My Luxurious late model truck (not so much)

[Tx Firefighter]

You guys are very kind with your compliments. I'm not seeing myself selling my welders and buying table saws and planers anytime in my future. Woodwork just hasn't ever been something I get enjoyment out of. But, I can't drive a truck with a crappy looking console when the solution is so inexpensive and not terribly difficult either.

Devin, I asked about the bulb inserts. Rock bottom price is 26 dollars each. Looks like I'll be using more generic bulbs when I finally do cab lights. Now that I have the headliner and trim in place, the cab lights have fallen down further on my priority list.

I guess I'll drag my butt out there tomorrow and bench press that transfer case up into place. I have a pretty badly torn rotator cuff in my shoulder so I'm sure that's gonna be an adventure.

[aggie91]

Hey Kevin, since you probably have some scrap steel laying around, why not whip out a cradle to hold that tcase on your floor jack and use that to lift it into place since you are let's say on the injured reserve list....

[Tx Firefighter]

I got 'er in there without too much trouble. My technique was to use a motorcycle jack to get it up between the rails then a pair of ratchet straps across from rail to rail to support it. Then I could lower the jack down and get it out of the way and slide underneath it on my creeper and bench press it into final place. The injured shoulder comes into play when trying to reach out and stiff arm the thing up off the ground and over onto my chest. Once I'm directly underneath it, I can lift no problem.



All in all, no problems really. It's all in and all wiring, linkage, hoses, etc as in place exactly as mother GM intended.

[83GMCK2500]

Looks good sitting on the jack, bet it looks even better now that it's bolted in place. I don't remember, where does the vent line go to on the truck from the 241? I can't remember if it goes to trans top cover bolt, bell housing, back of head... Good to see you got it in without any unnecessary strain or injury. I see a jackstand under the trans tail; do you mount the 241, tighten the 6 bolts, route and connect wires & vent, and then do crossmember, leaving drivelines for last?

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by 83GMCK2500

Looks good sitting on the jack, bet it looks even better now that it's bolted in place. I don't remember, where does the vent line go to on the truck from the 241? I can't remember if it goes to trans top cover bolt, bell housing, back of head... Good to see you got it in without any unnecessary strain or injury. I see a jackstand under the trans tail; do you mount the 241, tighten the 6 bolts, route and connect wires & vent, and then do crossmember, leaving drivelines for last?

I don't know where the 241 vent is supposed to be routed exactly. It definitely wasn't routed well when I took it out. At present I have it running up to the top of the transmission and then paired with the trans vent tube. From there both run parallel (zip tied symmetrically of course) up to the floor board and over the frame rail on the left side.

I installed it exactly like you said. Jackstand to hold trans up. Mount 241. Secure all bolts, linkage, wiring and lines, then jack it all up, install mount and crossmember, then finally drive lines.

As I was installing the rear driveline, I was noticing my next project. The rearend has a weepy pinion seal and two weepy axle seals. I'm sure the brakes are cruddy from the leaking axles. I was running a parts list in my head (not too bad) when I noticed this (click for video)

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...B314CD0E09.mp4

Sh1t. Nothing else to say but sh1t. That just went from a pinion seal job to a rearend on sawhorses rebearing job.

I'm dead broke right now and dropping 2 to 3 bills on a bearing kit ain't gonna happen for a little while. I'm frustrated. Gonna have to walk away for a few days and reset my head.

[83GMCK2500]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

As I was installing the rear driveline, I was noticing my next project. The rearend has a weepy pinion seal and two weepy axle seals. I'm sure the brakes are cruddy from the leaking axles. I was running a parts list in my head (not too bad) when I noticed this (click for video)

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...B314CD0E09.mp4

Sh1t. Nothing else to say but sh1t. That just went from a pinion seal job to a rearend on sawhorses rebearing job.

I'm dead broke right now and dropping 2 to 3 bills on a bearing kit ain't gonna happen for a little while. I'm frustrated. Gonna have to walk away for a few days and reset my head.

I see that that is a 9.5" 14 bolt now, any chance that someone is parting a truck or selling a 10.5" 14 bolt on craigslist? Up here they can be scrounged for less than that bearing kit if one is patient. I realize it will probably take a little $ in one of them as well, but might find one that will take less $, leaving you with something greater in the end.

[aggie91]

all I can say after that video is dayum...I would walk away for a bit too.

Maybe you can get a few things done on the stepper that don't cast any money...

[sdailey]

Professional as always Kevin. Always enjoy catching up on your projects.

Sorry to hear about the future axle rebuild. But know that'll we'll be there along the way with you.

[abebummy26]

Love this truck and all your trucks for that matter. Top notch build quality.

[Tx Firefighter]

Well, I woke up this morning with my stubborn on. I don't often get dug in and full on retard stubborn but I'm not gonna let this drag me down. What's that old phase...."Some days you've just got to spit on your hands, hoist the black flag and start slitting throats."

I had some money set aside in my bank account and have been ignoring it (I don't have a credit card to rely on so I stockpile cash when I can). So, I used the internet machine and searched around and found a nice Timken differential rebuild kit at Amazon for 118 dollars, which is 60 dollars less than Rockauto or any other place I've found. Same Timken brand, same part number. So, I texted Valerie at work and had her use her Amazon Prime account to order it with her free 2 day shipping privileges.

And I got a little something coming from the Tire Rack too. Should be delivered tomorrow. Actually, not a little something, more like 4 big somethings. I went with an unusual size not often seen.

[Tx Firefighter]

Following on the heels of the mystery tires I ordered today, I've got a little update I haven't shown you guys yet.

Awhile back I made a little Craigslist score...











These are good Texas wheels so they aren't corroded like the guys from the rust belt deal with. For those of you not terribly familiar with them, these wheels are super high quality forged wheels. Very light and very strong. They'll go good with my Tire Rack delivery tomorrow.

[68Timber]

Gateway Gumbo Buckshot Mudders?

[flashed]

Sorry to hear of the rear end situation but them wheels sure are gonna look nice on there .

[Tx Firefighter]

I just got four tracking numbers in an email from TireRack. They predicted tomorrow delivery.

If you look up the word "badassedness" in the dictionary, you will see a picture of the tires I ordered. Apparently the TireRack had to run a background check on me before they could ship the tires...to see if I was capable of owning such a set of skins.

[aggie91]

now that's funny...

[Palf70Step]

[jhama78]

235 85 16s or something else tall and skinny?

that things gonna look great on those wheels.

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by jhama78

235 85 16s or something else tall and skinny?

that things gonna look great on those wheels.

Bigger, taller. Good guess though.

[mud.man.rj]

Nice score on the rims, one of my favorite factory rims.

[83GMCK2500]

If not 8.25-R16, then LT255-85R-16

[Tx Firefighter]

I'm mulling over options for my wheels and tires as to what look I want to pursue.

Remember, I have white truck with black fender flares.



I was initially shooting for this look. White truck, black flares, PY0 wheels with white letters showing.



Then I ran across some pictures of black PY0 with black wall tires.





That black wheel, black wall, chrome center cap look is growing on me a lot. What say you ? If I go black, you know the quality of work will be there with powdercoat for looks and durability. Nothing ghetto.

Its a serious decision as to coating the wheels. Because once I go black I can never go back, to polished.

[lolife99]

My vote goes for a polished wheel and a tall "blackwall side out" tire.
These wheels have a very good look to them,... that will be lost if you coat them black.
Just my opinion.

[Palf70Step]

Especially for the white truck, I think the chrome looks better.

[sdailey]

X3

Keep them polished and I lean more toward a white letter out look, but the blackwall out looks good as well.

[Tx Firefighter]

I guess my indecision on wheel color stems from how common they are. Yesterday at work we went up to the coffee shop for breakfast. As I was walking inside, I counted six trucks in the parking lot there with PY0 wheels. I don't know about every place, but they are probably the single most common wheel seen in my area overall. There's also a bunch of po boy hillbilly junkyard reject GMT400 trucks around here with them too since they can buy pull off wheel and tires dirt cheap from the guys building late model Brodozer pickups. Basically if the poor guys can't afford tires for their junk they just grab a set of PY0s off Craiglsist cheap to get them by. I want to stand apart from that look.