thanks guys. gonna try and put the shackles on tonight if possible.

 

alright guys, i finished and it looks great. here are some pics i snapped at some points of frustration and great achievement.

getting started:


soaking the bolts in PB and some Liquid wrench:


now came the fun part. the top bolts came off just fine. the bottom ones.... not so much. i ended up leaving my truck on jackstands over night cause i couldnt get the bolt out of the bushing. the next morning i ended up driving around looking for new bushings. i found some 20 miles away at the antioch napa. that place is awesome. of course i bought a pair online before i found out they had them there so i will just have to return them online.

so what i did was take a sawzall and cut the shackle so that i could see the rubber part of the bushing, then i took a drill and drilled out the rubber so that the bolt had a little more play in it. then i wiggled the bolt and rubber and sleeve of the bushing out leaving the metal casing.

i ended up cutting a slit where the eye of the spring doesnt connect all the way with the sawzall and just prying it loose with a screwdriver. looked kinda like this at the end:




then getting the new bushing was a whole nother story. i ended up bolting the pieces of the shackle together with a really long bolt and just tightening it up into place. my hands are killing me but i got them in. the second one when way faster than the first. i also had to use some new bolts from menards since i couldnt get the old ones out.




and finally the ride.






also cranked the torsin bars so it doesnt look retarded.


Overall i am very happy with the way it looks. it better look good for the amount of effort i put into it!!! well let me know what you guys think of the truck so far. my buddy is coming over this weekend and is going to help me nightshade my tails and driving lights. also going to pick and pull to find me a spare tire carrier!!!!! ill keep you guys posted if i find anything at the yard.

 

alright guys. update time. so this weekend i went to the local pick and pull and found a few goodies.

rear Spare tire rack:


tow hooks:


and the grand finale. ALUMINUM SKID PLATES!!!!!


well i got the front skid plate on last night while it was dark out!!! but the front differential one needs brackets that i didnt know i needed. so i will be heading out there this morning to see if i can pick them up. the tow hooks wont fit with my deflector on so i am going to take that off. it will make it look higher i think. the hooks will have to replace the bracket that holds the brush guard on so this is going to be a challenge.

if i cant get the other skid plate to fit im thinking about selling it. i cleaned it up and it looks just like new except for a few scratches on the bottom. but that just means its seasoned. these things were black when i got them but a little brakeclean and some mineral spirits later and they were shining.

as for the spare tire holder, i went to lowes and got all the hardware i needed. i want to clean up the holder and repaint it, get rid of the rust, ect.. before i slap it on. probably within the next 2 weeks it will be on.

let me know what you guys think and if anyone would be interested in the skid plate.

 

i literally was just out your way! looking good sir!

 

alright. got the bracket for the differential skid plate and it is on. 3 out of 4 bolts isnt too bad. considering that i dont beat this thing too harsh. getting my muffler installed tomorrow at 5 for around 70 bucks. its a local shop around here. they have had some good reviews and they were really friendly so i figured i would give them a try. they are going to supply the extra piping and give me new hangers and such. ill let you all know how it turns out.

 

have to say, your ride is coming together really well.
make sure after the t-crank you get an alignment....trust me you will wish you did.

i guess its safe to say the mod bug is firmly under your skin.......

 

yes. lol. and i have an appointment for an allignment hopefully in the first week of april. we almost got an old jeep cj thats down the block from us to replace my truck as the project car. too much rust for 1000. had a plow though

 

alright. update time. got the muffler installed and everything and it sounds great. great low rumble but not too loud on the throttle. just what i wanted. here are a few pics of the install and i will be sure to post a video as soon as i take one.





the video!:
http://youtu.be/Oqq5rUERnow

 

oh and i almost forgot. i picked up an air horn.... thinking about mounting it under the front somewhere and just having a storage tank of compressed air somewhere like in the trunk. then run the lines to the front where i would mount a release valve or something to the horn. i know i could buy one of the compressors but i dont feel like spending any money. i got the horn for free so i want to keep this on a low budget. let me know if you guys think this would work.

 

Depending on the horn it needs some serious air. I don`t think you`ll be happy if you have to recharge the tank every 5 honks or so...