offer to assist.

 

Didnt realize how chonky this was until I pulled it.

But this sucks, a lot.

My first thought was, well boys, looks like gears are back on the menu. I'm thinking 4.88 or 4.27 gears. Something in that ballpark anyway.

The drive shaft is also super minty.



The output on the t-case has a ton of slop in it & I'm concerned about the condition of the T-18 now. Since everything else has been so minty. I'm getting really frustrated with this beastie, every time I do one thing, I find 2 other things that are broken. May just focus on the Bronco & deal with this headache at a later date.

 

I just happen to have a spare Dana 60 (rear axle) from a 79 F250 with a Detroit locker...I can not remember the ratio at this time. But it is easily reacquired. And I just happen to have the matching front Dana 44. But the outers are gone for another project.... Just saying if you find yourself in a jam for parts when you get back to working on it. And I have a pile of spare D/S.

 

The inflation solution for my uncooperative rubber. Before committing to another set of wheels.

Radial tubes.

Even in 16.5 inch. I've never put a tube in a radial before, so new experience.


Got some lift coming as well. Had to cheap out & go Rough Country since some unexpected bills ate the rest of that budget. Will upgrade again later on as I have never been a RC fan. Hopefully they're better than 20 years ago, but ive set my expectations low.

Tire mock up. Will play with the tubes this weekend.

 

Radial tire tubes...WTH...can you not get them to bead up? Can NO ONE get them to bead up at a tire shop? Adding tubes is not going to help...is it? Rough Country has not gotten any better over the years.

Get your parts shopping list together for the 4th of May. If you work out a way to haul them rims and tires (up my way) with you. And have room for some axles on the way back down, I will help you get them beaded up without the tubes.

That rental pickup truck idea sounds better by the minute, yea?

 

Nope & it's been frustrating as heck. Even tried the big truck tire shop with no luck. My current half brained scheme isn't to run tubes. But to seat the blasted things & then to let emmsit for a week or two in the sun. The bust the outside bead, remove the tube, install a stem & cross my fingers and hope they'll seat normally with one bead set & streched out a bit.
I don't like tubes, I changed way to many of them when I worked the tire shop years ago. Granted never a radial, but the dislike is still there.

Good to know that Rough Country is still junk. But it is what it is. Just out to get up & going, can polish it up later.

 

Well if you strike out, get a truck and haul them this way, and to haul your axles, fender, door, whet ever you need back home. I will try to get them beaded, I have a tire plaster.

 

I suppose I should update my progress on this beastie.

Got the tubes in the obnoxious tires of mine. I've not yet pulled one out to see if my plan to stretch em out a bit has worked or not.


The RC lift kit showed up a while back as well & went in without too many problems. Main problem was the exhaust. Whoever put it in was a moron, was ran completely wrong & I had to cut it out to get the front springs out.

I did shove my half junk rear-end back under it. To tore up for road use, but i can at least get around the property for now.



The girl child wants to steal my truck.



Only took almost two months, but the Tabco floor pans finally made an appearance. These are probably this week's project, or the next few weekends.




Finally, I got bored last weekend and repaired the driveshaft. I'll probably replace it in the future, but good enough for yard use right now.








Behold!! The most clutch welding set up ever! Well, not really. I've done dumber crap. My little esad runs quite well off of the generator 220v. I'm going to build a shop someday.


Truck may get done sooner rather than later. Because the wife's car is dieing & with her out of work, it cheaper than fixing her car. Can't afford it, but can't not afford it either.

 

I am sure I have a replacement d/s also, if you ever get up this way. The truck is looking good with the lift/rim/tire choice.

 

Just curious, is that a 4” lift with those 37” tires, or did you go with a 6” lift?

I never knew what size lift I had, and I may have to head down that road to figure it out?

 

I seem to remember he put a 4" Rough Country lift on. Not sure it he got replacement rear leaf springs or not.

 

Yeah, 4" Rough Country with new springs all the way around.

I did reuse the factory block in the rear. I'm not particularly sure if that is needed or not, as ive seen the 4" RC done both ways & they didnt send any instructions. But it does "look" pretty level.


I got the kit through Jack It for under a grand I think. But then still had to get brake lines, pitman arm, etc. It came with shocks & the retarded steering arm block. I'm nit using the steering block. I'm going to fab up an adjustable drag link like what Skyjacker sells.

When I bought wheels I got Ines with as much back spaceing as i could find, I think these are almost 5". Did this because i intend to get some fenderwell exit headers. Probably from Headmen headers (once the wife gets another job). I figured out long ago that in the frame exit headers are not much more than a pain in the butt, this time I've got a nice big PTO drive right in the way on the passenger side.

I could take it off, but ive a use for it later. So fenderwell headers with a short run to I'm thinking either some Cherry Bombs or Purple Hornies with a turn down just behind the cab. Maybe Flowmasters, as I've come to like them. Not fancy, but it all should tuck up nice & neat out of the way and "shouldn't" rub much, if at all.

Got to address the lack of a fuel tank soon too.

 

Skyjacker lift kit is just front springs and rear blocks to stack. A lift system is replacement rear leafs also. And the directions I got from SJ said to reuse the rear OEM block on my 6" lift. Yes the SDL 250 is better than the steering arm lift block. All pics just for reference.