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Black Betty - Formerly Blaze the Monster Machine

1984 K5 Project for Dad and kids
Overview Gallery Discussion
centexk5 said:
Honestly didn't know that's how it went together. I'll get that fixed this week. Thanks for that.
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Yeah they are something to do with the bolts being able to flex instead of being super solid with a short bolt and no spacer. I believe to help with frame flexing. The ones they had on there are actual drop down spacers. Semis run bolts/studs and spacers like that on exhaust manifolds to keep from breaking them from the expansion due to heat. The factory ones are similar and just something like 1" long thick wall tubing. Like this:
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My Cummins had those bolt spacers on the manifolds. Need to measure those spacers I pulled out and cut them down. Seems like it would be the easiest.
 
Slightly off center.
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But it didn't matter because **** you truck.
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I need to go drive the thing as it's still sitting at the same hub to fender measurement it was before (~30"). Side effect of torquing everything with no weight on it. But that'll wait until after I put the front shocks on and figure out the drag link.
 
Did someone put a 1 ton rear end in this and not move the perches out to match the half ton spring width?
 
Not sure. The welds don't look factory but the perches could be spread out a solid half inch on each side. I don't have a welder strong enough for that. Gonna have to find someone to fix that. Probably explains why one of the center pins was sheared off.
 
Could be. They should be pretty close with the springs just hanging there and shouldn't have to be forced sideways to line up.
 
Well the saga continues. Something is wonky up front and I can't make the drag links fit without some major trimming. Went ahead and ordered an ORD crossover kit. Hopefully next weekend I'll be driving it.
 
centexk5 said:
Not sure. The welds don't look factory but the perches could be spread out a solid half inch on each side. I don't have a welder strong enough for that. Gonna have to find someone to fix that. Probably explains why one of the center pins was sheared off.
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@obijuank5 Matt, you still do mobile welding?
 
While I wait on the crossover to arrive, went ahead and bought all new parking brake cables. Truck is due for inspection and the previous owner just cut them and didn't bother hooking them back up.
 
I'm in San Antonio with a welder on the truck. If you do need them moved I can help you.
 
Who has two thumbs and frozen calipers? This guy.

I always suspected I did especially when I had to remove the bleeders to bleed them. Oh well.

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Thank you. It's certainly not coming together easy but it'll all be worth it once it's done. After seeing what I've seen, I'm surprised I didn't die rock crawling and driving this thing.
 
Little bit of good news. New calipers went on without an issue although I still need to bleed them and ORD is letting me return the drop pitman arm and drag link I bought which will help offset almost half the cost of the crossover steering.

I called O'Reilly's for a reman'd 2wd box and there isn't one in the nation. Seems these are starting to get scarce. So I sucked it up and added on the PSC box that is already ported for hydro assist to my ORD order.
 
Been under the weather with a head cold (no not corona) so no progress. The new steering box is arriving tomorrow and the crossover arrives Monday so hopefully by mid next week I'm driving this stupid truck.
 
Ok. Now I'm getting mad. Yanked the old steering box off with no issues. Got the crack in the frame welded up and ground down flat. Went to fit the ORD weld on plate on and of course it didn't fit so I had to massage all of that into place. Go to start welding it on and I can't figure out why the damn thing keeps popping and overall acting like crap. Then it just quit. Nothing. No more wire feed, no more welding, nothing. The dang thing died. So now I'm 3 welds into the reinforcement plate and have to either diagnose and fix this thing or buy a new welder. It's a Century 125 110v mig. It was used for a long time before I got it and I've gone through a bunch of wire with it. Probably time to step up to a 220 unit so I can do some heavier work.

What was supposed to be a simple suspension swap has now cost me a complete steering system AND a welder. Stupid truck.

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centexk5 said:
Ok. Now I'm getting mad. Yanked the old steering box off with no issues. Got the crack in the frame welded up and ground down flat. Went to fit the ORD weld on plate on and of course it didn't fit so I had to massage all of that into place. Go to start welding it on and I can't figure out why the damn thing keeps popping and overall acting like crap. Then it just quit. Nothing. No more wire feed, no more welding, nothing. The dang thing died. So now I'm 3 welds into the reinforcement plate and have to either diagnose and fix this thing or buy a new welder. It's a Century 125 110v mig. It was used for a long time before I got it and I've gone through a bunch of wire with it. Probably time to step up to a 220 unit so I can do some heavier work.

What was supposed to be a simple suspension swap has now cost me a complete steering system AND a welder. Stupid truck.

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That's not wonderful news!!!

You need a hug... but I'm not gonna do it..
:haha:
 
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