Now for something really different

That's probably the coolest thing I've seen lately. I'm all about it!
 
I have been looking for a new bed for my project for a few weeks now. As it turns out the perfect bed pops up on my Crackslist search while I was on vacation last week. I mean I had just sat down in my hotel room and the first picture that pops up is the right color year option the works. So here I am in Vegas wondering how I can pull this off. So I call the guy and he is nice enough to take me at my word to buy his bed and took down the ad and waited for me to get home. The guys name was Travis and was a class act all the way, Not every day someone would take a strangers word to purchase a big ticket item like this, especially from Craigslist. Anyhow I am thankful he did as I scored a 2018 bed with less than 3K miles that was the correct color, bed liner, lights, bumper, fifth wheel hitch, backup camera, and tailgate assist! Here is what I came home with:

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Buffy said:
Hmmmmm I spend $140 and am done in 2 minutes.... should I smoke a cigarette.... I'm pretty sure that's illegal most states..... Damn I need I nap!

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Post up next time. I have one sitting in the garage you certainly could have used. ;)


Project is looking good.
 
I thought I'd give you guys an update of my progress. Not a whole lot of forward progress but did finally get the rear pinion angle set, after much deliberation might I add who knew it could be such pain. The guys at Oliver's driveshaft have been very helpful and patient with all my questions, many thanks to Mac and the boss. I have also been running all over creation dragging parts to the shop. So here's come pictures.....

Here is the finished steering arm, all welded up and painted...... (notice the high tech spray booth)

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I finally have all the pieces to build my "bed box". I got the silver bed from a guy down in Charlotte, has great prices and a cool guy to talk with. Yea it's going to be a crap ton of work but my labor rate is pretty darned cheap.....

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And finally, Shaun at Lugnut 4x4 hooked me up with a weld on rear disc brake kit for the rear axle.

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So next on the agenda is to get the rear brake kit installed and shock mounts added. Will get the guys at Oliver's to make me a driveshaft and install that before I do a final weld up of the spring perches. From there making some brake lines then maybe mount the bed. Stay tuned.... :popcorn:
 
We finally got back in the shop last night and started taking the rear 14 bolt apart to get ready to install the rear disc brakes. I've gotta say those rear drums are damned heavy!

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Will clean up the hubs some and purdy them up with some paint before finishing the install next week. I have to have my shiny paint you know.
 
We got the old bearings and races out of the hubs this morning. 45 minutes to do the first one and 5 minutes to do the second. Just hate it when that happens!!

Scene of the crime... some seriously crusty old bearings....

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One of the hubs before cleaning....

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Degreased, fresh out of the blast cabinet and ready for paint....

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Back to the high tech spray booth....

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This is the first time I've torn into a 14 bolt hub and have a couple questions. From what I've read the bearings are lubricated with the diff fluid. After I install new bearings I've read that you tilt the axle left/right to load some fluid into the hubs, other articles suggest using lithium grease until the diff fluid reaches the hub. Is one way better than the other? When it comes to installing the outer race and bearing is there a better or preferred way of installing the race past the snap ring groove? Do most just use a punch in the 4 slots to move the race back down to the snap ring? Any thing else to look out for when reassembling the hubs.

Oh and does anyone have a 14 bolt socket I can borrow??? :D
 
Buffy said:
Oh and does anyone have a 14 bolt socket I can borrow??? :D
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Pretty sure that I have a socket. I have had a socket for every axle that I have ever owned, so I don't know why that would be different. I have not bought one in a while, but they used to be pretty cheap at the parts store. I would suggest getting one.
 
I went all over town looking for one that would work but could not find one. O’Reilys had one with the correct number of teeth but were square instead of round like mine. So after an hour with a file I have a socket to add to my collection that will work for me.
 
I've worked on a lot of those axles, they have the bad habit of "running dry" before the gear oil gets to them. I coat the bearings with bearing grease, fill with as much gear oil as you can squirt in, it seems to give them a chance until the oil gets to them. The grease dissolves into the oil, away you go, just check fluid in the axle after about 100 miles, might have to add about a cup.
 
I have a bit o an update. I contacted JB Conversions about swapping the 1350 yoke for a flange. They swapped it out for $25.00 plus shipping. Saved me some money for sure. Working with Oliver's to get the drive shaft made.

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I got the hubs rebuilt tonight and I packed the bearings with axle grease before I installed them. I also started putting together the rear disc setup. What I wasn't expecting was the weld on bracket landing square on top of the flange that the backing plate bolted to.

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I will touch base with Shaun tomorrow before a wrap this up just to make sure I don't mess anything up.
 
You could have picked up an AAM 10.5 or 11.5 and had disc brakes and a parking brake. Just a thought....
 
Croatan_Kid said:
You could have picked up an AAM 10.5 or 11.5 and had disc brakes and a parking brake. Just a thought....
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That would have been nice but I figured the 14 bolt axle is pretty strong and I already had it. The disc brake kit that I bought from Shaun has the parking brake. Now I would have loved to get my hands on the rear axle out of a new Dodge dually.
 
The AAM 10.5 is the same thing as the old 14 bolts. The 11.5 is very similar also, just bigger and is what would be in the rear of any GM or Dodge dually since the early 2000s.
 
Update time:

I completed the rear disc brake conversion! Thanks to Shaun at LugNut 4x4 for answering all my questions.

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I got my new drive shaft from Oliver's and got it installed. All the angles looked good to I welded up the spring perches and installed the shock tabs.

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That pretty much wraps up the fabrication on the rear axle. I will pull it back apart one more time and clean it all up and put some nice paint on it.
 
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Saw this RC Crawler on IG and thought of this build!
 
Since I wrapped up the rear fabrication I ordered matching Bilstein 5125s for the rear.

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Today was all about making brake lines. This was my second cut at it as the first attempt was a glorious failure. Once I thought about it some I figured our an easy(er) way to make the bends. I am using bulkhead fittings at the rear and will fab up some braded stainless lines to go down to the calipers.

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