xBLAKEx's 1988 Supercab Build

[Ryannn]

Wow! Just read your build so far, I like it. You're truck is clean and you are doing some good work. Keep at it man!

 

[xBLAKEx]

Thank you! I'm glad you like it. It's been a lot of work. Hah

 

[xBLAKEx]

Well due to work and some other stuff; I wasn't able to get as much done as I wanted this weekend. What I kinda got done was the brackets to mount the bumper. Since I don't have a winch yet, I decided to make the brackets adjustable
[ so i can move the bumper out or in more to fit a winch ]
Went ahead and used 1/4" Angle Steel, I'm not sure if that was over kill or not.. ha oh well. I took some pictures along the way, been a busy day so I'll post them as soon as I have time.

 

[xBLAKEx]

Finally a little update!! I have been sooo busy between work and school. It's almost finals week so that hasn't helped at all.. Ha.

Anyways i guess it was a couple weeks ago i had started the brackets for the front bumper. Well tonight i was able to spend a little more time working with them, and decided to change a few things. The bumper still isn't welling to the brackets because I ran out of time tonight. But i took a few shots..


Old design: Was just a little to long and heavy in my opinion. So Simplified it a bunch.

New Design:

Cleaned up the welds:

Kind of an idea where the bumper will be sitting. I am satisfied with it i think. We'll see how it all works out later with a winch.

Oh I had a little time to kill at school so I mobbed up on a rock. Rear drivers side tire was about 1-2" off the ground and the rear passenger tire tucked in real nice. I'm thinking if i didn't have that 1/2 ton overload on the rear wouldn't have come off the ground. I noticed the front wasn't very 'flexy' I'll give it time though.

[Sorry for the real small pictures.. phone camera.]

 

[wizkid00104]

Looking good!

 

[xBLAKEx]

Thanks :]

Well today was an exciting day. Was able to mount the bumper! there's still a lot of work to be done, but having the brackets done helps a lot. First thing i did this afternoon was square up the brackets because the bumper wasn't sitting flush with them. Once that was done i mocked the bumper up for the last time!

The first time it wasn't quite level, so we had to break the tacks. Second time i was pleased with where it sat.

Brought it into the garage. All ready for welding.

I watch my dad weld all the time, but I have never welded before until today.

Watched him weld for a little, as he gave me technique advice.

Then it was my turn..

My first weld was good, but it didn't come down far enough. I corrected it on the second half , but i thought it looked like crap. Ended up doing a second pass on the first half.

I am pretty stocked on the last weld i did. I think turned how good for my 4th weld hah.

After it was all welded made sure it fit properly still, and it did. I think i'm going to trim my fenders next to figure out how to 'wrap' the bumper around.

When do you guys do the fender trimming?

Also picked up a 'new' grille from pick n' pull for 30 bucks, no scratches, cracks and had all tabs. Real stocked!

The plan is to buff it up, prime it, and then paint it black to match the mirrors.

 

[xBLAKEx]

More done on the bumper. The other day i was thinking how to 'wrap' it around and what not. And just wasn't to sure how i wanted to do it, but tonight i just went at it, and some what figured it out i think.

First thing i needed to do was some fender/ lower valence trimming.

I had already drawn my lines of where the bumper was sitting [ height wise ] on the fenders/ valence. I decided to start all the trimming on the drivers side because the fender was already beat up [ I couldn't mess it up much more.. ha ] So I went ahead and cut the valence first, and then the fender.


Ready to be cut

Cutting disk worked well

I think it kinda gave it a 'mean' look. I like it a lot..


Then the fender, went ahead and cut some off but still left myself plenty material for errors.

Did a couple little cut outs so I could fold up the fender.

Once i folded it up, mocked up the piece i was going to use to wrap the bumper around, but it was to short. So i moved on to the next option. Do another bend on the ends of the bumper.

I figured out with the speed square that i needed to take out 60° to get the bend i wanted. Made my 90° line the made a 30° mark on both sides [ so i would have the same length cuts ] About 3/4 the way through i ran out of new cutting disks.. so you can imagine how fun it is trying to make angle cuts with a cutting disk 2" wide..


60° Cut Out

Mocked it up.. was hitting before i could even bolt it down. I have a lot of fender trimming to do still..

Drew out the rest of the design. Going to have an angle go from the bottom [ close to my first bend ] to the halfway of the second bend. [ 3" from the top ] Then going to continue a cut at 3" to the end, then weld on the original piece i was going to use [ 2"x3" rectangular steel ] then have a 45° cut on the very end or something.

Harder to explain, mush easier to show.

I have a question about tow-hooks. I was going to build some or find some off a truck at the junk yard and weld them onto the bumper, but i read somewhere that you shouldn't weld them to the bumper? Why not?

 

[wizkid00104]

I think it would depend on the direction of the welds and if you'd be putting lateral or vertical stresses on them.

When my buddy did his bumper he bought D-Rings and mounting tabs from the local tractor supply and his dad welded them up real good. The last time he got his Yota stuck, he sheared the bumper bolts from the frame on one side, but those D-Rings didn't budge.

 

[xBLAKEx]

I think it would depend on the direction of the welds and if you'd be putting lateral or vertical stresses on them.

When my buddy did his bumper he bought D-Rings and mounting tabs from the local tractor supply and his dad welded them up real good. The last time he got his Yota stuck, he sheared the bumper bolts from the frame on one side, but those D-Rings didn't budge.

Well I don't think you can plan on what stress your going to impose on them. So I don't know how to go about which way to make the welds. When i first drew out my bumper i had planned to use D-rings. I read in the tech library that you don't want to use a strap with hooks, but one with a loop. I'm not sure if you can use the loop style strap with D-rings conveniently. If i were to get tow hooks, I would not be sure how to mount them.

 

[xBLAKEx]

Today was a real productive day for me. Yesterday was the last day of school, until I start taking my summer college class June 11th. I finally have more then an hour to work on the my truck. Ha.

Started out finishing up the design, then cut it all out.


The angle cuts go from the bottom to 2" from the top right at the 60º bend.
I originally drew it out for this cut to meet 3" from the top and bottm, but i realized that it wouldn't work because I'm going to be adding a piece of 2"x3" rectangular steel piece to finish off the ends of the bumper. And the rectangular steel i used is 3"x6".

The angle cut I'm talking about.

Front:

Back:

This cut connecting the front and back was ridiculous.

Ready to be mocked up to see how much fender trimming needed to be done.

I was stocked with the way it looked when i first put it on!

Little bit more trimming need to be done on the drivers side. But i decided the whole fold job i did looked like crap so i ended up just cutting it off.

I don't know why i didn't think of this earlier.. Masking tape worked out good as a guide. [ Did peal off some paint on my valence! Heated up the paint and the glue, both came off..]

Looks cleaner this way in my opinion. But in a way unfinished..

The Passenger Side went a little smoother since i had an idea of what i was getting into. No pictures of what i did, but it was the same as the Drivers Side. [ Cut the inner wheel well, unbolt it from the lower fender, mask fender, cut it ]

The Mock Up with both fenders cut. This i might take a few more degrees out on each side so it doesn't stick out as far.

Without jacks in the picture.. The drivers side came down a little when i took the jack out. Guess I should have put both bolts in. Planning on drilling another hole on the sides of the brackets for a 3rd bolt on each side.

Let me know what you think? Comments are always welcome!

 

[escort_gts]

Turned out really good. I like it.

Sent from my HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[xBLAKEx]

Some stuff done today, not as much as I would have liked..

Went ahead and squared up my 60º cuts [ actually ended up being 64º after being squared] and then tacked them. And mocked up the bumper to see where it was going to sit.

Doesn't stick out to much

Looked good so I went ahead and burned it in and then cleaned it up.

Put it back on, noticed it was sitting un level.. After a few minutes of trying to find the problem, i realized it was hitting the little corner of that plate/ bracket that the grille, headlamps and what not screw into. Trimmed that up and it was still not level, i don't know what happened.. after the brackets where burned in i mocked it up again and it was perfect.. Now it's not.

Trimmed the fender on the passenger side. Still need to trim a little more tomorrow. Maybe contributing to it not sitting level.

Burned in the little extensions. I'm so glad I'm welding now, it's really awesome.

Drivers Side:

Passenger side: Hitting as you can see, taped out where I'm going trim [ few pictures down ]

After looking at it from the side i didn't like something about it.. I'm going to fit it to the fender [ shorten it up ] but I think it still something else, maybe it's to thin?

To thin here? Though about maybe putting some kind of rock light box thing there?

Which Design do you like best? Or do you have an idea on how to cut this?

The top of the green tape down would be cut off.


Design #1:

Design #2:

Design #3:

Really need some input on all this.. Thanks!

 

[escort_gts]

I say the 3rd design.

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[xBLAKEx]

Thanks, do you think that spot I was pointing out needs something there?

 

[escort_gts]

Thanks, do you think that spot I was pointing out needs something there?

As far as the rock lights? Sure

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