Author Topic: SquareD Part 4: Paint, topper, Roof rack, and continued change! (Read 205641 times)

Flyin6 · « **Reply #700 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:08:20 AM »

Then attach the visors and you're mission complete!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #701 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:08:50 AM »

And that, my good peoples is all she wrote for the short build day 156

Flyin6 · « **Reply #702 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:09:24 AM »

Pushed the ball down field a few more inches

First up, bolt up that power steering pump to prevent the dog from chewing it to pieces

It fits into this cross-key

Flyin6 · « **Reply #703 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:09:55 AM »

It slipped right into place...then I discovered I don't have any fine thread nuts to fit. I think it is some weird metric size

Flyin6 · « **Reply #704 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:10:38 AM »

Enough engine stuff for now...I still don't have the new injectors and turbo, so I'll have to wait on going too much further.

So, let's get back to the steering. Time to build the srossover steering link

First up, I tangled with the stock Dodge 2WD pitman arm

Flyin6 · « **Reply #705 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:11:21 AM »

That's a big ole' 3/4" drive ratchet!

Here's the parts I will use to make the crossover link. Those are 1 ton Chevy tie rod ends, RH and LH thread, and the weld in inserts along with some DOM tubing

Flyin6 · « **Reply #706 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:12:12 AM »

Those tie rod ends links are really hefty

Flyin6 · « **Reply #707 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:13:02 AM »

The weld in ends make for a nice end to the tubing and allow for a hex surface for the alignment guy

Here's how that fits:

Flyin6 · « **Reply #708 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:13:38 AM »

After a little welding and grinding

Flyin6 · « **Reply #709 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:14:15 AM »

On this end I turned the heat way up and laid on a thick weld, then dressed it down to size with a flap wheel. On the other end I ground a bevel into the tube, then just filled the gap up level with weld.

I must confess, I like the other technique mo-better-er. Sort of wish I had done it here

So here is the stackup and the amount of gap I'm putting in there

Flyin6 · « **Reply #710 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:15:47 AM »

When I fitted the semi finished link into the pitman arm, I discovered the Chevy taper is much larger than the Dodge, which is a good thing, but makes me have to choose to ream out the stock Dodge arm or use a new 4" drop arm I just happen to have which had the proper taper.

I chose door #2. Pulled the dodge arm back off, and reinstalled the Mr. Chebby part

Flyin6 · « **Reply #711 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:17:48 AM »

This shows just how much thread is still available with the 1/2" gap I am using

Flyin6 · « **Reply #712 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:18:55 AM »

The opposite end was a simple task of marking the cut point with everything mocked up

Flyin6 · « **Reply #713 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:19:56 AM »

Set up ready to weld

Flyin6 · « **Reply #714 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:20:52 AM »

I like this weld much mo-better-er

Flyin6 · « **Reply #715 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:21:30 AM »

And after welding the final fit test

It's a pass!

That fit is perfect, and with good clearance for when things get twisty

Flyin6 · « **Reply #716 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:22:22 AM »

Prepped for painting

Flyin6 · « **Reply #717 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:22:52 AM »

Fresh coat of Lycoming gray color

Flyin6 · « **Reply #718 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:23:45 AM »

I pulled the air conditioner lines to have them replaced or rebuilt

Next I'll pull the blower motor and have it rebuilt as well

Flyin6 · « **Reply #719 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:25:02 AM »

had some time left, so I ran the CB antenna cable from the whip up to the new tray where the radio will someday live

Flyin6 · « **Reply #720 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:44:32 AM »

I'll tuck that cable in when I pull the window trim to route some more wires for all the lights and other things.

Right now I'm thinking I'll run the LED, spot lights and NVG lighting switches all out of the overhead shelf to uncomplicated things lower

And that boyz and girlz is the happy end to build day 157!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #721 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:46:12 AM »

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cudakidd53 View Post
Thanks for an early installment of progress pictures! You're making me a convert to "old school" diesel trucks!

These things are so much better than the new trucks!

Sure the newer trucks alert you to upcoming stock market swings and automatically adjust their tire pressures based on telecast NOAA forecast weather information, but they are nearly impossible to work on, and host so many EPA tonnage that owning them seems, well, like voting democrat...It sometimes just doesn't feel right!

But there is nothing wrong with any of the old square fender trucks. My 94 F250 with the 7.3 powerstroke engine was around before they turned into power-jokes. Dodge trucks are going to outlast Hueys, the oldest known operating machines in the history of mankind. Chebbys ARE the standard, and they still look great.

I like my Chevy, but given half a chance I'd swap it for a square V3500 with a Cummins

Flyin6 · « **Reply #722 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:48:22 AM »

Quote:
Originally Posted by Armalite View Post
You know you have a soft spot for those big blocks Don... You've toyed with so many in the past, you should still enjoy them, kinda....

Here's my big block:

Lycoming L-712

835 lbs,

4,500 horsepower

I had two of those monsters strapped to the sides of that Chinook I flew for years.

Two of them + 6 really big rotor blades + a long aluminum tube would pick up 17,000 lbs of John Deere JD-550 bull dozer and fly it 115 miles low level!

That's a proper big block!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #723 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:49:39 AM »

Today is a run around to find out nothing I need or want to do is available or possible.

I took the intercooler to a radiator shop. He looked at it and told me to order a new one!

I tried to pull the starter off to have it rebuilt, but ALL THREE bolts are stripped!!!!!!!

I took the fan motor over to the electrical shop to have it overhauled. Bad news is he wouldn't do it. Good news is he said it is perfect and doesn't need rebuilding!

Then I went grocery shopping.

Just had a yogurt instead of a doughnut so all is good with the world!

I ordered 1987 Chevy K20/K30 HD rear springs. They are 52" long, have 6 leaves + an overload which I will remove and have a centered pin. They have 4.75" of arch and are rated at 2770 lbs capacity each, so they should be a good match for that lump of Cummins iron hammering on them from above. These rear chebby springs will become the front springs for a flexier Square D

Flyin6 · « **Reply #724 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:51:37 AM »

Quote:
Originally Posted by cruizng View Post
Don, Are those springs heavy enough just in case you decide to keep that big honking front bumper? I crack up every time I see it in a picture.

Looking really good by the way!

Yea I think so
Reasoning:
Springs support 2775 each
Total = 5550

The truck without mods weighs about 6000-6500

They are really light trucks

I'll add approximately 1000-1500 pounds of stuff to the truck (Sprung weight)

So the vehicle weight will be 7000-8000 lbs finished

But the springs only support sprung weight

Unsprung weight includes

4 tires/wheels @ 145 ea = 580
2 axles @ 500 ea = 1000
Total approximate unsprung weight = 1580 lbs

So sprung weight is somewhere in the range of 5500-6500 lbs

I think the weight distribution will be around 60%- 40% front/rear bias

So 60% of the weight will equal 3300-3900

So if I'm anywhere near the correct numbers here, those springs will more than support that weight, and in fact might be overkill and require me to go to a lighter spring

Now a set of springs designed to support 5550 lbs supporting say 3500 lbs might seem like overkill like I just said

However these are 2-stage springs

They have a large overload leaf bolted onto the bottom. Don is going to remove that overload leaf which will decrease the load carrying capacity of that spring and if I and Jim have chosen correctly, then that spring just might be perfect for this application.

We'll see...

Flyin6 · « **Reply #725 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:55:04 AM »

Descent work day today

I had pulled this heater blower motor earlier to have it rebuilt, but it's in great shape, so I'll just clean it all up and reinstall

Flyin6 · « **Reply #726 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:57:07 AM »

The crossover steering link got installed, although loosely. I think all of that stuff may find it's way back out one more time before we call it done

Flyin6 · « **Reply #727 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:58:35 AM »

With that done, the turbo parts, the springs and the new hangars all enroute, it was time to get back on project core, the remaking of a 91 radiator core support

I made the decision today to go ahead and run the much larger 2nd gen parts but that would require significant fitting to get that core to accept it

All of this is in the way

Flyin6 · « **Reply #728 on:** October 16, 2014, 11:59:21 AM »

OK, first lose the radiator overflow resevoir

Flyin6 · « **Reply #729 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:00:25 PM »

Original radiator briefly fitted to get critical measurements

Flyin6 · « **Reply #730 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:01:25 PM »

It would have been easy to retain this heavy brass core radiator, however I'm not sure it could handle long pulls of that much more powerful engine, so it's gone for good

THe radiator sits into these mounts, which are going to have to be moved

Flyin6 · « **Reply #731 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:02:33 PM »

I just drilled off the spot welds. First a 1/8" guide hole, then a cleaning cut with a 7/16" sharp bit and the things pop right off

Flyin6 · « **Reply #732 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:04:05 PM »

A quick pass with the hypertherm plasma and the ribbing was history

Flyin6 · « **Reply #733 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:05:46 PM »

Then the other side

Flyin6 · « **Reply #734 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:06:21 PM »

Then with a little grinding it was all cleaned up

Flyin6 · « **Reply #735 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:07:14 PM »

I decided to reconnect this base support section as it seems more importanter than the other sections

Flyin6 · « **Reply #736 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:08:38 PM »

That was accomplished with a simple bent section of 12 gage

Flyin6 · « **Reply #737 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:09:37 PM »

This about where the lower mounts will fit, however they needed to slide aft another 1/2" necessitating a stiffening/extension plate to be welded in

Flyin6 · « **Reply #738 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:11:35 PM »

Here's what the lower mount looks like all welded in

Flyin6 · « **Reply #739 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:14:05 PM »

Next, the upper old mounts had to be removed

Flyin6 · « **Reply #740 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:15:14 PM »

With a more or less clean slate, the new 2nd generation Cummins truck radiator slid into it's new home

Flyin6 · « **Reply #741 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:16:40 PM »

I just happened to score a couple more plastic tanks, so I cleaned them up and replaced the dirty stuff I had

Flyin6 · « **Reply #742 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:17:50 PM »

The factory battery tray was not fitting any longer, so I redrilled some holes a little farther out

Flyin6 · « **Reply #743 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:19:01 PM »

Then came the upper mounts

They are simple tabs with a nut welded to one side and rose welded to the support. It will look factory after a coat of OD green

Flyin6 · « **Reply #744 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:19:33 PM »

And just like that, you have one second gen radiator living in a 1st gen truck!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #745 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:20:07 PM »

Now for the front end...It has to fit an air conditioner condenser and a large intercooler

Flyin6 · « **Reply #746 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:20:44 PM »

And that, my loyal friends is the end of build day 158!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #747 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:21:39 PM »

Quote:
Originally Posted by OVERWATCH_09 View Post
What was the reasoning behind the HSS between topper & bed?

Hard point

The top of that bed is flimsy at best, the steel tubing made that all good. Then with the way I tied it into the only hard points on the bed itself, made all of that a semi-monocoque structure.

That strengthened all of that up enormously

Secondly, the hard point aspect. The rear gets a swing away tire and fuel can carrier. I plan to anchor that to both the bumper structure and to this steel cage.

On the opposite side there will be a ladder anchored at those points as well.

On the inside, same/same. Hard point on the "Wall" to bolt things to like a fold down desk/bunk and shelving and storage bins...

Flyin6 · « **Reply #748 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:22:47 PM »

More popcorn...

Bordem, anticipation, or enjoyin' the show???

Well, for tonight due to weed pullin' grass cuttin', meal cookin', and baby sittin' we're limited to playing parts!

WHo wants to play parts???

OK you in the second row...We'll do it for your sake

I got the springs, spring front mount, shackles and other things in tonight.

So we're staged to put the ball in play

Here's the springs:

Flyin6 · « **Reply #749 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:23:36 PM »

That's six serious leaves of pure Mexican steel (Or melted down stolen American cars from mexico) plus the overload spring.

I am going to change things up a tad. First of all those monsters weigh in @ 71pounds each and that's a bunch!

I plan to discard the overload spring to start with. Then if you look carefully at the pack, one of the springs is doubled...I think I'm going to pull one of those leaves, and use the remaining 5 leaves as my spring.

The Skyjacker spring I have on there now has 5 leaves so I think removing the two will be a good point to start with.

Next, I plan to drill the ends and install friction pads to make the springs slip against one another much better. Finally, I plan to liberally coat the steels with dry film lubricant to aid the slippage even more.