So here are some pictures from this summer......
Transfer case getting cleaned up:
Primer:
I found this date cast into the transfer case casting. This makes my 2 1/2-ton Rockwell case the same age as my 5-ton Rockwell axles. Which, by the way, they are about to celebrate their 50th birthday in a couple of weeks........
Paint:
The installation of the transfer case:
And with the passenger side mount in place:
Frontal view looking aft at the driveline corridor:
These views show the air tank and its mounts:
Bought two of these mufflers:
Driver's side in location:
Made a heat shield for the muffler:
Bought new hub seals:
Cleaned the spindle, repacked the wheel bearings, and installed the new seals:
The finished product:
Went back to the place where I bought my transfer case and bought one of the 2 1/2-ton driveshafts:
Grafted the 1410 end onto my 1350 driveshaft that I was intending to use for the front driveshaft in my puller:
A close up of the transfer case end:
From the transmission:
The Spicer life 1350 on the transmission end:
This shows the radical angle on the 1410 end:
Completed shaft:
And a brand new Spicer Life 1410 u-joint for the transfer case end:
A view of me cab hanging in the air: [eek]
The frame in anxious anticipation:
Oddly the cab installation went VERY smooth. I aint braggin', or maybe I am, but I nailed all 4 cab mounts EXACTLY! The cab is true, level, square, and parallel to the frame. And I hit the bolt holes dead center. The only thing I did extra was to add 1 factory body shim to both sides of the rear cab mount to ensure a slight nose down stance as the truck sets level.
Here is a pic of the cab after it was laid down and before the radiator support framework was added:
This is a view of the clutch linkage and my custom bracket:
Here are a couple of views that show the pieces that would become the radiator support framework:
Build up:
I used a chunk of the factory frame so the bumper brackets would work without fuss:
A nice, good view of the front after the bumper was installed:
Front of the engine going on:
Reverse rotation fan clears the radiator shroud:
Built a bracket for the steering valve:
Made some adapters so I could mount my 5-ton driveshafts to my 2 1/2-ton transfer case outputs:
Cut and shortened the 5-ton shafts:
The rear is a 1710 series:
The front is a 1610 series:
This view shows how the front driveshaft, and front brake accomodate each other:
And once again, a good view of the driveline corridor with the drivelines installed:
Side on:
I shortend the driveshafts myself. I am proud to say they are in perfect phase, and I kept the runout at a minimum. .020" on the front shaft, and .005" on the rear shaft.......which is what could be considered perfect for a driveshaft this large.
If we go back and view this picture for a moment we see parts purchased in planning of the traction/ladder bars. Or as I have been referring to them "torque arms".
I bought a stick of 2"x2" steel tube for the bars. A 1 1/2" merchant coupling was welded onto one end of the tube for the rubber bushing and the lift arm eye was welded to the other.
Partially complete:
Welding on the eye:
The axle end:
Center support:
And finally, the side on view with all of the suspension done:
The suitcase weights are to simulate having the bed, and roll bar on. In order for the torque arms to be correct at ride height I needed ballast to compress the suspension to replicate the weight.
The above view was taken just hours ago. The pictures don't show it but everything fabricated that this post is about has been sandblasted, primed, and painted. The only thing not painted is the 5-ton driveshafts, and the torque arms.
I plan on sandblasting, and painting the 5-ton driveshafts, and the torque arms this weekend. Weather permitting.
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