1986 3+3 4x4
 

Picked this up last June and have been working the bugs out as I drive.

292/sm465. You can see the slight forward rake in the profile pic. Ride was a little rough…took me a couple weeks to figure out it was riding on the shocks . Found some 4” front springs to get that sorted out.

Checking out a tick coming from the engine and found what looked to be a push rod that had been “customized” with a grinding wheel and a loose rocker that had been wearing out the top of one of the valves.I swapped in another pushrod and decided it would be a good idea to take it up the mountain on our family vacation. Two bent pushrods later I had it sorted out…until I plugged the pvc and blew out one of the remaining non leaking gaskets…..

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Ended up pulling the 292 and putting in a 250 that I had on the stand to keep it on the road.

Rear springs were 12 leaf one ton packs that would just about knock your teeth out with every little bump. Been using the truck on the property we’re building our house on so I drove it up until recently with those stiff springs. The lift in the front made it have about a 2” difference between the front and rear. Found a c20 in the pic a part so grabbed the rear springs out of it and ordered a shackle flip kit from ORD and got that put on in the last week.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

This thing was like driving a battleship….turning radius was about a football field. Always heard these things don’t turn well so I figured it was just how they were. Finally took five minutes and looked at the steering setup one day and figured out why it would hardly turn….:rolleyes:

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

What the ...........???? How did that even fit down through the hole. Arm upside down also?

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Nice crew cab you have here. I'm bettign there aren't too many around with a 6 cylinder still in them. That is some shady stuff on the drag link. Is that rod end shaft smaller or did they ream the top side of the pitman arm to get it to go through? Definitely sketch. :lol:

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

look at it closely, the pitman is upside down. Now I think I've seen everything

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Thanks! Wasn’t a factory six cylinder according to the SPID sheet, but this truck is a hodgepodge of parts anyway. I’m torn between rebuilding the 292 and going LS. Just hoping the 250 holds together long enough for me finish building my house!

I figured most would get a good chuckle out of that. Couldn’t believe it when I saw it!

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Dang! :lol: It sure is. Whoops. Haha

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Cool truck. Never have seen a short bed stepside crew cab. Guessing that is some of the work somebody's already done? If so, at least the bed is right side up, haha. If the six is not original, my vote is as much displacement as you can stand, haha. I like era correct engines in these trucks, but an LS can be more practical in a lot of ways, especially if you drive it a lot.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Yes the shortbed stepside conversion was done when I got it. It looks pretty well done compared to some of the previously mentioned sketchy stuff. I’m currently on the lookout for a short wheelbase utility bed. I like the stepside a lot but have been wanting another utility bed teuck since I got rid of the 62.

I’m definitely leaning more towards the LS. 6.0 sounds about right. :metal:

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Sold the stepside bed and am on the hunt for a utility bed. Short beds are hard to find for sure. Missed out on a couple, but I’ll find one eventually.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Too bad you're so far away. I have one I'd sell or trade for a good long bed.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

I do know a guy in your area, but might be a little too far to be economical these days lol. :waah:

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Found a utility bed in the local pic-a-part. Spent the better part of this past Saturday with my brother cutting it off. Needs a new floor and some other metal work, but I'm happy to have found it.

https://nc4x4.com/attachments/1652889764927-png.372919/

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Good work. That'll be cool.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Thanks. Looking forward to getting the bed put on. Started working on patching up some of the bad metal last night. Plenty more of that to do

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

I'm guessing that you are using what you have handy, but magnets, welding clamps, or clecos might speed things up for you, even just for that front panel.

Looking forward to seeing it come together.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

You're 100% right, and I do have some magnets....somewhere haha. The c clamps weren't too big of a pain to use and I managed to get that piece and the small spot beside it filled in the other night and looking halfway decent. If you have any suggestions for improving my booger welds, I'm all ears :lol:

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Nice score on the utility bed. You sure don't find the short ones very often.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Oh man, I wish I was good enough at welding to offer anyone advice. I can only offer the same advice I need to follow and that is to practice, haha. I thought it was cool that you found that utility bed and when you showed patching that front panel I was thinking that the c clamp would be trying to pivot and twist the piece you are trying to attach when you put it on. No criticism intended or implied.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Thanks. They are definitely harder to come by. The passenger side is rougher than the driver's. Somehow the rear part of the wheel well panel got folded up and is caught up under a piece of angle iron. Gonna take some work to straighten it out.

No criticism taken at all my friend, hopefully I didn't come off as being offended! I was mainly just trying to make fun of my mediocre welding skills. It definitely takes practice, and I just don't get too many opportunities to do it.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

You didn't, just making sure not to step on your toes. And based on my welding experience which is nearly none, I didn't want to come across as telling you what to do. It just looked like it would be difficult to keep working with the c clamps. But I am interested to follow your build.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

My wife is gone all week so hopefully can sneak in some garage time when the kids are asleep. Planning to cut the crusty floor out next and see if I can come up with a good solution for replacement. My brother said he had some treated 2x6’s left over from a remodel job he did a while back. I liked the wood floor in the stepside bed and I think it might be cool to put one in this bed and paint it black like the wood beds in 60s era trucks. Plus it’s free lol

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Finally got around to cutting on the floor. Got it all out and started cutting some bad metal out of the boxes as well. Contemplating getting one of the 30" Harbor Freight metal brakes to help with bending up some sheet metal when the time comes to start patching up the boxes.

https://nc4x4.com/attachments/a92594...f-jpeg.375024/

https://nc4x4.com/attachments/f6b9e7...a-jpeg.375023/

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Did some trading for this pile yesterday. High mileage GMC 3500 van with the 6.0 engine. Will use it for mobile storage/junk hauling while we're building our house and pull the engine and part it out when I'm ready to put it in the truck.

https://images.craigslist.org/00T0T_...2_1200x900.jpg