Almost Complete

[86 slo-vo]

Hey TB crew,
Anybdy see 'em 70 something inch rock sliders in the parts sale, I'm a hittin on 'em! Might have to might a drive to Knoxville this weekend, or maybe I can get the guy to ship 'em. Seriously doubt any way I'll have them on before TB on the 26th.

Jay

if ya dont end up getting them...buy some tubeing and head for owensboro..i have a tubeing bender and a welder ready to go!

 

[86 slo-vo]

oh and here's a good one from the last trip...i want to hit that trail again if we can find it lol

 

[Jay'94]

Guys had tons of hits on 'em. Don't know what the deal is. I know some awesome wheelin places over there in WNC, but my luck they probably dried up or blocked off since I left there at 80 in a 88 blue ranger 2wd with a 2.3 that's been long gone.
I got a welder and some big ole farm trees oout here, I'm sure it don't go through I'll get creative later, sweaty my hiney hole off bending up something. But don't know why I'm even considering that when ya just offered the use of a sofisticated proper bender and your beadin skills probably up to par better than mine! Sometimes it takes stuff a while to run through my TBI head!
Jay

 

[86 slo-vo]

im still on a learning curve with the bender but im getting there...

 

[Jay'94]

That's looking good Slo-Vo! I just put on that little light bar and plan to add a front receiver of some sort since there's plenty room exposed from my 3"BL!
I can't wait to see that 1354 ya put in, sure would love me one of them! It's nice to just hit the button on the dash, but don't know how much faith I got in that, when grabbing steel and puting it where ya want it yourself is guaranteed!
I also want to build a Headache rack for the back of my cab, but it'll be out of square tubing, and a winter project. My Buddy in Texas got one just like I want on his 1960 Apache 2 ton. He pulled that thing out of JY for free and been building on it since 98. When I was down there, some idiot in a little Honda pulled out in front of is, then wanted to show his IQ with one finger. Really funny to see the whites of their eyes when ya run up on 'em over 85 in a two ton doing Jeepers Creepers reruns!! Guy got out of the way quick, we was laughing so hard we had to pull over!!

 

[86 slo-vo]

the bumper is getting there, still some work to go on it for sure..

the 1354 isnt in yet, been crawling under the truck for a while now to put it in 4wd because the motor went out...i hate the pushbutton

ive got the headache rack off mine if ya want one for cheep lol

 

[Jay'94]

lSlo-Vo,
Does that headache rack mount along the bed rails or go down through the bed and mount to the frame?
Jay

 

[Jay'94]

Well been at it all day. FINALLY getting some truck work done. Replaced the pigtail for trailer wiring, got all four sway bar quick disconnects in. I had the one in that I did in Lowe's P-lot to see if it would work and had to finish it. I got four of the in now, so once it disconnects the end links can go in the tool box and won't be dangling around getting hung up in stuff.
I tore into the battery cables, so old they wouldn't even tighten down on the battery good. Had to cut the old ends off to put on this cool splice cable ends that I picked up at advance. Heat shrunk stuff to make it more weather resistant as something is whispering in my ear that some guys are going to have me drving through some wonderful wet stuff!
I just finished ripping out the dull fadded headlights, one is trashed, if someone wants the other you, you can have it (it's a right). I ordered me up some of those clear ones so I can see Bambi in the morning without blinding everyone else with the 130W KCs. Got the turn signals pulled out (no they aren't avail, they're going back in), and finally got the header panel or headlight mounting panel out! What a Pain in my buttocks. Been wanting to replace the dang thing for 5 years, someone before me had a brush guard on and ran into something, pushing it back into the headlights and panel. The driver's side headlight was flopping around when I bought so I used a wood screw and some gorilla glue to hold it together, but couldn't aim it worth a crap, not that it would help as dull as they are. Yeah I tried to polish it out, lasted a week right back to blind night driving. No I get to go put it all back together.
Had to put some groceries in my gullet. My stomach was pushing up on my backbone!

 

[Jay'94]

Oh, I also wired in an accesory fuse block for all the extra crap I had pigtailed into the battery! Now when I turn on the stereo it works, the KCs work, and the volt meter is showing LOW because I don't think my batt had actually been charging well. Anyway, lost my glasses some dang where around here last night, so I'm going to wally world later to get me some, it'll charge up then. Got a batt charger in a box somewhere, but still ain;'t unpacked all my stash!
And I got pics, will post tonight.

 

[86 slo-vo]

mounts on the inside of the bedrail with 3 screw each side...i planned on adding some mesh to it nad some brake lights but going tube bed so no need for it anymore

i can do whatever you want to it..

 

[Jay'94]

Front end work

Replaced a lot of stuff and R&R on electrical. I'll let the pics tell the story.

Misc. electrical and lugnuts to install

Installed electrical: new fuse block, batt cable ends R&R

Old front end; Dull headlights, broken chrome grill, broken header panel

Stripped for R&R

New header panel; Black and I ain't painting it!

New front end; Clear headlights, trun signals back, Black header panel showing at bottom, New gray grill (I ain't painting that either)!
If you ever do a front end order of strip: turn signals out, grill off, headlights out, header panel out
Reinstall: Header panel, hedlights, grill pieces arounf tunr signals, grill center, turn signals go in last!
Now I can see Bambi in the early morning without blinding everyone w/130W KC driving lights that are on the outside! And I can see w/low beams.
I turned the truck around in the shop long ways and used the shop wall to adjust the aim of headlights, see how it is in the morning and adjust from there.
And if you look down low in a couple pics you can see the quick disconnect for the sway bar end links! Take them suckers out and throw 'em in the tool box on the 26th and 27th.
Jay

 

[Jay'94]

Grill

On second thought, might have to pull that grill and paint it black after really looking at the pics!
Thoughts, Probably not the place to ask that, I'll get a hundred and one different opins!

Jay

 

[feellnfroggy]

In the last 3 sets of pics I have seen I think 3 diff sets of wheels, what the hell?

 

[Jay'94]

Two sets on mine.
I have 33x10.50x15 BFG AT KOs mounted on factory 15x7 aluminum "deer hoofs" for the street and mild terrain which are on the truck now.
I also have 33x12.50x15 TSL Radial Super Swampers on 15x8 Cragar Black "D Windows" for the fun stuff! I don't run them all the time because the pavement justs chews them up and it's a waste of money to me. I have a shop, a large air compressor, air tools, a torque wrench, and a big floor jack. It's nothing to roll it in, pick it up, swap 'em out, torque 'em down!
That way I'm using the proper tires for whatever. It's not an everyday thing. Unless I'm going to Turkey Bay, some other off road place, or know I'm going to hit some nasty fishing or hunting I'll run the BFGs.
It's not a luxury everyone has, I bought the TSLs and wheels last year used for $450 off a guy who had 'em on a cherokee. He goes to TB and I think I've even seen his rig in some pics on here. I was Iraq after that and saved some money so I decided to keep the factory wheels and put another set of BFGs on them since the last ones (31x10.50x15) lasted me over 65,000 miles. No way I'll get that just running the TSLs. So I should be good on tires for many years to come. I did order another cragar and have to pick up another TSL to replace one that was worn bad, worn one will become my spare.

 

[Jay'94]

Turkey Bay

Well I took a little 21.9 mile drive over to Turkey Bay! Got my annual pass, ready to see you gys next sat!
I unhooked the front sway bar and bugied 'er up, threw the end links in the tool box.
Took a drive through on the primary roads, awfully dry. I hit a secondary and it was getting alittle narly with no spare in the bed and no recovery team anywhere nearby. Didn't want to have to hobble my worn out hip all the way back to civilization. Made it to the top of the hill, turned around and crawled back down. Front end was doing ok, dang back end was hopping all over the place. I thought "WTF"? Got back to the gate area, crawled under the back and the things got a dang wimpy sway bar back there. Had never really been looking for it before and easily missed it since it's the size of a crayon. Don't know how that could have been having any effect on anything, but sure it was. It's coming out! Yes Slo-Vo, the rear sway bar is going away. I'll keep the front beefy one and disconnect at the house before I go over there.
Also stopped by Brown's in Cadiz to get me another Swamper so I can replace the worn out one and then use it fr my spare. Dang things are on backorder from everyone, So now I got to scour the internet or carry a brand new BFG AT next sat for a spare.