Today I put some add-a-leaves in the rear and pulled the front springs off to take to work and mess with. I have a few other leaves to mix in and I need to shorten some and make some spring clamps. the truck only fell off the jackstands once today lol so it didn't take too much longer than I suspected.

If I get out there tomorrow, the plan is install the new longer rear brake line (mid 90's nissan 300zx front line), cut the crossmember to clear my rear driveshaft, rig up the e-brake, drill my front spring perches out to move the axle back an inch, and start getting everything ready for the front driveshaft. I might get the ford shock towers mocked up too.

The next week is spring break at the school I work at so I can take advantage of the welding room and mini-baja shop w/out worrying about interruptions. I'll get my front springs set up, make some shackle hanger gussets, make some u-bolt plates for the front, pull the stripped stud from my rear housing and replace it w/ a bolt, lube it up, and probably finish grooving the last two swampers (maybe even mount them).

Next weekend I'll order up my shocks, front u-bolts, and wheel spacers, mount them up, get the driveshafts knocked out, mount the front springs hope that my steering finally clears everything.

Early april I'll take the rig to a buddy's shop and pay him to get it running right (I get too frustrated trying to mess with it) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> and if all goes well do the break in routine for the rear gears before taking it to uwharrie for a shakedown.

the end is nigh, and I see the light at the end of the tunnel <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> Glad it didn't fall on you!!

Sounds like you are getting your project wrapped up. Congats!! I enjoy watching the progress, thanks for sharing.

yeah I only had access to two jackstands, a hilift, and a bunch of whatnot (tires, wood, etc) in the yard so it got a little crazy. I swear if the truck doesn't fall on me it will be the hilift that does me in!

I feel compelled to share a nugget of wisdom: NEVER let go of the jack handle when you are lowering a heavy object with your hilift jack! it will fly up and bounce back down and ratchet itself to the next peg and fly up and repeat until you can stop it or it gets down to where it isn't supporting anything. it's pretty scary. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> people lose teeth and eyes because of these things, so always be careful with your hilift <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" /> <that's what you will look like if you don't respect the jack, Jack!

today didn't go so well. the brake line I got for the rear works great if you swap in a toyota rear (like eric did) but i didn't pay attention to the differences w/ the zu rear. on the toyota, there is a male fitting at the splitter for the rear brakes, the isuzu doesn't have one. so I will jsut have to buy a little adapter to mate the female end on the stock line to the female end on the nissan line. I should have way more than enough length with this setup.

also, I didn't have access to any power tools today, so nothing much else got done. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

But oh well, I have all this next week to play with it so I should still get a bunch done.

today I got my front leaves all cut how I want them, reassembled and I found some scrap at work to make spring clamps. should have them back in tomorrow.

here's a couple random recent pics.

1st shows the flipped calipers. you can see how the ebrake cables now come over the top of the axle. I should be able to just move a few mounting places and adjust the stock setup to work fine.


2nd is just one with the front springs out. and before anyone asks, I have removed and reattached the front brake line without the loop in it.


I'll add more pics as things get done <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

done..thats not in your vocabulary <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif" alt="" /> just kiddin, lets finish that thing this week

Haha! I'll have it out of the yard and at my buddy's shop in April to get the engine purring. Just have a "few" things to tighten up before then. I think I found a tow rig too <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

OK I made some forward progress today. drilled out my spring perches and ubolt plates to move the axle back about 1-1.5" and got the remixed spring packs in up front and she is sitting level. taller than I wanted to be, but the added height and moving the axle back got my drag link away from the oil pan and filter, the frame, and my u-bolt nuts. I have about 2.5-3" of uptravel before anything hits, and that is just fine and dandy with me.

I cut out the section of the rear crossmember where the carrier bearing used to sit and test fit the driveshaft. everything looks good!

I also got the stripped stud out of my rear axle housing without breaking it off! I was happily surpised. just gotta replace it with a bolt, fill her up with lube and that will be done.

Once I get a piece to get my rear brakes lines connected to my longer hose, move some mounts around, and bleed the system, I'll have stopping power--which will come in handy when I get my driveshaft back from my welder buddy and have some go-power.

I also got my wheel spacers in yesterday. 2 pairs of 2" spacers were $132 shipped via an ebay store. pretty dang good deal from what I've seen. came with studs and nuts too. I just have to switch to some smaller lugnuts on the axle end so I can get a socket in there to tighten everyting down. you might be wondering why 2" spacers all around? well, the wheels I'm using are 16x7 stock toyota steel wheels with a lot of backspacing, so until I get some different wheels, this will widen up my track to keep my tires out of my springs and frame (hopefully).

getting the steel for my front shaft soon and I think a buddy has a toyota end for me to use at my tcase, so that ought to go together fairly quickly.

I'll try to get some pics of the inaugural poser flex test when that happens (maybe this week, maybe next) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Just a thought, but wouldn't $132 have gone a long way towards a new set of wheels? What size rims do you need?

Any pics of your shock setup? I've been trying to figure mine out this week.

Glad to hear that things are coming together. Hopefully I can get all my loose ends wrapped up and we can brake these rigs in at Uwharrie <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />

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

probably would, but I'm going to be switching out to a wide 2nd gen rear at some point and so I'll need to keep one set up front, and I'll just sell the other set.

eventually I'll either mount beadlocks to the wheels I have now, or get some alloy's to save weight (and parts). kinda up in the air for now.

As for shocks, I got the Ford shock towers in last week and haven't really messed with them yet. now that everything else up front is basically where it needs to be, I can start measuring. If I have the room, I'll probably get the 13.5" travel doetch-tech (sp?) prerunner shocks ($40 ea). Even though at this time, I doubt I'll be able to get that much movement, it leaves room for improvement. plus they have a little bumpstop on the piston so I have a backup if my other ones give out. that reminds me I still have to figure out my main bumpstops <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

in the rear, I'm just going to mount two 8" travel procomp mx6 shocks I have had collecting dust for the past year and a half. I'll probably mount them inboard of the springs and angle them in towards the center and mount them to the crossmember above the axle. hopefully it won't restrict travel too much. Yes, it will be ghetto, and it won't be near ideal, but it will be better than nothing until I get a better setup figured out.