1997 Sketchy SleepyDad build

long story semi-shorter version

My wife pointed out I had still had my birthday present from April sitting on the floor in the "good room" in front of the fireplace. you know that good room nobody is allowed to use? only those people who come over to visit that you don't like anyways... they get to use the good room.

any who so yea those are sliders and I need get them onto the truck.

I have always wanted bolt on sliders but I never liked what I found... so since I will be removing the body off this frame shortly.... why not make this way harder than it should be? Yes good idea lets make this super hard.

First the concept. using M12 tube nuts and grade 10 M12 bolts and 1/4" plate I want to make a mounting pad 3x on each side of the truck. This way I can then make a pad for the sliders and maybe even some locating pins. This way the sliders can be removed if needed. I would never attempt this unless I have a bare frame. way tooooooooo much drilling. but since I will have a bare frame again... lets do this thing.

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I will be needing a test section from my "you need to get rid of that rusty junk frame" I still have it
<a href="https://imgur.com/pcl7rw8"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/pcl7rw8l.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

actually decent step bits make this pretty fast work, and some cutting oil.
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yep something like this and yes will need to extent the tube nuts with some dom tube.
<a href="https://imgur.com/vMFRB9A"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/vMFRB9Al.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

I also found some dom tube that is thick wall and almost exactly matches the tube nuts.
<a href="https://imgur.com/acPdmNy"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/acPdmNyl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Still unsure if I want to add a plate on the inside as well? maybe but I'm not sure it's needed. I think as long as the inside also gets 4 holes in the correct place and I can weld the dom on that side as well it should be ok.

I always admire someone who can use a drywall T square for automotive work. Excellent.

My ex wife used the “good room” for her enormous collection of Matryoshka dolls. They were everywhere. Upon seeing them for the first time, most of our former friends would have the Vince Vaughn reaction in Dodgeball when he sees Kate’s unicorn collection for the first time, sans the “Dear Barbara” utterance. Not sure Putin and the Kremlin boys could have rivaled her collection in sheer size.

LittleCaesar said:

I always admire someone who can use a drywall T square for automotive work. Excellent.

My ex wife used the “good room” for her enormous collection of Matryoshka dolls.

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Yea well... I'm like only 2 years out now on the bathroom remodel. Counter top guys come tomorrow to install the counter top. that is a milestone for me.

maybe painting in a week or so... maybe. I desperately want to get back to truck stuff full time. But I have to show progress, why did I get married again?

I know what those little nesting dolls are all about, my first real GF's family came from Poland. her grandma had like creepy old school ones with strange face paint jobs from the old country. I think they had been passed down thru the ages. In a way they were cool but I knew in the back on my mind those things would show up and give me night terrors.

sleepydad said:

Yea well... I'm like only 2 years out now on the bathroom remodel. Counter top guys come tomorrow to install the counter top. that is a milestone for me.

maybe painting in a week or so... maybe. I desperately want to get back to truck stuff full time. But I have to show progress, why did I get married again?

I know what those little nesting dolls are all about, my first real GF's family came from Poland. her grandma had like creepy old school ones with strange face paint jobs from the old country. I think they had been passed down thru the ages. In a way they were cool but I knew in the back on my mind those things would show up and give me night terrors.

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When the ex was away for work overnight, I swear those things would start jumping around like jumping beans. I wanted so badly to take a bowling ball to them just once. Probably in the neighborhood of 300 if memory serves me correctly. :becky:

Good luck with the remodel. I have a bathroom subfloor myself that has to be replaced due to a badly leaking wax ring. I have seen sixty old horse hair wax rings in better shape than the twelve year old Kohler special that failed.

new level of sketch has been reached? yes?

I removed the rear coils and the front coil overs so it's on it's bumps right now. As low as possible to make sure I don't need to raise it too high up.

I ran out of daylight and I’m tired from ripping the truck apart all day so I will see how it goes tomorrow. I was able to pick up up about 12” and it seemed fine. I think I will add some light duty ratchets on each corner just so the center of gravity stays put. It’s very well centered and I was able to spin it easily with just one hand, and that is not a good thing. So adding some x’ed straps should keep it in place. Tested that theory and it worked perfect.

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The plan if it goes well is to roll the frame out and then roll the trailer under this body and take it to the scrap yard, once I pull out anything I think I want.

solid as a rock

was totally fine, solid as a rock. was a little nerve racking pulling it out from under the contraption.

<a href="https://imgur.com/sBBWI3T"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/sBBWI3Tl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

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Maybe I'm missing something, but did you originally plan to retain this body when you swapped the frame? Seems like you just made extra work.

Regardless of logic I am enjoying this and would probably do the same.

Great work, you are Hephaestus incarnate.

T4R2014 said:

Maybe I'm missing something, but did you originally plan to retain this body when you swapped the frame? Seems like you just made extra work.

Regardless of logic I am enjoying this and would probably do the same.

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I have a different body that is rust free. I wanted to do sliders, some custom links, and a few other things.... ran out of time last year so I had to draw a line and this old craptastic body was it.

Things don't always work out on a linear path? 2020 proved that in spades.

With COVID messing everything up I never painted the other body. Everything in life kind of got pushed out by 1 year.

stay alive, stay employed, and keep the family safe and healthy is the priority this year. Would love to have done more but... I will be happy to get this swapped and back on the road before it snows.

the Great 2020 slider project is taking shape

finished up 2 of the 6 mounting plates I will need to have bolt on sliders. I think it's going to work out well. finger x'ed

still lots of work to do...

<a href="https://imgur.com/r2DG3q8"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/r2DG3q8l.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

<a href="https://imgur.com/X1xeNiB"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/X1xeNiBl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

I am following the bolt on sliders closely cause I want to do it myself. Man, your ideas and execution are top notch.

spartacus said:

I am following the bolt on sliders closely cause I want to do it myself. Man, your ideas and execution are top notch.

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thanks brother.

I will be able to finish up the 3 other connections today. I need to go out and grab some seam sealer. wanted to slather some on the inside where I'm not welding.
<a href="https://imgur.com/1vjkOBU"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/1vjkOBUl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

I can also report for drill in metal this setup is the bomb. spiral step bit with impact driver. no more break your wrist. noisy yes but that is what ear muffs are made 4.
<a href="https://imgur.com/OzBY5X8"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/OzBY5X8l.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

frame mods for sliders completed - mostly

all 6 plates are done, and this was a lot of work.

<a href="https://imgur.com/QL27COp"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/QL27COpl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

capped off the dom tube inside connections so nothing can sneak in (salt I'm looking @ you ಠ_ಠ )

<a href="https://imgur.com/RYhzc76"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/RYhzc76l.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

put a fresh coat of DTM epoxy down on everything
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<a href="https://imgur.com/I4F2W0r"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/I4F2W0rl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

and of course this is the sketchy build so I need to provide some
<a href="https://imgur.com/21VFcxt"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/21VFcxtl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

now onto the rear axle assembly lower link modified brackets... then we can put the body back onto this frame. whew!

boring but had to do it

before I drop a body back onto the frame I figured this is an easy time to service the starter. did both terminals and the plunger. everything else was still in spec so I left it alone.

<a href="https://imgur.com/7WJhSAz"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/7WJhSAzl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

smooth like Tennessee whiskey

upgrading to ballistics 2.63 in joints provided slightly better RTI scores so I wanted to keep them. however as you can see the barrel size is a bit larger than the stock links. Yes you can clearance the lower arm bracket and that works but it was a bit more clearancing than I was cool with... Q up way tooooo much work again.

<a href="https://imgur.com/e3xZr5m"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/e3xZr5ml.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

made up a pattern in autodesk fusion and 3d printed some sheet metal flat patterns. this took a few versions but... made it go much easier grind wise. cut them out with the plasma cutter and then cleaned them up. not perfect but good enough. the stock brackets are 1/8" material and of course I up-sized them to 3/16.

<a href="https://imgur.com/5fm3Duu"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/5fm3Duul.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

after spending some time on the press brake I realized I did not have a goose neck die in the correct size,
so I decided to slice them in 1/2 then I was able to do the bends on the press.
<a href="https://imgur.com/KGv5rPF"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/KGv5rPFl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

This actually made it a lot easier to get the angles and holes in the correct location so... I think actually cutting the brackets into 2 pieces made the fit up way faster. like way way faster.

<a href="https://imgur.com/c3Astd3"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/c3Astd3l.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Tacked this one in place and now I need to get the other one on so... I can then remove the axle assembly off and get them burnt down nice. I needed to fix a couple of spots where I used rattle can last year and it rusted in short order.

it's not as easy as it would seem because the brackets are @ about a 3 deg angle. I needed to do some grinding to get things to snug up just right. I might add a gusset on the top just to provide a little bit more strength.
<a href="https://imgur.com/ZqC2tiT"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/ZqC2tiTl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Awesome build and fabrication skills! This is a silly thing to be commentating on in this thread with all of the cool stuff going on, but what did you refinish those 5 spoke wheels with? They look sweet and I always wonder when I see your thread pop up.

cblock406 said:

Awesome build and fabrication skills! This is a silly thing to be commentating on in this thread with all of the cool stuff going on, but what did you refinish those 5 spoke wheels with? They look sweet and I always wonder when I see your thread pop up.

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Thanks I'm enjoying doing this stuff. As I sip my morning coffee and groan because my 51 year old body feels like it was in a car accident after rolling around on the concrete floor.

originally those wheels were in tough shape. I blasted them down and then had a guy local to me powder coat them

RAL 7040 window grey, and I think it's a flat sheen.

it's supposedly the same color as some of the FJ40's used stock.

Thanks for letting me know! And I can relate, I've been doing a fair amount of rolling around on concrete myself.

now what?

I smoked in my lower control arm brackets, blasted them and KBS rust coated them with 2x coats.

<a href="https://imgur.com/689q4G8"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/689q4G8l.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

since I'm waiting on some brake parts... and I had everything laying around...

did the transfrer bushing and all that jaz
<a href="https://imgur.com/WUQ4vDG"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/WUQ4vDGl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a><a href="https://imgur.com/O71AJ5K"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/O71AJ5Kl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

also re-rabbed the shifter with bushing, boots, and trans control link. I even took everything off the shift plate assembly, blasted it and epoxy coated it.

<a href="https://imgur.com/v8zAk96"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/v8zAk96l.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

<a href="https://imgur.com/rirhkrz"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/rirhkrzl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

swapped the purple body onto the good power train.

<a href="https://imgur.com/B3RbY1e"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/B3RbY1el.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>
LZHOME 2-Pack LED Garage Lights, Deformable LED Garage Ceiling Lights 9000 Lumens, 82W CRI 80 Led Shop Lights for Garage, Adjustable Garage Lights, Led Garage Lighting (No Motion Activated) - - Amazon.com
put 6x of these amazing space ship lights into my garage, wow what a difference I have been working in a cave before this.

<a href="https://imgur.com/RzHj5Z3"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/RzHj5Z3l.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

and now what the heck do I do with this thing?
craigs list? how much should I ask? it's rusty but not that rusty compared to MN native trucks. one of the motor mounts is bent but... truck drove fine and has 231K on this power train, complete with wire harness.

<a href="https://imgur.com/H1boiK7"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/H1boiK7l.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

sleepydad said:

and now what the heck do I do with this thing?
craigs list? how much should I ask? it's rusty but not that rusty compared to MN native trucks. one of the motor mounts is bent but... truck drove fine and has 231K on this power train, complete with wire harness.

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Adult go kart? An adulcart if you will imp: