97 K1500 DD/Overlander

[mdnky]

03.30.2024

Finished reinstalling the rest of the front end parts today (brakes/rotors/etc.), greased everything, and put the wheels back on.

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Only hiccup was discovering the grease gun here was loaded with Polyurea grease (Lucas X-TRA for that 8n tractor). Mevotech preloads their components with a Lithium based grease. I definitely don't need (nor want) the issues that would arise from mixing Polyurea and Lithium based greases. So I made another trip to HoboFreight and picked up a cheap ($11.02) grease gun. Actually works surprisingly well.

My father had purchased some 'green grease' from Autozone, not bothering to check what type it was. Turned out to be a synthetic Lithium based grease, so I put that in the new gun and topped off the ball joints and tie rod ends. I'll leave it here for use on vehicles and order him some more Polyurea grease (Lucas X-TRA or John Deer) for his other one.

Oh, and no more ABS light...YAY!

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[mdnky]

03.30.2024 (cont...)

Need to get the truck into town to have an alignment done. That'll have to wait until after I do the frame reinforcement and rear shock mounts. Plan is to do that this week, but Mother Nature seems dead-set on being uncooperative. Be nice to have an enclosed shop with a lift or two...

Did a little bit of cleaning on the front splash pan and skid plate. I'm going to leave them off for now, as I want to do a bit of cleaning underneath the truck as well. Certain parts look just like the bottom of that skid plate did. I should also get some paint on that front crossmember once it's clean, since I'll be removing all the greasy grime that's been protecting it from corrosion.

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[mdnky]

04.01.2024

Pulled the bed...again. Went relatively smoothly, considering I did it by myself. Only real issue was one of the fuel filler bezel mounting screws was stuck in its retainer clip. The screw head ended up breaking off and the bezel tore a bit. That'll require a bit of mending before everything goes back together.

I removed the bedliner, then attacheded two ratchet straps to the stake pockets in a X pattern. An engine hoist was used to lift from the center of the straps. It's very tight with the bumper still on, but doable if you're careful. Definitely could have made it a bit easier by removing the bumper, but I didn't want to mess with the bolts for the hitch and bumper. They've more than likely rusted into one, I'd imagine.

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Found a few bare metal spots right where the bed mounting bolts are in the frame, so I cleaned those areas and hit them with a bit of satin black paint.

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I took the casters off the frame I built to hold the bed the last year, and (of course) they're sitting in storage in Louisiana. Luckily the frame was still together, so I ended up just sitting it on some plastic squares in a relatively out of the way spot in the driveway.

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Backing the truck up without the bed on is so much easier...you can see everything behind you. Seriously makes me want to ditch the stock bed and build a flatbed for it. The current bed isn't in that great of shape, so I may end up doing this next year (assuming I still have the truck). This might be just the reason I need to justify purchasing a spool gun from Amico for my welder. An aluminum flatbed is definitely under consideration.

I threw a couple more of those plastic squares in the bed, then put three 40lb bags of top soil on them. A little extra insurance to ensure it doesn't get blown around by any wind gusts. They're calling for some storms over the next few days. I also remounted the tailgate, mainly to get it out of the way and keep it safe. To fnish out the days work, I covered the back section of the truck with an old car cover that's torn, but more than adequate for this use.

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Next step is to cut the right rear cab/bed mount off the frame. It needs some significant repairs, plus it has to be removed to install the frame reinforcement from RustBusters. I'll also need to remove the forward spring hanger.

I still need to decide if I'm going to grab another extension cable ($70 to $120), or just rent a 240V capable generator ($56/day). I have a 40' 8GA cable already, but I need at least another 20' to 30' of cable to reach the dryer outlet. The Voltage drop is roughly 0.53% for that 40' 8GA cable, so should be well within the operating specs of the welder (rated at 230V) even if I used two plus adding a bit of additional loss for the connectors.

Briefly (very) considered about installing a 50A 240V circuit in the garage, but the main electrical service box is on the other side of the house in the basement. It'd take roughly 160' of 6/3 Rolex to it. Sadly that wire is far from cheap at the moment ($400-$500). I can pickup a decent 6250W generator for a bit more ($685), and get way more use out of it. Or rent a 5/6KW for $56/day. Definitely not going to try and weld that reinforcement using the 120V 20A circuit.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Great progress I appreciate the attention to detail in something that will never be a show truck. Doing it right for the right reasons I like it!

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Personally given the same type of situation with work to do at my acreage that doesn’t have the power hooked up yet I spend $1200 on a nice generator that could power anything needed. With the world the way it is, having sone Jerry cans of fuel and a big generator is a good idea. I’ve also got 3 smaller generators that are easy to move around and it can be linked with others so I bought 3. Easy to move each one and the three patched up together cam almost match the big one.

 

[Erik the Awful]

This might be just the reason I need to justify purchasing a spool gun from Amico for my welder.

Don't forget that you'll also need to buy a second gas bottle for your welder for straight argon.

It'd take roughly 160' of 6/3 Rolex to it. Sadly that wire is far from cheap at the moment ($400-$500).

Oof, probably because you're buying Rolex instead of Romex.

Yeah, it's expensive. I still need to pony up for 150' of 2/0 2/0 1/0 0 MHF. Not looking forward to that.

 

[mdnky]

Personally given the same type of situation with work to do at my acreage that doesn’t have the power hooked up yet I spend $1200 on a nice generator that could power anything needed. With the world the way it is, having sone Jerry cans of fuel and a big generator is a good idea. I’ve also got 3 smaller generators that are easy to move around and it can be linked with others so I bought 3. Easy to move each one and the three patched up together cam almost match the big one.

Living in southern Louisiana, I definitely could justify a whole house system plus a small portable (2k-3k inverter) for trips, but that's far outside the budget at the moment. In the past 20 years or so, I've only experienced a few power losses that lasted more than two days (major hurricanes). Luckily, I live in the middle of a relatively small triangle (1.5mi) formed by the three major hospitals and the Mall of Louisiana. Needless to say, the priority for power restoration is very high.

I could use a small inverter generator for the off-road trips. Thought about grabbing a few to link, but storage space isn't something I have an excess of at the moment. Ideally (right now), a 6-7KW inverter generator that's dual fuel with remote start would be a decent compromise that could handle most of my needs.

The Westinghouse iGen5000DFc and WEN DF875iX are currently what I'm considering. The Westinghouse has better portability and is quiet, but lacks power. The WEN could theoretically power the Condo (including the heat/AC unit...if nothing else was running at that moment), but is big and a bit heavy to lug around...not to mention thirsty. Almost picked-up a cheap WEN GN400i last year, could do that and always grab another to link down the line. They might have made a newer version that's dual fuel as well, though the original can be converted relatively easily. Probably should just choose one and do it, but it's not been at the top of the priority list recently.

Don't forget that you'll also need to buy a second gas bottle for your welder for straight argon.


Oof, probably because you're buying Rolex instead of Romex.

Yeah, it's expensive. I still need to pony up for 150' of 2/0 2/0 1/0 0 MHF. Not looking forward to that.

I'm exclusively using flux core at the moment, as everything I'm welding is outdoors and dragging a bottle around the country is not ideal. That said, I'll be picking up a free 75/25 unrestricted bottle from a family member soon, so the plan was to trade that for 100% argon when empty (which it may already be). That'll be useful for the aluminum MIG, and if I ever tryout the lift TIG feature of the machine. Might also look into another bottle eventually, maybe 100% CO2, but that would be a long way off.

Yea...still not used to the AI autocorrect feature they added to Safari a few updates ago. Sometimes I'll catch the changes, but not always. Guess it thought I was talking about watches. Be nice if they had a persistent underline or highlight on anything that's automatically changed.

 

[mdnky]

04.06.2024

Hammered a 13mm impact socket onto the cab mount bolt, then gave it a turn with the breaker bar. As expected, it barely budged a fraction of an inch before snapping off. JOY! The mount is in pretty shape, so looks like I'll be rebuilding it.

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04.07.2024

Right at the end of the day I had some free time, so I broke out the plasma cutter to run a few test cuts on the old scrap mower deck. The little guy cuts nice, especially considering the steel is a hair thicker than 7mm (9/32') and I was severely limited by the available power (a single 20A/120V outlet) and air supply. I ran the cutter at 30A / 55PSI, but could only do a few inches before I ran out of air. Currently, I can't run the compressor and cutter at the same time. It would definitely work better with more juice and a constant supply of air.

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04.08.2024

Played with the cutter a bit more and ended up getting the gearbox pedestal cut through. Took a bit of jockeying (plug in and fill compressor, unplug compressor; plug in cutter, make 3-4" cut, let machine cool; repeat process), but I managed to get it done and I only popped the breaker once. Pretty sure that was because I either went too long on the second cut (far side), or there was a ground issue...or maybe both. Not the prettiest cut, but given the circumstances I'll take it. Definitely better (IMO) than using a death-wheel on the grinder, that's for sure.

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I don't feel like doing this "dance" with the bracket, plus it would be nice to have a bit more juice for the welder when I do the frame reinforcement. Running both on 240V should also be significantly better for the equipment's health as well.

Don't need (or have) to spare money to spend on an inverter generator at the moment, nor do I want to chance it with a standard (high THD) one. I also don't feel like limiting myself with a time constraint by renting one. So I ordered another 40' 8GA extension cable.

The voltage drop on these cables is 0.46% (for 240v @ 22A), which should be perfectly fine even when using two together. The welder is spec'd with a max input requirement of 20.9A @ 230V (±10%) for MIG/FCAW, and both 240V plugs in the house test just a hair over 242V. To be extra safe, I'll verify the voltage at the end of the cords just before using it.

I originally planned on using the dryer outlet (already have the adapter), but I changed my mind. Moving the dryer out of the way to gain access to the plug is nothing short of a nightmare. Instead I'll just hook to the range outlet under the kitchen island, as it's significantly easier to access. It's only for a few hours...so it'll work. I ordered a NEMA 10-50P to 6-50R adapter so this'll work. The compressor will be fine on the 20A/120V outlet.

Not a huge issue waiting on the orders, as Mother Nature is being a bit uncooperative at the moment. It should clear up later this weekend. Speaking of orders...

I sent the ProComp rear shocks back to Amazon (last day for returns) on Mon the 8th [-$52.48]. After looking at everything, I just don't need the hassle of trying to recreate some mounting system for them. The Tuff Country shock adapters might have worked, but their availability is questionable and it would add another $30 or so after shipping. That's assuming I could get the stock sleeves out of the ProComps, which I doubt (most likely bonded).

I originally intentionally kept the shocks I ordered cheap, as I might [probably will] replace them again in the near future, should I [when I] lift the truck. That's why I didn't grab a decent set of monotube shocks. Well, change of plans.

The KYB Monomax 565074s are on closeout for $39/ea at TireRack [$82.68 shipped]. They're listed for 1-3" lift, but the specs show them to be nearly the same lengths as the ProComps. I'll have to keep an eye on the compressed length, but they should work. Especially if I throw an add-a-leaf into the packs, which I may end up doing. Should be here tomorrow or Friday.

Shock	Application	Compressed Length (in)	Extended Length (in)
KYB Monomax 565061	stock K1500	16.30"	25.91"
KYB Monomax 565074	1-3" lift K1500	16.73"	26.38"
ProComp 927503B	Nissan Titan	16.30"	27.80"
Gabriel 43163	stock K1500	15.69"	25.05"
RANCHO RS55190	0-3" K1500	16.08"	26.36"
Bilstein 24-020435	stock K1500	15.61"	24.63"

I'll probably keep the front in for now, as they suffered some minor cosmetic damage and are not returnable. Worst case, I'll replace them with the matching KYBs and use the ProComps on an (possible) upcoming trailer build.


RUNNING TOTAL: $6528.72

 

[mdnky]

04.13.2024

Great weather today...

I hooked up the plasma cutter to the 50A/240V outlet in the kitchen island, usually used by the cooktop. Did this via two 40' 8GA extension cables and a NEMA 10-50P to 6-50R adapter.

Running the machine on a proper circuit...definitely worth it. Doing so also let me keep the air compressor switched on and plugged into the garage's 20A/120V outlet, and it kept up with up with the air demand easily.

Did a few test cuts on the scrap mower deck to get a better feel for the cutter and the process. The main body is 10ga material, so I ran the plasma at 36A/55PSI. Even took a few passes where the thick mounting tab (12mm) meets a reinforcement (15mm thick, 25mm tall) with the same settings. Had to do a few passes, but it still worked well enough to sever through all of the reinforcement.

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I was satisfied with the cutting setup, so it was time to get the truck ready. Locked it in 4wd, then disconnected the battery. Jacked the rear up, then set the jack stands to support the middle section of the frame high enough to allow the axle to hang with the tires about an inch above the pavement. I also removed the right rear tire to have a bit more working room, and removed the remaining rear shock as well. Last thing before any cutting commenced was to wrap the pump area of the tank with a welding blanket. I just can't find myself able to trust those nylon fuel lines with sparks flying around. Set out a few fire extinguishers as well, just in case.

I'll need to cut the bed/body mount bracket off the frame to install the reinforcement section from RustBusters (RB7305R). The bracket will need to be salvaged, the damage on it repaired, and reinstalled after the reinforcement is in place.

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[mdnky]

04.13.2024 (cont...)

Put the jack under the rear diff, then jacked it up ever so slightly to take tension off the springs. Then I used the grinder with a wheel-O-death to cut the head off the rivets. I cleaned up the cut surfaces with the band file sander (36grit). Then I used the RBFH (aka 12lb sledge) to convince the spring mount to vacate its former home. That bottom right one was a bit stubborn, but in the end (with enough whacks) it finally conceded and let go.

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Decided to just go ahead and remove the spring hanger entirely just to get it out of my way. That'll also make it easier to wire wheel, apply some Corroseal, and paint it.

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I still need to heat the rivets and hammer them out, but the little fake MAP propane torch was out of fuel. I'll have to run to town tomorrow for more. I also noticed (or realized) the bottom right rivet is inaccessible from the rear. The 'emergency reinforcement plate' I welded in last year covers it. Guess I'll have to drill that out...OH JOY! Probably should grab a few more drill bits as well while I'm in town.

Started to cut the bracket off the frame next, and very very quickly came to the realization that saving it was definitely a lost cause. So I just took it off in pieces. It might be salvageable for someone, but I definitely don't feel like trying. Really...a bit of duct tape and some wire should fix it right up...maybe not...DOH!

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Not sure I want to pay $250-$280 for a new one just yet. So I might run to the Pull-A-Part type place tomorrow and see if they have any trucks with a decent one. I've been meaning to go anyways, as I need to grab a few parts (oil dipstick, headliner) for my father's C1500. Thinking about it, I could also use some new upper shock mounts (both), a fuel tank crossmember, and even the rear X crossmember...though its highly unlikely that I'll find any of said items that aren't just as bad (or worse) than mine. Worth a shot, I guess.