My "Official" Stepside Restoration Thread and LS Swap 2021

[folkenheath]

Yeah I was joking about the cardboard, looks like you are laying on it.

LS engines are awesome, but they are still small blocks.

The truck is looking good as always. I didn't know ORD starting making those shock braces, nice parts.

 

[skunked]

You are the only person I know of to have the frame crack there though...

Pretty common if you beat on it. The whole top half of my frame was cracked half there.

 

[wetoolowdingbangow]

Pretty common if you beat on it. The whole top half of my frame was cracked half there.

Every one of those stud things ive taken out of a frame has been cracked at the top.

 

[Chevy305]

I guess I should update this thread with the Dune Fest shenanigans.

Prior to going I had to make some repairs. I needed new front axle u joints, axle seals, wheel bearings, and pinion yoke.
During the process I found that 3 out of 4 wheel bearing races were spinning in the hubs. So I had to get new hubs. I wound up getting new rotors and pads with it because it only $7 more for a hub with a rotor vs one without. I also found one of the lockouts was damaged internally. I tried to warranty them since they are covered for life but according to Mile Marker you need to provide a receipt, I mean come on they are like 10 years old. I save and document everything but the old hubs seem to have slipped through the cracks.



While I was doing the axle u-joints I figured I'd do the full circle clip mod. This was a pain in the ass but my new portaband saw with the SWAG table made fairly quick work of it.




My axle seals were trashed since last Dune Fest 2 years ago. They have seen better days:
I also found out the wheel bearing nut socket make for a perfectly sized seal driver. Feel free to use that trick:






Well if all that work wasn't enough, my water pump decided to puke up it's shaft seal. Thank fully this happened before the trip and not during. It was a total pain in the ass to install. I ruined a set of gaskets, bent the lip on my timing cover, and blew the reservoir o-ring on the power steering pump. Several trips back and forth to the auto parts stores and I was back in business literally the morning of me leaving for the long trip to Michigan.

 

[folkenheath]

I didn't realize you did all that before the trip Glen. Glad you got it done in time. The dune trip looked like a lot of fun.

 

[76zimmer]

Nothing like a last minute thrash!
Glad you put the effort in Glenn it was great to have you come out again!

 

[campfire]

what is the "full circle clip mod?"

 

[Chevy305]

what is the "full circle clip mod?"

Basically you replace the inside c-clips that hold the u joint caps in the yoke with snap rings. To do so you have to remove some material from factory shafts in order to get a full circle clip to seat. Most chromoly shafts are already machined for it.

So it'l look like this when you are done:

 

[Chevy305]

Back to the Dune trip report:

I departed Thursday morning and stopped that evening in Syracuse, NY to stay with some family of mine. 14hrs is too long to do in one day in this old truck so splitting up the trip was needed.

Some pics from along the way:




Friday morning I crossed over into Canada to cut across Ontario. This route saves me a few hours over driving though Ohio and fighting traffic and horrible roads. Canada's roads were actually very well maintained and fairly traffic free once outside of the greater Niagara area. I've already seen the falls somewhat recently otherwise I would have made the detour to see them.



And this is basically the rest of Ontario for the next 3 hrs once outside of Niagara:



Crossing back into the USA at Port Huron:

 

[Chevy305]

Arrived at the Dune Fest:

Once I got there I made stepside friends:



Then I hit the RTI ramp:
I definitely did better than in Dune Fest #2. No sway bar and proper length shocks make a big difference.



Then I did the obligatory hot lap around the dirt track and scraped frame on the last dirt mount. The transfer case skid plate and cross member shoveled the top of the mound pretty hard lol: (btw if anyone has any more pics or video of my hot lap, sen them to me or post them up!)



Saturday morning at the Dunes:

 

[campfire]

Yay for more pictures!

 

[Chevy305]

Here's some more randoms from other people:

 

[78K30]

Awesome trip photos man thanks for posting up, always loved this truck

 

[Chevy305]

My trip home:

So it looked like we were going to be rained out on Sunday and several others hit the road so I followed suit. Hindsight though it only rained for a little while and the dunes were reportedly empty. Oh well even just the one full day at the dune on saturday was worth the loooong drive.


So some photos from the jouney home:

Heading back through Ontario:



Thought this was very Canada eh:



Approaching the US boarder, apparently I was the only one on the highway to the boarder check:



A good view of the hydro electric power plant on the Canadian side. There was all sorts of high tension wires going off everywhere for miles around. Really goes to show just how much power is produced there:



You can see the mist from the falls in front of the buildings. The buildings behind it are all the resorts and such on the Canadian side of Niagara:

 

[Chevy305]

But all this talk about the trip, how did the truck do?

GREAT!

I'm actually so pleased with how it did through all the driving and the beating I put on it in the dunes. With all the thrashing on getting it ready, I was nervous but all my hard work has definitely payed off! It cruised great, drove straight, and returned 13-14 mpg on the highway with a large headwind and speeds 75-85mph. I'd say that's pretty awesome for what it is!
The only tweaks I had to make was tightening the belts which annoyingly squealed on startup. Otherwise my biggest problem was all the damn bugs on the front of my truck: (picture doesn't really do it justice)



After getting home and gave her a thorough bath:





After giving the truck a good once over I found the rear passenger side shock area of the frame had cracked again. This is a spot that cracked the last dune trip and was drilled and welded. I guess this time a fish plate is definitely needed to strengthen this area.



And I seem to be missing a spring slide pad thingy on the front driverside leaf spring. Although that might have been missing since before the trip




Lastly,
I must say thank you again to Adam, Nate, Jesse, and anyone else that had a hand in Dune Fest. It was a blast, I really hope I can make more in the future. Keep doing what you guys are doing.

 

[Deuling]

Don't worry about the pad. Half of mine are missing.

 

[Phil513]

DAMN that's a good looking stepside.

 

[Chevy305]

Definitely my favorite photo from the Dunes. I bought a 19"x25" print of it. Gotta frame it and hang it in my shop

 

[Kay86K5]

Gotta love the stepsides. Good looking rig

 

[Chevy305]

Okay guys need some advice. I'm looking to fishplate the section of frame around the rear passenger side shock mount.
I'll drill the ends of the crack, grind it down, and weld it up. Then I'm thinking a piece of 1/8" across the bottom. I made a little cardboard template to go by. What do you guys think?