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No special wrench. Turn the knuckle left or right to get more access to the nut. Clean the old grease off the hubs. It’s hard to tell through a computer screen but the spindle looks ok to me. The seal doesn’t ride in the middle of the spindle. If you are worried about then buy new spindles.
So I was able to finally drill all of the remaining rivets out of the frame (sometimes I wish I was not so picky...). Although, the rust I found trapped was the only thing that kept me going. The worst spots were both the front shock towers and the rear shock mounts. Pictures below to show all the trapped moisture and rust from the years. I was hoping to be able to get everything separated, but realized that the front crossmember under where the engine sits is actually welded in a couple spots in addition to the rivets. Does anyone know if this was standard from the factory (see pictures), or if this is sign of some sort of repair? Will likely grind the couple areas where the crossmember meets the frame rails and is welded. I can always weld this back after sandblasting.
I was also able to get a good start on my sandblasting containment. I used 4mil poly sheeting to create a containment and then will drape two tarps inside to hopefully keep the containment in tact and also catch as much blast media as possible to be reused. I have to box fans sandwiched with a large HEPA filter in the garage window and also another HEPA filter at the ceiling (used to be a woodworking dust filter). This will put negative pressure in the containment and hopefully clear the air to some degree so I can see what I am doing in there. Will be using a full face respirator and if need be, will use a surface conditioner tool for the larger areas. I will then coat with Eastwood Optiflow Epoxy primer and then most likely some sort of chasis paint.
Containment prep rusted out rear shock mounts frame rust from front shock tower may need to beef up the frame in this area since about 1/8" has been eaten away by rust in some areas welded front frame rail are these welds standard from the factory? welded front frame rail containment prep halfway done.
The boxing area of the frame is normal, how else would the factory box the frame?
I not sure on the crossmember as I did not look that close to mine but I would also say factory.
They riveted the crossmember in along with the other crossmembers and mounts to hold it somewhat square then to a jig to make sure it is square and the frame boxed and crossmember welded.
With all the twisting from the front suspension and the motor I can see them welding the crossmember.
Dave ----
The boxing area of the frame is normal, how else would the factory box the frame?
I not sure on the crossmember as I did not look that close to mine but I would also say factory.
They riveted the crossmember in along with the other crossmembers and mounts to hold it somewhat square then to a jig to make sure it is square and the frame boxed and crossmember welded.
With all the twisting from the front suspension and the motor I can see them welding the crossmember.
Dave ----
ok, I ended up drilling all the rivets out and am going to leave the front crossmember in place rather than cut the welds and reweld after sandblasting. Containment is done and starting sandblasting this morning. Biggest pain in the *** to remove, but glad I did, bunch of trapped grease and moisture all other cross members removed
So I started off by trying the surface conditioning tool/drum that I purchased earlier this year to see how it did with stripping the old frame coating and rust off. It works very well on the larger flat surfaces, but is a bit labor intensive. I will likely use it on the outside and top and bottom of each of the side rails to minimize the amount of sand I have to go through (or in my case, recycled crushed glass). Also, the good news is that the containment I built and the filter fan do their respective jobs well.
I had initially purchased two bags of coal slag from Tractor Supply thinking it was a cheap way to get the job done, but man was I wrong. First, this stuff is dusty. Second, it is supposed to be a 40-80 grit material, but there are so many metal and slag pieces in this stuff that definitely are larger. I had loaded this crap into the blast pot a month ago and figured id use it on the initial pass to help get the gunk and grease off and then just trash it...
Well, I would have been better to just trash it altogether. Between it and the cheapo harbor freight nozzle and deadman blaster that comes with the blast pot, it clogged instantly. Upon review, everyone complains about the nozzle and valve / components of the gun that comes with it. I promptly ordered the gun/nozzle that everyone references to replace from Ebay. Should be here later this week.
Below are pictures showing the coal slag, the multicolored recycled glass, along with some sand that I had leftover from my old blast cabinet. You can see just how bit and irregular the coal slag is and why it instantly clogs up unless you were to run a 1" Nozzle and had a 50HP compressor...live and learn.
2 minutes with surface conditioner drum Coal slag = garbage Medium crushed glass comparison between the two... Both supposedly medium grit, but coal slag is about 300% larger Comparison to sandblast cabinet sand Coal slag vs. crushed glass
Sandblasting took 1200lbs of media to do the frame. Recycled glass media was amazing. I also got the upgraded nozzle off of eBay that everyone buys because the deadman nozzle from Harbor Freight is terrible. My 5HP compressor kept up just enough. I had a harder time with the air filter in my containment getting clogged and then not pulling enough air. I would periodically stop and HEPA vac it off to get more airflow, but it started to become a pain. Not sure I want to try and do the body myself... It will probably take another 1200 to do the suspension, axles, and various brackets. I plan on recycling the media for this and then likely throwing it away. Not sure if the body is going to be worth saving at this point. Have found some decent ones down in Texas for around $2000 and would just have to ship one up here. Still debating. Plan for the winter is to sandblast the remainder of the frame components and paint and get back to a rolling chassis.
The Optiflow epoxy primer roll on worked well. Had to get the garage heater going because it was not curing. After I applied everywhere that I could roll it on, I used (or tried to) one can of the 2k rattle can...no idea what the issue was, but I followed the directions exactly. As I started pressing the nozzle, I would get some product, but not an even spray. I was also noticing paint coming from the top of the can under the nozzle. Things only got worse as I tried to hit the areas the roller could not reach. The leaking can got worse and the cold product about gave me frostbite by the time I was done. More paint came out of the top of the can and dripped everywhere and on the frame in a couple spots. I am going to ask for a refund. I had high hopes for the can, but this was a joke. Pics for reference. I was mainly concerned about getting the bare metal protected, and when I get everything else sandblasted and primed, then I will paint them all with chassis black to finish.
I have a couple pitted areas where the shock towers mounted that I'm still not sure if I'm going to address by cutting out patches and weld in new, or using JB Weld to fill in the depressions and call it a day. I have the frame savers from Jeffs Bronco Graveyard that I have to weld in anyway, but since the frame is coated, I can do this anytime it is convenient.
Front shock pitting. mounting holes are good... Rear shock mount rust pitting Front shock mount rust pitting More parts still to do "Suspected of causing cancer" **** this can! Drips from the can everywhere... Can aftermath...
I used (or tried to) one can of the 2k rattle can...no idea what the issue was, but I followed the directions exactly.
I have a couple pitted areas where the shock towers mounted that I'm still not sure if I'm going to address by cutting out patches and weld in new, or using JB Weld to fill in the depressions and call it a day.
..
I use Eastwood paints all the time and never had that happen. Maybe you got a bad can? One time I got a can of (body) color matched spray paint from a different company that would only spray with the can upside down. I guess the thing was assembly wrong? No idea but the company sent me another can for free with an apology.
If the metal isn’t compromised I wouldn’t do anything to it especially smear it with JB Weld. There is already too much dirt and moisture that gets trapped in the area.
Finally getting the rest of the axles and misc. pieces broken down for sandblasting. Body mounts and these transfer case mounts are the worst! I swear I have removed 50 pounds of grease, rust and grime from this project already.
axle seals were not sealing and the oil is more like mud soup in the front differential. **** these things!
Body mounts and these transfer case mounts are the worst!
axle seals were not sealing and the oil is more like mud soup in the front differential.
**** these things!
42 years of wear and tear. I’m pretty sure no one changed the bushings or gear oil since new. Without a drain plug and all the disassembly required to replace the seals, the TTB diff gets ignored.
Awesome that you are starting things from the actual begining and taking care of the frame now. Hate to see people put in alot of wok into a truck and then the frame rots away, or trying to deal woth foxing frame problems after the whole truck is built on top of it.
Awesome that you are starting things from the actual begining and taking care of the frame now. Hate to see people put in alot of wok into a truck and then the frame rots away, or trying to deal woth foxing frame problems after the whole truck is built on top of it.
Thanks, more than I had planned, but glad to be doing it.
Sandblasting all the other components is nearly complete. Still debating if I want to go with the 4" body lift that someone had put on it, or get rid of the body lift and go with a 6" suspension lift from BDS. It is currently on sale for about $1,500 and includes the extended radius arms and brackets that I need to replace due to wear anyway. Besides extended break lines and alignment cams, I think everything else can remain stock...Anyone have experience with this brand/kit?
Been following this build and enjoying it. I have not personally used the BDS stuff, but I've been researching suspension options for my '84 F150. Lots of folks run the BDS stuff on their desert runners, seems like quality components. Them and Desolate seem to be the most popular options, I haven't turned up any negative reviews of either.
Still debating if I want to go with the 4" body lift that someone had put on it, or get rid of the body lift and go with a 6" suspension lift from BDS.
If I remove the 4" body lift, what changes will have to be made other than not installing the lift blocks back when I install the body?
If it was mine, the body lift would be in the trash. When I worked at an independent shop in the 90’s a Jeep came in on a rollback in two pieces. I was told it had a body lift and the tub separated from the chassis in the crash. That depends on what was done. Did the PO extend the shift linkages to make the body lift work?
In the late 90’s I had a 6” Superlift kit put on the ‘87 Bronco with 35” tires. I chose new rear springs instead of lift blocks because those aren’t preferred either.
If it was mine, the body lift would be in the trash. When I worked at an independent shop in the 90’s a Jeep came in on a rollback in two pieces. I was told it had a body lift and the tub separated from the chassis in the crash. That depends on what was done. Did the PO extend the shift linkages to make the body lift work?
In the late 90’s I had a 6” Superlift kit put on the ‘87 Bronco with 35” tires. I chose new rear springs instead of lift blocks because those aren’t preferred either.
the only thing that is clear to me is that they extended the 4wd linkage. Nothing else stands out that it has been modified.
It’s hard to tell through a computer screen but the spindle looks ok to me. The seal doesn’t ride in the middle of the spindle. If you are worried about then buy new spindles.
