97 K1500 DD/Overlander

[mdnky]

03.17.2024 (cont...cont...cont...)

A quick hit with a screwdriver and hammer knocked off the washer. I hit the newly exposed stud with a bit of PB Blaster.

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While unpacking the welding stuff, I realized the only 0.035 tip I had was junk. At least I caught it before I broke the seal on the new wire. I have plenty of 0.030 tips, so I put the half used roll of 0.30 from last year in. The I found a sacrificial 19mm nut from the junk bin.

The wire was definitely oxidized, causing the first attempt to fail miserably...it broke off with very little effort.

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So I did what's right and just booger-welded the crap out of it...all around the outside and along the back. This time it worked with minimal effort. Thank you, heat.

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I briefly attempted to remove the knuckle, but those cotter pins are rusted away and impossible to grab. I can't find any decent pin punches here, and I'm tired and just not interested in doing any more today. Might have to drill them out...later. Time for a few beers...and to order a bunch more stuff.

Weather is going to suck tomorrow, so I probably won't get anything done. I need to remove everything that's being replaced, so I can wire brush what's left and clean it really good. Then I can give it a few coats of Corroseal, followed by some satin black enamel. Once I put everything back together, I'll have to take it to the alignment shop. After that, the bed is getting pulled and the right side mid-frame reinforcement gets welded in.

 

[mdnky]

03.20.21024

Started to disassemble the passenger's side today. The cotter pins on both ball joints had rusted into the castle nuts, making removal a bit challenging. I started with the bottom nut, which looked almost welded to the knuckle. I tried a few methods to remove the pins (punches, drilling, brute force) before finally just using a cutoff wheel on the grinder and a chisel. After the nut was removed, a little persuasion from an RBFH quickly separated the knuckle from the control arms. The upper control arm came off easily without any issues.

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[mdnky]

03.20.2024 (cont...)

I started to use a knotted wire cup and a wire wheel with the grinder to clean up the frame. In the places the grinder didn't fit, a chisel / screw driver and hammer were used to scrape any scale away. I quickly realized there was still too much crap in the way. I originally planned on leaving the CV shafts in, intending to tie them up out of the way. That of course was a stupid idea. The end result is I'll now be replacing one of the CV boots as well. DOH! The sway bar links were also in the way. The top nut on the sway bar link was deformed, so I zipped it almost all the way off with the cutoff wheel then 'popped' it with a chisel and hammer. This made it easy to position it so the bottom nut was easily accessed. I used vise grips to hold the shaft, then unscrewed the lower bolt with the impact.

I was able to get the grinder and wire wheels on most of the surfaces, relatively easily. I then used an electric leaf blower to clear away the big bits of dust and rust, followed by the judicious use of brake cleaner to prep the surface.

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[mdnky]

03.20.2024 (cont...cont...)

I still need to remove the lower ball joint, and the nuts on the sway bar frame mount are stripped. However there’s a slight chance of rain this evening and I was running low on daylight. Since I don't want to leave everything bare, I’ll leave those for another day.

After a quick (very late) lunch break to let things dry, I used a cheap ZEP spray bottle to liberally apply Corroseal to the entire area and an old paint brush to force it into all the cracks and crannies. I also sprayed a decent amount in the holes of the lower control arm. I’ll let this dry for 24 hours, then apply a few decent coats of the same satin black paint (Ace Hardware’s Rust Stop) I used on the rear of the frame. After the paint cures for a few days, it’ll get covered in some FluidFilm Black. I’ll also spray the FFB in all the holes of the frame and control arm as well.

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One side down, another to go. Soon it’ll be time to put everything back together again.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Nice progress! You are putting us to shame sir! I gave up on a seized torsion key a few days ago and hasn’t looked at it since lol!

 

[mdnky]

Nice progress! You are putting us to shame sir! I gave up on a seized torsion key a few days ago and hasn’t looked at it since lol!

Thanks. I'm not even going to look at my torsion keys. Already being tempted by a local Marketplace listing (14bolt and kingpin D60)...just rip everything out and SAS it.

 

[mdnky]

03.22.2024

Started to work on the other side this morning. Sadly the weather isn't being very cooperative, but I did manage to remove everything before the rain came. Didn't screw up the boots on this CV axle...so that's a win.

The cotter pins on this side were also a pain, but drilled out relatively easily. The upper ball joint nut came off very easy, however the lower wasn't so incline. I ended up cutting completely through the nut and stud with the old wheel-o-death. Cut the top sway bar link bolt off as well, then used the impact and some vise grips to finish removing the link.

More grinding...more rust dust...oh YAY!

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[mdnky]

03.23.2024

A bit cold today, but the sun was out...that helped make it a slight bit more bearable. I was able to get the drivers side cleaned up the grinder and switching between a wire cup and wire wheel. I didn't treat anything, as the temperature is below Corroseal's recommended range. Tomorrow should be a better day for that.

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I removed both lower ball joints after a small detour. I initially planned on using the loaner press, however the one I picked up (last week) had been damaged by its previous borrower's use of an impact gun. They galled/stripped the screw significantly (photo shows the best side), as well as the channel in the C portion. Sad as it looked to be almost new.

The store I picked it up at had another 'well used' one that was also damaged. I had to drive across town to get one that's in good shape, which wasted a few hours of the day.

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Of course...after all that the press didn't want to budge those old ball joints. Not wanting to damage it myself, I grabbed the good old trusty BFH and convinced them to vacate the premises. I used a screwdriver, followed by the wire wheel, to clean around the openings for both arms.

I still need the press to install the new ball joints, so at least I won't have to drive around town on the day I do them.

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[Orpedcrow]

This is a whole lot of work, you’re doing an awesome job resurrecting this thing from the depths of the ocean

I don’t usually have to deal with any “real” rust like what you are experiencing, but I’ve found my favorite combination for unsticking stuck things is, heat with the map/pro torch (yellow bottle) and some marvel mystery oil. (I keep some in an old
Goldenrod oil squirter) The heat draws the oil in and also helps expand things.

 

[mdnky]

This is a whole lot of work, you’re doing an awesome job resurrecting this thing from the depths of the ocean

I don’t usually have to deal with any “real” rust like what you are experiencing, but I’ve found my favorite combination for unsticking stuck things is, heat with the map/pro torch (yellow bottle) and some marvel mystery oil. (I keep some in an old
Goldenrod oil squirter) The heat draws the oil in and also edneckhelps expand things.

Yea, I forgot how much 'fun' dealing with rust is. I've lived in Louisiana since 2005, so I've definitely become used to cars not rusting apart in a few years. My go to with the bolts would usually be a 60/40 mix of ATF & acetone, followed by heat and a hammer...but even that wouldn't work on these. Those lower ball joint nuts definitely looked like they had been welded to the knuckle roughly 70% around. The really tight area between the back of the nut and the knuckle was surprisingly clear. Given some of the other examples of 'farmhand engineering' I've found on this truck, it wouldn't surprise me if they hadn't been.