Project Life Support.

[koda6966]

Apparently everyone thinks that their rear suspension is made of gold. One guy wanted $250 for just the leafs, with burnt out bushings. I can get them for 40 bucks at a junkyard, and I can probably leave half the stuff attatched and not get charged for it.

Speaking of junkyards, the edge swap is a no-go. I ended up needing the money to fund a camping trip with the lady. She needs some time to relax from her CNA training, I can always find a more complete swap down the line. Shes working on one of those life plans where she rocks the CNA job at the local hospital for two years and then gets free training for her RN. Hopefully she sticks with it, I know how bad she wants it.

Oh, and my differential cover and tank straps came today. The straps are all bent to hell (Not the fault of UPS, the box was thin and cheap) but I'm going to work around it and bend them back. As long as they're solid they'll work I don't care what they're shaped like. Hopefully by the end of today I'll have that crossmember mounted up and the other one removed, so I can start on stripping down the frame for paint and mounting the new tank, straps, and skidplate. Pics to come!

 

[koda6966]

Cross-member painted and mounted. Basically a band aid for the rear cross-member, which is toast. It looks wierd being the only part painted at the moment, but the rest is coming soon. I just have to find my torch so I can finish removing those leaf springs..

 

[koda6966]

Got my 8.8 painted up and ready to go under the truck. I just have to get some silicone for the new cover, brake components, and put in new lug studs.

It's getting new brake lines, drums, shoes, cylinders, and cables. I might go with used drums, if I can find some nice ones.

I also discovered that I have a problem. When I grabbed the gas tank out of my parts truck (which is now at the scrap yard) I neglected to get the cap that goes to the top of the tank. Unfortunately, this means that I can't put the tank on until I find one, since mine is a blob of melted plastic.

I finally (because of this dilemma) managed to grab a picture of the random melting. The little black dots you see in the shadowy part are holes where the tank leaks.

And this is how it's supposed to look.

I'm not sure how it got melted, I just know that when it did I must have had someone watching over me. You don't usually have a gas tank melt without something combusting.

 

[koda6966]

Sold the cap. I really liked it on the truck, I'll have to buy (or build) another one just like it when I get it back on the road. This one was old, and the window screens were torn out so I'm not at much of a loss, plus I made money on it.

I needed the $$ because I'm out of work right now, dislocated my knee and tore some stuff. Fun fun.

 

[koda6966]

Cover is on!

There's the old 7.5 in the background for comparison. Big difference.

If anyone wants that 7.5 for a trailer or something let me know. I'd let it go for 30 bucks. Right now it doesn't have drums or brakes on it though. Not that you'd need them. Well.. you might want drums. I still have em if you want em.

If no one bites I'm gonna build a stone cart with it. Should hold up for a few weeks.

 

[koda6966]

I really need to get working on this again...

Damn bills are interfering. Hopefully I'll be all set in my new job in a few weeks. I'm sick of playing the waiting game.

First paycheck is paying back people I owe, second is finishing what I started here.

 

[koda6966]

Well the truck has a new dent. I was working on the frame when I got a phone call, ended up punching the fender in.

Word of advice to younger people, if you plan on marrying young make SURE that the person consults you about important decisions, like spending 90% of your vacation budget for the week long vacation you've been planing for almost a year on munchies. That shit will piss you off down the line.

Bah.

 

[koda6966]

BAHHH.

I need a perscription for anti-asshole medication. I think I'm at least 70% of the problem.

>.<

 

[4.0B2]

ah cheer up dude... get that ranger together! then come help me build mine. lol.

 

[koda6966]

Well everything's better now. Trucks packed up, and I'm heading out in about an hour.

I had to build a bed extender just to fit all my stuff in the S10. MAN that thing is small. I hate it.

 

[Boggin]

whered ya get the bling chrome cover?

 

[koda6966]

Amazon. lol

I had some old textbooks laying around from when I was in college. Sent them back in and got some $$ in the form of an amazon gift card.

 

[koda6966]

Boggin: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ZMBU6Y?tag=959media-20

So far it's doing pretty nice. I haven't drove the truck with it on yet, since I tore the rear end back out to go a different route with my suspension setup. Comes with all the bolts, washers for them, and a paper gasket. Don't use JUST the paper gasket though, I know people who have done that. I'm sure you know better though haha.

And if anyone needs tank straps..
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EQA3KW?tag=959media-20

Those are pretty decent quality, mine came a little bent in the box but they go back into shape. It came with new hardware as well.

 

[Viva*the*Ranger]

Lookin good Koda! Sorry to hear about the Vacation money...That blows! It might be cheaper for you to just switch to disc brakes. At least it is for me, in my case. New brake parts for the drum setup: $230 (everything is bad in them). Disc brake setup from my local junk yard:$30, pads and rotors:$125. BAM! I'll be rocken discs!

 

[koda6966]

It's all good. Ended up having an amazing time despite.

Anyways, I finished hacking those leaf spring mounts off. I need to replace all except the front passengers side, since I replaced that one already. I attempted to save the leaf springs to re-use but I ended up saying to hell with it since they're saggy anyway.

I might throw them on craigslist cheap, somebody with more ambition to re-use them might want them.

Now I just have to strip down the rest of the frame, paint it up, and put everything back where it goes.