98 Crew Cab 454 SAs

[KevinF]

I'd like to see a video of that motor removal lol

Still took a couple of evenings but beats crawling all over the truck trying to get at bellhousing, torque coverter, starter bolts. They really pack the engines back down in there. Couple hours pulling some the hoses and draining coolant then 4 cuts and you remove the truck from the engine. Nothing on the truck was too sacred. The front section of frame is fully boxed and double layered but the back by the trans xmember is single C so it cuts like butter with the recip saw. Wheel the lump inside the shop and spend a little longer pulling bolts with perfect access for the impact. Should get a couple hundred at the scrap yard and have one less ugly pile in my yard.

 

[Sparkysikes]

I did a c notch a long time ago. Make this cut and this and this blah blah blah USING A GRINDER! SAWZALL and a thin metal blade and under 15 minutes both sides cut. The first part using a grinder was 2 wheels in. And barely any progress

 

[KevinF]

Got the duratracs sold and the welding deck pulled. One guy was inquiring about trading the welding deck for a nice 8 ft flat bed but he has dropped off the face of the earth. On the weekend I grabbed the front of the truck with a 5/16 chain and the loader bucket as I've done quite a few times already to wheel it around. Figured I'd put it inside to melt off and start sizing up the 60 for fit. The chain broke and the truck dropped on the logs I had cribbed under the front crossmember. Dented the front crossmember and oilpan.. Damn. On Sunday I started cutting and burning off the frame brackets. I was using the reciprocating saw for most of it, a couple slices with the grinder. Didn't use the torch much. Ordered and Aircat 5100 air hammer, should arrive today. Hopefully it cleans the last bits off the frame easy like.

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[Supercharged111]

Just how many main leaves does that truck have?

 

[KevinF]

I did a c notch a long time ago. Make this cut and this and this blah blah blah USING A GRINDER! SAWZALL and a thin metal blade and under 15 minutes both sides cut. The first part using a grinder was 2 wheels in. And barely any progress

Certainly both do have their place, and the torch has a place somewhere in there too. I try to use the recip saw on frames and exhaust wherever possible because you can pinch a zip disc and explode it pretty easily. Worst case with the recip saw is you wipe the teeth of the blade or bend it.

Just how many main leaves does that truck have?

Yeah good question.. Its an aftermarket leaf pack, and has a set of 5000lb airlift bags. I guess that deck had some gravity to it. 7 leaf plus the bottom overload.


I ordered a 4" drop draglink. It should be the equivalent of the Superlift 1104 that everyone uses but I got it from North Shore Offroad. I've got a buddy with the 1.5"/ft tapered reamer if I need/want to run the double pivot draglink end. Started mocking up the trans and radius arm crossmember but last night I had to fix/adjust my trailer brakes to haul that superduty body. I had thrown quite a bit of scrap junk in the superduty.. Without any drivetrain it was 6260lbs, $383.

 

[KevinF]

Not too much of an update. I ordered a version of the Superlift 1104. I ordered from North Shore Offroad. It came in a BDS box. I just asked for a 78 Ford 4x4 Power Steering drop draglink and that's what showed up.

I picked an arbitrary ride height, the roof of the truck at ~6.5' and set the caster to 4 degrees. I built a quick mockup crossmember to hold it there while I looked at steering. I installed the drop pitman arm and I was able to get the tires somewhere in the wheel well that gave decent clearance to the pumpkin. I had to move the axle back about an inch to get the pitman to not hit the pumpkin. With the axle here I still hit the draglink on the swaybar link just before the steering stop in the knuckle (turned right) but I really don't want to move the axle any further back. I think it looks half assed when lifted trucks have the tire almost eating firewall.

I took 2.5" out of the ford draglink for mockup. its now about 40.75". The trackbar is 36.5". I'll cut the factory Ford trackbar mount off the axle and build a new trackbar that goes from above the factory position on the Ford axle to above the pumpkin. Or maybe from the top of the axle tube inside the bump pad. All things say to try to equalize the draglink and trackbar length but Ford had almost 10" difference between them.

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[Sparkysikes]

That looks pretty good in the front. I always like further forward for the tires to climb easier but I'm sure the axle back will help turning radius

 

[KevinF]

Its not a wheeling rig (the front axle in my Toyota is moved forward 3+ inches) and its also already the longest wheelbase available in GMT400 I think, so the turning radius is moot. Tire placement in fender is just an aesthetics thing at this point.

I can fit a straight 36" trackbar. If I could find a stout adjustable with bushings on both ends I might order it up.

Knocked the cast trackbar mount off the housing last night so hopefully this weekend get the coil buckets on and track bar mounts made.

I might have the DRW 14BFF sold off the back.

I want to get it rolling soonish - selling the rear axle would not be helpful but oh well. Bought a total loss Suzuki Grand Vitara to fix up so I might punt this out to have fixer inside next to the parts one for a bit.

 

[Sparkysikes]

Heim joint a track bar?

 

[KevinF]

I don't need a flex joint and they wear too quickly for my taste on something street driven. I found cool synergy parts that will allow me to make my track bar adjustable if I need, but I shouldn't really need. The bushings I am going to run are TJ rear track bar poly bushings. If those don't end up working or I need to make my track bar adjustable I can order these up.

https://www.synergymfg.com/synergy-...-ddb-in-forged-housings.html?category_id=4953

https://www.synergymfg.com/synergy-double-adjuster-tube-adapter.html

Truck is sitting on the coils now and I have everything to make the track bar so I should be able to cycle it better soon.

For the draglink I just need a piece of DOM with Ford adjusting sleeve male threads on one ends and 7/8 female on the other end for a chev draglink balljoint.