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News

6/2/09:

Used my better judgement (should have done it in the first place!) and decided to order all new (yes, again!) balljoints, tie-rod ends, etc. This time, instead of the generic brand, I ordered all MOOG brand parts. No messing around - I don't want a freshly painted, big-block powered, classically insured pick-up to be stuck on the side of the road because some Chinese-made ball joint gave loose! I also ordered the 3/4-ton "HD" springs instead of the 1-ton "load rider" springs. This should bring the front end down about 1"- I don't like the front end sitting higher than the rear!

6/1/09:

Damn it's been a long time since I posted anything... The new front springs TOTALLY changed the look of the truck. Along with the new springs, there are new balljoints, tie rod ends, control arm bushings (and new upper control arms!), urethane bump stops, calipers, brakes, and brake hoses.

I just changed the doors and rebuilt the hinges. I also finished swapping in the rebuild valve-body (I got a new one- the old one was giving me problems).

Still, I need to double check the front suspension - those control arms look AWFULLY dropped! The truck needs to be safe AND reliable- I don't want to change ball joints once a month!

3/30/09:

Installed the new leaf springs and got the gauges installed and wired in. The springs feel (and look) A LOT nicer than the ones that were in there. No squeaks and no trampoline bounce in the rear anymore. The gauges are AWESOME; they're much more stable and reliable that the OEM gauges. The oil pressure gauge reads 75psi at idle and about 60 after the truck warms up. The motor runs at 185F and the engine pulls 18" of vacuum at idle. SWEEEEEEEET!

3/26/09:

New gauges- AutoMeter Sport Comp

Since I'm using the original bezel to support these (expensive!) gauges, I resin filled the voids in the rear. This actually made it quite strong, and a tad heavy. Hopefully, the weight will reduce any vibrations.

The original speedometer had all the turn signals and high-beam indicator, I had to install some custom idiot lights

3/17/09:

DAAAAMMMMNNN! First drive with the new transmission was amazing! It's crazy how much a stock converter will hold back even a stock transmission (let alone a custom built overdrive with Kevlar bands!). The 2000 RPM stall speed was the perfect choice for this truck- just enough stall to get her spinning, but low enough that she'll be just fine to drive in traffic.

3/9/09:

New Tires! 285/75/R16 Nitto Grappler AT (about 33" diameter). These fit a lot better in the wheel wells than the 29" BFG's.

New fuel system installed - Carter HP fuel pump, Fram HP1 filter, and a Earl (Summit Racing) 40um pre filter. Everything is plumbed with -6AN fittings and -6AN stainless braided line.

Here's the RDS tank finally 100% installed!

2/20/09:

I installed the new tank, fuel shut-off valve, universal tank sender, etc. Only a few more weeks before I take this beast for another spin!

2/10/09:

I finished my custom steering shaft; I used all Borgeson parts. I basically cut off the upper portion of my OEM shaft, welded on a coupler, added a 12" splined extension shaft, an upper u-joint, a 24" telescoping shaft, and a lower u-joint. I got this all done for $250! Not bad, considering even the bolt-on Borgeson shaft is the same price.

2/05/09:

Got a new fuel tank and fuel system!

The fuel pump is a 60-gallon RDS aluminum fuel-tank/tool-box combo. I got it from Northern Tool & Equipment. For the fuel delivery, I'm going to be using a Carter HP electric pump (120 gph), a Fram HPG1 fuel filter (down to 0.5 micron), a Summit Racing 40-micron pre-filter, a Holley fuel-pressure regulator, and Earl/Summit AN aluminum fittings. I'll run the length of the truck in 3/8" aluminum tubing, and will use 3/8" stainless-braided hose to connect the tank to the fuel pump, and from the tubing to the pressure regulator.

I'm also working on my steering setup. Since the 3" body-lift is installed, the steering shaft no longer works. I already ordered some parts, but ordered the wrong ones from Summit (my fault!).

Since Summit does not have the correct ones in stock, I had to order the proper coupler and U-joint directly from Borgeson. They'll be coming during the second week of Feb, so I can get started on it next week!

12/01/08:

Body lift has been installed and looks great! The new bushings leveled out the sagging body, which was leaning over 3/4" toward the passenger side. I'll post some more pics this weekend. Total installation time was less than 3 hours, and that was with a half-broken jack. I now have 2" of clearance between the valve covers and the heater box, and about 3" of clearance between the covers and the brake booster! Time to pick out some new tires, I'm thinking I'll stick with the BFG AT's or maybe try the MT Baja Claws.

11/26/08:

Body lift has been ordered and I've been working on my custom transmission crossmember. I didn't like the Trans-Dapt one - it seemed cheesy and undersized. I wasn't worried about strength too much, but what was the deal breaker was the fact that it was a "floating" design. The center support "floated" inside the side brackets. With a 500hp engine, I didn't want to take the chance that chassis flex will cause me driveline problems. My neighbor (a welder :)) is taking the custom member to work to finish the tack welds. We built it out of 0.125" wall 1.5"x4" A36 box steel. It should be plenty strong and offer better protection for the transmission than the Trans-Dapt unit.

Now that I'll have 3" of additional clearance, and 1-2" from the new springs, I'm going to up the tire size a bit. The 29" tires are fine, but I think they'll look too small with the new ride height. I'm thinking about 33" tires, but haven't picked a brand yet. I'm thinking the Mickey Thompson Baja Claws to give the truck a "pre-runner" look.  

11/18/08:

Well, I'm thinking about a body lift- not for me, for the truck! The whole brake booster and valve cover interference thing got me thinking about how nice a body lift would be to clear these things and to help overall body clearance. I could also run 33" tires in the future and set the truck up as a "dessert runner".

11/17/08:

Damn it! The MP valve covers are too tall! They're hitting the brake booster and heater box. So, to handle the issue, I'm going to paint the old chrome ones with a black wrinkle finish. I'm going to hold the MP ones in the garage until I do my 3" body lift. I think I may paint the air cleaner to match when I'm done with the V/C's - I'll see how the V/C's turn out first.

11/10/08:

The freshly painted engine! I'm glad I swapped out the chrome valve covers for the black MP ones - I think they look the best on the orange painted engines, especially with the coated headers. I'll be replacing the tan distributor cap with a black one, and I've already got the black MSD wires (in place of the yellow Accel wires). My goal is to make it look as stock as possible - I even painted the aluminum Weiand intake to help this cause! The water pump is the only aluminum part visible, but it's mostly hidden behind the black pulley.

Here's the engine all prepped for paint and with a fresh coat of primer. I used Duplicolor High-Heat primer and Chrysler Orange paint.

11/7/08: The SMR A518 has shipped!

11/4/08: Since I'm waiting for the new transmission to arrive, I decided to "clean up" the engine. I added fresh paint, new MP Black valve covers, and a few other goodies. Check back soon for new pics!