Geez, Page 32 already....... Time to pick up some speed here.
CK5
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'72 K5 - Greg's @MightAsWellK5 Build
- Thread starter Greg72
- Start date
This is the build description. I will improve this later. (GB)
I agree here.
I agree with Rene as well. I think it would look slick too.
Sunday night.....Monday night.....Tuesday night.
Trifecta!
Upper link mounts are now completed on both sides (mostly). It feels good to crank through a project and get results in a short period of time.
I got some new 8" long bolts for the upper mounts, but it turned out they were a bit TOO long. I was trying to insure that the unthreaded position of the bolt went all the way through the spuds so that I wasn't supporting the weight on the threads themselves. Turns out there was just a bit TOO much unthreaded length and there was no way to tighten the bolt without a LOT of spacers under the head.
New 7" bolts have already been ordered....
Now onto the pics!
New passenger side bracketry.
Both struts installed.
Parting shot for the night....
Heading into a long Memorial Day weekend.... Maybe some additional progress on the front upper frameside link mount, or axle PHB mount?
Geez, I'm running out of excuses for keeping this truck from being out in the sunshine.
-G
Trifecta!
Upper link mounts are now completed on both sides (mostly). It feels good to crank through a project and get results in a short period of time.
I got some new 8" long bolts for the upper mounts, but it turned out they were a bit TOO long. I was trying to insure that the unthreaded position of the bolt went all the way through the spuds so that I wasn't supporting the weight on the threads themselves. Turns out there was just a bit TOO much unthreaded length and there was no way to tighten the bolt without a LOT of spacers under the head.
New 7" bolts have already been ordered....Now onto the pics!
New passenger side bracketry.
Both struts installed.
Parting shot for the night....
Heading into a long Memorial Day weekend.... Maybe some additional progress on the front upper frameside link mount, or axle PHB mount?
Geez, I'm running out of excuses for keeping this truck from being out in the sunshine.-G
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Looks awesome as always!
What's your long term fabrication plans? After the suspension is done, are you going to get it fully assembled and running before blowing it apart for paint? What's the next big task?
What's your long term fabrication plans? After the suspension is done, are you going to get it fully assembled and running before blowing it apart for paint? What's the next big task?
Honestly, I've been working on the suspension for so long that it hard to even remember what the next steps should actually be.
Thinking out loud for a moment...
Suspension Related:
- Build final version of upper frame-side link mount
- Build final version of axle-side PHB mount
- Build final version of steering arms (L & R)
- Build rear strut hangers (upper AND lower)
- Order Fully-built 3rds with 2.47 gears and ARBs
- Install mockup driveshafts
- CYCLE THE SUSPENSION, CYCLE THE SUSPENSION, CYCLE THE SUSPENSION!!!!
I'm already expecting a LOT of new interferences with the rear suspension at the frame area and in the wheeltubs, so there's going to be quite a bit of time spent to resolve those...
Still need headers, so I need to work on those once I have all the tubing in the engine compartment area finalized and know what space I have to work with.
After that, it might make sense to pull the body up off the frame completely and do the plumbing for brakes/fuel/electrical, etc while I have easy access. Weld-in the slugs for the various through-holes that hold the monolith and other crossmembers, and just generally get the entire engine/transmission/xfercase ready to go.
There is a part of me that wants to get the entire frame/axles/drivetrain finish-painted and assembled before starting the bodywork, but with so much of the project still uncompleted (like bumpers, removable front end, etc) there is a good chance that I will need to keep cutting/modifying the frame areas. It would be a shame to cut and grind of a freshly painted and flawless frame to add parts I'd forgotten.
So, in reality I will probably do this in the traditional way: Everything gets assembled ONCE to insure it's perfect and complete. Then the ENTIRE truck gets blown apart and sent away for painting and plating and finishing of the various parts....
THEN.....around 2017/2018, the parts come back all shiny and perfect and the tedious process of final assembly will begin. At that time, I am planning to replace all zinc-plated fasteners with ARP Stainless ones so that there is no chance of rusty fasteners later on. It makes my wallet pucker just thinking about the costs involved.
-G
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Greg I love the way the new upper shock mounting plates showcase that big block in the engine bay that looks awesome.
I think it's great to have a working list to check things off and to put some order to your build and also be able to add and remove things as the build progresses...I live by lists!
And lastly...ARP's stainless fasteners, yeah butt pucker from the wallet for sure!
Mine puckers just looking at head studs for a Cummins!
I think it's great to have a working list to check things off and to put some order to your build and also be able to add and remove things as the build progresses...I live by lists!
And lastly...ARP's stainless fasteners, yeah butt pucker from the wallet for sure!
Mine puckers just looking at head studs for a Cummins!
Yep.
Slowly but surely, the inner "fenderwell" areas are being defined and closed-off by these new parts. Ultimately, I want to protect the engine area from water and dirt as much as possible so this is all part of my evil plan!
-G
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looks badarse bud...
meant to ask, what do ya think the final monolith weight was? gotta be a bear getting that up and in... assuming a floorjack is required...
meant to ask, what do ya think the final monolith weight was? gotta be a bear getting that up and in... assuming a floorjack is required...
Paul,
It's gotta be 80 - 100Lbs....
Mainly what's scary about it is how pointy it is everywhere. Really makes me think twice about just trying to muscle-it up into position.... one slip, and I'll be posting gnarly photos of stitches and blood instead of making build progress.
Those 4-corner scales are still on my "wish list" for the near future, so eventually I'll be able to provide a long list of accurate weights for things. I'm really curious to see how heavy the Mog-9s end up being once they are loaded with 3rds, and have all the final brackets/gussets welded on.
-G
It's gotta be 80 - 100Lbs....
Mainly what's scary about it is how pointy it is everywhere. Really makes me think twice about just trying to muscle-it up into position.... one slip, and I'll be posting gnarly photos of stitches and blood instead of making build progress.
Those 4-corner scales are still on my "wish list" for the near future, so eventually I'll be able to provide a long list of accurate weights for things. I'm really curious to see how heavy the Mog-9s end up being once they are loaded with 3rds, and have all the final brackets/gussets welded on.
-G
Looks awesome! So is the front end now essentially self-supporting? I suppose you'd have to finish welding it.
Yes and No.
Some additional welding would be a good idea, but I'll bet it would hold it's own weight at this point.
Problem is that once I put the nitrogen charge in the ORIs to establish them as a "spring".... it will be a lot harder for me to cycle the suspension to check for interferences. I'd rather leave them "dead" for now until I'm convinced that the links, driveshaft, steering and PHB are completely harmonious...
But it IS getting awfully close.....
-G
Been said already, but I'll echo. I like how you are doing the upper mounts.
Some fresh pics....
Upper frame side link mount.
A little more metal to create a true double-shear configuration and I can check that one off my list.
-G
Upper frame side link mount.
A little more metal to create a true double-shear configuration and I can check that one off my list.
-G
Looking good bud..
Oh, and your drill bit case looks very similar to mine..all that's left is the stuff you'll never use..lol
Oh, and your drill bit case looks very similar to mine..all that's left is the stuff you'll never use..lol
Looking good bud..
Oh, and your drill bit case looks very similar to mine..all that's left is the stuff you'll never use..lol
Lol, that's my throw-away set.
I bought a shiny, sharp and complete set recently and threw my dull, mismatched set into a blue bin. Busted!
-G
great work as always
Jester1
1/2 ton status
I like that, transformer vehicle, you pull that out into the sunshine and bumble bee is gonna poop himself.
Hi Mr Greg72 I am Mr Abrams and this is Mr Bradley we build tanks what do you build?
Oh just a blazer.....
Hi Mr Greg72 I am Mr Abrams and this is Mr Bradley we build tanks what do you build?
Oh just a blazer.....
2014.06.02 - UPDATE! - SUNDAY ARTS & CRAFTS DAY!!!
Had a nice little Sunday in the garage yesterday.
You guys know the drill by now.... Hot coffee, check. Music in the background? Check..... Craft paper, scissors, glue and glitter?......
It was time to beef up that single-shear upper frameside link mount from last week, so I did a bit of templating then started transferring the patterns to 1/4" steel plate.
Here's the double-shear plate with the heim bolted down to hold the proper dimension for welding. (Two .010" brass shims included in the stack to insure that the heim can be easily reinserted later on)
Added an extra laminating plate because.......why not?
Here is a better shot of a continuous weld I laid-down on the bracket. 22.6v @ 500ipm. To say my welding gloves were smoking hot by the end of that pass would be an understatement!. You know you are a fanatic when you'd rather burn your hand than stop the weld pass.....
...finally, completed the bracket and reinstalled it. Here's a shot of the passenger side footwell for some context.
Check that one off my list!
Next up: Axle-side PHB mount....
Here's the steel version of the upper cap that has been rendered in red construction paper and taped to my axle for months.
I ran out of time on this one, but I did get part way through the tedious fitting process, with a few extra plate scraps mixed in...
With just a little bit of luck I will be able to sneak out into the garage tonight to get this one completed....
Feels good to quickly (relatively) check some items off my list. I'm running out of excuses....... This truck NEEDS to get rolled out into the sunshine soon!
-G
Had a nice little Sunday in the garage yesterday.
You guys know the drill by now.... Hot coffee, check. Music in the background? Check..... Craft paper, scissors, glue and glitter?......
It was time to beef up that single-shear upper frameside link mount from last week, so I did a bit of templating then started transferring the patterns to 1/4" steel plate.
Here's the double-shear plate with the heim bolted down to hold the proper dimension for welding. (Two .010" brass shims included in the stack to insure that the heim can be easily reinserted later on)
Added an extra laminating plate because.......why not?
Here is a better shot of a continuous weld I laid-down on the bracket. 22.6v @ 500ipm. To say my welding gloves were smoking hot by the end of that pass would be an understatement!
. You know you are a fanatic when you'd rather burn your hand than stop the weld pass.....
...finally, completed the bracket and reinstalled it. Here's a shot of the passenger side footwell for some context.
Check that one off my list!
Next up: Axle-side PHB mount....
Here's the steel version of the upper cap that has been rendered in red construction paper and taped to my axle for months.
I ran out of time on this one, but I did get part way through the tedious fitting process, with a few extra plate scraps mixed in...
With just a little bit of luck I will be able to sneak out into the garage tonight to get this one completed....
Feels good to quickly (relatively) check some items off my list. I'm running out of excuses....... This truck NEEDS to get rolled out into the sunshine soon!
-G
Every update I am amazed in the quality of work you do Greg.
