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1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
As the title states:
1996 GMC Sierra Extended Cab 4x4 3500 Dual Rear Wheel - 196,### miles Vortec 454 New Venture 4500 5-speed manual transmission Borg Warner (something) floor shift transfer case (with this tcase and transmission combo the truck has 3 PTO provisions) FACTORY 4.56 gears w/G80 in the rear Chrome wheels that have been painted black Dark Hunt Club Red Metallic exterior paint Light smoke gray cloth interior, 60/40 split bench with lumbar on both sides. One atrocious analog radio that wasn't even connected, the pigtail had been hacked off. Pictures from the day we looked at it and brought it home. Year should be 2011 from the camera, forgot that it had been reset. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psdb364711.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psfaa1ca37.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psca146844.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psd07e2d0a.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps6990d08c.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps5b5e82bc.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pse8eafc54.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps8a3e81c5.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps76b4ba5b.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps2d9a3c13.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps831574e3.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps49927adb.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psb1ea6e02.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psf3601455.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Oh, so my dad got this truck as he intends to buy a gooseneck large enough to haul either the D4-7U, JD 3020, or vibratory roller that he recently bought. He wanted the added tires of a dually to do so. This thing was priced right to allow him lots of room to customize it.
Initial plans: flatbed, upgraded seats, fix the dings and scrapes on the cab, polish the paint, fix any oil leaks. (My dad HATES it when vehicles mark their territory.) My dad ran up to a junkyard in Spokane and picked up full power heated leather seats out of a 2000 Yukon Denali (the spiffy two-tone gray ones) and on his way back David (88GMCTruck) and I met him at a midway point and showed him David's 99 that he's been building. My dad instantly added Kodiak handles, towing mirrors and overhead console w/comp & temp to his list of goodies. In case anyone is wondering it is consistently getting 12 MPG on the hwy, had it serviced and checked over, everything is spiffy. It's had the radiator replaced recently, new plugs and wires, etc. |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
*** This text written back in 2011***
Last Friday night, David (88GMCtruck, around the internet) and I dissected a GMT400 cross body harness. Instead of swapping the harnesses directly, we decided it would be easier to build a mirror harness (since it requires additional wires anyway) and just splice it in with the existing truck's harness. We also pre-built some additional harnesses for the overhead console, autodim mirror, compass/temp, and steering wheel audio controls. Here is the pictures of that sticky tape and wire mess. http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...415_204731.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...415_204726.jpg After getting down to Dayton, we tore into the truck. An hour later David and I created this: http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110483.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110484.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110485.jpg Installing the mirror harness http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110491.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110490.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110493.jpg And the mirrors http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110475.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110489.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110488.jpg Leftovers from the westcoasters. Does not want. http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110481.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110482.jpg Getting the stereo plug wired up, as well as the audio controls and overhead compass/temp unit, and putting the dash back together. http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110493.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110496.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
***This text also continued from 2011.***
Installing the OH console http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110494.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110495.jpg Pulled the seats, wired the truck for the power/heated Denali seats http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...417_124141.jpg Cleaning up a bit of underhood wiring http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110477.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110476.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...417_124644.jpg Grille & bumper removal. Wired in the temp sensor for the OH console, replaced the corner lights with OEM amber ones, and installed a new TD bumper. http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110487.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/P1110486.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...417_124545.jpg How we left it last weekend. http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...417_124221.jpg Just as a summary, here is what David, my father and myself collectively accomplished this past weekend. - Removed entire dash, door panels, seats and carpet for cleaning - Wired in mirror harness (truck had west coast mirrors) with power/heated/clearance/signal mirrors. Use factory rear defrost HVAC controls for the heated mirrors - Installed OH console with compass and temp computer - Modified map lights to function as dome lights - Wired in stereo plug (was missing) and installed Delco CD stereo - Pre-wiring for autodim mirror - Pre-wiring for steering wheel audio controls - Pre-wiring for power heated seats - Cleaned up PO's past wiring endeavors (lots of misc crap that was shoddily done) - Fixed battery cables - Fixed wiper washers - Installed new diesel bumper - Installed OEM amber corners And in the upcoming weeks, we will be going back, once more parts are sourced and time allows. Here is the future plans. - Wire in lighting for bradford flatbed - Wire 7-way trailer plug - 4-high headlights - Fog lights in bumper - Denali leather seats and grey pickup center console - Kodiak door handles - Stainless trim rings & GMC center caps. |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
***Text continued from 2011.***
While David was working in the truck I was underneath removing what I shall politely refer to as "cowboy wiring". The trailer harness was fubared beyond belief, those extra running lights on that scaffolding were hacked into the REAR DUALLY FENDER clearance lights. There was a pair of CB antenna mounts in the front corners of the bed with ~6' of coax still attached that I removed from underneath. The driver's side coax was pinched between the fuel tank and crossmember, had to lower the tank to extract it. Additionally the monkey that installed the antenna mounts knocked some BIG holes in the bed corners and then filled them in with great gobs of silicone. I also pulled the batteries, pulled the trays, cleaned and painted the primary tray, cleaned and made the battery cables proper, ran the wire for the temp sensor, and lots of misc things. |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
wow lots of work! looking good though! i know 88GMCTRUCK from gmt400!
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Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Update:
- Steering wheel audio controls installed, after some *cough* minor troubleshooting they work great. Sooooo handy. Also, so much nicer to use a puller on steering wheel as opposed to brute force. After removing three (or four) by hand, I'm done with that crap. - I've noticed that at low speeds if I need to stab the brakes (pedestrian/grandma/idiot/etc) the steering wheel pulls left. It brakes evenly from higher speeds. This weekend I started in the front and dug in. Wheels off, first observation: driver's side has uneven pad wear, ~ 1/8" difference in-out. Passenger side, also uneven, call it 3/16" in-out, noticeably more than other side, but not a great deal. Started on the DS, pried the caliper over a bit to compress the piston, pulled the pins, pried caliper off. Got a good look at the rotor, noticeable ridge on both in-out faces at edge, slight waviness when running fingers from inside diameter out. Pulled the pads off, they're a mid-grade semi metallic pad, other than uneven thickness they looked good, not worn unevenly by themselves and no cracks. Bolted the caliper back up, won't slide. Not even a little. Hmmmmmmmm. Was able to free up one of the slides, took a wire brush and a file to the faces of the bracket ears and the caliper edges and cleaned them up, but one slide remains seized. Fought it for quite a while, didn't have a c-clamp or anything to use as a press, unfortunately. Don't know how something can get so stuck in a rubber sleeve. Cleaned things up the best I could and lubed what was accessible. Onto the passenger side. Repeated same procedure, findings: rotor has a much heavier ridge on the outer radius, also, noticeably more distortion on the faces when running fingers from inside diameter out. Again, other than uneven thickness, pads were ok. Felt the sleeves on this side and they actually moved, stiffly, but they moved. Bolted the unloaded caliper up and even with mobile sleeves it drug hard. After much filing and brushing between bracket ears and caliper it slid decently. Lubed what I could and reassembled. Thinking on heading home to Dad's shop this next weekend and pressing that other sleeve out and cleaning it. Summary brake observations: calipers, rotors, knuckle, bearing flanges, etc all have healthy level of rust/scale/grime on them. Given the environment this truck has been in I assume these parts have not been changed for quite some time. Given how much material is left on the pads +/- 5/16"-3/8" (relatively fresh) I assume the last brake job was to throw a set of pads on. I doubt the rotors were turned. The passenger side caliper had newer sleeves than the one I was able to remove from the driver's side. All of the slides that I was able to hold in my hands look to have been overtightened, the ends were slightly mushroomed. Never made it to the rear brakes, was raining and after messing with front and rotating all 6 tires/wheels I was soaked. |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Lighting Upgrades!!!
A couple months or so ago I cleaned, lubricated, and installed a set of 88/89 dual sealed beam adjusters. I loaded the adjusters with the conversion lenses that LMC sells and 4,300K 35W HIDs. Utilizing a GM PDL relay (6-pin, two relays w/common pwr/gnd) and a diode I wired up a temporary relay switched 4-Hi harness. HIDs in 88-89 adjusters. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps2491f1b5.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pse5752fde.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psb89bd178.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps24d6c6e6.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps38a7a737.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Last weekend the less-than-temporary headlamp harness was created. With the help of my good friend we removed the OEM harnesses, dissected the BS headlight wiring, and re-created them using all 12-gauge wiring. During this time wiring for fog lights and driving lights were added. We used 4 heavy duty Bosch relays with weatherpack connectors to power the circuits, lowbeam, highbeam, driving and fog lights. The highbeam switch will trigger low, high and driving lights for a 6-hi combination. The fogs are independently switched. Everything is fully soldered and weatherproofed.
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...E96B2D0437.jpg After dissection http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...AFE85AE035.jpg All new gauge leads. http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...8131C0A267.jpg Wiring http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...8633717C18.jpg Laying out relay sockets http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...937113C787.jpg Yellow leads on relays will be triggers, here is the highbeam trigger with diodes for triggering low & driving lights. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psuu0b1iji.jpg One of the completed relay socket sets, this one had orange trigger wires. http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...61D541385D.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...6C6B4C4471.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...19201487A4.jpg Relay mounting under the ECM http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...04094607DD.jpg Completed harness http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...6133DB4732.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...2CA45EB6C7.jpg After adding the harness http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...C0AADFCFB7.jpg ***Disclaimer, some of these pictures were taken by me, the rest by my friend. This upgrade was simultaneously performed on two trucks, his and mine. The text above has been edited but the body of it are his words. (I'm being lazy and copying from his thread, elsewhere.) |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
After the headlamp harness upgrade I installed a new & upgraded alternator on my truck. (Unrelated to harness, it just happened to die the next day.)
I have the details on alternator upgrade in this thread: AD244 Alternator Upgrade for 96+ GMT-400s |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Somewhere in here (2 weekends ago, yes my timeline is all out of whack), I took the time to hit the truck with some heavy cut, fine cut, then cleaner wax. The sides need some more work, but it sure beads water on the top.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps587a85db.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps1b7893dd.jpg Also, installed OEM LED cab light bulbs. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps30098709.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psacfa488e.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Nice truck! I love everything except the flatbed. I personally would have kept the dually bed but it's just personal preference. Keep up the great work!
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Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Are you going to try and find genuine Kodiak door handles or go with the aftermarket ones like I did ?
I ordered all of the rods and clips and pawls through my GM buddy and the door handles from Rockauto. I'd have to add it up, but it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 110 bucks for all of it total. My GM prices seem to be about 10 percent under GMpartdirect prices. And, I always have a Rockauto discount code if you or anyone else ever needs one. |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Quote:
Disassembled: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps34dde0e1.jpg Coated: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps88c2c103.jpg The coating was pretty thick and I had to take a round file to the saddle that the paddle sits in, and the slot adjacent to it. In hindsight I should have masked off some areas on the handles, but not having any p-coating experience myself... :/ |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
I like the truck, y'all should find a tahoe limited front bumper for it.. (Still has the factory cooling cut-outs, no moldings, and its painted) .
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Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Yeah, Z71 Tahoe, Tahoe Limited, & ...I think very base models w/diesel all had the paintable fronts with air holes. I do want one. I would gloss black it in a heartbeat. I've been thinking about one of the GMC grilles from 88-93 for it lately.
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Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
I'd like to see the bumper.. on the grille, I think it would look good, but look even better, if it was a painted one.
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Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Agreed. I think I'll be keeping my eyes open for a variety of front end parts. With the red truck body and black flatbed I want to minimize the chrome as much as possible. To me, that means swap out the aftermarket boards for Tahoe ones and either a body colored bumper or black bumper. I think a body colored bumper with a black Z71 grille guard would look pretty good or the other way around, black bumper and body colored guard. Really would only have chrome in the center of the grille, ideally.
The wheels are killing me as well. They are a mismatched set of chromed steel wheels that are peeling and just generally hideous. Alcoas or 19.5" steelies are at the top of the list. Ghah... I finished my degree here a few months ago and have been looking for something near enough to my field that I can remain focused on and afford me the opportunity to tinker. I know better than to hold out for the "perfect job" and I am sending my resume out on anything I am remotely qualified for. |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Any updates?
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Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Update: nothing worthy of noting...yet. ;) I do have a big update coming in the near future. Just maintaining it really:
I was having a random short/feedback issue with my bed lighting and trailer lighting, I traced the problem to a hideous hack job of wiring from the people who installed the bed. There was a half-mile of electrical tape, some wire nuts, some more electrical tape, some zip ties and a portion of the pickup bed wiring used to connect the bed and trailer socket to the chassis. Ohhhh heeeeeeck no, that won't do. I spliced in the 7-pin Pollak connector that GM uses on the GMT-800 and newer trucks. Ref: http://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/gr...K11998_500.jpg Though I did not use butt connectors...soldering iron...lined heat shrink. I hate doing this kind of thing twice. I incorporated the 12V feed, brake controller, and reverse lights as is done on the newer trucks. The bed plugs into the chassis and on the bedside of the connection I have a secondary pigtail which plugs into the trailer socket. If the socket fails I can unplug it and replace it; if I need to pull the bed, it's one plug, one ground strap and the fuel neck. The new (to me) brake controller is a Tekonsha Prodigy, and the new socket: http://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/gr...40975_1000.jpg At first my cruise control servo was kicking out when I went over a large enough bump, the kicking out evolved into a really obnoxious surging of the throttle at times. The servo is the same for many many different GM vehicles, it isn't 454 specific or GMT-400 platform specific. The part that IS specific to my truck and engine is the cable, thankfully it takes 30-45 seconds to swap the cables. Ughhh, the oil pressure sending unit. The devil incarnate. I moved my truck a very short distance and noticed a couple drips of oil on the ground. Not good, everything has been replaced recently: lines, cover seal, main seal, pan gasket, ev-er-y-thing. The truck does not leak. So when it leaked, I started looking. It honestly took a while to find, the leak got pretty bad. It appears that internally the oil pressure sending unit failed and allowed oil to leak through the body of it. I had oil pumping out the weatherpack connector at the top of it, running down the sensor, to the top of the block, and diverting down two different ribs of the bellhousing and finally onto the exhaust crossover. Viewed with truck running, laying across the engine with mirror and flashlight. There is a specialized 1-1/16" socket with very thin walls designed for these sending units. Get one. The sensor to block clearance at the back of the valley requires it. I ended up snapping the plastic portion of the old sending unit off and unscrewing the base with a ground down standard socket. Install went very smoothly with the proper socket. To Be Continued... |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
very nice looking job, you and david do excellent jobs on very detailed stuff. do you or him happen to have a diagram on how you did the head light harness? something i'm very interested in doing.
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Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Lots of nice details, thanks for the photos and descriptions. Love the look of you truck!
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Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
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Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
I rearended an F550 w/contractor bed, I was just coming down from 60, he might have been going 25 when he just cut into my lane with no signal or anything. He was cited for improper lane change, a friend towed me home.
I had a 2015 Tahoe LTZ rental, it heated my ass in the mornings and cooled it in the afternoons, it was marvelous. Insurance company totaled the truck. Frame is straight, I hit the liftgate on the F550 outside my rail. It needed bumper, brackets, passenger fender, inner fender, battery, battery tray, hood, core support, grille, lights, aux fan, condenser, radiator, fan shroud, engine fan, fan clutch, water pump. I fought them for a week on a value. I told them to find me a 4x4 3500 dually, big block, manual transmission truck, make it equivalent. After 2-3 days they called me and asked me if they could increase their radius out beyond 150 miles. :haha: I told them that I searched out 1,500 miles to find a 4x4 2500, big block, manual transmission truck, be my guest. They finally came back with a 2wd 3500 dually, 350, auto with additions for 4x4, engine, and trans when it was all over Needless to say, I bought the damned thing back from them. |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Here's some of the carnage, I dug into it after a few days too see what all it needed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psexyu1g3m.jpg Yeah, it wasn't even off the trailer yet. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psvz6xjuzy.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psprlfe8yy.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
I spent a lot of time and a little whiskey trying to figure out the best course of action. Rebuild/replace? Rebuild...replace...? I've done quite a bit of work on this truck, as well as the other things that have been done. Rebuilt rear axle with new differential, clutch, rear main seal, engine oil cooler lines...so much more, I have a folder of receipts over 1/2" thick. I could've got everything sheetmetal and plastic needed from local wrecking yards for cheap, bought new radiator, fan clutch, etc. The problem was paint. Paint = $$$. The damn thing is red, red is the devil to match, would blend across most of the adjacent panels. The doors still have gaping holes in them from old mirrors, so if I paint it I should get new doors. Would basically end up painting whole truck. $,$$$...f***. So, the hunt was on for color matched parts. That shade of red was used '94 to '96. Hit up craigslist, search all of the local yards for trucks/suvs in that year. Nada, zip, zero, zilch. Next step, build a list of parts, got prices, estimate paint, total = f***ed. The big question to answer became, get a whole truck for around the value of f***ed? Back to CL...after a few misses I went and looked at a truck with a good friend of mine. I came home with this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psaycpwxyn.jpg 1997 GMC Sierra SLT K1500. Recently replaced motor, rebuilt trans. The person I bought it from...special. I don't think I will be able to adequately describe him using publicly appropriate words, leaving it at that. |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
I did quite a bit of work in the evenings, prepping the two vehicles while leaving them complete enough to drive. Prep work consisting mostly of interior disassembly and front end disassembly. Then it was time, cab + front end swap.
Sufficed to say, I have some damned good friends. On a Friday evening two trucks drove into the garage (one at a time) and Sunday evening the flatbed drove out. 2.5 days, 4 of us, complete cab swap. The green cab was cut for clutch, NV-4500, BW-4401; received the dash wiring from my dash, my front seats, my carpet. Drives In http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psw48a38xs.jpg Strip Interior http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psunov4d86.jpg Chains to furthest (from center) seat bolts, engine hoist. Didn't actually get a pic of red cab coming off, but repeated for green. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psi2sqqsjt.jpg Voila http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pslqdf8bcp.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Roll out the flatbed, drive in the donor.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps1xrlw3eg.jpg Lift http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psb4x0rdns.jpg Roll http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psjel2crvg.jpg Bring in for surgery http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pshmn642j0.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
You all can guess how this feels, looking at these two in this state.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps3uld4tke.jpg If no one has spotted it yet, I am building a truck that GM never did... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psumutgrb0.jpg Got big stick? http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psako4b6m5.jpg Boo-yah! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psffdu2khm.jpg Coming together... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pscgcayayr.jpg Interior http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psg77a7mwz.jpg GREEN LOOKS SO MUCH BETTER THAN RED! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psqj60iuyj.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Got parts?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psf1vzlrik.jpg Took the '97 to a wrecking yard, got a couple Benjamins out of it. The engine and trans went to another friend, picture a bagged '70 C10 as the recipient. Pecked away at various little things on the flatbed in the evenings for a couple weeks (to this day, still not done.) and then one weekend I decided to clean up the outside. Clay bar, rubbing compound, polish, wax. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pszsbtxgyk.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps1tjpji4f.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psofryeumj.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Prior to the accident, I accomplished one of the tasks I've had on the back burner. BRAKE UPGRADE! Anyone watch that Alaska Off-Road Warriors show? The lower 48 team? I've had the pleasure of talking with both of them on multiple occasions. Carl owns/runs Jantz Engineering near where I used to live & work, I had him machine the upper and lower ball joint tapers in a set of GMT-800 knuckles for me to the correct diameter for the -400 ball joints. During the brake upgrade I installed new upper and lower ball joints, lower control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, and sway bar end links.
Good-bye... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psmga65csb.jpg Hello http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psoug6dlzj.jpg Coming together http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pssdbylusx.jpg So much bigger http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psfesay7hk.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
The one thing I didn't do with the brake upgrade was flush the brake fluid, I just topped it off and bled the fronts. A friend has a power bleeder and needed to do his soon so I held off. With the power bleeder you clamp a plate onto the top of the MC, pressurize to 12-15 psi and go around opening bleeders. It has a reservoir of fluid itself so it maintains a level in the MC so you're (ideally) not introducing air into the system. I siphoned the old fluid out of mine first so I could clean the reservoir, it was nasty.
Before http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psdtval6ra.jpg After http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps2kw7egtk.jpg As I worked my way around under the truck I was shocked at the lack of fluid flow. With the requisite 15 psi in the power bleeder I completely removed the bleeder from the right rear wheel cylinder and poked around with a probe looking for blockage. Nothing encountered so I put the bleeder back in, left it cracked, had David depress the brake...VOILA! I had fluid. I couple cycles of standard bleeding with the power bleeder and it started flowing well. Repeat procedure for the left rear, resulted in good flow. Fronts flowed well when I opened their bleeders. Truck stops very well now. The brake upgrade was a noticeable improvement, the new fluid helped as well. |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Thus far in 2015 the flatbed got a brake upgrade, an E24 swap, DOT 4 brake fluid, various other little things then it was time for another big ticket item. Rubber. I have had a set of OEM steel wheels in storage that had been blasted and powder coated "speedboat aluminum w/clear". I may have a picture a page or two back of them when we picked them up. Here they are now.
Tires and wheels meeting for the first time, looks like it will go well. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psjb3phd3m.jpg I think they'll get along well together. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pskidhrgnc.jpg Closeup of the match. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pscwzx7xd4.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psoxatveh5.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Cooper ST MAXX in LT255/85R16. To adequately fit them I needed to crank the front up a touch, install a rear block and run spacers in the rear.
Quick trip to a wrecking yard secured me some GMT-800 blocks, they're about 1.75". http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psmxsbm4rl.jpg New ubolts http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps76u8kwoy.jpg The WORST DAMNED DESIGNED PART ON THESE TRUCKS http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pshc0tjylv.jpg I'm tenacious http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psbabqhz7l.jpg High zinc primer http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psax4kzjbx.jpg No assembled pics, I was jonesing to get the new shoes on. |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Rear coming together
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psr4vmuy6e.jpg One side done http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psgxzpetkr.jpg Couple close-ups http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psrtu4ppuv.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psfmdnfmi7.jpg Flatbed clearance http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps4kjeitza.jpg Done, picture taken at work later in the week http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psnpmpokw5.jpg Washed it again, now with cab lights again! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps40mpzv3l.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Random work photos.
Catching some air http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps3zf2ic3p.jpg Load of sound wall panels to go to jobsite http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psxukgkn0p.jpg Load of pumps returning from jobsite http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps2m4yf6kx.jpg Last weekend I moved an S10 crew cab cab for a friend. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psd5vdly41.jpg |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Love the look of your GMC. Makes me want one!
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Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
awesome job on both setups, the initial, and the rebuild! i've been looking for a big block 3/4 or 1-ton for our tow pig. the flatbed you have on there is built not too far from where i live in KS. my wife's cousin actually works for bradford built.
great job and thanks for sharing! |
Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
Been wondering where this build went. Sorry t got wrecked but I actually think the green looks better. Great job and how long did the body swap take?
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Re: 1996 GMC K3500 DRW, Extended Cab, Flatbed, 454, NV-4500
I love this truck!
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