CK5
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Damn that truck took a hit!
Decided today was the day. Don't have a daily driver yet and being unemployed at the moment, my misses convinced me we can share her car for now, and that I should start the tear down of sprucey. Was raining half sideways all day and I lost power around 430pm but I'd say it's a damn good start.
I split the th350 from the small block as I might run the th350 for now until I can afford a 4/60e down the road. But the sbc is gonna go into a buddy of mines chevette, since its just sitting there and it'd be fun to stuff a v8 in one of those little things. Also it gave me some much needed space as I'm currently running out..
Just plugging away at all the shit work that there is to do. Stripping down the front end for now. Plan is to do what I can on the front, clean, paint it, install all new steering components and suspension. Gonna strip the firewall and paint it also, I have a new master and a used booster so I can run power brakes ect.. Get it back on tires and then roll it forward, take the bed off, assess the cab further and take it off if needed.
Now the fun part of getting those bushings out of the control arms so I can get my energy ones in.
Now the fun part of getting those bushings out of the control arms so I can get my energy ones in.
I got lots of time to focus on this since summit won't ship my parts until the AFM kit shows up and it keeps being pushed back and back. Showing November 9 is when they think it'll ship out to me...
I figure I'll skip passed all the swearing, and skip to the nice photos ..
Started to clean things up now that the frame is sorta stripped in the front. Still have the steering box and misc stuff to unbolt.
Got the bushings, sleeves and ball joints out of the top control arms.. now to start the bottoms.. I'm not sure what kind of sick joke riveted ball joints were but they succeeded..
Once they are all done and painted I'll por 15 the front of the frame that I have access to and install all the new ball joints, tie rods ect and get the drop spindles on.
Started to clean things up now that the frame is sorta stripped in the front. Still have the steering box and misc stuff to unbolt.
Got the bushings, sleeves and ball joints out of the top control arms.. now to start the bottoms.. I'm not sure what kind of sick joke riveted ball joints were but they succeeded..
Once they are all done and painted I'll por 15 the front of the frame that I have access to and install all the new ball joints, tie rods ect and get the drop spindles on.
Got the lower control arms all ready for paint and painted today. Assembled the upper control arms and I'll do the bottoms tomorrow. Got the rest of the frame cleaned up from the cab supports forward. Removed brake lines, prop valve , fuel lines as I won't be using any of them. I plan on running AN lines right to the rail, and SS brake lines front to rear.
Got a first coat of por15 on there. Will do another one before she goes back together, as it needs ones. Lots of little spots all over from doing a thin coat, and maybe not brushing it enough.
Also gotta get new hardware for the upper control arms. Just used those nuts to seat the shells and bushings.
Got a first coat of por15 on there. Will do another one before she goes back together, as it needs ones. Lots of little spots all over from doing a thin coat, and maybe not brushing it enough.
Also gotta get new hardware for the upper control arms. Just used those nuts to seat the shells and bushings.
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Got a fresh coat on the front end after sanding it with some 220. Im not sure if I'm gonna want to run drop springs in the front or not , I want to see how it sits with the 3 inch drop spindles first. If I drop the front more I'll also have to drop the rear more and I don't have the money, or parts for that at the moment. So I wire wheeled the old springs , painted them and threw them back in because I can't have some crusty springs surrounded by nice black steel.
Got the spindles in, tie rods loosely in place for a makeshift good enough for now alingment, shocks in loosely as well and I'll go back through the whole front end bolt by bolt and tighten it all up.
I did notice when I went to jack up the front control arms to get the shock installed that it seemed stiffer than I would expect it to be, on both sides equally. The control arm really only starts to move noticeably once the truck is lifted off the back stand on the side being jacked up... So it's either fine, or I messed up twice lol
. I'm going to stare at it alot more but will probably just put the rotors and tires on, drop it on its own weight and see how it sits .. just to maybe have to take them all off again.. oh well. We'll see what happens when. She gets dropped down on its own weight..
The motor parts from summit keep being backordered further and further away so might be December by the time I get them. I'm just gonna keep plugging away at the body work until then. Good thing I have tons to do...
Got the spindles in, tie rods loosely in place for a makeshift good enough for now alingment, shocks in loosely as well and I'll go back through the whole front end bolt by bolt and tighten it all up.
I did notice when I went to jack up the front control arms to get the shock installed that it seemed stiffer than I would expect it to be, on both sides equally. The control arm really only starts to move noticeably once the truck is lifted off the back stand on the side being jacked up... So it's either fine, or I messed up twice lol
. I'm going to stare at it alot more but will probably just put the rotors and tires on, drop it on its own weight and see how it sits .. just to maybe have to take them all off again.. oh well. We'll see what happens when. She gets dropped down on its own weight.. The motor parts from summit keep being backordered further and further away so might be December by the time I get them. I'm just gonna keep plugging away at the body work until then. Good thing I have tons to do...
Did you tighten the control arm bolts down with it up in the air or wait until you had weight on it to do the final tightening?
Ahhhh it all makes sense lol. I tightened them down with it up in the air. And then loosened them back off when I first noticed how stiff it was. I should drop it down on tires and then tighten the 8 control arms nuts or dig I fug it up?
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I always tighten them in the air. Generally can’t get to them once on the ground. They’ll settle out after a ride around the block.
Technically you are supposed to tighten stuff like that on the ground with the weight on it so it is where it would be normally. It's so that you don't end up putting a twist in the bushings and ruining them if they bind. I generally just eyeball it in place where it will be at ride height then tighten it up if you can't access it later on. There are certain year F150s that are set up so that the upper control arm bolts go in before the strut and then it blocks access to them so I just hold them where they roughly go height wise and tighten them up.
Ok right on. I'll toss the tires on and drop it down . See where it sits, if it sits high I'll jump on frame a bit and see if it settles or jack up each control arm and then eye ball it back up on jack stands when I tighten them down if I can't access them on the ground. Should be able to with zero body panels / motor in the front end.
Same thing happens with leaf springs. Mainly the shackle. If you put them in and have no weight on them then tighten them down the bolt squeezes the bracket tight on the sleeve in the middle of the bushing and if the bushing cant rotate on the sleeve to the position it wants with weight on it then it ends up just putting a twist in the bushing and they wear out prematurely.
Makes perfect sense. Thanks man!
Look’n good!
Dropped the truck down with loose control arm nuts. Bounced around on the front of the frame and got them to move pretty freely. I'm going to leave them loose until I get the engine and trans back in the truck so they are tightened with some more weight on it.
Good updates man!
