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My first car- 71 Jimmy

Well I've been all over the place on what to do next. And honestly I just gotta start saving and get the whole axle issue over with. Once I get the parts to make my 44 8 lug and find a decent 14 bolt, ill start really goin in deep. And I don't want to up my drive lines until then because of the yoke on the axle. So I'll just keep limping around town and not give it too much pedal and I'll be fine. But in the mean time, I've been looking at minor things and trying to fix and clean up some parts. I bought new rubber pedal covers, and a new gas pedal and pin. Cause my gas pedal broke off a few weeks ago so I've just had a rod to put my foot on. And within the next few days I'll have my dash apart again to put in my new temp gauge and new speedo... But here's what my fancy pedals look like now...
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Its very convenient to live just a few miles from Early classics and the guys there know me :)
But in the mean time, I was hoping I could get some help with my lights and mounting. I have KC's bolted to my bumper. And they don't aim high enough so I bent my bumper so they would point straight rather than at the ground. (I don't really care about my bumper and the bumper already had the bend in it and that's where the idea came from) but here's what it looks like:
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Any ideas how to make this better? Because I might be getting two more and moving them around and I'd rather not bend the crap out of that top lip and Im not sure how I would make a bracket for that without it lookin goofy. And I don't really want a push bar anymore or any kinda add on or other bumper. I want to keep the stock one

Also on a side note, I did not get the dodge :( my grandpa doesnt want to let it go even though it is non opped and is falling apart due to my step cousin. Gonna be sad cause word is he is going to be registering the truck and drive it to work. I know it's a cummins. With a 5 speed. And 1 ton running gear. But honestly with his record and his ability to keep things running, I give it a year before its blown to hell.
 
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Some sort of angled washer would be a more "elegant" way to get those lights aimed properly.

It could be steel or poly....poly might be easier to grind down to match the bumper profile you need.


-G
 
Thanks:)
I tried to make a 'shim' out of angle iron but that turned into a mess that got way to thick and not working right. I halfway thought about taking them out of the bumper and building a bracket out of angle or channel that goes through the grill and runs along the bumper but isn't attached to it. Might even bring the lights up enough to where they are parallel to my headlights... But idk and I don't know where to get cheap angle or channel or really any metal anymore since I used to buy through the school. But I got a little mig and grinders and know how to do such a thing
 
Yeah lol. They were on there with two 3/8 plates each and were welded on with triple passes all the way around. I was yanking on a guy who was stuck and snapped the tow strap and had a smaller clevises get very intimate with my windshield.... Snapped, went above the truck and whipped back right in the middle on my side... Or I used them to hold a safety chain on a trailer haha but yeah they got used when they were there. They were hell to cut off
 
Well it's been a while. I built a light bar that runs through the grill of the jimmy, to pull the lights off the bumper. And I found this at a pick a part for 100$
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To be honest it's damn near ready to go in, just needs paint, shock mounts and perches. Which could easily be done in a day or two. But that means I gotta get a matching front and wheels... Which is another story. I have a d44 housing with matching gears I'm going to build into a 3/4 ton. But I gotta find some flat top knuckles and the 3/4 caliper supports for it. Cause I figure if I buy a front I have to rebuild it anyway, so might as well get all new. And while I'm at it, I'll be doing the crossover steering kit from ORD. So it will be a while before these axles are under it. But at least it's progress! Also how bad would a welded rear end be on the street with this setup?
Onto some other news. I recently bought a gas saver...
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2007 Kawasaki KLR650. It's already got a pipe, K&N, modded airbox, and it's been rejetted. Came with soft saddle bags and all the stock parts. And some all metal footpegs and an extended shifter lever. So I'm very happy with it. It can flat out scoot for an offroad bike. I'm getting 45-50 mpg and that's hogging on it and having a passenger for more than half the time.
And now that I have a second vehicle again, I can tear into the jimmy some more and i can put the gas money I'm not spending into it.
 
nice pick on that.what gears does it have?if you have a dana44,doesnt it already have flat tops on it.i got my 14 bolt for 150 and i just changed the seals and ran it after changing to disk brakes.my drums were rusted fast.yours look decent though.hopefully you got the same gears as the front you already got.
 
chulisohombre said:
nice pick on that.what gears does it have?if you have a dana44,doesnt it already have flat tops on it.i got my 14 bolt for 150 and i just changed the seals and ran it after changing to disk brakes.my drums were rusted fast.yours look decent though.hopefully you got the same gears as the front you already got.
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Sweet build, way back when you painted it, and you talk about buying 28 cans of paint, youre talking about rattle cans? or a compressor?
 
The 14b has 3.73, I currently have 4.10. I have a housing that does have 3.73 installed on it. Yes I do have flat top knuckles but I need another set of knuckles to trade with mine or put on the new axle so the truck is still drivable while I build up the new front. I know 3.73 is a little tall for my 350, but my plan is maybe 36s at the biggest and go big block. This truck isn't going to be rock crawling and I have the sm465 so I think it will be fine and fun.
And yes I did buy 28 cans of rattle can paint haha it only took like 20 to do a decent job and I kept the rest for touch ups and to paint other stuff.
 
Dont weld the rear. Save up for a cheaper locker if u want more traction. It would squeel tires every time you turn on the street
 
too bad.id redo the 14 bolt with 4.10s.thats what i have in mine and is just about perfect.id say 4.88 if you had overdive.but im runnin a 3 speed and the engine is already at 2800 going 65.the 3.73gearing definitey was way undergeared for 35s and 36s would he worse.
 
Yeah I think I'll leave it open for the time being. And 3.73 wouldn't be too bad. I'm not crawling with it. Plus I have my granny first if I need it. But onto fun stuff! I was able to aquire a 3/4 ton 10 bolt and I have been swapping everything over to a d44 housing because the guy wants his 10 bolt housing back. It's got jb7 brakes and the rotors are almost new but I might have them turned to knock the surface rust off(I get good deals cause of my work). When I'm reassembling the axle, I know how everything goes other than the spicer locking hubs it came with. Anyone have a place I can see how to put it back together? I wasn't the one who pulled it apart. Can I use my warn hubs off my current 6 lug 44 on it? Anyone know any tricks for dealing with ball joints without a press?
 
I finally sucked it up and piad for membership here!
Now I can really get this project going. The d44 I had is closer to being done. I'm kinda stuck only spending 25$ or so a week on it though. But I get hella good discounts at oriellys an napa so it's all good. Anyone know where I can get the stock 16.5 wheels with the 4 inches or so of backspacing?
 
Nice license plate frame. I told my wife a long time ago, I was going to get one that said if you aren't fullsize leave the top on. I think life is good should make one. "Topless and full size, Life is good!"
 
That's awesome. Someone there making them on the spot? Or was it already premade? Either way sweet plate holder.
 
Lol I can't talk smack on non full size cause my dads got a jeep an I wouldn't mind having one. And yeah there was a booth making them on the spot. 5 minute wait and a variety of colors.
 
Well I've got some progress underway. Finished my Dana 44 a few days ago:
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Yes I did paint the calipers red haha it's a joke between me and a friend, and I figure you won't see them. And I got some goodies in the mail...
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All I need is a driveshaft and this swap can be done. That yoke is to change my ujoints to a 1350 rather than my current 1310. Because the 14bolt uses a 1350 and I figure it's better to be stronger. Anyone have a donor driveshaft I could buy off them? I just need a one piece with a slip yoke and 1350 on both sides. I don't care the length
 
Well it's been a while. But the jimmy is now rolling around with the 3/4 tons finally installed. I also managed to swoop on some 38" tsl's to run for the time being. They have a 1/4 tread and they hardly rub (flexing isnt fun though)
I have left my job as a mechanic and got hired as a full time welder for Scelzi
I also want to change the title of the thread because I'm undergoing a second project.
This is what I wagged home a few days ago:
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It's a 77 k10 with a 14bff and a d44, th350 and a 203. And some 40" boggers. It's my buddies rig and we are going in together to make it a buggy. He's got a 350 to toss in and we are gonna see what happens. I already ripped the front leaves out to put in some 52's
Any suggestions or ideas on what we should do? We want a 4-6 seater with a full cage. And no truggy. We are pretty much only leaving the firewall and frame
 
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