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Shorty the crewcab. (Been saved from the chopping block)

81 CC short bed conversion
Overview Gallery Discussion
Post plenty of details on the grille. I've been wanting to do something like that on mine. I saw one at the Wally world one day that had a stainless grille cut out on a plasma table with a whole bunch of little bowties. Looked pretty good but I didn't get a pic.
 
Truckman4life said:
Post plenty of details on the grille. I've been wanting to do something like that on mine. I saw one at the Wally world one day that had a stainless grille cut out on a plasma table with a whole bunch of little bowties. Looked pretty good but I didn't get a pic.
Click to expand...

I haven't taken many pics of it. But it's 1/8"x1/2" angle for the frame. 1½"x1/8" for the center.
Then just some woven wire grating I salvaged from some shelving about 10 years ago lol. Kind of sucks because this was the last of it.

IMG_20200119_141743896.jpg
 
And currently needing another coat of black, the grating painted silver, and the top mounts finished.
Also going to paint the headlight bezels the same black

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shady said:
And currently needing another coat of black, the grating painted silver, and the top mounts finished.
Also going to paint the headlight bezels the same black

View attachment 329754

View attachment 329755
Click to expand...
They use that woven wire mesh in handrailings and staircase railings. You should be able to order it at any steel supply place. Especially if they have an ornamental steel division.
Pretty sure it's also the same as they put in the front of my STS-V.

IMG_20191023_173908058.jpg
 
Yeah, they have it at the steel place I go to. But this was free lol. At one point I had 8 6'x10" pieces. Those were my last 2.
 
Forgot to mention that I'm going to throw a thin coat of black on the radiator behind it too. Just so it doesn't conflict with the silver/black of the grille
 
The first time I seen the stuff was actually 3/16" bar woven stainless wire mesh that my boss gave me to use when I was building HIS bar-b-que lol.
 
Did some grille work.

And some trimming/massaging.

And remounted the 37"s :D

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Not usually a big fan of aftermarket grills, really like this one though.
Truck is coming together nicely.

Did ya at least hit the streets once with the paper towel/tape front end?
 
I like how it turned out. I had to laugh at the taped up pick. Reminds me of the bricknose fords of the late '80s.
 
The taped up front wasn't supposed to happen lol. I got to figuring out the top mounts and got it all in and mounted... Then realized I really didn't want to take it back apart lol. So I just painted the grating in place...

Then realized that if I don't take it back apart soon, I'll never be able to because of the way the center mount works :doah:.

I didn't get many pics of that part. I welded hinges in 3 places at the top of the grille. Then bent them so that when I stick a screwdriver through, I can flip them up to the radiator support. And there's nuts on them that I stick the bolts down into...
Except right now the nuts are just taped on and could easily just spin. And aren't reachable with tools lol.

When I take it back off to fix that I'll get pics
 
I'm going to drive it around today to test the 4x4 and flex it out some. See if it rubs.
 
I've driven this thing around quite a bit lately. To work and back a few times, around town a bunch.... Driving it has been great except the grabby new clutch.

Then yesterday was my first time driving it with the 37"s. It drove fine about 10 blocks. Then I pulled it into 4hi, hubs unlocked. Just to see if the front end/TC made noises. About a block after that I got death wobble. :dunno:.

I can't think of how the axles being engaged with the hubs unlocked could affect anything...?

And it has brand new king pin bushings and springs, installed before it was put in the truck. Gotta be tires. Balanced with ceramic beads. Could them be getting out of whack some how? Bumpy roads were involved. I know people balance their big tires that at alot, and I used the recommended amount per tire size. :1zhelp:
 
shady said:
I've driven this thing around quite a bit lately. To work and back a few times, around town a bunch.... Driving it has been great except the grabby new clutch.

Then yesterday was my first time driving it with the 37"s. It drove fine about 10 blocks. Then I pulled it into 4hi, hubs unlocked. Just to see if the front end/TC made noises. About a block after that I got death wobble. :dunno:.

I can't think of how the axles being engaged with the hubs unlocked could affect anything...?

And it has brand new king pin bushings and springs, installed before it was put in the truck. Gotta be tires. Balanced with ceramic beads. Could them be getting out of whack some how? Bumpy roads were involved. I know people balance their big tires that at alot, and I used the recommended amount per tire size. :1zhelp:
Click to expand...
I had bumps throw the balance out when I ran mt 31s bead balanced on my XJ. It would take a little bit for them to settle back out. I think the 4hi thing was coincidence. Maybe try the drive again in 2wd?
 
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