The Hillbilly Deluxe dually build

[aotte1]

The 30 looks really great, always take a second look when I see an older truck on the road. The step side is nice too, I like the single headlight look. How much is yours lowered. May do some lowering to mine after I see how it sits when back together, want just a little clearance above the tires.
Les

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by GCncsuHD

Very nice!

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Truck art right there.

Originally Posted by aggie91

Awsome!

Originally Posted by rusty76

Looks good.

Originally Posted by 83GMCK2500

Oh yeaaaaaaaah! Good to hear that the gear swap was an improvement, sounds a lot more driveable.

Originally Posted by Stoney

I bet the donkey is even happier....

Originally Posted by Troy Sr

I used to make those bails out in Eastern Montana!!!

Thanks fellas.

Stoney, I was kidding with the lady at the feed store awhile back. I told her that the donkey had sent me a text message while I was at work saying that if I didn't bring donkey food home she was gonna burn down the barn.

The lady looked at me dead serious and said "now how is a donkey going to start a fire?"

She got embarrassed when I asked her, "now how would a donkey send me a text message in the first place".

Originally Posted by aotte1

The 30 looks really great, always take a second look when I see an older truck on the road. The step side is nice too, I like the single headlight look. How much is yours lowered. May do some lowering to mine after I see how it sits when back together, want just a little clearance above the tires.
Les

Les, the stepside is 5 inch dropped in the front and about 6 in the back. Front is spindles and cut springs, rear is a flip kit.

[flashed]

Tex ,that truck looks even better with that roll of hay on it .Would you share a pic of the donkey ,we had one that got mistaken for a deer a couple of months ago and was shot and killed ,we miss that donkey ,he was like a puppy .He met me when I got home from work wanting a carrot and his ears rubbed .

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by flashed

Tex ,that truck looks even better with that roll of hay on it .Would you share a pic of the donkey ,we had one that got mistaken for a deer a couple of months ago and was shot and killed ,we miss that donkey ,he was like a puppy .He met me when I got home from work wanting a carrot and his ears rubbed .

People make fun of me for saying it, but I love my little donkey. I've never owned a kinder, gentler, smarter animal. And, she protected my little calf from coyotes and dogs better than a platoon of US Marines could have. I once saw her try to stomp the neighbors dog to death. When the dog finally got free, it ran through a barbed wire fence at full speed to escape death. There was meat and hair hanging on the barbed wire. For those that don't know, a donkey is a God given guard animal. In any field with small livestock, you will always see at least one donkey. You can put one with a calf or other small animal and the donkey will stand guard next to them day and night without fail, never getting more than a few feet away from them. Nothing will hurt your calfs as long as you have a donkey around. Not a person, a coyote, or a wild pack of dogs. They're born protectors, no training needed.

[bigblock73]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

In the upper left background...is that Val on a jet pack, UFO, or something else?

Congrats on the maiden voyage, truck looks great!

[Troy Sr]

Originally Posted by bigblock73

In the upper left background...is that Val on a jet pack, UFO, or something else?

Congrats on the maiden voyage, truck looks great!

Looks like a power cord plug!

[1963c-10]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

People make fun of me for saying it, but I love my little donkey. I've never owned a kinder, gentler, smarter animal. And, she protected my little calf from coyotes and dogs better than a platoon of US Marines could have. I once saw her try to stomp the neighbors dog to death. When the dog finally got free, it ran through a barbed wire fence at full speed to escape death. There was meat and hair hanging on the barbed wire. For those that don't know, a donkey is a God given guard animal. In any field with small livestock, you will always see at least one donkey. You can put one with a calf or other small animal and the donkey will stand guard next to them day and night without fail, never getting more than a few feet away from them. Nothing will hurt your calfs as long as you have a donkey around. Not a person, a coyote, or a wild pack of dogs. They're born protectors, no training needed.

I agree with the donkeys being protective. We have a mammoth and a mini....both are very protective of the other livestock.

[GCncsuHD]

Originally Posted by 1963c-10

I agree with the donkeys being protective. We have a mammoth and a mini....both are very protective of the other livestock.

They are very protective, we have always had one in the fields with our cattle, I even once witnessed it stomp a young rottweiler to death before I could intervene. The dog had no collar, though it is odd to think of a rotty being a stray.

Though it seems if you have multiple donkeys together they lose their protective instinct/aggressiveness towards dogs. Our little Aussie had a healthy fear of the single donkey in our cattle field, but our neighbors that raise donkeys, he has been known to herd the donkeys into circles and run them towards the barn. Not bad for a little 20lb runt of an Aussie.

[flashed]

Thanks for the pic ,my wife loved it and me too .Our donkey was just as you described ,helped birth calves ,protected herd from coyotes and just plain lovable . We miss our donkey terribly ,thanks again for sharing that.

[68Timber]

Looks great. Can you post a sound clip? I'd love to hear that big block wake up through the magnaflow.

[Tx Firefighter]

That is a power cord plug. I have an electric fence charger and electrical outlet mounted up under the rafter there.

[Low Elco]

Congrats on the First ride! How much loaded clearance did you wind up with with a bale on?

[Primered_69]

And the donkey sure likes to talk to Kevin when he is working

[Stoney]

The donkey will also keep the rattle snake away too. Donkey around no snakes.

[Average Joe]

Great pic of a truck being used as intended. Function and form. Looks great!

[ChevDog1]

Wow Kevin, awesome build thread, and really nice work. I read half of this while having my morning coffee, and just now finished it. You have inspired me to get going on my stepper again. I bought my 1980 stepside last fall, and got it running, rebuilt the brakes, and dropped it 5/7 shortly after I got it home. Recently, it has been sitting outside, as first my wife's SUV, then my winter beater SUV had major mechanical issues which have impacted my budget, as well as my shop space. I have been sitting around waiting for parts for my other cars, and feeling sorry for myself for not having enough shop space to work on the truck.

Tomorrow morning, I am going to move some stuff around and make a spot for the truck, either in my shop, or the garage (hopefully the shop, as that's where all the tools are), and get going on it again. I have a bunch of small projects on it that I could be doing for little to no money - and I just needed a push to get back on it.

Thanks for the inspiration!

[ChevDog1]

My truck as it sat last weekend.

The snow is gone now...

[ChevDog1]

And did you ever sort out a repair for the dash pad? Mine looks horrible, but I don't like the price of new ones...

[joe231]

The big rig acid wash has hydrofluoric acid and sulphuric acid in it.
Hydrofluoric acid is some BAD stuff.
Eagle one used to have a mag wheel cleaner with a similar formula that worked great.
I don't know if it is still around today. I used it on my slots back in high school.

Edit: guess it does still have the same ingredients
http://whatsinproducts.com/files/bra...1337132354.pdf
http://m.eagleone.com/mag-wheel-cleaner

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Congrats on the First ride! How much loaded clearance did you wind up with with a bale on?

Somewhere around 5 inches I'd say. The tires tuck cleanly up under the bed so there's a lot of room to play with. The bale didn't lower the truck but maybe half an inch or so.

Originally Posted by Primered_69

And the donkey sure likes to talk to Kevin when he is working

There's nothing like the sound of a braying donkey to give that country ambiance.

Originally Posted by Stoney

The donkey will also keep the rattle snake away too. Donkey around no snakes.

Come to think of it, I haven't seen a snake near the shop in a few years.

Originally Posted by Average Joe

Great pic of a truck being used as intended. Function and form. Looks great!

Thank you Joe.

Originally Posted by ChevDog1

Wow Kevin, awesome build thread, and really nice work. I read half of this while having my morning coffee, and just now finished it. You have inspired me to get going on my stepper again. I bought my 1980 stepside last fall, and got it running, rebuilt the brakes, and dropped it 5/7 shortly after I got it home. Recently, it has been sitting outside, as first my wife's SUV, then my winter beater SUV had major mechanical issues which have impacted my budget, as well as my shop space. I have been sitting around waiting for parts for my other cars, and feeling sorry for myself for not having enough shop space to work on the truck.

Tomorrow morning, I am going to move some stuff around and make a spot for the truck, either in my shop, or the garage (hopefully the shop, as that's where all the tools are), and get going on it again. I have a bunch of small projects on it that I could be doing for little to no money - and I just needed a push to get back on it.

Thanks for the inspiration!

I'm glad to hear you're digging in. Eating an elephant seems impossible until you break it down into small manageable bites. But, you just have to keep taking those bites if you're to ever get it eaten.

Originally Posted by ChevDog1

And did you ever sort out a repair for the dash pad? Mine looks horrible, but I don't like the price of new ones...

Not yet. It still looks like hammered hell. When I get some more money I need to address the hanging idle issue, re-gear the speedometer for the new gear ratio, and do something about the bare metal floors. I've had a brand new rubber floor mat for a year now, I just need to add some insulation and install it. I'll just keep an eye out for better interior parts until I find some solution for the dash pad.

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Would that acid wash be Muratic acid diluted? or something else? Thanks!

That's what I used, Muriatic Acid (hydrochloric acid). I have a bunch of it around the house, and it's pretty safe so that's exactly what I used. Hydrofloric acid is death in a bottle. I don't care to mess with that stuff at all. Knowing my clumsy ass, if I had some of that around, I'd wind up exposing myself to it somehow.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

That's what I used, Muriatic Acid (hydrochloric acid). I have a bunch of it around the house, and it's pretty safe so that's exactly what I used. Hydrofloric acid is death in a bottle. I don't care to mess with that stuff at all. Knowing my clumsy ass, if I had some of that around, I'd wind up exposing myself to it somehow.

Thank you, i already got a dose of Muratic acid fumes last time i used it for my seat tracks, will have to go purchase a 3-m respirator with acid vapor canisters, wont use it again till them .

Did you dilute it? that would make the fumes not so bad.

Did forgot to mention that your work on the truck is top notch work!

[Tx Firefighter]

I dilute it about 50/50 or so. It's a very commonly used solution in my shop. The mixture is also good for cleaning gas tanks, wire ends, etc.

[swamp rat]

Thanks again!

[badpeanut]

Does the red circle highlight a brace between the front A-arm crossmember and the front frame horns? Is this 1-ton only?

[Tx Firefighter]

Yes. There are two brace rods on one tons. There are actually a number of added braces on these heavy trucks.

Here are pictures taken early in the project when I was replacing the bent swaybar mount.