Junkyard Jimmy Super Low Buck Build Thread

[hgs_notes]

To get it out of the yard, I needed to get it on some wheels and tires and also replace the rear axle U-bolts. The bolts were cut like he was going to pull the axle, then changed his mind and left it hanging from the shocks. So I scrounged a set of rallys without the caps or rings, but with 31 x 10.5 x 15 tires that have some tread left and hold air. Got them for $100.00. As a side benefit that has a value that I can't really calculate here, the same guy is allowing me to park the Jimmy near his shop. This pleased the wife quite a bit. Partly because she was not too thrilled with my new project and now she won't have to see how bad it really is.

The U-bolts were harder to find than I thought they would be. Napa wanted $60 for a set and had to order them, so I checked around and finally found a set through the local Auto Value store for a total of $19.99.

With the Jimmy sitting on the ground, getting those wheels on was not easy. The front was OK, but the rear was difficult because the axle was loose and out of position. Probably took 1.5 hours to get them on. Part of the delay was finding lug nuts. Salvage yard guy says to check on the cars out there, but 7/16" nuts are not nearly as common as 1/2" nuts, but eventually I had enough for 3 per wheel.

Getting the U-bolts solved part of the problem, but they don't do much good without the backing plates. He had moved the Jimmy around the yard after he cut the bolts, so they were missing. It took a lot of scrounging to find an axle with the correct U-bolts and plates attached, finally did find one the other day on a pile of axles. He cut them off this morning, I had to bring them home to drill/ream out the holes because of rust, so the new bolts would go through, then back out to the yard for the install. That went easier than just about anything done so far. New bolts are the only new parts so far.

I was supposed to be able to borrow a guys trailer to haul the beasty out of there, but the guy left his 68 parts chevelle on it and went out of town. I talked the salvage guy into towing it to town for me. Free.

For you guys that want to follow this thread and plan to subscribe, I would probably wait a while. This will be a slow moving build. Since the Blazer/Jimmy board doesn't have the traffic of the truck board, updates will probably not be missed, nor will they be super cool mods, at least not yet.

Cost $369.99
Time ~2.5 hours