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1990 K5 Build ( Ol' Blue ) : Rocker rust...

Yep tall nuts :haha:and washers.

U bolts need checked after a couple hundred miles. The don't always come loose but they do sometimes
 
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Today i got a decent chunk of stuff done. Rene had some free time today so we ( ...he) got some welding done lol! we had to drop my axle completely because i couldn't 100% tell him the centre pins were in the same holes on the perches...:doah:He noticed my tires seemed a bit too far back.. so we also bumped them ahead a hole in the perches. We also gained the two inches my shaft was going to be short, because of the added inch of pinion length in the diff, also gained an inch moving my springs forward. Which means NO new 500$ shaft:woot:!! . We got it all lined up and double checked it all and then Rene tacked them in place.

IMG_8817 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

Dopped the axle, and dragged it out. I got the zero rates flipped back around as he started welding. It was nice being able to watch him weld, now that i have a helmet of my own to look through. Once he got the axle done, i picked his brain more about welding and what not. Shot the shit. When i got back home, i got the axle under the truck. Did all the new rear brakes and installed parking brake cables and tested them. Once i got them on adjusted got the tires on. By the time i had gotten the shock tabs welded on i was wiped, it was my first time ever really welding two things together, i wish there was more to weld though!... . I want to a good start on it again tomorrow AM so i called it a day.. It is a tad high in the rear ,with the EZ inch. Id rather it up a little, than down a little, so I'm going to leave it that way probably.

IMG_8823 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8825 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8833 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8837 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8838 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8842 by Nick Smith, on Flickr
 
I really like how the rear tires line up the rear fender now instead, of being tucked in
 
I also got my passenger seat out and the carpet removed to try and patch what i can before i move. Drivers side is worse for sure but im going to start the other side when this side is done just so i can atleast drive it finally.image.jpeg
 
I have been asked welding questions on here and sometimes I answer and kind of bold my breath a little to make sure Rene gives the same answer as me.

Pretty sure everyone could learn a thing or two from him
 
I would have liked to stay longer but I was whipped.

When I got there the rear tires looked to be too far rearward in the wheelwells, and with some handy dandy measuring devices Nick and I were able to confirm the rear was about 1" too far to the rear. Unfortunately this led to some extra mechanical gymnastics, but the pay-off was seeing the drive shaft was the correct length after all. After that fun we set the angles using the W.A.G. brand cal-eye-per. Then I burned the perches in after sweating the area with the tiger torch. I'm running not quite enough machine to do these in a single pass, but three passes with .030" was a little big. The turned out OK, and at the very least they're not coming off anytime soon.
 
I have been asked welding questions on here and sometimes I answer and kind of bold my breath a little to make sure Rene gives the same answer as me.

Pretty sure everyone could learn a thing or two from him

Im really lucky to have had him as a friend. Ill forever blame him for lighting the fumes, of constant money spending, and blazer addicting work hahaha:flipoff7:
 
So today i went out and got two new joints for the rear. I dropped the rear shaft. Was easy peasy since i did these when i got the truck as they were shot when purchased. As i had the shaft out. I scuffed it down by hand with a emory cloth, i was going to wire brush it, but i know these are balanced and didn't know if they could be or not, so i just played it safe and left it alone.

IMG_8844 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8846 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8858 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

Once i got the rear done and re connected. I dropped the front shaft to inspect, replace u joints, and install spacer. The spacer was a bit tricky to get on. Had to slowly tighten each bolt one by one, as the groove to seat the T-case flange, was very tight fitting.

IMG_8850 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8855 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8862 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8863 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8864 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8865 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

I then fitted up the rear SS brake lines from the 10 bolt. Some bends were a bit tricky but it was nice and fresh tube, so with care, it bent fine.
I had to run one brake just behing the rear drivers side shock. It should be fine. Its not loose and has clearance. Once i had the rear full of oil and it all double checked, I bled the brakes the best i could. They are way better than they were before !! And i finally took it outside for the first time in a couple months.

IMG_8874 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8873 by Nick Smith, on Flickr


IMG_8875 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8876 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

It almost matches the color of my other truck haha. Once i had it outside i figured the sunlight was perfect to install the Hi/low beam relay. It was simple to install and the instructions were wicked. I couldn't ask for any better, being electronically impaired like i am.

IMG_8869 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8867 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

I cleaned out the garage, got the truck facing forward again, and tried some more on the doors. I got one of the plugs undone that was driving me crazy but now I'm stumped on how to get the rear view mirror plug out... not sure if its even a plug ( the wire loom disappears ..? ) Im contemplating just cutting them.. does anyone know if that would effect my other functions..? these doors are becoming a pain in my ass lol..

IMG_8880 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

Tomorrow i will continue to mess with the doors.. contemplate how to address the rust i have in the tub.. and probably take it easy for easter sunday. Maybe ill have a turkey dinner with the k5 !
 
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Theres also some clearance issues with the rear being up about an 3/4 " higher than before. It won't be making too many trips in and out of the garage anymore lol. Also ordered some red tail lights, so i can ditch these tacky lights. I will mail them to anyone for free, if anyone wanted them, if they pay the shipping.
 
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You can mail em to me mine as well just toss those newer mirrors in there I hear your ditching LOL

looks great man.

Is the high beam relay an LMC peice?
 
Nice work! I'm in the same boat when it comes to wiring... Mostly by choice though. I get frustrated too easy. Oh and btw I have the same tail lights
 
You can mail em to me mine as well just toss those newer mirrors in there I hear your ditching LOL

looks great man.

Is the high beam relay an LMC peice?


Thanks! it is nice to see it coming together again. its weird.. i never really liked them until i see them leaving now. I am going to paint my chrome mirrors black though. If i can find a good metal paint that doesn't look bad. I don't know if someone ever Dibs'd them in this thread but i would be looking for someone to sell them too. Not sure what they are worth, but i don't think id be looking for much money from them. The Relay i got off summit, its from Painless Wiring. Nice quality, and super easy.
 
Ah gotcha.

Yah I'm kidding about the tail lights. Until my motor is back together no spending for me.

The biggest reason I want mirrors like that is for my daughter. She is getting the Jimmy when she gets her driver's license. When she graduates and moves on in life the title is hers.

She loves the Jimmy but I am sure will appreciate small things like power mirrors that aren't hard to upgrade
 
Nice work! I'm in the same boat when it comes to wiring... Mostly by choice though. I get frustrated too easy. Oh and btw I have the same tail lights

Yea it makes no sense to me, watching some youtube videos has helped though. I treated my blazer to an optima red top battery, since i had been screwing up batteries with a short, and finally think i have them fixed, I can hardly use a volt meter haha. They looked better on the truck when it had chrome rims and a chrome grill. but now that everything is going black slowly, i ordered plain red ones, with no chrome trim.
 
Ah gotcha.

Yah I'm kidding about the tail lights. Until my motor is back together no spending for me.

The biggest reason I want mirrors like that is for my daughter. She is getting the Jimmy when she gets her driver's license. When she graduates and moves on in life the title is hers.

She loves the Jimmy but I am sure will appreciate small things like power mirrors that aren't hard to upgrade

If no one buys them by the time i start getting rid of everything, for my move. Which is in 2 months, You pay the shipping, and they are yours.
 
I am pretty beat from the last two long days, of thrashing it out in the garage but, i did get some stuff done. Got the front girl off as it was chipping quite badly from all the rocks on the roads here from winter. It'll be nice to not deal with crap like that when i move. Figured it prime and paint my grill again.

IMG_8883 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8884 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8910 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

After that i decided to mess with the doors. I finally managed to get the clips undone on the two that were bothering me. It was a super pain in the ass on the donor door, since the window was down all the way... Makes it real tight in there. The donor doors window motor is ay better, window actually goes up and down at a steady smooth speed. Also put some penetrating oil on the inside mechanisms, as they were pretty tough, and switched the lock cylinders over. The key hasn't worked on that side since i got it but, Not sure if its a swapped one or not.

IMG_8887 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

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IMG_8902 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

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IMG_8913 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

There is some rubbing on the bottom of the door where the previous trim is. It doesn't line up either. I want to remove it all eventually after some body work in a year, or whenever i get a location to work on this again once i move. I want to two tone the truck like how they came.
Maybe dark blue and white or something. so it still matches the interior.

I got the skid plate mounted which was a pain in the ass with the bumper on, i thought i was slick when i got it off with a swivel ratchet..but when it came time to reversing it it sucked. especially being under the truck holding it on but i got it on. I then took my rear lights out and noticed more rust on the passenger side..:angry1: basically being held together with hopes and dreams at this point haha.. Drivers side is way better.. I can see myself going down to the states and getting a rust free tub at some point in my future..:doah:

IMG_8914 by Nick Smith, on Flickr

IMG_8916 by Nick Smith, on Flickr
 
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