- Joined
- Aug 6, 2007
- Messages
- 527
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Age
- 36
- Location
- Caledonia, Ontario
- Vehicle Year
- 1990
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 5.0L
- Transmission
- Automatic
To start this off, i want to say that spite is a fantastic modivator. If someone tells you that you cant do something or shouldn't, doesn't mean you can try.
So I started this about a year ago by taking the body off the frame. Which was easier teh second time after doing a body lift. The box was easy, lift it off by hand. The cab however was a little tricky. I used 4x4s between the cab and frame, used several combanations of jack stands and jacks to get it high enough to clear the engine. I ended up building a jackable stand out of a rim, angle iron, and a old bumper jack.
Then i left it alone cause this is canada and it gets cold and snowy in the winter. When spring came i got to work.
First I took out the rad support. I used and air chissel with a flat blade and broke all the spot welds. Took the old on out laid it on the floor, put the new one in lined it up best i could and welded everywhere i could. It took about an hour to do after countless hours of taking it off the frame and removing all the wireing... you get the idea.
Next was the floor/firewall area. This is why i parked the truck, i developed a huge hole/crack in the firewall/floor seam.
Using a cutoff wheel and a grinder i cut out all the rotten metal and replaced it with some 1/16th steel and angle iron to brace it even more. I did this a little at a time so that nothing would weaken anymore and sag.
After that i did alot of work on the frame, taking off the engine/transmission, cutting off the old 2wd suspension, grinding it down, sanding and painting.
Origonally for the 4x4 conversion i was going to use a stock setup and swap crossmembers. I even bought a parts explorer for this, but the guy i bought the explorer off of threw in a FREE dana 44 front axel. So now i had both options, so im now going with the dana 44 and i have to re-weld and bolt the origonal crossmember back on. oopsy.
Durring the winter months i was in the garage at night cleaning the engine stripping it down and painting it when i could, its ready to go back together once i get a rebuild kit from summit.
So thats where i have gotten to so far. Trying to figure out this dana 44 thing right now.
So I started this about a year ago by taking the body off the frame. Which was easier teh second time after doing a body lift. The box was easy, lift it off by hand. The cab however was a little tricky. I used 4x4s between the cab and frame, used several combanations of jack stands and jacks to get it high enough to clear the engine. I ended up building a jackable stand out of a rim, angle iron, and a old bumper jack.
Then i left it alone cause this is canada and it gets cold and snowy in the winter. When spring came i got to work.
First I took out the rad support. I used and air chissel with a flat blade and broke all the spot welds. Took the old on out laid it on the floor, put the new one in lined it up best i could and welded everywhere i could. It took about an hour to do after countless hours of taking it off the frame and removing all the wireing... you get the idea.
Next was the floor/firewall area. This is why i parked the truck, i developed a huge hole/crack in the firewall/floor seam.
Using a cutoff wheel and a grinder i cut out all the rotten metal and replaced it with some 1/16th steel and angle iron to brace it even more. I did this a little at a time so that nothing would weaken anymore and sag.
After that i did alot of work on the frame, taking off the engine/transmission, cutting off the old 2wd suspension, grinding it down, sanding and painting.
Origonally for the 4x4 conversion i was going to use a stock setup and swap crossmembers. I even bought a parts explorer for this, but the guy i bought the explorer off of threw in a FREE dana 44 front axel. So now i had both options, so im now going with the dana 44 and i have to re-weld and bolt the origonal crossmember back on. oopsy.
Durring the winter months i was in the garage at night cleaning the engine stripping it down and painting it when i could, its ready to go back together once i get a rebuild kit from summit.
So thats where i have gotten to so far. Trying to figure out this dana 44 thing right now.