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Offline husker77c

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Zombie Ford F-350
« on: March 10, 2015, 10:52:32 AM »
I figured I would jump in with both feet and share my ongoing project with you guys.  It's a 94 F-350 Crew cab long box with a 7.3L IDI, and a ZF5 transmission.

A little background on why I chose/was forced to do this build.

I worked pipeline construction for 12 or so years and I was always away from home.  Not just a few hours but usually 1000s of miles.  Ever since I read the book One Second After i always had the thought in my head about an EMP attack.  I know, I know its very unlikely that a scenario such as that would play out but I figured if I could build a vehicle to survive that then it should thrive in lesser threats.

I am also building this because I stopped pipelining a few years ago and moved to south Texas to try my hand at OG oil field work (frac, drilling, etc).  Well as many of you know the price of oil has tanked in the last few months and it has hit us pretty hard.  I've gone from 100+ hours a week, every week to no more than 40 hours a week.  I was barely making it before the cut in my hours due to some stupidity on my part in my previous life, and now with the cut its time to start selling toys and things I really don't need.  Thank the lord I still have a job even if its woefully inadequate currently.
   
None of that bothers me much because I am selling what I don't need.  I have 4 trucks currently a 2012 Ram 2500 CTD, two 97 Dodges with 12 valves in them, A harley, an 86 CJ7, and various other items.  Who needs all that?  Especially considering that most of it is still spread out over the country, Dodges in PA, Jeep in NE, etc.

OK background is done TL;DR version Im building my F350 to survive all threats short of a direct missile hit and I am doing it on a budget.

My requirements or plans for this truck include.

1) swapping one of the 12 valves into the truck eventually.  I will build it to provide a similar power level as my 2012.  I want reliable power, no twins or anything else that adds complication simple, tough, proven mods.

2) Increase off road capability (not going for rock crawler or mud truck here just make it more capable to navigate tore up    back roads or interstate shoulders that may be packed with people fleeing an incident).

3) Increase reliability i.e. make it darn near bulletproof.

4) Increase range

5) Increase creature comforts and have mobile communications.  I have my ham radio license so I am going to try to incorporate that into my interior build when it comes time for that.

I apologize in advance for how slow this build may have to go and along with that the corresponding updates.  I will do what I can with the budget I have and hopefully some things go my way and I can get it done by the end of the year.  Plus in the next month or so this will become my daily driver so doing anything that causes the truck to be down for more than a few days will have to planned very carefully so I can still get back and forth to work.

Imgur is slow uploading my photos.  I hoped to post some before I go to work but I may have to wait till this evening or tomorrow.





« Last Edit: March 10, 2015, 11:00:42 AM by husker77c »

Offline Flyin6

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2015, 11:08:50 AM »
No apologies needed, friend!

We appreciate you bring this and sharing it with everyone. We are all the better for it. Build away at any pace you wish!
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Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2015, 11:18:16 AM »
I bought this truck originally to save wear and tear on my 2012 Dodge running back and forth to oil field locations.

Before I did anything other than window tint.


She went through the major tornado that tore up Moore, OK a few years back so the body was kind of rough when she came home.  This is a little memorial to the tornado the previous owner did.



Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2015, 11:23:35 AM »
I started on the body work first because most of my tools and parts are in storage in PA.





Small dents like this all over


I had never done any kind fo body work before this so it is a learning experience for me and it is much more difficult than I ever imagined.  Flat panels are easy with a hammer and dolly and a little filler but I'm having trouble with places where there is a body line.  Some of it will need to be redone before Paint but that's a long ways down the road and from a distance it looks OK

« Last Edit: March 10, 2015, 11:24:53 AM by husker77c »

Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2015, 11:35:02 AM »
No amount of bondo in the world could save the bed so I searched for a few months to find a replacement.  Everyone wanted 5-700 dollars for one that wasn't even in decent shape.  I finally found one a couple hours from me off a F-150 $300 for the bed tail lights and harness.  He even had an overhead lift so we just sat it right on and bolted it down but first some things needed to be addressed under the bed.

These Fords have a known problem with the fuel pickup breaking off inside the tank which causes the truck to run out of fuel at a quarter tank.  Unacceptable, so I modified the pickups with a piece of fuel line so they extend all the way to the bottom of the tank.  I also ordered a 38 gallon rear replacement fuel tank for it.  I don't have any pictures of this process but If anyone has questions I can try to explain better what I did.



Now with the factory 19 gallon front tank and the new 38 gallon rear I have 57 gallons on board fuel.  With the current IDI getting around 13 mpg I should be able to get 700+ miles out of this setup.  I have a combo auxiliary fuel tank tool box in PA that I am going to put in and when you add the extra 105 gallons of capacity it has that should bring my range to over 2100 miles before having to refuel.  That should cover my increase range requirement.   8)

And if I can eek 17-18 MPG out of the cummins, which with timing and tuning should be easily achievable.  That will give me 2600 miles + of range.  this should be more than enough to get well out of harms way if I go back on the road and start pipelining again next year
« Last Edit: March 10, 2015, 11:43:49 AM by husker77c »

Offline EL TATE

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2015, 11:45:34 AM »
Dents and all it's a good looking truck. I have to admit that I've always liked the earlier fords for pure truck styling. Nice work on fuel storage; I know who to target for siphoning :P
Husband, Father, Gear guy, Patriot.

Offline BobbyB

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2015, 01:43:38 PM »
I like this build. There are a few trucks of that body style for sale up around here with the 7.3, and I like them a lot.
So, Bobby...being the calculating trained warrior NCO that you are.  Take the appropriate action, Execute!
your standard grunt level CQB is just putting rounds and rounds on scary stuff till it stops scaring you!

Offline Flyin6

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2015, 01:49:49 PM »
I actually owned a 92 7.3 IDI truck. I added a hypermax turbo kit to it, turned the pump way up and WHEW it really woke that thing up. Mileage improved. When I traded Big red in on Great White a newer 94 PowerStroke, I'd have to say the IDI was right there with the stock PS.
Have you experimented with turning up the stock pump yet?
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Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2015, 02:18:03 PM »
I haven't played with the idi much yet. I don't know much about the platform I've always been a cummins guy I just love the look of an older ford truck. 

The engine has 300k on it now and I have no clue how it was treated before I bought it.

Glow plugs are a beast I'm learning to hate. It starts really hard under 40*.  I replaced the glow plug relay and it starts better but still hesitant when it's chilly out.  I'm sure it needs a few plugs replaced so I will do that when funds allow because I have several more months of driving before I can think about starting the swap. And I have family and I've worked in some pretty frigid places so another requirement for the truck is to start in sub zero temps.   I've started my cummins no problem at -30 before and I know if the ford in its current state saw those temps it would be a block of ice till spring. Lol

Where would I start learning about tuning the injection pump?

Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2015, 02:19:27 PM »
I actually owned a 92 7.3 IDI truck. I added a hypermax turbo kit to it, turned the pump way up and WHEW it really woke that thing up. Mileage improved. When I traded Big red in on Great White a newer 94 PowerStroke, I'd have to say the IDI was right there with the stock PS.
Have you experimented with turning up the stock pump yet?

It's also funny you have the same names for trucks as I do.  One of my 97s is a 3500 we call big red and the other is a 2500 that is little red and my 2012 is great white.  Great minds haha

Offline Flyin6

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #10 on: March 10, 2015, 08:45:57 PM »
I haven't played with the idi much yet. I don't know much about the platform I've always been a cummins guy I just love the look of an older ford truck. 

The engine has 300k on it now and I have no clue how it was treated before I bought it.

Glow plugs are a beast I'm learning to hate. It starts really hard under 40*.  I replaced the glow plug relay and it starts better but still hesitant when it's chilly out.  I'm sure it needs a few plugs replaced so I will do that when funds allow because I have several more months of driving before I can think about starting the swap. And I have family and I've worked in some pretty frigid places so another requirement for the truck is to start in sub zero temps.   I've started my cummins no problem at -30 before and I know if the ford in its current state saw those temps it would be a block of ice till spring. Lol

Where would I start learning about tuning the injection pump?
Ya know, I forgot about that.
My IDI wouldn't start either...Can't make it start
Cummins
Definitely!
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Offline Flyin6

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #11 on: March 10, 2015, 08:49:00 PM »
I actually owned a 92 7.3 IDI truck. I added a hypermax turbo kit to it, turned the pump way up and WHEW it really woke that thing up. Mileage improved. When I traded Big red in on Great White a newer 94 PowerStroke, I'd have to say the IDI was right there with the stock PS.
Have you experimented with turning up the stock pump yet?

It's also funny you have the same names for trucks as I do.  One of my 97s is a 3500 we call big red and the other is a 2500 that is little red and my 2012 is great white.  Great minds haha
Cool!

Yep Great white was dead on cool. A plain jane F250 XL. Rubber floor, AM radio, now power anything. Only option was AC. Had a 5 speed and a 4.10 gear. I lifted it 6", ran 33" mud tires, built a crazy set of bumpers and built the engine. While I was getting divorced, the X sold it on me without my knowing...Yup...
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Offline JR

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2015, 10:01:57 PM »
Man it is getting busy around here, and the cummins are here in force.
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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2015, 08:13:00 AM »
Go Huskers!!!!  Ok a little premature but we can use all the help we can get LoL

Those are good old Ford trucks, I look forward to watching the build while I putz around with our build. As for starting....it's a International....don't drive it when cold LoL


Offline Flyin6

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #14 on: March 11, 2015, 09:36:03 AM »
I have to admit, I have a real soft spot for these trucks as well, the F350's that is.  Sitting up a few inches with that big brawny D60 sitting there for all to see, they look great.

The common denominator for all these builds is the 12 valve Cummins engine. Whether it's a classic 1st gen Dodge, a 80's Chevy, or one of these Fords, with the 12 valve providing the push, any of these trucks becomes a total lifetime keeper.
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Offline BobbyB

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #15 on: March 11, 2015, 10:36:57 AM »
I have to admit, I have a real soft spot for these trucks as well, the F350's that is.  Sitting up a few inches with that big brawny D60 sitting there for all to see, they look great.


Well then lookie at this beasty:

http://greenbay.craigslist.org/cto/4923475114.html
So, Bobby...being the calculating trained warrior NCO that you are.  Take the appropriate action, Execute!
your standard grunt level CQB is just putting rounds and rounds on scary stuff till it stops scaring you!

Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #16 on: March 11, 2015, 10:51:45 AM »
I have to admit, I have a real soft spot for these trucks as well, the F350's that is.  Sitting up a few inches with that big brawny D60 sitting there for all to see, they look great.


Well then lookie at this beasty:

http://greenbay.craigslist.org/cto/4923475114.html



Holy rust batman, Green bay...what do you expect i guess.  That's the exact amount I paid for mine.  I kind of want that bumper.

Bobby are you around GB?  My dad lives in Escanaba, MI and I lived up there for about 6 years.  That is the frigid location I was referring to a couple posts up.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2015, 11:05:18 AM by husker77c »

Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #17 on: March 11, 2015, 11:02:34 AM »
Ok I had to go to work yesterday so I didn't get all of my pics uploaded in time so I will finish up here and bring you all up to where I stand today.

The new bed when I brought it home, I even like the plain tailgate with the big ford logo better than the later years.



More body work on the bedsides but overall it was in great shape for the year.





Started masking for the full coat of rattle can primer.



And where it is now.  AHHHH a blank slate






Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #18 on: March 11, 2015, 11:33:39 AM »
A few more

Closer look at the larger fuel tank  I used all thread because I wasn't sure if it would need to be raised or lowered in the frame rails to accommodate the bed.  and it was cheap and easy.  Took up all the room I have for my spare tire though.  I think a bumper mounted tire carrier will go on in the distant future but for now i'll Probably just bolt it in the bed



Future prep for a trailer brake controller.  The truck when i got it had all the wires t-tapped for the trailer brakes and it was only a 4 pin flat connector.  I cut off the plug and soldered the wires into their respective spots and heat shrinked then covered with that liquid electrical tape stuff. 





My only major problem with the bed swap.  This body line is not matching up.  I've researched and it seems to be a common problem for trucks like these with a lot of miles.  The cab body mount compresses and you get a mis alignment.  Other side is perfect.  It bothers me but not so much that I am going to take any corrective action for awhile.  doesn't hurt anything.



And the souvenir I saved from the original bed so I can tell people what she went through.




I just went on my days off rotation so I have 7 days off starting today.  My plans are to hopefully build an overhead shelf like Square D has and possibly extend it into an overhead console that runs back to the dome light.  It will look like I am copying Square D in some of my ideas but I swear I had them before I found this site lol.  The overhead shelf is an excellent place to mount my CB and VHF/UHF radios and give me a place for some light switches and other items.  I am also wanting to wire up some red overhead lights to be able to see in the dark without killing my night vision.  I'm leaning towards LED semi truck tail lights at this point but I havent figured out how to mount them or where to mount them.

After that I'm going to try to wire up some relays for my headlights to give them full voltage instead of having to run the voltage from the battery through the switch to the headlights through tiny wire.  Supposed to help tremendously.

Offline BobbyB

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #19 on: March 11, 2015, 11:46:58 AM »
Holy rust batman, Green bay...what do you expect i guess.  That's the exact amount I paid for mine.  I kind of want that bumper.

Bobby are you around GB?  My dad lives in Escanaba, MI and I lived up there for about 6 years.  That is the frigid location I was referring to a couple posts up.

Yep there's rust. Pretty much unavoidable in this area.

I'm around the GB area.
So, Bobby...being the calculating trained warrior NCO that you are.  Take the appropriate action, Execute!
your standard grunt level CQB is just putting rounds and rounds on scary stuff till it stops scaring you!

Offline cruizng

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #20 on: March 11, 2015, 03:26:57 PM »
I have to admit, I have a real soft spot for these trucks as well, the F350's that is.  Sitting up a few inches with that big brawny D60 sitting there for all to see, they look great.


Well then lookie at this beasty:

http://greenbay.craigslist.org/cto/4923475114.html



Holy rust batman, Green bay...what do you expect i guess.  That's the exact amount I paid for mine.  I kind of want that bumper. Husker... be careful what you wish for. Big D has a fat lip front bumper from his Square D that looks pretty close to that front bumper that he might part with!  :o

Bobby are you around GB?  My dad lives in Escanaba, MI and I lived up there for about 6 years.  That is the frigid location I was referring to a couple posts up.
Mike
Sold the DMax in MN and am currently vehicle less.

Offline BobbyB

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #21 on: March 11, 2015, 04:49:53 PM »
So it all seriousness adn wondering, how much work / how hard is it going to be to swap over the 12V?
So, Bobby...being the calculating trained warrior NCO that you are.  Take the appropriate action, Execute!
your standard grunt level CQB is just putting rounds and rounds on scary stuff till it stops scaring you!

Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #22 on: March 11, 2015, 08:49:04 PM »
So it all seriousness adn wondering, how much work / how hard is it going to be to swap over the 12V?


All the major pieces for the swap are available from various vendors.  I will probably buy the adapter plate for the transmission and the motor mounts.   Then just tear into it and piece it together as I go.  Kind of a haphazard plan but I haven't got to terribly deep in the research other than knowing parts are available and quite a few people have done it.  I believe the only main issues are the space for the turbo is a little tight in the passenger side. And it can get a little tight up front when you add the intercooler due to the cummins being longer than the Ford engine. 

It will be a pretty monumental undertaking for me anyway as I have never done anything like this before.   It's not completely out of my wheel house as I've done a lot of mechanic work on various vehicles I've owned in the past. But I'm not trying to pretend it's not a huge job. 

Add to that I am going to try to run a 250amp alternator off of a big rig and I'm researching an engine mount air compressor as well so that will add to the complication.  Air compressors came on some 12 valves that were originally in buses so the parts are out there but there is talk that some of them won't fit due to fender clearance on the drivers side. 

When I get the donor truck down here hopefully around Easter time I will start getting more serious about the swap.  First thing will be to pull the 12 valve and due a light rebuild.  Head studs, gaskets and whatever else it might need.  The donor only has 130k on it so I'm hoping to find factory cross hatching in the cylinders.  If that's the case then it will be mostly clean it up and do mostly external things.  I want to unbolt everything that's on it and give it all a good coat of paint and make sure it's ready to run a million miles.

Quite a few build threads over on cummins forum

Offline Flyin6

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #23 on: March 11, 2015, 08:54:24 PM »
How does one eat an elephant?

One bite at a time!
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Offline Dustoff35

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #24 on: March 13, 2015, 08:52:27 AM »
I really like this generation of Ford truck.  Its going to be great with a 12v in it.  Take lots of pics!

Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #25 on: March 13, 2015, 05:07:18 PM »
Thanks for the compliments and words of encouragement guys they are appreciated.

As I stated above I am on my days off and I've been working on some cheap things I have wanted to do for awhile.

I started building an overhead shelf and overhead console for radios and lights etc.

I started off finding a bracket template online.  A piece of thin gauge steel and some jigsaw work later I had a couple brackets.





I cut the shelf and after fitting it onto the brackets I realized it was going to be a little to large.  SO i cut out a portion over the drivers head to allow for some more room it also created a perfect angled spot to mount a CB or other radio.



Here I am mocking up the center portion of the console  It was originally going to be straight all the way back to the dome light but after looking at it I saw I could angle it down and create the other spot for another radio.  This way I can have a dual band mounted overhead as well as a CB.



I can't decide If I want to try to keep the factory dome light and attach it to the console or just use the two 2" truck lights I got for that purpose.  They are both clear lenses but one is white LEDs and one is red.  I will wire the clear into the factory switched dome light wiring and wire both the clear and the red to separate switches so I will have the clear when I open the door and then with the door closed I can run the red, and or white at any time.



It all looks pretty rough currently but It will all get covered in carpet which will hide my amateur woodworking skills. And its rough due to the fact I built the whole thing with nothing but a jigsaw, because yet again all my tools are in storage with the exception of a few.

And an overall picture to show where I'm going with this.



It will attach just at the edge of the overhead shelf , I had to shove it in there farther to get it to hold up for the pic.  mostly all thats left is to wire in the lights, create some trim pieces to go between the shelf and the roof, and cover it then final assembly.


Offline Dawg25385

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #26 on: March 13, 2015, 05:15:47 PM »
Looks like pretty good woodworking skills to me! And all with a jigsaw! Wow nice work
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Offline BobbyB

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #27 on: March 13, 2015, 09:34:26 PM »
Looks good to me, my woodworking skills are subpar. I can design stuff in my head, but when it comes time to make it.. well there's a disconnect and it doesn't turn out how I thought it out. But I like the progress.
So, Bobby...being the calculating trained warrior NCO that you are.  Take the appropriate action, Execute!
your standard grunt level CQB is just putting rounds and rounds on scary stuff till it stops scaring you!

Offline JR

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #28 on: March 13, 2015, 09:44:23 PM »
Great work, about to build one for the sub.

As a teaser, hers a shot of my old 77 interior. Both the overhead and the console was custom.

Just noticed you can see the behind the seat storage box too.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2015, 09:46:14 PM by JR »
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Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #29 on: March 13, 2015, 11:15:59 PM »
Great work, about to build one for the sub.

As a teaser, hers a shot of my old 77 interior. Both the overhead and the console was custom.

Just noticed you can see the behind the seat storage box too.

Thanks guys.

^^^^^ this pic right up here though is artwork. 

I worked at a car stereo shop right after I left college and learned that you can cover big problems with carpet. If you want to use vinyl to cover something you better have your skills tight and if you want to just finish the wood you need to be a master.  That's very nice work JR

Offline JR

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #30 on: March 13, 2015, 11:20:56 PM »
Thanks. The center counsel I had done and a buddy made the overhead out of 060 alum. Used twist locks to hold up the back and it was hinged up front. Side was contact paper that matched the dash.

I never got to drive it much like that, had a garage fire and it sat until I finally sold it.

« Last Edit: April 22, 2015, 11:00:50 PM by JR »
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Offline Flyin6

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #31 on: April 21, 2015, 09:39:44 PM »
Any progress?
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Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #32 on: April 22, 2015, 10:45:25 PM »
Any progress?

A little progress.  I am pretty close to completion of the overhead console.  It went through several small tweaks which basically meant me using darn near an entire 4x8 sheet of plywood to finish it.  When i made cut outs for the lights they were to big, so I had to cut a new shelf portion, then I decided I wanted to go another route with the lighting, I'm pretty happy with it now.  I'm still waiting on two 3/4" courtesy lights to show up from Amazon then I will wire those into the dome light and should be finished with it until I get my radios.  I'm debating on how to run additional wires up to it because there isn't enough room to run them all up through the A-pillar.  In the end I will probably copy Flyin6 and run some split loom up alongside the pillar to run the wires and antenna coaxes.

Here it is uncovered starting the wiring.


More wires and covered with carpet.


First switch plate for measurements and proof of concept.


Finished switch plate


And overall shot

IT also gives me a nice place to display all the patches I've picked up over the years.

Hopefully the rest of my lights will be delivered tomorrow and I can finish the console with the exception of running wiring down from the plethora of switches I installed for future expansion.  I have 8 standard switches and two with safety covers which in all honesty are not needed but look really cool and i've always wanted a vehicle with them. :)

I'm currently only using one switch to activate my red map lights.  Future lights hopefully will include front light bar, front fogs, roof light bar and reverse lights.  Safety switches are still up in the air.

Today I worked on wiring my headlights up to relays.  I had a headlight go out when I was leaving for my last 14 day hitch so while I was gone I ordered new Hella 100/80w bulbs, new headlight assemblies and all my relays and wiring to upgrade the stock 18ish gauge headlight wiring.  I ran 14 gauge to the lights via a relay so i should gain 1-3 volts over the crappy Ford design that runs from the battery through the switch back out to the lights. 

Tomorrow I will tackle pulling my grill and headlight assemblies.

Thats all for now

Offline JR

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #33 on: April 22, 2015, 11:33:11 PM »
Careful you'll make her top heavy!!
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Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #34 on: April 23, 2015, 10:21:14 AM »
Careful you'll make her top heavy!!

I won't be worried about that until it gets a topper, roof rack, and a spare tire up on the roof.  Since this is my post apocalyptic cruiser I figure it should have two spares. One on the bumper and one on the roof.   

Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #35 on: July 11, 2015, 11:33:43 AM »
Well the old Ford just made the 1400 mile trek up to where I am working so I can start updating this thread more often.

The truck will have an added purpose in addition to the duties layed out above.  It will be my pipeline Right Of Way truck.

I'm not going to beat my nice truck to death using it for work.  I don't want to pay though the nose to repair it back to stock if I break something, after having several issues with my aftermarket rims I have no desire to modify it any further.  I need it to stay reliable to haul my camper now that I'm back on the road working.

So the Zombie Ford is a much better candidate for this type of use because if something breaks I can modify it better than it was before and It's not as big of a waste as it would be with my good truck. 

Now I need some help

This is the type of terrain I will be dealing with, this is one of the milder hills I may have to negotiate.
There are occasions where I will have to be pulled up, or let down, some very steep hills.



That being said I need to build some bomb proof shackle mounts for the front of my truck, for the rear I am thinking about just using the reciever and  a shackle.

These mounts need to be able to support the weight of the truck being drug in neutral up the side of a mountain.  Also I figure while Im at it i will build a bumper around these mounts.

I got some images from the web of the bumper mounts on my Ford.  I don't want to pull mine off until I have a solid game plan.





My questions are numerous but the most glaring thing I'm wondering about is if the factory angle iron mount is going to be sturdy enough to meet my requirements?

If it is I was thinking of bolting a piece of flat bar between them and then welding the shackle mounts at a 90* angle from that piece.  From there they could protrude through the front of the bumper and be welded on both sides of the plate, or channel iron, front piece of the bumper.  I'm thinking that they are because almost every bolt on aftermarket bumper uses these and you can get shackle mounts on most of them.  But can i trust that you could basically lift the truck up with them?

If they aren't going to be strong enough then i was thinking about bolting some 1/2" flat bar to the outside of the frame rail sticking straight out. Those could then go through the bumper in the same fashion.

After I figure out how to attach the mounts to the bumper I will beef them up on both sides after they come through the bumper to where I have Approx a 1" thick mount drilled for a 1" shackle.  A Crosby 1" Shackle has a WLL of 8.5 tons so that should be more than enough for one shackle to be able to handle the load (although i would use both whenever possible).

Any thoughts?




Offline Flyin6

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #36 on: July 11, 2015, 12:46:35 PM »
Hey, I can help here

I actually did this on my 94 F250

The front of the frame finishes off as a flat surface, more or less.

I welded a piece of 7/16" plate over the end to cap it off, then welded clevis eyes like the ones I just welded onto SquareD yesterday in the middle of that plate. I thin built a bumper around all that business. It never failed me and I pulled all sorts of things...like my truck buried being yanked out by heavy equipment.

Hope this points the way
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Offline JR

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #37 on: July 11, 2015, 01:09:08 PM »
I would not trust bolting to the angle for what you need. As you said, run a plate to the frame and use multiple bolts to hold in place and mount the eye to that, build the bumper around it.

Depending on what you have to work with, have you seen the DIY bumper kits. Found them looking for ideas and they take alot of the work out of it. You just need a welder, all the bending is done, but could be tweaked.
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Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #38 on: July 11, 2015, 01:33:48 PM »
Thanks for the help guys.   The plate over then end of the frame is by far the simplest way to go but I'm scared of that for one reason......I don't trust my welding.   I can stick two pieces of metal together well enough to hold the rest of the bumper together I'm sure.  I'd even trust my welding for the grill guard.  I'd trust it for that because if it fails the worst case scenario is some body damage and I have to build a new bumper.  If a shackle mount breaks while I'm being pulled the results would be catastrophic to say the least.  Backwards down a mountain while in neutral does not sound like a pleasant afternoon.  Anything to do with the shackle mounts my plan was to tack it in place and take it to a shop to have it welded out.  If I could use the bolt on method the bumper would be removable also.

I have seen the diy kits and  they are appealing. I've even tried to get ahold of the one I saw but never got a response from the vendor. Those kits are pretty slick and i will probably use one if I can find one

  I also found a local guy that would build me one for around $600. Basic bumper no grill guard.  He said his mounts would be strong but if it just mounts to that angle then it won't be strong enough. 

Offline KensAuto

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #39 on: July 11, 2015, 03:09:29 PM »
Thanks for the help guys.   The plate over then end of the frame is by far the simplest way to go but I'm scared of that for one reason......I don't trust my welding. 
 

Soooo, i take it you're not a pipeline welder? lol

Anything strong enough to make it safe, must be welded or bolted to the frame....Don's idea sounds the easiest. Tack the plates on and have someone weld it up, if that's your only concern. You won't get a stronger attachment point than the very end of the frame (ie very little side loads). If a bumper is not in the budget at the time, just punch some square holes, for the shackles, thru the stocker for now.
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Offline Sammconn

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #40 on: July 11, 2015, 04:08:54 PM »
IF it were me I don't think I'd trust the factory mounts.
Never looked at the Ford ones and they could well be more significant than the sheet metal holding on the 40# chevy bumper. The factory chevy ones I do t think could pull the truck up an incline in loose dirt. Not much to them.
There should be a way to make something that is still bolt on.

If you've found someone that is willing to do it for $600 I'd jump all over it.
But make sure the mounts are to a higher spec for strength.

After I did mine, I realized why the charge so much.
It's a lot of time and effort, now I don't for one second regret the time spent on mine.
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline JR

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #41 on: July 11, 2015, 05:21:35 PM »
600 sounds like a great price, half of what many ready to bolt ons go for and about the same for  DIY by the time you pay shipping and get the welding done.

For what you want I think the strongest is get some plate and make the bumper mount that goes right down the frame rail and it held on by several bolts. Make it long enough so you can have the eye built on the same piece. That way there is no way a weld could fail and muiltiple bolts increase clamping area.

I bet you could make a template out of cardboard and have it made up for a fair price, like from Ron Bonnet or other fabricator. Then build the rest of the bumper around that.
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Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #42 on: July 12, 2015, 08:03:30 AM »
Yes I am NOT a welder by trade. Kind of wished I'd have gone that way early on in life but I won't lose sleep over it.  I'm 99% a bumper I weld will handle a deer or a zombie but that 1% is what makes me second guess anything life threatening.

The $600 bumper is a great deal but it will still bolt to the factory angle iron mounts so I'm left relying on those for the ultimate strength of my tow points.

I'm leaning towards the mounts bolted to the side of the frame rails.  Probably use 1/2" plate or 5/8".  I was thinking last night if I went that way I could have a winch plate welded in on the bottom side of the two frame rail pieces to tie them together and allow a winch to be attached.

I probably will make a template and then take them to a machine shop to have the pieces built and welded together.  Once that's done then I can start building the bumper.   I'm leaning towards 10" channel that I will cut reliefs in the web to allow it to angle back and then I can cut wedges out of the bottom on the sides to angle it up towards the outside of the truck.  Then throw a piece of 3/16 plate on top of that and have the bumper done.  Very few welds and most of the strength of the channel will remain intact. The less welds the better so I'm not spending days grinding down my welds.   I have an idea for the grill guard using rectangular tubing for the uprights and square tubing for the headlight guards.  That will come after a little while though.  I want to get the basic structure down so I can put the truck to work first. 

Offline Flyin6

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #43 on: July 12, 2015, 09:06:40 AM »
Tell ya what, Just drive it over to my place and I'll weld those two little squares I spoke of earlier on myself. Then we'll lift the truck up in the air from that bumper with Big Red
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Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #44 on: July 23, 2015, 12:58:45 PM »
A little update.  I've been driving the ford for work the past few days and started having some issues.   I posted a thread over in the drivetrain section about noises in hearing in the front end.    Well after a few days I have the noises I posted about and more clicks, clanks, bangs, and snaps than I can decipher.  So since the dodge is getting out of the shop today the ford will be parked until the front end can be addressed.   I put it in 4x4 a few hours ago and I have some really nasty noises that I am thinking is bad u joints again. Last night I crawled under it while my girl was turning the wel heel and he tie rod is rotating front to back and there is quite a lot of play in the steering before it catches and actually turns the wheels.   As per suggestion I jacked up the front wheels and checked the ball joints.  Let's just say the only thing they are doing is holding the knuckle on at this point.  A couple bolts and large washers would do the same thing.  So for the last hour I've been in my phone sourcing parts and price shopping for the parts here's what I found. 

This is for every seal and bearing on both ends of the axle, new u joints, ball joints and tie rod and tie rod ends. All moog brand steering gear, spicer u joints and timken or CR seals and bearings.

Rock auto is around $600 with shipping.

Napa was going to be close to $900 with Napa premium ends and joints and Napa brand u joints.

Advanced I stopped looking after the moog ball joint was a few dollars shy of double what rock auto had them for.

So after burning up the credit card I have everything on the way to completely rebuild the front end with the exception of anything in or attached to the pumpkin. 

I'm sure some of the noises are coming from the wore out leafs and their non existent bushings but those will have to be lived with until I decide what to do in the way of suspension mods.
« Last Edit: July 23, 2015, 01:01:41 PM by husker77c »

Offline EL TATE

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #45 on: July 23, 2015, 01:09:15 PM »
sounds like you done well. My dad had an 87 f250 xlt, 460 gasser. two lane truck was an understatement. you never knew which direction the suspension was going to kick the steering at any given bump. drove like a dream after I did same as you there. better to just get it all done at once.
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Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #46 on: July 23, 2015, 02:40:24 PM »
Yep that's what I thought too.  Have to take the tie rods off to do the ball joints anyway so might as well do it once and get it done.   Front end work is arguably the worst work to do on a vehicle so I don't want to do it twice for sure.  I'm gonna start working out and hit the punching bag to prepare for an epic battle I'm sure.  Every time I've done something to the front end of one of my vehicles it sucks. I survive it......but just barely. 

Offline EL TATE

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #47 on: July 23, 2015, 04:16:54 PM »
well with as much play as you have you are going to need an alignment since marking the ends with slop is asinine. spose you could do the old "trail alignment; have the wife hold the wheel and keep her straight, and measure distance between front of the insides of the tires and rear of the insides of the tire. give her a tiny bit toe out keeping the front inside distance a little bit wider and she should track right on down the road with good tire wear. Done that one more than a few times when breaking steering parts off road.
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Offline husker77c

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #48 on: July 23, 2015, 04:50:21 PM »
I will cowboy the alignment up to get it close then takebit for a spin and see what I've got.  If it's too bad there's a tire shop within a half mile from where I am so that's a last resort of I need it

Offline Flyin6

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Re: Zombie Ford F-350
« Reply #49 on: July 24, 2015, 12:41:43 PM »
There's another thing about these vintage Fords...bump steer.

We have discussed it before, but in this truck it was bad, mostly on the strange hinged Dana 50 equipped F250

Has to do with the angle of the steering link from the steering box to the far side.

I almost swapped ends with my F250 once and completely solved it by installing this cool helicopter like linkage that got the tie rods to a level stance
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