Bagged 98-Build Thread

[Low4lyfe]

Didn't have time to get the seats mounted tonight, but we did get the new wheels on!

Black KMC Slides. 20x8.5 +10mm offset with 255/35 tires. Looks like a completely different truck now!

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[98nightmare]

NiCe!!

 

[Low4lyfe]

Got the interior all put back together today. Need to pick up some nut-serts to put the rest of the seat bolts in and it will be ready to drive to a few shows. Gonna start shaving the handles and third brake light soon (tailgate handle, stake pockets, and roll pan are already shaved). I was thinking of spraying it flat red temporarily because the bed and cab being two different shades are driving me crazy. If I remember correctly I can just mix a quart or so of red paint with a gallon of white sealer to get a pretty nice flat? Any suggestions?

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[Low4lyfe]

Got a lot done yesterday considering I only had a few hours of daylight. Started by cleaning the MAF, then removed and cleaned the throttle body(I have never seen one that gunked up!), then put half a can of seafoam through brake booster vacuum line, a quarter can in the oil, and the last quarter in the tank. The engine never missed but it was running rich and was very weak. Now there is no fuel smell from exhaust and it sounds much smoother and seems to have more power. There is gas in the oil from running so rich so I'm hoping that after I change the oil and replace plugs, wires, cap, and rotor it will run like its new.

The steering wheel was upside down when we bought it and the previous owner said the he tried but couldn't fix it ; I'm not sure what he tried but I just unhooked it at the intermediate shaft and flipped the wheel back strait and bolted the shaft back together. Pretty simple lol. Then I unplugged the steering assist and tightened the gearbox. While under the truck I noticed that there was two bolt on the power steering pump that were extremely loose(showing about a quarter inch of thread between bolt and bracket!) so I tightened them up.

Now I have a new problem. There is a terrible LOUD squeak on the drivers side front when you turn either direction or hit the smallest bump? I thought maybe I had tightened the gear box too much so this morning I loosened it a little and sprayed all bushings on front end with wd-40 and the squeak is still there . Any ideas what this could be? I'm too embarrassed to drive it until I get this fixed!

 

[dagen_1]

sounds kinda like an upper (or even lower) control arm bushing

 

[Low4lyfe]

sounds kinda like an upper (or even lower) control arm bushing

I thought so too but lube didn't help at all. I just thought it was strange that it didn't start until after I started messing with the steering. I was planning to get Michigan Metal Works control arms eventually but there is a lot of other things I wanted to spend money on first considering that the modified stock arms have been doing fine.

BTW your truck is probably the best looking, most well done gmt400 I have ever seen. You, DRAGGIN95, and 98nightmare are all huge motivators on how clean and well done I want this truck to be. I have a long way to go but this truck WILL be as awesome as yours one day!

 

[dagen_1]

I thought so too but lube didn't help at all. I just thought it was strange that it didn't start until after I started messing with the steering. I was planning to get Michigan Metal Works control arms eventually but there is a lot of other things I wanted to spend money on first considering that the modified stock arms have been doing fine.

BTW your truck is probably the best looking, most well done gmt400 I have ever seen. You, DRAGGIN95, and 98nightmare are all huge motivators on how clean and well done I want this truck to be. I have a long way to go but this truck WILL be as awesome as yours one day!

you're too kind! lol

thanks man!. you'll get 'er there.

 

[DRAGGIN95]

Thank You very much, I have to agree the squeaking sounds like a control arm, I would pull them apart and use some poly bushing grease, it does a great job of making squeaks go away, and it's super sticky and stays put.

 

[Low4lyfe]

Went through a box of extra parts I found in the truck and there was two brand new control arm bushings. So I guess one good thing happened today.
I'm getting pretty discouraged. Seems like every time I get ready to fix something I find a new problem. Today while I was checking out the bushings I noticed that the frame is cracked on both sides where the original builder notched for the bags and didn't plate it. The front crossmember is ripped at the ends. The tank is messed up from not raising the crossmember and laying out on it. And other misc. half done crap. I'm thinking pretty hard about pulling the bed and reworking the back suspension, rewiring air management, and raising the tank this weekend. Then sending it to a shop to have the front suspension rebuilt. I know I can do it myself but I don't have a lot of time and by the time I'm done buying tools it would probably be cheaper to let a shop handle it. I really wanted to get everything ready to hit some shows this summer and now it looks like that won't happen.

Almost ready to throw a match at it today!

 

[DRAGGIN95]

Well we have all been there, just stick it out and you will have a nice truck in the end and one you can be proud of and know its all done right!