CK5
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'88 K5 - Running Down A Dream
- Thread starter jimmyleetn
- Start date
Ground up restoration of my '88 K5. The plan is to go through every inch of the truck and fix or replace pretty much everything that needs it. This will also be a full vert conversion and I plan to make the vehicle look more like a 73-75 than 88.
I jumped into work on this thing pretty quick. Apparently my brake lights on both sides and turn signal on the passenger's side did not work. My wife followed me home and told me first thing the day I bought it. I dove into it with voltage meter. The previous owner told me it had been rewired. Check out some of the photos below. This thing is a complete hack job. Turns out the owner's son had wired speaker wires into the hot wire going into the brake switch. I fixed that and got power to the driver's side but still had not brake lights on the passenger's side. I started from the back tail light with the volt meter looking for a short. The weirdness began from here and didn't stop. Turns out there was an extra brake light socket wired in and taped shut. No clue why they did that. I cut all that junk out but still no brake lights. I followed the brake wires all the way to the frame where they go by the gas tank and still now power to the passenger side. There were some nicks in the wires from the previous wire job or the factory that if fixed. I also took the socket assembly and swapped it to driver's side and it worked so I know it's in the wire. Finally, I traced it to the steering column. No power there either. Then it happened. Like magic I started getting power. I am assuming what happened was there was some crud in the switch located under the steering column and I knocked it loose enough to get a connection when I plugged in the volt meter. Both brake lights work now. Guess I should have just started from there. The steering column is complete trash on this thing but I probably do need to replace that switch. I'm holding out because I want to get columns galore to rebuild it towards the end of this build. Downside to this: dimmers don't work, turn signals work but don't cancel, cruise doesn't work, wipers don't work, the ignition cylinder come out when I pull the key out, so we'll see how long I last. Just hate to sink money into something I know I'm going to completely replace down the road. On the upside, the previous owner left a steering wheel puller in the console. I should probably add a fire extinguisher into that console based on how some of this wiring looks. Check out the mess coming out of the firewall in the photos below.
View attachment 347041
View attachment 347041
Man it's ben a long month and few days since I posted about this build. I have a word doc I made full of part numbers and what I'll need for each phase of the build. I finally have the money to start and complete PHASE ONE, steering overhaul/rebuild (minus the ball joints which seem to be good). The problem now is, I promised a guy I'd build a set of nice Adirondack chairs and we have a full out kitchen remodel in my house about to begin. I've been buying parts all along the past month and a half, but still need my send my steering box to Redhead and buy a new power steering pump before I can begin. Below is some grinding and painting work I did because I just couldn't sit idle any more. Bought some grade 8 and stainless bolts while I was at it too. Been painting tie rods and steering braces also. Hopefully before September comes and goes I can have something more cool to show everyone and I won't have to wait for paint to dry during reassembly. I'm excited to redo the steering, but I know it's one of the more boring features to most. Tossed around doing a crossover setup but when I drop down to 33 inch tires from these 35 inchers, but I just can't see the need for it since I won't be wheeling and it will cost more.
You guys! I'm back!!! It's been a long long hiatus away from doing anything to this truck. I've nearly finished an extensive kitchen gut/remodel and I survived another poor duck season since I last posted. Also, my wife is now in her third trimester so I am trying to enjoy all this free time while it lasts. I've been in the shop off and on for about a week and a half and it feels good. I'm in the throws of my steering overhaul. So far it's been relatively smooth sailing. I nearly threw a wrench across the shop only once, and that was when I discovered the PO had used THREE different size/style lug nuts on one wheel plus several of those stupid splined lugs. I found the key to the spline lugs in the bottom of the center console fortunately. Overall, not much to see here. Everything steering related is toast which explains the horrible road manners. The only steering component I haven't touched is the ball joints which I think will be ok. There is a very slight wobble in the driver's side but the other side is solid. You'll notice my first welding attempt since about 10+ years ago. I'm definitely not the worst welder, but I need some more practice. Overall, the welds are fine considering I did stitch welds until I completed the cracks. I was pleasantly surprised how little cracking there was behind the steering gear on the frame. I drilled stops into the cracks before I welded although I'm not sure that was necessary. Currently, I'm piddling on little stuff while I await Redhead to finish my gear. It should arrive there for a rebuild today. I'm going to get a reman power steering pump from Napa today. Eventually, when I swap motors I'll use a serpentine kit so I didn't want to get a brand new pump just yet and the only new one I found was Cardone which I'm not a fan of. Of course, it'd be too easy to just do the steering. Now that the pump is out of the way I can see the extent of an oil leak on either the seal to the harmonic balancer or the timing cover itself that the PO attempted to fix. Looks like I'm about to buy a bunch of Purple Power. There is so much grease I started a small fire while welding. So that's cool, another thing to fix. I'm thinking about just let the local shop here fix it so I don't have fool with it. Below are some pictures of the dismantling. I did sell the obnoxious Thornbirds and the 17in wheels they came on it so there will be picture of the new wheels and tires. I also highly recommend HF's Maddox Power Steering Pulley Remover/Installer Kit. It worked great and the pump apart in minutes.
Here's some more photos. My new tires and my passable weld job. The Thornbirds on 17in Gear Offroad are the old setup, the Ironmans on 15in Procomps are my new setup. I had to get new lug nuts due to how rusty all the old ones were. My tire shop had a whole bin full of new chrome ones for $1.50 each. From what I've seen online, this was a score.
You reckon these sway bar bushings are bad? 
Good thing I ordered a new set of polyurethane ones this morning.
Good thing I ordered a new set of polyurethane ones this morning.
That's a huge improvement on the wheels.
It is cool that you are saving and upgrading a square.
If I may suggest something. The welds on the frame will fail again no matter how well you weld them. Those tires are going to tear it apart even with the brace. You really need to add a weld on plate to make it permanent.
If I may suggest something. The welds on the frame will fail again no matter how well you weld them. Those tires are going to tear it apart even with the brace. You really need to add a weld on plate to make it permanent.
I agree, if I didn't have the other stuff I'm sure those tires would tear everything apart. I haven't taken a picture of the plates yet but I painted one of them a few days ago. If you look up a few posts from back in September you'll see where I bought the ORD braces and painted them satin black. It looks like the bolt holes are going to line up pretty good on the big plate. The lower one's going to take some hammer work or a couple of C clamps to get it to line up with the bottom of the frame.
This one. Covers the entire area.
https://www.offroaddesign.com/weld-on-frame-repair-kit-for-73-91-gm-trucks.html
https://www.offroaddesign.com/weld-on-frame-repair-kit-for-73-91-gm-trucks.html
That's the kit I bought back in September. I'm on track to spend a small fortune at ORD. The big one is laying in the guest bedroom floor while the paint dries. It was too cold to let the paint dry outside this week. I'm hoping to weld it in tomorrow afternoon. I only painted that one side. The other side still bare metal so the welds will stick well.
Good. I did not see that one in the peecious pictures.
These past few days have been cold and tedious. I've been doing little stuff here and there. I've kind of hit a snag for the moment on my steering work. I need to weld the repair plates in but I'd like to paint the back of my plates with weld through primer and paint the parts of the frame I will weld with primer too. Apparently, weld through primary is as rare as gold around here. I'm hoping our AirGas store will be open tomorrow and they'll have some in stock otherwise I'll have to order and wait. Lots of other parts are on their way, RedHead called and my steering gear is in the mail and I ordered a 3in suspension lift and several others suspension related goodies from ORD. I'm hoping this ridiculous weather doesn't impact shipping because it looks like I'm going to be off work all week. I did two of the more annoying jobs yesterday and today. I got the old bushings out of the sway bar ends and I got the steering arm off today. Very proud of that steering arm. Seriously, I've thought about going up to every neighbor on our street and just showing it to them I'm so proud. PB blaster, a big hammer, a ball peen hammer, and a broken screwdriver was what it took. For the sway arm end link bushings I cut the excess rubber on both sides with a razor blade and then drilled several holes through the rubber to weaken it making sure not to gouge the inside of the sway arm with the drill bit. From there I used an impact socket extension and the end of a bolt that I'm going to replace that actually came from one of the sway arm brackets to drive the bushings out with a hammer. The first one took 30 minutes the second one took maybe 7 to 10 minutes since I knew what I was doing. I'll have to keep that in my back pocket as a way to get bushings out since I don't plan on buying a press.
Well it happened. I have 10 different shipments of parts scattered across the continent. The weather finally caught up with me. This is day two of nothing to do on the truck other than paint piddly stuff. It feels silly painting random parts when everything else is rust brown, but eventually I will paint the axles, frame, floors and everything so it'll all work out in the end. Here's some pics of some random stuff I've been doing. Also, the front axle is disconnected and all bolts are loose ti the rear axle and suspension so when the lift comes it'll go quick.
Might not be the biggest progress but it is progress! Keep at it
Parts are rolling in, the one that's the thorn in my side currently are the three inch leaf springs from ORD. Apparently, those EZ ride tuff country leaf springs are on backorder. My best guess is the middle of March??? Fortunately, there is plenty for me to do in the meantime. I'm still randomly painting parts and my weld through primer came in so I can finish welding the frame repair plates that I set out to do 2 weeks ago. I suspect I'm about a month to a month and a half out from being back on the road at the rate I'm working. Below her some photos of all of my steering parts including a very nice redhead steering gear. You'll also see where I welded the first plate in. I'd give my welding a grade of a B. I did have some good beads but it was hard to get to with the fender still on so some of them aren't great. That's why they make grinders and flap discs. Once I get the plates welded in I'm going to seam seal all the gaps so water can't get behind them and smooth it out real good and paint it and it should look fine. From there I can put the box in and the Jeep parts on as well as the ORD steering braces.
So here we are, two weeks later. I've been working all along but this thing has fought me all the way. You'll see in the pics. First, I finally finished welding in the plates. I was not impressed with how the plates fitted. I had to do a ton of modifications, much with a hammer and C-clamps as well as some cutting and welding to the lower plate to get it to fit. I got sidelined a few days by getting metal in my eye too. Yes, I wore glasses and a shield, except for one last pass with a cup brush on a drill and that was all it took. With the plates welded, seam sealed, and painted I tried to put in the Jeep lower steering column bearing. It was a real pain, apparently the PO put in a column that had been wrecked so the shaft kept going up into the housing when I'd tap the bearing with a rubber mallet. I don't think the truck was wrecked, the body and doors are too straight and I know he swapped doors from his junkier rig before I bought it. Eventually, I'll get a rebuilt column, but the service manual I have said this isn't a deal breaker for the monent. I did the XJ shaft upgrade too. It was somewhat easy since my steering column had ben wrecked. I put the ORD braces in today finally. It took 4 days just to get the steering box on. The frame repair plates were definitely not the same as the OE frame contours, and I had to do some serious grinding/notching to get either brace to fit. I also had to retap one of the holes on the box and shim the top right bolt with two grade 8 washers to get it flush against the frame. I bet it took it off and on over a dozen times. It's on there now with some red loctite 271 and torqued to specs. I pray I never take it off again. With all that done I waiting on my springs. No word from ORD on when they're coming in. The lead time on Summit Racing for those springs is forty days so I'm assuming the end of the month for me. I'll probably put the steering pump on soon and put the rest of the truck on jack stands so I can start on removing the rear suspension.
Here's a few more pics since I went over the limit.
One of the other members suggested that I put the stock brace on as well made sense as long as it fits nice work
