94 K1500 build part 2

[vipergtrdj]

So the start of nice weather for 2012 has started, and that means time to tear down my truck again.

This is the first picture of when I picked her up for $700 (it was either $600 or 700, cant recall).

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After Tropical Storm Irene hit us in Vermont, I was financially hit hard - lost most of my tools in the flooding, so I got her all together and she looked like this ..

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I drove her like this for the winter, and January 1st, my bad luck returned and I lost a leaf spring while driving. Luckily I was only doing about 20mph so when I noticed my tire rubbing against the bed I pulled over fast. Found out the overload spring had some how flew out, found half of it down the road. I managed to jack the frame up and move the axle back into place, tightened the leaf springs down, and parked her. I have driven her off and on, but no long trips. Now with the nice weather returning, and I replaced most of my damaged tools, I am going to start her again. Unfortunately I do not know where to start, and my head is going several different ways.

I started an excel sheet of 24 things of what I want to do ... I have most/all of the parts (minus the cylinder heads). Everything else I have on hand ready to install. The stepside bed I have I need to weld in new square tubing for the bed rails that bolt to the truck frame.
Here is the excel sheet -

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Replace front suspension = replacing ball joints, tie rods, sway bar links, torsion bars w/ 3/4ton t-bars (mine are worn), the new leaf springs I got are 3/4ton ones 6leaves. I am parking my truck this Saturday, and plan on starting the work from then until July or August (even later if needed). When I say clean the frame, I am going to use POR15 (Marine cleaner , and metal prep solution) to clean it. After I wire brush and use my air chisel to knock all the current rust off.

So - what does everything think I should do first? Obviously I will do the body work/painting at the very end, but I don't know what to do first. I don't know if I should do the transmission first, or if I should start with the suspension work. I also am doing all this work to get her ready for a long drive the summer of 2013 when I move to Florida. I plan on using her to haul all my stuff down there, hence the rebuilt transmission.

 

[vipergtrdj]

Well I decided to start on the rear end - So far I got the truck parked, and removed the old bed. Hopefully I will be able to swap the leaf springs, and get the rear end ready for some discs

 

[vipergtrdj]

so the frame broke on me while I was working on replacing the rear leaf springs....

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so new project is now a complete tear down and buying a frame from a junkyard, sanding it all down to metal, rust proof it with POR15, then box it in

 

[vipergtrdj]

I have on the way some 062 rebuilt vortec heads, and also brackets for a rear disc conversion .

I got the cab unbolted, and I was thinking of removing the rear end then pulling the front from the front. Then I wouldnt need to worry about pulling the engine and all that with the cab still on. I know I have to remove all the wiring and heater hoses that goes from the cab to the engine bay, and I also know I have to remove the steering and shifter linkages. Is there anything else I need to remove before I pull the frame out from under the cab?