PlumCrazy's Beater DD 4x4 Build

[ryan]

Shop upgrade arrived.
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Some assembly required because I'm a cheap ass, but it did the thing.
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Did the full renforcement deal, but had to trial the brake first. My brother gave me crap for wasting money on something I could make, but lll admit....SWAG stuff just works out of the box. It's worth more in convenience than anything.

My time is worth more than what they charge for a killer product. Their portaband table is worth its weight in gold IMO. I have literally worn out two Milwaukee saws on the same table.
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Do you have their portaband table? I have started looking at them for mine - the one I have is flimsy

 

[PlumCrazy]

Do you have their portaband table? I have started looking at them for mine - the one I have is flimsy

I sure do. I have used it a ton and love it.

 

[ryan]

I sure do. I have used it a ton and love it.

I've been eyeing the TMR one because it looks sturdier, but I'm not sure it looks sturdier enough to spend the money on it

 

[PlumCrazy]

I've been eyeing the TMR one because it looks sturdier, but I'm not sure it looks sturdier enough to spend the money on it

I like that the SWAG unit allows you to remove a single thumb screw and have a mobile portaband with a small table quickly.

 

[ryan]

I like that the SWAG unit allows you to remove a single thumb screw and have a mobile portaband with a small table quickly.

Yeah, I use mine frequently for things where the stand won't work and the one I have now is a nightmare to move. I need to figure out how to stop tossing blades as much too, but that's my fault not the tool's

 

[PlumCrazy]

200 miles down... ordered a YJ track bar but not sure when I'll get around to mounting it.

Suspension has settled to 4" +/- 1/4" lift all the way around

 

[PlumCrazy]

Put close to 3k miles on the swap with no track bar and it was getting old lol. Roundabouts and tight turning and parking lots really make the leaf spring bushings unhappy.


Ended up chopping a YJ trackbar about 8" from the frame end and flipping it 180* I put a 45* chamfer on the ends and welded it back together. Then put the bar on the truck backwards from how it would be on a Jeep. This pushes the bar forward enough to clear the crossmember and angles back enough to shoot behind the pitman arm (which is backwards from a Jeep application)

Mock up with tack welds and zip ties:

Made up a template with CAD for the frame mounts and got those hacked out with the bandsaw.

Drives much nicer, turns without creaking and popping, and bump steer is gone, but I may try to throw a sway bar back on too and check toe (never messed with the tie rod that came on this axle).


Found an old aluminum bumper in a buddies shed that I want to try on this truck. Ill have to make brackets and new end wings/caps

Side note, I took the blue truck out for Labor Day and only took these two pictures.

We also welcomed new member to family. He goes by “Rip”...he is a little ripper that's for sure.

 

[PlumCrazy]

You know what they say.....you will likely find trouble if you go looking for it.

I knew the crossmember gusset where the front tank strap attached was toast (hence the ratchet strap) Decided to probe around with the needle scaler and found that the frame is not great either. So started planning out a patch plate and getting the cab mount off. Next step will be dropping the tank to cut the silly bolt off that goes to the top of the frame from the cab mount (can't get to it with the cab on).

I'm sure the cross member will also be nearly toast too....I guess racking up 300K+ in the rust belt takes a toll. I'll booger this thing together and shoot for another 200K though.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Anyone have a crossmember and driver side gusset they are willing to sell? The one in my parts truck isn't much better and I really don't feel like fabbing something up for this POS.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Similar to the vibe of previous work done....

Not my best work, but it will work

 

[SenorNoob]

Anything has got to be better than a hole right?

Not like that ya perverts...

 

[PlumCrazy]

Decided to get the crossmember over the rear axle swapped for a slightly less crusty one from one of the trucks in death row.

Not great but, but better than what was in it. Churched up a few thin spots and coated the top with Fluid Film while I could get to it.

Good enough

Wasps built a duplex under the gas flap and were not happy about me hacking the frame apart....so I had to evict them.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Things escalated quickly.

Picked up a pretty clean 92 long bed rolling chassis.

But...having this chassis means I have enough parts between a 97 cab, 7' aluminum service bed, 2.3 from my V8 swapped truck, and a few M50Ds to build another truck....

I think in the meantime I'll just steal this crossmember out of it to fix the black truck and back burner building another truck until my turbo truck is done.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Continuing with the theme of this project I have spent way too much time making what I have work by grafting old and older (that is newer to me) together. I did pick up a new chisel for removing rivets and man does it work well. I can zip a rivet off in like 20 seconds. Faster if I can cross cut the head with an angle grinder first.

The front tank crossmember and gussets were identical from the 92 frame and swapped over without issue (besides having to repair a small section with a pin hole. I painted the mating surfaces and repaired area with zinc paint, then coated thoroughly with Fluim Film

I wasnt planning to mess with the rear tank crossmember...but it was blistered up at the frame mating areas, so I wanted to get it fixed while the tank was out and before it rotted the frame itself anymore. It was paper thin and full of holes by the time I was done removing all the rivets.

The rear tank crossmember was very similar besides the area that goes over/around the rollover vent. Luckily that area of my original 97 crossmember was salvageable and I was able to use it to modify the 92 crossmember.

I sandblasted the areas that will be welded, hopefully Ill have this truck back together this weekend.