My regression build is underway- new (important but dumb) question added! 3/20/2011

[blowedupmotor87]

I say regression build since I had to sell a bunch of nice stuff off my Jimmy (and still am selling some nice stuff off of it) but am still trying to get it back on the road. Along those lines, I picked up some stuff today.
My old stock seats (sorely in need of a good cleaning, they have been sitting in my buddies shed for 2 years, they have ??? growing on them but hey, they are in decent shape and FREE):

Also, I needed front and rear bumpers and recovery point so, got a hold of an old set of M1009 CUCV bumpers (they are in better shape than they look in this pic):

One problem though:

^ we cut my horns for the tube bumper I used to have. I got the rearmost foot of the frame with the rear bumper though so, that leads me to a question- could I just drop the tank and weld new horns (the last what, 4"), and run a little extended inner plate?

Most of the CUCV bumper mounts are on the horns:

But, 3 of the bolts on either side are further back:

So, would it be strong enough to just weld the horns back on and put a patch over the seam (extending maybe 1.5" frontward and rearward?) Or, would it be necessary to box the frame forward to the crossmember (about 6"), just drilling the boxing plate to allow for nut/bolt access? Or, would both of these ideas just be moving the weak spot instead of solving the problem? What would be best?

I plan on sandblasting the CUCV parts eventually, but for now I am just going to get all new bolts and run them ugly!!!

Oh, also, the rear shackle mounts look a bit tweaked upward but, I think they should be okay?

The pintle (or on civilian- license plate) opening is about the only tweaked part of the rear bumper:

I also have a little problem mounting the front stuff since the CUCV inner plates tie in the 4 rivets from the front spring mount and I am not wanting to remove the front spring mount rivets off my Jimmy so, I am thinking off drilling the CUCV brackets to clear my rivets and them drill a hole in the center of the rivets and run a single bolt through the spring mount, the frame, and the inner bracket all at the same time, sound like a good idea???



Any and all help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!!!

 

[blowedupmotor87]

So, any input?

I also have a really dumb question for the CUCV crowd- what do you use to keep the tow clevises on? All the similar ones that I have ever had screw together but, the CUCV ones that came (unattached) with my bumpers don't have threads just a small hole. What's the proper restraint? Thanks!!!

Also, anybody got two they wanna sell for a reasonable price? PM me please if ya do!!!

 

[sweetk30]

best to remove rivit and 7/16 bolts.

and cotter pins factory on clevis stuff. but better to use hitch pin and remove when not in use. some people steel them.

 

[blowedupmotor87]

best to remove rivit and 7/16 bolts.

and cotter pins factory on clevis stuff. but better to use hitch pin and remove when not in use. some people steel them.

7/16" matches factory rivets? Sweet! Thanks for the heads up!!!

I didn't even think about hitch pins, good call! That'd be an easy and convenient setup!

Around here though, I don't think I need to worry about theft, people here don't know enough about mechanical stuff to know that the hoop thingies on the Tetanus shot looking bumpers would be worth anything!!!

 

[sweetk30]

ya tiny bit of drill out to fit the 7/16 tight. 3/8 to sloppy.

and bestt o use a bolt with a little shoulder on it for tight fit in hole.

 

[blowedupmotor87]

Soaked all the bolts with PB Blaster tonight to prep for tear down tomorrow.

That leads me to another question- what would be best for removing the PB Blaster residue (and a little ??? gunk) to prep parts that need welded? Lacquer Thinner? I know they say brake clean is a big no-no for weld prep so, what's a good thing to use?

Get to remove some rivets too- very glad to have found the rivet removal thread! Good stuff!!!

Thanks y'all!!!

 

[blowedupmotor87]

Okay, crude paint of my horn boxing idea. It'd go forward to the rearmost crossmember, but be scalloped back to allow access for the wiring that goes across there. Also, it would have 3 holes drilled for access to the bumper bolts. What do y'all think? Or would just welding a diagonal patch over the vertical weld be better?

 

[blowedupmotor87]

The failcage is out!!!

The Jimmy is gutted (for the ???th time, LOL!):

Side shot (just 'cause it looked pretty with the blue sky!):

While disassembling the rear bumper I noticed this piece (this pic is upside down and backwards), it looks to be part of the rear-most body mount assembly. My Jimmy doesn't have this yet the CUCV did, is this an important piece?

Tomorrow's tasks: complete dis-assembly of the bumpers, shackles, etc, clean up all brackets, purchase all new bolts, re-assemble and hopefully mock up into place on the Jimmy. So, that leads to a question- I may want to know this before I start sanding, grinding, and wire-wheeling off the combo of paint and rust from the brackets- does the CARC camo paint contain lead?

 

[blowedupmotor87]

Okay, I've been reading up some more on the CARC paint, looks like it's pretty nasty stuff, eh? I guess I will just leave them nasty and rusty and look into getting them sandblasted at a later date. I still have to at least get some of it off of there so that some stuff can get welded (such as the frame horns). So, how cautious do I need to be about this stuff? Or, is it bad enough that I have no choice but to have it professionally dealt with?


Hmm, guess I shoulda read a bit before I started grinding off CARC covered bolts with no PPE!

 

[blowedupmotor87]

Well, today did NOT go well!!! Got a late start, got nothing done, bent a few things that I'd rather not have bent (turns out somebody at some point decided that it'd be a good idea to weld the brackets together so, here I am hitting something to slide it out that should move very easily and instead is bending in a way that I had neither anticipated nor noticed until after the fact), dropped the front bumper on my foot, cut my shin on the oxy acetylene slag... .

Anyway, enough worthless complaining! I did buy all new bolts today (or at least most, I am sure I missed a few that I'll pick up later), grade 8 for all but a few non-crucial spots. I can't believe how many bolts go into the CUCV setup, WOW!!! I am gonna hafta count them up at some point!

Did have one bright side, found a nice piece of 1/4" sheet in my garage to make brackets out of (had totally forgotten it)!

 

[EIB8400]

If you are talking about the peice that bolts to the frame and has the hole in it? It is the rear body mount.

 

[blowedupmotor87]

If you are talking about the peice that bolts to the frame and has the hole in it? It is the rear body mount.

Yeah, two bolt holes and a big hole, hmm... guess that might be important, eh? Seems to be doing okay without it though? Probably a dumb question- Is it necessary with polyurethane body mount bushings? (I ask since they don't seem to have a piece that sticks down to mesh with that one, or does that bracket wrap around the frame) Or is missing it pretty much making for a ripped frame in my future? Would somebody mind hooking me up with a pic of how things are supposed to look back there? I would greatly appreciate it!!!

 

[blowedupmotor87]

^ well, looks like I am going to have some difficulties!

I did have a spot of good luck today though! I decided that I am going to get the CUCV bumpers sandblasted prior to putting them into use. Well, I randomly found a semi-local sandblaster off the internet (off some service recommendation site I hadn't heard of). When I called him to get an estimate he said that he was actually going to be in my area and that he could pick them up no charge! I will be getting them back this weekend!

 

[EIB8400]

That mount should have 2 peices of rubber and a peice of metal that sandwiches together when you bolt it down. In one of your pictures with your tail gate down it shows 2 bolts in the floor towards the rear. Thats where thoses mounts go. Close to the gas tank.

 

[EIB8400]

In the picture you can see where the bolt sticks up through the frame by where the bumper bracket bolts on. This is where the rear body mounts are. I bet if you look your's are there.

 

[blowedupmotor87]

Mine are just bolted through the hole in the frame, sans the bracket, guess that's another thing to add the the ever growing list of things that eventually need attention! Thanks!

Now, I have a really dumb question, which is better for bolting on all my bumpers and brackets on?:
bolt, washer, bracket(s), washer, lock washer, nut
or
bolt, washer, bracket(s), lock washer, nut

Seems like the former would be better since the washer has a larger surface area to spread out load than the lock washer does? Or, would having a washer on that side negate the lock washer's ability to lock in by digging into a stationary surface? I need to know since I am going to complete bolting everything into place with all new bolts tomorrow and need to figure out what all more stuff I need to get (ran a bit short tonight), thanks in advance!!!

 

[sweetk30]

my self = no lock washers.

best metal crimp lock nuts. mutch better.

 

[blowedupmotor87]

my self = no lock washers.

best metal crimp lock nuts. mutch better.

May consider them for final assembly then. Had to use normal stuff for now, the whole thing is together now to make sure everything lines up okay, then will tear down for brackets and welding, then back together to re-test fit, then tear apart for paint, then finally assembly later. Anyways, pic of first assembly:

Wish I had a (free) way to keep it looking like it does now (it is bare sandblasted steel right now). The dull slightly metallic look of the steel looks perfect on the Jimmy! But, the bumpers et all are getting painted with gloss black since that's what I have sitting around.

 

[blowedupmotor87]

How similar are the front frame horns and front end dimensions between an 87 GMC Jimmy and a 88-98 Silverado? I'd love to have an ARB front bumper on my Jimmy some day but, they don't make one for it so, I am trying to figure out if one they do make may fit it okay? All they said is they don't make one, period. Seems like the dimensions would be similar enough on the silverado though perhaps? Anybody done similar?

 

[sweetk30]

way diffrent setups.

88-up went boxed frame rails in front 1/2 of the frame.