Frame Rot!! Is this the end?

[LSHURST]

Ouch!

 

[TheDurk]

Ok, Here is the story of today. Managed to jump the bracket over the first crane leg by cranking the engine crane as high as it would go without lifting the body, and then letting the frame twist on its long axis:

Got me all the way to the second crane leg, but now no room at the top to get it over the leg:

The bottom of the transfer case was blocking the passage of the rear strut mounts and their transverse support members:

The issue was the transverse bar was not holding the TC high enough even though it was at the max of the jackstands holding it up. So I had to pull the transverse bar and put my airjack right under the TC to give me those critical inches:

 

[WRWhit93]

If I had the time, ability, patience and tools to pull this off.. This is great. I need to do this somehow.

 

[TheDurk]

And on we go, the dang bracket is now past the second crane leg, but now the air jack is in the way of further progress as the next transverse member gets to it (this was the advantage of the transverse bar):

I got around that by playing leapfrog with the airjack and moving it to the other side of the cross-member. This pic shows just how tight it was at the top getting the high point of the frame past the TC:

And onward inch by inch until I hit my next issue--the tailpipe won't go past the rear body jackstand, and there is no way to get that hanger off because the muffler won't move.

I had to take a sawzall to the rubber hanger and push the tailpipe to the inside. Bad calculation on my part--I thought I had the space or that I could get the hanger off if I needed to. So this is where I broke for lunch, only about three feet to go. The back is clear of all obstacles, but now I need to fit the front strut towers past the front of the body, and get the diff support over the crane leg.

 

[TheDurk]

After lunch, time to play leapfrog with the airjack again,

and start to push the front strut towers around the A/C condenser, wow, it's tighter than frog p*ssy:

All of a sudden it won't go any further, even though I swear I have 1mm of daylight everywhere. WTF? I look all over the frame, and the I spot it. The spare tire support bar manage to spear the end bracket on the e-brake cable:

So, undo that, and it's moving again. Now the jack in front is against the front crane leg, but it's only inches to go:

First, time to reposition the rear jack so I can work that end with some precision:

Then use a 2x4 on the very front of the frame to roll the last few inches into exact position. See the bamboo stick on the left goes through the body mount bolt-hole on the body and right into the matching hole on the frame--dead plumb!

Then jigger the rear and do the same thing on the opposite corner:

The frame is in position to be lifted into place. Time for a swim and a cold beverage. They can't stop me now.

 

[TheDurk]

Next is to do a few things with the frame still on the ground, like install the top end of the rear shocks, get the steering rag joint lined up, and chase the threads on the body bolts again because they all have undercoating on them. Meanwhile, I have to finish rust rehab on the rear diff--coming along better than I expected--and POR15 on the second batch of pieces: fuel tank, engine and fuel skids, both d/s's, knuckles and stub shafts, LCAs, panhard bar and some bits and pieces.

So it will be a while before the next major post.

I normally downsize the pics, but it was tough to see what was going on, so I am leaving these complicated ones original size.

 

[Rock_Rat]

Next is to do a few things with the frame still on the ground, like install the top end of the rear shocks, get the steering rag joint lined up, and chase the threads on the body bolts again because they all have undercoating on them. Meanwhile, I have to finish rust rehab on the rear diff--coming along better than I expected--and POR15 on the second batch of pieces: engine and fuel skids, both d/s's, knuckles and stub shafts, LCAs, and some bits and pieces.

So it will be a while before the next major post.

I normally downsize the pics, but it was tough to see what was going on, so I am leaving these complicated ones original size.

Great progress. Your endless ambition makes me feel pretty lazy. Guess I need to get some work done...

 

[Scramble]

he said jigger...jigger what! jigger who!

 

[gmcmanus663]

That's one helluva job!

 

[ZionXIX]

That frame is probably in better condition now than when it was new.

I realize you are almost done with this project but I had a thought. Would it have been easier to support the body with 4x4 lumber and then roll the frame and axles out from under the body as one piece? I have thought about doing this at some point in my lifetime.

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[TheDurk]

That frame is probably in better condition now than when it was new.

I realize you are almost done with this project but I had a thought. Would it have been easier to support the body with 4x4 lumber and then roll the frame and axles out from under the body as one piece? I have thought about doing this at some point in my lifetime.

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Just about anything would be easier than what I did. A lot of 4x4s costs money (lumber prices are ridiculous these days) and I have no idea how you would get the body plus 4x4s to roll. The engine is still on there so that puppy is HEAVY and the crane won't roll sideways or at all with an engine/trans in the air. I know I have nothing with wheels that would do that so more things I would have to get. I did what I did with the equipment I had and what I (sort of) knew how to do. This was a pain, but all in, final budget should be about $1200 with a LOT of needed new parts included.

If I had it to do over, I would invest in four 12T jacks to get me a few more inches of clearance. THAT would be much easier.

 

[ZionXIX]

Just about anything would be easier than what I did. A lot of 4x4s costs money (lumber prices are ridiculous these days) and I have no idea how you would get the body plus 4x4s to roll. The engine is still on there so that puppy is HEAVY and the crane won't roll sideways or at all with an engine/trans in the air. I know I have nothing with wheels that would do that so more things I would have to get. I did what I did with the equipment I had and what I (sort of) knew how to do. This was a pain, but all in, final budget should be about $1200 with a LOT of needed new parts included.

If I had it to do over, I would invest in four 12T jacks to get me a few more inches of clearance. THAT would be much easier.

I had thought about using one of these to support the engine

Then if there was a way to lift the body off of the frame without removing the axles. I saw this in the V8 conversion thread by Singtoe.

Page link: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/94282-v8-conversion-10.html

It looks like he jacked up the body using the Fram as a base and then stacked lots of plywood scraps until he reached a height where 4x4s could be placed and rested the body onto old tires.

Don't get me wrong. What you have done is Awesome and an inspiration to us all. Now if there was a way to mount the frame like you would an engine block so it could be rotated freely, that would save a lot of frustration.


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[TheDurk]

I had thought about using one of these to support the engine


Then if there was a way to lift the body off of the frame without removing the axles. I saw this in the V8 conversion thread by Singtoe.



Page link: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/94282-v8-conversion-10.html

It looks like he jacked up the body using the Fram as a base and then stacked lots of plywood scraps until he reached a height where 4x4s could be placed and rested the body onto old tires.

Don't get me wrong. What you have done is Awesome and an inspiration to us all. Now if there was a way to mount the frame like you would an engine block so it could be rotated freely, that would save a lot of frustration.


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Well, I don't have a dozen old wheels. I have jackstands and a crane. I still don't know how you deal with the engine. Singtoe wanted to pull the engine and left it on the frame. The nice thing about my method is the engine/trans/TC stays where it is and you don't have to mess with wiring, A/C and a whole bunch of stuff. But thanks for the idea.

As for flipping the frame, I got good at it. Three minutes with a 2x4 and a '61 Olds station wagon bumper jack.

 

[TheDurk]

Update:

Things are coming along. POR15'd and top coated the parts that go on after the frame is in place:

Diff is coming out better than I expected, it was pretty rough:

Installed my new Bilstein rear shocks while the frame was halfway up. I got to torque upper mount nuts--who gets to do that?

 

[TheDurk]

Putting the '61 Olds jack to work raising the rear end into place, lining up the mount bolts with their holes:

And now I can swap the rolling jack for the stable air jack in front to do the heavy lifting at that end:

So frame is ready to lift up. I still need to play with steering joint before we go further up. Weather forecast for later in the week is not good.

So here is how we sit at the end of the day:

 

[JBurt]

Awesome! I bet you've got a lot of folks jealous over there on the east coast. Enjoy seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[mckennar]

Hero status achieved. I'll never complain about a transmission swap again.

 

[TheDurk]

Update:

Not much progress today/ Installed UBJs and LBJs today on the knuckle prior to putting it on the truck. Lowers were a breeze, but getting those uppers in were a pain. I though I could MacGuyver them with a big C-clamp. Nope, bent it into a twist. Had to go to Plan B: the big ass former USArmy truck shop vise downstairs that my old man took home with him from World War II. You can still see Army green on the back, but it got white paint on the front when it was used for painting something. Needed a big ass cheater bar, but it did the job, and my MacGuyver rig with a 3/4" socket and a piece of metal off an old Ikea bed held up.

 

[ZionXIX]

Update:

Not much progress today/ Installed UBJs and LBJs today on the knuckle prior to putting it on the truck. Lowers were a breeze, but getting those uppers in were a pain. I though I could MacGuyver them with a big C-clamp. Nope, bent it into a twist. Had to go to Plan B: the big ass former USArmy truck shop vise downstairs that my old man took home with him from World War II. You can still see Army green on the back, but it got white paint on the front when it was used for painting something. Needed a big ass cheater bar, but it did the job, and my MacGuyver rig with a 3/4" socket and a piece of metal off an old Ikea bed held up.

T-post driver as a cheater bar. MacGyver would be proud.


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[St Runner]

Awesome I think you are going to start a trend with this. I know it is a ton of work but you need to drive what you love. I just hate the thought of ever driving around in a plastic push button modern vehicle. Lots of good runners in the salt belt with low miles and crappy frames. As for the upper ball joint the last two I replaced I did not even fight with them. Just pulled the hub off and pressed them out. Sometimes you just know when you are going to get your ass kicked