85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"

[N2TRUX]

The detail work is done and it's time to spray some undercoating. Chris masked everything while I cut the wheel tub bolts down. I hate the way the ends protrude in to the wheel wells so I pulled them and cut them down to the correct size to slightly protrude to ensure maximum use of thread.

We used the same Dupli-Color undercoating for the bed floor that was used under the cab. It covers very well and gives a moderately smooth finish that won't trap dirt. In the wheel wells I wanted more protection and sound proofing so we used Medallion rubberized coating. We applied it with an undercoating gun with moderate pressure to get a larger splatter.

[N2TRUX]

For those that may be interested, heres what we used.

[LDO]

Thanks for the info on the black. That sure is cheaper than the sem stuff,,, gonna give it a shot for sure.

[aggie91]

Nice progress! We started on the Sonoma this past week. We will be using some of these same thoughts and processes you are using here. I hope to start a build thread this week.

[mcbassin]

Nice progress Ken! looks great! Keep up the good work.

[N2TRUX]

My weekend didn't go as planned, so my shop time was confined to one day. Friday I go home at a decent time but had to go back out on a service call. It killed my shop time but I did go by Harbor Freight and grabbed new gloves for my blasting cabinet but that was it. Saturday I had a funeral to attend and dinner with family after, so no shop time again.

Today I was on a mission to accomplish as much as possible. I started with cleaning up the old hangers that were welded on the pipes. It's sad to see someone spent good money on premium quality mufflers and had them installed by an incompetent shop.

They cut the collectors off the headers and made each side one piece so I had to cut them to remove them. Its good that I did because neither muffler was welded all around. It was hung so rigid that the truck vibrated from exhaust resonance. Time to resolve all of those issues is coming soon.

[N2TRUX]

After removing all the old hangers and and grinding the bugger welds clean I used some temporary hangers to mock it up. I searched for generic hangers and bought these because they weren't that expensive. I found out why they were cheap because they are cheap but they will work for now. Once I get the bed installed I can adjust them and tighten everything down. It's not pretty but it will get me to the muffler shop with a ticket.

[N2TRUX]

With the exhaust system temporarily done I had to decide what to do next. I wanted to start on the front suspension but realized I couldn't get it done with the time I had available so I moved to the front bumper. I'm not sure why but the passenger side brackets had been recently replaced and a new bumper installed.
Once again everything was installed with mismatched bolts. The bumper was held on with a few bumper bolts and a few carriage bolts. Fortunately I had already made note of this and ordered a set of the correct stainless capped bolts to correct the problem.

Meanwhile I proceeded with the same treatment as the rear bumper. All the brackets were bead blasted and painted satin black. The back side of the bumper was sanded and a nice coat of bright silver was applied. Once the frame rails are cleaned and painted the assembly will be ready to reinstall.

[N2TRUX]

I got home early tonight, so I slipped out to my shop for a bit. The rear bumper was still laid out on my work table where I left it to dry. I moved it to the bed of my 77 for safe keeping and ran across the tailgate band.

No one makes a tailgate band for the 81-87 trucks. LMC offers one for the Blazer but you have to do a handle flip to use it. Finding a NOS GMC band would require my to blow my budget so I decided to see what I could do to make mine better.

It comes to me with some minor scratches and a nice ding in one corner. Someone had tried to clean it with a wheel cleaner and the acid made the clear anodizing very milky. I figure I can't make it much worse so let's see if I can make it better.

[UKNOWME]

Maybe something like this?
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342419

Btw I sent you a PM the other day.

[N2TRUX]

I looked in my tool box and didn't see anything that would work to fix the dent so I got creative. I found an old pool stick and cut a short section off. I ground a bevel on the tapered end until it fit in the work area. It's hard enough to finesse the metal back in shape but not too hard to cause damage as I go.

[N2TRUX]

Slowly I worked the dent out, then ground the tip again to create a sharper edge. This allowed me to get the stamped lines back in and remove most of the dent. It's not perfect, but you have to look close to see the last bit of imperfection. I was at a point that more forward progress might create other issues so I called it good.

[N2TRUX]

I searched the forum and the Web looking for ideas on how to remove the clear anodizing that the band is coated with from the factory. There are several options available to strip it with chemicals, but I didn't have the materials on hand. I decided to try hand said ding to see what the results were. I started with 320 wet and worked with the grain. It's hard to tell if you have the coating off so I sanded till my water was gray from the aluminum. It's tedious work but I want to see if I can save it.

The left side is sanded and the right side isn't. It was hard to get a pic without a glare.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by UKNOWME

Maybe something like this?
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342419Btw I sent you a PM the other day.

Thanks for sharing. I will take a look to see what worked for them. Sorry I missed your PM, I got a new phone and I'm haven't been on the forum much while trying to set it up

[aggie91]

I have read that EZ Off oven cleaner (the yellow can) will take off the factory anodizing on the band. From there it can be sanded and polished or cleared for a brushed look. From when I worked at a place that polished Stainless Steel, we used 180 grit to match the brushed look of the factory brushed finish.

Dent repair looks good in the photos, Most people will never know it was done...

[aggie91]

Missed your post while I was typing mine...

The area done with the 320 looks good!

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by aggie91

I have read that EZ Off oven cleaner (the yellow can) will take off the factory anodizing on the band. From there it can be sanded and polished or cleared for a brushed look. From when I worked at a place that polished Stainless Steel, we used 180 grit to match the brushed look of the factory brushed finish. Dent repair looks good in the photos, Most people will never know it was done...

Karl I have heard the same and been told the cheap stuff from the Dollar General works even better. Unfortunately I didn't have any handy and decided to use elbow grease instead. I was apprehensive about going to course so I started with a light grit for wet sanding. When I'm confident I have the surface stripped properly I will focus on the grain. I plan to use a semi gloss clear when I'm done.

[GAc10boy]

Excellent work on the band. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

[N2TRUX]

Friday night I worked late so no progress on the tailgate band. That project is on standby till next week when I'm working by myself. Today I helped Chris do maintenance on his girlfriends Navigator. We rotated tires and cleaned the wheels while they were off. Even with a pop-up canopy it's to dang hot to work in the driveway. We got that done and moved inside.

We really need to get Scarlett on the ground so I can get to the muffler shop. We decided that even though time is limited for meeting our short term goal, we really needed to get the front suspension done. The focus of our attention today was the passenger side.

Since a drop kit had been recently installed those components were fairly clean. The remainder of steering linkage was in good shape, just dirty and greasy. I wanted to inspect the wheel bearings so I blew the rotor assembly apart too.

[N2TRUX]

With everything torn apart, I got comfortable in front of the blasting cabinet while Chris scrubbed the suspension with a wire brush. That was followed by a once over with Scotch Brite then cleaned with brake cleaner.

[N2TRUX]

Chris masked the wheel well as I continued blasting and painting parts. I chose the same VHT cast iron to paint all of the individual parts. We used Krylon on the frame and A arms. It should contrast well and be easy to maintain now. We called it a night to allow everything to cure before reassembly.

[LDO]

Love your use of foil to mask off stuff. It conforms well to shapes and holds without the use/waste of tape. Thought I was the only one! LOL

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by LDO

Love your use of foil to mask off stuff. It conforms well to shapes and holds without the use/waste of tape. Thought I was the only one! LOL

I learned that little trick from my good friend Keith Stephens (N2billet) several years ago. It's very convenient , saves tones of time, and much cheaper than quality masking tape.

[N2TRUX]

We had a very productive day in the shop today. I ran to get parts and Chris started pulling all the masking. While he was preparing the area, I was assembling the hub. I inspected the wheel bearings and saw that they were fairly new. They were Timken brand so I felt no need to replace them. I cleaned all the old grease out and packed them fresh. I pressed in new seals and was ready to reassemble everything.

The truck came with a mix and match drop, but it's all name brand so I'm leaving it. The spindles are CPP, springs are Western Chassis, and shocks are Ground Force. Everything is new so it gets blasted, painted, and reinstalled

I plan to install a tall upper shock mount, but I'm short on fabrication time so I went with what I had. The upper mounting stud was really loose but fortunately it wasn't stripped. I put everything back in place and added a cherry on top.
We did a brake upgrade with a set of Wildwood D52 replacement calipers. They will improve braking and look sweet with the slotted rotors.

[N2TRUX]

Unfortunately the stainless braided lines I order were too short so we couldn't complete the install. I decided to see what I could find locally. I went to my local Orielly's and found a helpful counter guy. We ordered what we need so I can get the brakes going quickly.

With that behind us we moved to the drivers side. This side was a bit dirtier due to a leaking power steering box. Chris tore it down and started cleaning, while I assumed my position at the blasting cabinet.