UPDATE

made some progress recently. Time and money have been tight, so even though it's not much, it's something, and I'm pumped about it <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Went ahead and just sprung over the rear with the stock springs. not very creative or interesting, but turned out to be a PERFECT match for the front lift.

I was hoping that I could hook the 2-piece driveshaft back up just to drive it around the yard, but there is no way it will fit lol. So, I've got to get that one-piece done.

Anyone ever have trouble with their slip-yoke pulling out with a one-piece? If I measure from the tcase output to the pinion flange under total compression and extension, I assume that as long as the difference is less than the length of the slip-yoke, things will be hunky-dory?

After the shaft, I'm gonna try to get the rear 3rd set up with the 5.38's and a lincoln lock over Christmas.

I checked out my other d44 housing to see if the driver side knuckle would swap over to just run regular crossover. But alas, the tie-rod would come in from the bottom just like that one I already have. so I gotta go hi-steer. more money <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />

What have people been doing about their e-brake? I definately want to keep it, so the lines need to be extended. anyone got pics of their homebrew setup?

There's a lot left to do, but getting the <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" /> up in the air was good for morale. I'm ready to get it finished up enough to tow it somewhere and put her in 4low. All the bling parts I want and further mods will come as money and time allow, but I'm going to try to make the current, simple setup work until the 36's are dead. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I'll get some pics of how she is sitting posted this weekend.

as it sits now

I also got to work on the 36's since my girl gave me a groover for Christmas.

I got 4 of these for $100:


as you can see there wasn't much tread:


so here's the iron:


the rubber I took off of one tire:


and the product of about 4 hours of labor:




the others should take less time and get progressively better looking. this first one was my first time using a groover. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

Yep - she's a keeper! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />


<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

well I'm waiting for my cordless impact to charge up right now, but soon I'll be heading over to Eric's to work on my junk. This weekend's agenda:

-Remove pitman arm
-Remove rear 3rd member

I'm taking them to indy4x on friday on my way up to PA. Hopefully they will be back in my possesion soon thereafter with the pitman reamed from the bottom, and the rear 3rd regeared. A buddy of mine is building my rear driveshaft that should be done around the same time.

The next weekend I should be able to install a longer rear brake line, get some fresh bushings in the springs, remix my leaf packs, install new u-bolts for the front springs, and get some shocks on the truck. Then I'll work on getting the PS back up and running, put all the rest of my parts on, re-route the e-brake cables, bleed, flush, and lube whatever needs it, get some wheel spacers, and get a square front shaft made.

I'm *hoping* to tow it out to uwharrie sometime in March for a shake down run. Then, before the summer heat, I will be swapping in some alloy's, looking for a good set of 38"+ tires, and pepping up the 2.6.

I'm getting exhausted just thinking about it <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

got the pitman arm off, but not before breaking the first puller I rented (made in taiwan). Broke one of the 'teeth' that sits on either side of the pitman off. I went back to the vatozone I got it from, and they of course didn't have another. Two other stores did (all the way across town, suprise, suprise) so, after hitting every red light there, I picked up another puller (made in the USA <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" /> ) and it did the trick. lots of PB blaster, tighten it down some more, a few taps with the BFH, a swig of beer, repeat.

didn't take too long, but the sun was down by the time I got started on getting the rear axle shafts out. At least it gives me something to do tomorrow.

Paul, I'm not your mom or your den mother, but I'm gonna encourage care.

Grooving up rubber for the trail is fair game (sweet score for a Benjamin!), but exercise some care with running that rubber on the street. In some states, it is illegal to groove tires not specifically stamped for that, and in most states, grooving out the wear bars is fully illegal. Whether anyone is actually looking for these violations is a whole different issue, but mothers, den mothers, and busloads full of nuns across America beg your consideration.

Sell me some cookies! :p

Randii

I'm really currious to see how your steering works out her Paul. I think I'll end up with my axle about as far foward as yours.

Show me how it's done <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />Andre

Andre, if I had the patience, I'd try to move the steering box forward a few inches, find someone to make me a flat pitman arm, and notch the pass-side frame-rail for drag link clearance.

I talked to Matt Brown about the flat pitman, and he said that you can't get the tooling to do the isuzu box/pitman spline. I remember a thread a while back where a guy cut the splined portion off his arm and had that welded into a flat arm. anyway...

Since I don't have the patience, for now I'm just doing the tre from the bottom of the stock pitman, lifting it another inch, and bumpstopping the wee out of it. I might have to run square u-bolts facing down on the drivers side leaf to get a little more interference-free uptravel. It's ton's of fun trying to get it all worked out, I assure you <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />

randii, thanks for the heads up. I'm hoping they won't explode on me. I'll be mostly trailering the rig until I get the bugs worked out and a new (bigger) set of shoes on her. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

For all that trouble, I'd be tempted to go full hydro <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I know what you mean though. There is not much room to move the steering box foward. I talked to RobG about his steering setup, and he had the pitman reamed from the bottom like you are doing, but now he runs the Ford TRE on top of the stock pitman.

I'm planning on some trial and error <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />Andre