The Saga of Truck Norris

[Li'l Work Truck]

Small progress update - the LCA's went back out into the world, with the same label on two separate packages. Only one of my LCA's got credited back. So, I'll have to add that cost to the truck build. So much of what I'm working on requires dismantling the front end, so all work is on hold until I can get the right parts in. I'm kicking myself for not ordering the right stuff.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

Well, there's a small light at the end of the tunnel. It's a train. RUN!

Just kidding! Correct LCA's and another set of camber bolts are en route. That means I get to finish the steering and suspension, and add to that the other engine mount and the transmission mount, which is proudly stamped MADE IN CHINA. Crap. Well, I suppose this'll be great practice for when I have to do it all over again in a year.

That being said, I think I'm going to hold on to the old control arms for the sole purpose of making them ready for the inevitable move towards Energy Suspension street bushings when these parts fail.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

Happy Sunday, everybody.

 

[SenorNoob]

Awfully late in the day to still have parts in the bag isn't it? You planning to put it back together next weekend? LOL

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

Awfully late in the day to still have parts in the bag isn't it? You planning to put it back together next weekend? LOL

That's one for the other side! I plan on working on it tomorrow too, since I work for the State and we get [insert politically correct name for Confederate Memorial Day] off. At this point, the D/S engine mount is in, LCA is hanging in wait for the new spring, UCA mounts are cleaned and waiting, UCLA is mostly average, and the YMCA is closed.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

Cleaning up last night from working on the driver's side, I walked back from the dumpster and thought this looked cool, so I got a shot of it.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

I learned several things about myself on this long weekend of mine. The biggest of which is that I am 43. The next biggest is that I actually loathe camber bolts.

Tighter, tighter, superloose! *smashes hand, and calls upon the Ancestors while mothers cover their children's ears*

I also had 3 older men tell me that they couldn't believe that I was able to do a complete suspension refresh in a parking lot, after their curiosity got the better of them so they came around to see what was going on.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

Well, after getting my ass handed to me by simply rolling around on the asphalt for 2 days working on the truck last weekend, I am hopeful that one day I will have some semblance of a shop or garage with even a portable lift. Until then, more WWA (Wrestling With Asphalt). Today I picked up some wheel bearings, seals, and some red sticky since the left side was shot, but because everything else was also soft, you couldn't really tell. You can now. That is this weekend's task. Everything cost me about $106. I remember when bearings were under $4 apiece. 🫩 Oh well, I need them, so here goes. Actually, if any of my 12-point hub sockets will fit, then I'm good. If not... I dunno. Advance didn't have one, and the tools I'm seeing online don't look anything like they'd fit what I have. It looks like I have 4WD hardware on a 2WD truck.

I know that the nut seats at 26 ft. lbs., backed off 180°, then reseats at 15-20 in. lbs.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

Did some YouTubing. The unusual nut is not what I thought it was. It's just a castle adapter. The guy did it in about 30 minutes. I bet it'll take me about twice that in the first go-round. It's an excuse to go to HF. That bearing install set looks just fine.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

I got a creeper! And a stool! And it's the same thing! Now I can follow my tools as they roll down the driveway! I also got a bearing tool, and I'm going to be using these a lot because soon there will be new rotors in my future...

I got National bearings & races and Driveworks seals, because that's all Advance had. In fact, I cleaned them out by buying parts to fix exactly one Ranger. I wasn't going to use anything less than National, and Timken, well... I need bearings now.

Probably should anyway. Here's a picture of inexpensive toys that I hope will make life easier in the ol' parking spot.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

This thread is not quite picture saturated, is it? The wheel bearings are in. I'm at the point where getting the truck in safe condition trumps everything, and I need to hyperfocus (flow) or it's not getting done. The guy in the video did one whole hub in 30 minutes. It took me 3.5 hours to do the front end. That seat was a godsend, and that race hammer tool is definitely at the top of my list for favorite tools. It cuts time.

There were three different greases in the hubs originally - a grey colored one, brown, and a translucent gray. It smelled used, but I didn't see any noticeable wear, like metal shavings or anything like that. Of course, it's possible that the grease hid some of it... I don't know. All I know is that I can go to work tomorrow morning one step closer to "new" truck ownership.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

YES!!! There is nothing like that first drive after fixing something! It's quiet. It pulls to the left a lot, but that's for next weekend.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

An earlier shot of the next thing on the list... It's worse now. Can't think of a better thing to do over the Labor Day weekend other than, well, labor.

Damn it, it's Memorial Day! I always get those two mixed up!

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

So I was sick this last weekend, and couldn't stay awake let alone get out of bed. This has caused me to have to move forward with an alignment and tires before the steering system replacement. That's not a serious problem, though, because I added timing chain, front crankshaft seal, and water pump to my replacement items - very much a "while you're here" situation. I was just informed by @cape_royds that my truck uses Gold coolant, so I'm certain that the weird mixture in my system is a yellow and green "mixture" even though the two don't exactly mix. You can see the separation in the overflow tank.

That just means I need to spend some quality time with my head through the opening where the radiator is. Thing is, there's a soft deadline now. I'm relocating to another apartment complex that isn't so carefree (read: zero phuchs given)

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

I was in the middle of a huge edit when my touchscreen ing phone decided I wasn't. it. I'll do this on the computer. ing touchscreen