Project Black Truck

[zraffz]

Had this truck since I was 17. totaled it, fixed it, smashed it to hell again, blew the rear, sat it for the past year and a half. The only original parts I can recall are the door panels, seat, dash board, motor, trans, transfer case , front differential, control arms, hubs, steering knuckles and cv shafts. Every other part including the frame is from another vehicle.

It started out as a beautiful truck that I got for a steal (91,000 miles and $2,000):


somewhere after installing the body lift and changing the tires I forgot to tighten the lugs down on the front driver's side. I remember doing about 75 MPH and watching these shiny things go flying up into the air from the front of the truck. Long story short, the tire got stuck under the lower control arm and slid to a safe stop.


I do not have any good pictures from when it was totaled or even when it had severe body damage:



Gained interest in rebuilding it right when I bought my Trans Am (funny how that works eh?). I started by replacing some body panels and being very light with the bondo in areas I didn't want to buy new panels for. Something up front was very tweaked, the new panels didn't line up. The BFH helped fix the problem like usual





I woke up one morning and decided I wanted to bed line the entire truck.This is where everything went down hill... I know it needs a second coat, I plan on spraying it on this time.


As I took it apart I noticed EVERYTHING underneath seemed to be factory parts from 120,000 miles ago (not bad for a kid beating the living **** out of it for 3 years with oversized tires; something I had overlooked when it was taken apart one of the millions of times lol). The only parts that were really broken was the tie rod ends and idler arm.

I figured while it was apart it would be a crying shame to not go ahead and lift it 6" more than the 3" body lift it I put it in back when I got it. I went ahead and ordered a 6" Rough Country lift for the right price ($860 shipped with upgraded shocks). I also got new upper/lower ball joints, upper/lower control arm bushings, sway bar bushings & links, idler arm with a new bracket assembly, pitman arm, inner/outer tie rod ends & sleeves, rear spring hangers, leaf spring bushings, flip shackles, fuel filter, battery, cam position sensor, cap & rotor, 8,500 lb Winch, and some other goodies.








And as of now this is where it sits. I'm sick at the moment with a sinus infection. I need to pull the pitman arm off and than I'm ready to continue putting the lift in. I have a rebuilt 10 bolt (lol yup). want to run it til it blows and than get a 9" or 14 bolt semi float 6 lugger and regear to 5.11s.

Plan on also ordering ladder bars in the near future. Going to run 37 12.5 R16.5 military tires cause of how cheap they are. The winch will be hidden behind the stock front bumper; I think I want to weld a plate across the frame rail and mount the winch there and put the license plate on a hinge so it's completely hidden. Gotta rewire the door locks/windows at some point to.


Working 7 days a week is really dragging this build out. I have put so much money into this truck over the past few years... could have probably bought a nice low mileage WS6 by now

[LS1ow]

looks like a nice build there man! good to see your stickin with it


and as for those tires, my friend just picked them up for his 95 powerstroke, and they look NASTY lol

[sweetbmxrider]

Definitely a cool build, take more pics

[r0nin89]

Those goodyear military tires are a great on road off road allterrain. The only problem I foresee is your truck is 6 lug and 6 lug 16.5 wheels arent readily available. Despite places saying they have them you call and they say they'll maybe be in in 6 months.

Check out this place www.trailworthyfab.com. They offer beadlocks that are DOT approved because they are decommissioned military H1 wheels, and they recenter them and will drill the center to any lug pattern. I priced a set of those tires, on beadlocks for like $1200 to my door with a spare.


Also get used to changing front end parts as that IFS is gonna hate you

[zraffz]

Thanks guys. I read good things about the military tires.

I'm trying to delay any front end problems by replacing everything while it's apart already. I almost ripped a setup out of a 2500 but didn't feel like doing a bunch of fabrication before the winter to get it to fit. Tomorrow I should have that pesky pitman arm off and if I get out of work early enough I'll have the local shop remove and press the new bushings into the control arms.

[LS1ow]

there any good wheelin spots by you?

[r0nin89]

Originally Posted by zraffz

Thanks guys. I read good things about the military tires.

I'm trying to delay any front end problems by replacing everything while it's apart already. I almost ripped a setup out of a 2500 but didn't feel like doing a bunch of fabrication before the winter to get it to fit. Tomorrow I should have that pesky pitman arm off and if I get out of work early enough I'll have the local shop remove and press the new bushings into the control arms.

The 2500 and 3500 suspension is totally different. Its so different that trying to retrofit it would be a huge waste of time. If you really need/want to upgrade the front just go to a 10bolt or dana 44 straight axle. Although its not the bigger dana 60 the hardcore wheelers advocate its still WAY better and stronger than the IFS.

[zraffz]

Originally Posted by r0nin89

The 2500 and 3500 suspension is totally different. Its so different that trying to retrofit it would be a huge waste of time. If you really need/want to upgrade the front just go to a 10bolt or dana 44 straight axle. Although its not the bigger dana 60 the hardcore wheelers advocate its still WAY better and stronger than the IFS.

Didn't want to do a solid front axle. It would have been cheaper and not much more work but this is a street truck. It might see mud and goat paths from time to time but it is NEVER going to be flexing beyond reason.

No really good wheeling spots here. I can play in a swamp that is on a friend's property though. Other than that there are a few trails with some deep mud. It's not really being built as a trail rig. I've just always wanted a big lifted truck, fast car and a street bike. Figured I'd start with the big truck, afterwards I'll be putting my supercharger on my car until it grenades, and hopefully before that happens I get a bike.

[r0nin89]

Originally Posted by zraffz

Didn't want to do a solid front axle. It would have been cheaper and not much more work but this is a street truck. It might see mud and goat paths from time to time but it is NEVER going to be flexing beyond reason.

No really good wheeling spots here. I can play in a swamp that is on a friend's property though. Other than that there are a few trails with some deep mud. It's not really being built as a trail rig. I've just always wanted a big lifted truck, fast car and a street bike. Figured I'd start with the big truck, afterwards I'll be putting my supercharger on my car until it grenades, and hopefully before that happens I get a bike.

Yeah I hear you. As an avid 4wheeler that likes to build it right according to how Ive wheeled over the years I just cant contemplate a truck that actually gets wheeled having IFS (sans desert trucks). Its just a force of habit to always suggest the SAS.

[zraffz]

Originally Posted by r0nin89

Yeah I hear you. As an avid 4wheeler that likes to build it right according to how Ive wheeled over the years I just cant contemplate a truck that actually gets wheeled having IFS (sans desert trucks). Its just a force of habit to always suggest the SAS.

I've had my share of crawlers. Had a cherokee with a long arm kit that could flex a 35" tire about 2.5 feet off the ground and still have more travel left. Not interested in rock crawling ever again. Stuff breaks none stop and it's just too boring for me. I wish I never built one.

[88WS-6]

Looks good. I see it was used for paintball target practice at one time too.

[band77one]

i like it before all the different color body panels and body damage haha. i have an 89 regular cab stepside, love these trucks.

[zraffz]

Originally Posted by 88WS-6

Looks good. I see it was used for paintball target practice at one time too.

haha old girlfriend...

I've never in my life had so much trouble getting a pitman arm off a vehicle. It stripped my 5 ton puller and stopped my impact gun dead in it's tracks. If I wasn't so tired right now I'd go take the grinder to it and cut it in half
Maybe it will still be light out when I wake up lol.

[zraffz]

My press can't get the control arm bushings out due to the shape of the control arms... hopefully one of the local shops can do it for me.

Other than that I cut the pitman arm half way off and the puller took the rest off. I got the lower front and rear control arm brackets bolted in place. New pitman arm is on. Tomorrow hopefully I get the front differential, torsion bar crossmember, and steering setup installed.

[r0nin89]

You cant get the bushings out with an air hammer with a flat blunt chisel blade on it?

[zraffz]

Originally Posted by r0nin89

You cant get the bushings out with an air hammer with a flat blunt chisel blade on it?

No they will not budge. My press can't get near them, my vice isn't strong enough, a map torch heating it up didn't help. I'm half tempted to try pressing the rubber part out with the puller and then cutting the sleeve apart with a grinder but it seems like a lot of work.

[r0nin89]

Originally Posted by zraffz

No they will not budge. My press can't get near them, my vice isn't strong enough, a map torch heating it up didn't help. I'm half tempted to try pressing the rubber part out with the puller and then cutting the sleeve apart with a grinder but it seems like a lot of work.

Before I was better endowed w/ tools I used to remove leaf spring bushings by COMPLETELY burning out the rubber. Then I would cut 3 slits in the sleeve with a hack saw and tap a small cold chisel under one section and they would crumple up on them selves and come right out.

It takes time but when you burn the bushings out with a mapp gas torch you have to let them catch fire themselves. Then they'll roast them self out and you can push them out with a screw driver or something. Then its on to dealing with just the sleeve. An air hammer would probably work with no rubber absorbing the vibration.

[zraffz]

Easier just to drop it off to the shop man.

Oh and I tried putting my front diff in today (in the order that the instructions said to) and it wouldn't fit. I finally took the rear cross member out and mounted it that way. One end is slightly bent and making it a nightmare. Got 3 of the 4 mounting points straitened out and I think I'm going to have to cut the last one off and remount it... extremely disappointed.

[zraffz]

After sitting for two years she's almost done.
Frame was undercoated, panels all replaced, truck was rhinolined (lol don't ask me why I did that), rebuilt 4L60E with shift kit, rebuilt 10 bolt rear, every suspension bushing is new, all new steering parts, 8,500?lb milemarker winch, all new brakes/calipers, 6" RC lift and 3" body lift. Way too much time and money invested into it. Could have owned a WS6 for about the same price.

I have to hook up the drive shaft, throw the new brakes on the front, hook up a few brake lines, bleed the brakes and hook up the steering link. Need to flush the coolant, oil and change the thermostat. I want to steam wash the frame and get one more coat of undercoating on it before I drive it. Gotta change out the back window and rewire the doors still.

She's only on 35" tires right now, wanna pick up a set of 35" All Terrains for the winter and 38.5"s for the summer.


(My brother is about 6'3-6'4 in boots):


My two black babies:


What a loyal truck. On two year old fuel she fired right up and idles perfectly smooth.

[chrisfrom nj]

the truck looks great

[zraffz]

Originally Posted by chrisfrom nj

the truck looks great

Thanks a lot. I was throwing around the idea of selling it and after I got the axle and tires on it today I thought hard about it. I have a descent chunk of money into this, it's pretty much got brand new everything underneath it and the motor is still a baby at 121,000. I can't let it go. It was my first truck and it's finally the truck I dreamed of owning when I was little.

Now onto a car that can do wheelies... too bad I went with an LT1

[sweetbmxrider]

Lookin good man!

LT1's can do wheelies Just need to throw a bunch o money at em

[zraffz]

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

Lookin good man!

LT1's can do wheelies Just need to throw a bunch o money at em

Thanks.
Hopefully my LT1 does wheelies when it's done! If not, I'm glad it's being built for a large shot of go-juice.

[IROCZman15]

I LIKE IT. A LOT. cool look to it too

[zraffz]

Was supposed to bleed the brakes today. Ran new brake lines for the rear axle. All new brakes all around. Went to bleed the brakes and the line running to the rear axle blew apart. Hopefully she's moving around tomorrow.