Loki's 88' Build-Up **56k Beware** Now on ALL 4's

[Loki]

well not a lot to report, some of my readers probably already know about the BS and the crap i keep figuring out that i have to fix.

I'm waiting on some hardware to come in and i'm also trying to find a snapring for my axle shaft. i forgot to put one on before i put the hub dial in place and now i have to take it off and do that before i take it out. anyhow

i installed the gas tank last night (half full...by myself) that was a bit of a pain, but i got it in there. i am just needing to jump the engine due to the battery sucking so bad. it has been sitting for 3 months with no charge. I should probably just change it out.

anyhow off to the gym. sorry for no more cool pictures or whatever, but i'm stuck til i get more stuff in the mail.

[papa mike]

Thanks Volcom...i just can't wait to beef up the rear. i  need to make some trusses or something for at least the bottom. i have some diff armor for it, but a truss setup is ideal...i might just go pick up some more 2x3 and make my own trusses for it.

that's not my welder...i wish it was, but right now i can't afford a 2500 dollar Muscle Mig like that. it's my buddy lagen's welder. places where you would think you're going to need a double pass, this little guy will surprise you everytime. I still haven't done any sheet metal welding yet, but i'll see how that goes. if you think a 20amp breaker is sufficient though...think again...that mig will pop a 20amp like crazy, so beef up your breaker.

I might come home at lunch and put the throttle body back on, replace the fuel filter, and maybe even slap in the gas tank. If i get that taken care of, i'll start it up and see how she goes. can't wait to get this thing on the road for a test drive.

Stay tuned for more updates

my muscle mig is on a 30 amp breaker  ,,no problems  as of yet

[Loki]

i think that's what i put in there miner mike...either that or a 40, but i'm pretty sure it's a 30amp breaker. it hasn't flipped once since the change.

i'm going to see if i can find another steering resevoir at the pick and pull later this afternoon. that and maybe i'll get my hardware in today. i need to roll this thing out of the garage already

[Loki]

ok...so last night i got off work did some shopping picked up the kid and headed home. I was determined to get this thing started. Well I can hear the fuel pump engage, and the starter whines, but other than some clicking of relays and the afformentioned stuff, nothing. I get out, walk around check connections, bust out the multi meter and i'm not finding the disconnect. I see the ground running to the starter solenoid is a little corroded and nerfed up, but it should still start. I clean the contact points try to start it...same thing. My buddy comes over to pick up a movie, and we both take a look at it. I don't know but i just start beating the hell out of my starter solenoid then the starter, checked more connections get in to show him what it's doing. (multi-meter still on the battery terminals) nothing...no voltage drop, not even a small spike or sputter) tried it a few more times, and it starts sputtering...okay great so my starter sort of works...if i was in the truck while i was trying to start it, i could have gave it the petro to get it going. oh well. tried numerous times but to no avail.

My daughter was being patient with me so i decided to take her to my friends house so she could play with his kid and we could all have a good time or whatnot. I'm jacking one of his starters this morning. Hopefully it will fire and all i need is a new starter. I rebuilt this one about a year and a half ago, but it sat for so long, that it hasn't been cycled at all. Oh well. Hopefully that's all that is wrong with it. It ran fine before i tore it apart, it's just been sitting for 3-4 months with no action, so we'll see. hopefully i have better news later today

[Loki]

ok...so my starter solenoid sticks, but a little persuasion from what Lagen now calls the "mini" hammer and no problem. Hell, i think i even scared it into starting once yesterday.

No pictures yet, but maybe i'ill take some at lunch or after work.

yesterday, Lagen and i started in on the MOAS (mother of all snaprings) yeah, for some reason bobby didn't send me 2 for the outer shafts, so i took some off the 27 spline stockers and we put those on. After that, (and a run to Kragen) we picked up the necessary hardware and cleaning supplies.

Here's a list of the days accomplishments:
- MOAS install
- Finished up the knuckles
- New pads and rebuilt the calipers
- Operation Remove un-necessary fuel filter....complete
- Alignment complete
- Installed hysteer (hydro will be next week...possibly this week.)
- got it back on all 4's

Lagen broke another wheel stud (thanks bro...like i really wanted to take that thing off again.) Seems like this truck is giving us more problems than what it's worth at times.

Well knowing we still had to do the diff stud kit in the rear and throw in the donor gears in the axle, i started on that. I started to clean the threads with a tap, and the tap pretty much exploded. i have to get a new one today. So that was work stopage for the night. Lucky for me too, because i was getting a little tipsy. Bad beer I guess (sorry Lagen, won't happen again)

Seems like i get one step closer to getting this thing done and I find something else wrong, or cause something else to have to fix.

Things left to do:
- Finish Stud Kit
- Put 3rd and rear back together
- Take out 2" body lift and put the new bushing kit in
- Hydro install
- change out the rear shoes
- Fix broken front wheel studs (i'll probably just replace them all)
- Finish Wiring the tail lights up
- Replace headlamps and blinkers
- Re-wire interior and put the dash together
- Replace front body mounts (not the bushings the mounts are jacked)
- put the bed on
- Either fab or get a rear shock hoop... on that

**Can i clock the shocks forward at a slight say...12 Degrees? how will that act stability functionally?

...that's all i can do with the parts i have. i've got another topshift on it's way tuesday hopefully. Well, that is all for now. and i'll try to get some pictures of it today.

[Loki]

well it's been a little slow, i have the rear shock hoop from sky installed tonight. i just have a couple more things to do before i can roll it up. here's the hoop. measures the shock angle at 43 degrees and positions the shocks at the middle of the stroke, i'll have to cut the bed floor, but once i put in the flatbed, it won't really matter. more to come. i have my dual kit coming in a couple of days...can't wait

[Loki]

got the rear end pretty much done tonight. i got distracted though, my dad called and told me his aunt passed away. either way, i didn't know her too well, so i'm not that worried. however we did talk for about 2 hours  and i lost some wrench time, but i can make that up. got the hoop and mounts in and painted. installed the shocks, cut the exhaust, mounted the shocks and welded in the rear diff armor. i'm going to take a shower. here are some pictures

[Loki]

I got the crawl box all assemble'd today and i'll be installing it tomorrow and making a new front drive shaft. Then i'll be taking my rear driveshaft up to sac to get one made.

Today, Lagen came over and we started getting the truck put all together. i bought some new hardware for body bolts yesterday and still some of them were too long, so at lunch we picked up some grade 8's from ACE and found a new philly cheese steak shop right next to it. Very good hoagies.

Well after the cab was all done, we had to drag the bed around and install it. ran into a snag though because the shock hoop in the rear was hanging the bed up. only about an inch, but we knew we had to cut. so i modified the bed and slapped it back on...here's the custom bed job

Yeah i used a plasma and a 2x4 for a straight cut. (**note** don't use a plasma cutter with flip-flops...it burns)

So we got the bed on and Lagen started wiring up the tail lights while i tackled the seat install. For some reason we got the tail lights all done except the brake lights. I'll have to investigate that tomorrow.

Lagen assured me that the truck would fit in the garage with 37's, so i started taking off the old, worn, mis-matched 33's and slapped on the new MTRs, and what do you know...i had about an inch or 2 of clearance and it still fits in the garage. (i doubt it will fit with the cage though)

Well i'm sure you just want to see the pictures, so here they are.




I jumped in the bed to look at the roof. I might be able to buff this out what do you think

Here's a shot of the rear fender and the outside of the tire

Same of the front

And here's your proof it still fits in the garage.


It drives really straight and really smooth. Compared to 35" MTRs, these 37's really obsorb the road a lot better. nice and smooth and this truck has tons of pep. It really wants to go. I'm thinking maybe i'll seafoam it tomorrow and plug up the exhaust leak after i'm done with the crawl box and driveshafts.

Tons more to go, but at least i can drive it.

[DTB]

what happened to the roof?? what is your shackle angle like in the front? looks kinda sharp ....


everything else looks awesome! good job 

BTW, is that your new house? do the neighbors hate you yet? lol

[Loki]

i'm still at the old house for a week or 2 more. and the neighbors behind me just moved in yesterday. i haven't had neighbors behind me for a year. and when i did, he was cool. he was a Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force. Really cool guy.

I have boomerang shackles up front that's why they look so steep, but the actual angle is actually less than the rear. when it settles in the front, it should fall to about 20-25 degrees maybe more

This truck rolled before that's why the roof is so messed up.

[skyscraper]

wow loki, that thing looks good.  And just buy yourself a gallon of bondo for the roof...lol.  have you driven it on the freeway yet?

[Loki]

i'm thinking of buying lexan and cutting the roof up and sealing it closed. sort of like a sun roof, but it won't open.

I haven't got on the freeway yet. i'll try that maybe tomorrow. i'll have to see how it drives at speeds above 40. my speedo isn't hooked up right now either. We have some backroads pretty close to my house you can take it up to highway speeds on...i'll definately test it out tomorrow to see how it does. handles really well and really nice tight turning radius.

i'm excited and want to drive up to green horn this week to test it out

[skyscraper]

cool dude, the lexan thing is a cool idea.  It would probably be easier then doing all that body work on the roof...and it would be just plain cool.  keep the pics coming...

[Loki]

i'll be taking a bunch tomorrow of the drive shafts

[locktup]

Are you going to relocate the fuel tank when you tube the rear.

Jason

[skyscraper]

cool, btw, are you planning on putting any flares on those fenders? or even mud flaps?  

[Loki]

no flares, and when i go flat bed and exo'd i'll be adding removable flaps...hopefully it will be exo'd by the end of may

[ToYocRawleR]

Nice lookin rig!  Whats with the florida plates?

[Loki]

Are you going to relocate the fuel tank when you tube the rear.

Jason

i thought about a slim 15 gallon cell custom made to be centered between the frame rails. i just don't know where else i would put one if it wasn't custom built. those ideas are still up in the air as of now.

I'll hopefully be dropping off some drive shafts in sacramento/roseville tomorrow. you know of some good shops. i found a place that will do it for 100 balanced with my c/v in the rear

[Loki]

Nice lookin rig!  Whats with the florida plates?

those aren't my plates, i need to put mine on...thanks for reminding me LOL

[locktup]

I know a dude that can make you a stainless steel fuel cell. I don't know of any shops, I build my own driveshafts 

Jason

[skyscraper]

no flares, and when i go flat bed and exo'd i'll be adding removable flaps...hopefully it will be exo'd by the end of may

ya, i wish i wouldnt have to put flares on when i build mine up, but the cops around here have nothing to do so they seem to have a habit of pulling you over for stupid reasons like this.  I cant decide between flaps or flares.

[Loki]

how do you balance your own...a quart of ATF then weld it up?

how much for custom fuel cells?

[Loki]

down here, cops won't bother me too much (sure i say that now and tomorrow i'll get a ticket LOL) around the city, that's where i'll get ticketed...or up north

[locktup]

how do you balance your own...a quart of ATF then weld it up?

how much for custom fuel cells?

My junk is trailered so I don't worry about balancing. Plus when I did have one balanced the weights got shaved of on the first run.
When you are ready for the fuel cell I will give you his number. Or email/pm Brad "Hyena" he can do one for you. They work in the same shop.

Jason

[Loki]

thanks Jason...

and a little update, as of tomorrow, my new ration is 117:1

Can't wait to see how mean this thing can get. i can't wait for the tin benders jambo

[locktup]

Are you rollin down with us 

[Loki]

i sure would like to, i don't think i'll be loctup in front by then though

[Loki]

Well...the last 2 days have been long but prosperous. Lagen and i have managed to succesfully build 3 driveshafts and install my doubler...we have some cleaning to do in the garage, but we have to see what we can do with these toys, so tomorrow we're going to take the trucks out and play a bit.

Here's how we did the driveshafts...

We started by cutting the stock front driveshaft in half with a chopsaw

Then we measure a bunch of angles and mess it up and do it over again, then get it right and use 2" black pipe and slide it into the cut pieces of the stock drive shaft.

Cut the pipe for proper length and start prepping the pipe to be welded to the stock driveshaft pieces.

here we are test fitting the pipe into the stock shaft. don't forget to accout for the pinion angle and slip

We grinded the pipe where it was going to mate up with the stock shaft pieces and then used tape to help keep the pipe centered in the stock shaft. we wrapped it about 4 times around.

Then using a slide and twisted method slide the stock shaft down over the pipe.

We used an angle finder to help get the drive shaft u-joints in phase.

Then Weld your bead...

We had an idea to drill down the center of the shaft over the stock pieces for extra  support, but realizing that the stock front shafts were only 1/8" thick and that the pipe was 1/4" thick, we just burned through and filled it in with the welder...kind of like staking the shaft. hard to explain right now, but worked really well. Here you can see the "stake" weld on the right side of the picture. the other one is being ground off with the grinder. We did this on the opposite side of the shaft as well, so we put 4 stake holes in the shaft.

Another Shot of that...

Here the shaft is waiting for Lagen's Lazy ass to grind it

And installed.


Here's the doubler assembled...yes i know Jason...it's diry

[skyscraper]

looks like some pretty good progress there loki