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'86 K30 Crew Cab Build
- Thread starter LNielson
- Start date
I was just thinking about this build the other day...
Life’s been busy for a bit, I check the board a couple times a week but haven’t been posting much at all. The truck is still going strong.
I put this old Western Plow on it for the winter to keep my driveway and access open. I won’t tear into it again until the snow is done falling this season.
I put this old Western Plow on it for the winter to keep my driveway and access open. I won’t tear into it again until the snow is done falling this season.
If anyone cares: This is an old school Western Pro-Plow with a cable actuated pump/lift cylinder. Mounting a plow on a tall truck requires fab work to get the A frame positioned correctly. I also have cross over steering which complicates it further because the mounts traditionally go right where my draglink/pitman arm are. I ended up making a frame to interface the plow a-frame that hangs off my leaf springs and goes back under my front axle tubes and then ties into the frame by my trans cross member. It works awesome, and will remove completely from the truck with a couple of pins when I’m not using it.
I built a pump mount that just bolts on to my bumper, I may just leave it on there all the time as a brush guard? I pulled my winch to mount this on my bumper, but it turns out I wouldn’t have had to.
I’ve been keeping a go-Kart track in the field behind my house plowed for my kid all winter with it too, super fun times...
here’s a few more pictures:
I built a pump mount that just bolts on to my bumper, I may just leave it on there all the time as a brush guard? I pulled my winch to mount this on my bumper, but it turns out I wouldn’t have had to.
I’ve been keeping a go-Kart track in the field behind my house plowed for my kid all winter with it too, super fun times...
here’s a few more pictures:
I've seen some older dump trucks with plow frames like that. I always cursed them when doing trans or front end work cuz they always seemed to be in the way. Nice setup! I'd like to set up one of my trucks with a plow and dump bed some day for farm stuff.
A dump bed would be sweet, I have shoveled a lot of dirt/sand/gravel out of this, and other, truck beds.
Harbor freight has a truck bed unloader that I’m going to try out one of these days, it’s a sheet of plastic that rolls out along your bed, it has a crank that you attach to the end of your tailgate, never used one but it would beat the shovel if it worked...
T
tenderfoot
Guest
My old boss had one of those. He used it to haul bull rock out to his ranch to fill in an area of road that had a wet weather stream. Said it worked great.
I was wondering if it was any good, for $35 I figured it would be garbage. I guess I might get it.
T
tenderfoot
Guest
I'm not sure how much bull rock he took out there in one load. He had a big ol f250. But maybe slowly test it's limits?
beags86
Eastbound and Down
I like that. I've got the same plow on my k30. The plow mounts are low and I was kind of wondering about a removable frame.
Nice work on that
Thanks, it has worked out great. The 37” tires make plenty of ground clearance for the plow frame under the axle tubes. I made that frame out of 2.5x2.5”x3/8” angle iron. It seems to be plenty stout for this use.
I’ve been quiet on here for a long time. I’ve started doing some long planned for work on my truck and thought I’d throw up an update or two along the way. Sorry I took zero pictures.
I scored a set of brand new unused 2023 year Humvee MTR’s and got them mounted up. The last set I bought had been on there 15 years. I really like these tires. I was stoked to find a new set.
My front driveline had less than ideal u joint angles and had annoying vibration if you drove it on the road over 30 mph with the hubs locked in, which I do often in the winter. I built some 4 Degree shims and it’s much happier (2 degree operating angle at the joint right at the pinion now), caster angle is about 4 degrees, still drives fine and returns to center, so I’m calling that good.
Pulled apart my leaking rear hubs and replaced the bearings and seals with new ones from ORD, those new two piece seals are awesome.
Upcoming work:
Steering refresh:
PSC steering pump and reservoir, I have a rebuilt hydroboost booster, gear box and new hoses to go with. I’m going to drill the gearbox for hydro assist before I install it. I’ll eventually add an assist cylinder.
Front axle seals, the long drivers side tube has been leaking for a while now if it gets parked with that side downhill. I have just been topping it off once in a while, but I’m sick of that and the mess it makes. I put the 2 piece ford seals in it when I rebuilt a few years back. Apparently one didn’t hold up well at all. I want to put an ARB in it when I pull it apart, I’ve spent a lot of money on parts for this old girl recently and don’t know if I can stand to do it right now.
Rear suspension:
I bought a set of Tuff Country 4” rear springs and an airbag/daystar cup setup. That’s going to be a good change.
Seriously contemplating cutting frame and bed down to make a short bed out of it. I originally intended to do that with it when I bought the truck, but it sees hard use hauling stuff frequently. I’m torn on this one, I love the look of a short bed crew cab. I probably need someone to talk me off that cliff before I cut it down and regret it.
I have a 31 gal K5 tank to go in too, going to do that when I tear into the rear suspension.
That’s about it for now, I’ll put a few photos up as I work through this round of upgrades.
I scored a set of brand new unused 2023 year Humvee MTR’s and got them mounted up. The last set I bought had been on there 15 years. I really like these tires. I was stoked to find a new set.
My front driveline had less than ideal u joint angles and had annoying vibration if you drove it on the road over 30 mph with the hubs locked in, which I do often in the winter. I built some 4 Degree shims and it’s much happier (2 degree operating angle at the joint right at the pinion now), caster angle is about 4 degrees, still drives fine and returns to center, so I’m calling that good.
Pulled apart my leaking rear hubs and replaced the bearings and seals with new ones from ORD, those new two piece seals are awesome.
Upcoming work:
Steering refresh:
PSC steering pump and reservoir, I have a rebuilt hydroboost booster, gear box and new hoses to go with. I’m going to drill the gearbox for hydro assist before I install it. I’ll eventually add an assist cylinder.
Front axle seals, the long drivers side tube has been leaking for a while now if it gets parked with that side downhill. I have just been topping it off once in a while, but I’m sick of that and the mess it makes. I put the 2 piece ford seals in it when I rebuilt a few years back. Apparently one didn’t hold up well at all. I want to put an ARB in it when I pull it apart, I’ve spent a lot of money on parts for this old girl recently and don’t know if I can stand to do it right now.
Rear suspension:
I bought a set of Tuff Country 4” rear springs and an airbag/daystar cup setup. That’s going to be a good change.
Seriously contemplating cutting frame and bed down to make a short bed out of it. I originally intended to do that with it when I bought the truck, but it sees hard use hauling stuff frequently. I’m torn on this one, I love the look of a short bed crew cab. I probably need someone to talk me off that cliff before I cut it down and regret it.
I have a 31 gal K5 tank to go in too, going to do that when I tear into the rear suspension.
That’s about it for now, I’ll put a few photos up as I work through this round of upgrades.
Good to see you update this!
I wouldn't shorten it if you haul much a few times a year. I often miss my longbed, though I do appreciate the short bed for some of the daily driving aspects.
But I also like the look of a lifted long bed!
I wouldn't shorten it if you haul much a few times a year. I often miss my longbed, though I do appreciate the short bed for some of the daily driving aspects.
But I also like the look of a lifted long bed!
It’s a real dilemma I tell ya. Great things about both long and short beds.
One big pro about keeping the long bed is you don’t have to do anything to it. Short bed conversion is a lot of work and time.
I had a old ranch woman tell me that short beds are useless, as she pulled the tonneau cover over a yard and a half of sand that she I had loaded into her dually. She often hauled material 30 miles up to her ranch that way.
Good point granny, good point. (Is what I thought)
You are correct on that. It would be a substantial amount of work. They also look better as long beds with a 12" lift and those giant tires like your blue one. That thing is awesome.
I've hauled many many bed fulls of gravel and dirt with this one. It can swallow every bit of 2 yards. This truck was once upon a time registered over 12K GVWR, I think it is on the sticker in the door like that. That hauling ability is the only reason it is still a long bed, extremely handy capability.
If i cut it down I'd only be able to fit 1 yard or whatever in the back, my wheel bearings and spring bushings would enjoy that. My shop bay is only 30 feet deep, It doesn't leave much space to walk around it once the snow plow goes on. Both of those are maybe good reasons to shorten it.
5ish foot bed for a more hardcore trail rig would be sweet, like MrK5's crew cab. He's got one of the coolest crew cabs on here.
But totally agree, that is too short for general purpose hauling stuff.
