Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

More body work on the Sea Ten. Door and antenna fill in. Was hoping to have it painted for Santa to use, oh well maybe he can fun with it in a month or 2. Nice to feel more confident in your body work as you do more and more of it.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Installed the upper control arms today. I assembled them Grumpy style, by threading the bushings with the shaft installed on the truck. So if it doesn't work out, I know just who to blame:smoke:

Pretty much uneventful, but the RH side doesn't move up and down as freely as the LH side, couldn't tell you why. So I did the RH side over again, which was a wasted effort. It still doesn't move as freely, but I suspect it's good.

EDIT: I think I do know why the RH control arm doesn't move as freely. The rear seal contacts the control arm bracket. There's plenty of clearance on the LH side, I don't know why there would be a difference. It's not as if you can install the shafts backwards, I think?

Suppose I could add another shim. I installed the shims as they were beforehand. EDIT: That aint it. I pulled the cross arm off and it's stiff anyway. It moves well enough. IMO there's a design flaw on the RH side of some sort, probably in the bracket and/or shafts. Works anyway, so good enough for GM.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Yes, you can install them backwards, IIRC.

On my truck, I put in a new rear differential vent. I never noticed it before, but someone drilled a hole in the diff cover and put in a fitting. Then they ran the vent via a hose to the fitting on the cover. It was still vented, because the hose didn't fit the fitting on the diff cover tightly, and fell off. I don't know why I never noticed it before. Weird. There was also a fitting where the vent should have been, in order to run the hose to the diff cover.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Wholly cow, that's odd. Not sure how mine was vented factory. I found it with a fitting for a 3/8" hose I think, which runs up to the cross-member. I didn't change it, though I may add a vent cap.

You lost me on the upper shafts, I don't see how it's possible to put them on backwards. There's no top or inside out that I see. If I'm mistaken clue me in dude, because wholly cow, I'll re-do it right.

I may be off base, but I think the rear warrants a 1/32" shim or so to clear the bracket. It may work as is, but I think they're supposed to move freely. Like I said, I rebuilt it as I found it. The only changes are powder coat and new shafts. It strikes me that RH side did move more freely than it does now. I checked the old seals, there's no glaring damage, but I'm not sure it would show on the exterior side. The rubber is pretty tuff.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

"Installed the upper control arms today. I assembled them Grumpy style, by threading the bushings with the shaft installed on the truck. So if it doesn't work out, I know just who to blame " :lol:

I think what Steeveedee is referring to is the left upper arm can be installed on the right side and vice versa .

I'm sure it's all fine and once aligned and with all the weight on it you'll balance out get some Dykem torque seal to mark your bushings it's a quick visual check to make sure nothings loose or moving every ones seen it before but not many use it on reinstall . . try to get the grease zerk fittings to point down . makes it easier to get the grease gun on the fitting later on . I'd get more pictures of mine done but it's already bagged in plastic to keep it clean .

Dykem indicator paste --- https://www.emisupply.com/catalog/pa...1185_1215.html

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Simple: I bought it!
https://i.imgur.com/L5nwCXt.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fNbxc4U.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/UVqJxvt.jpg

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

I stripped down the drivers door on the 68 to clean, paint, and lube the window and door mechanisms. I've got all new glass run channels and anti rattle strips to put back in. The original parts are surprisingly in good shape. I need a door handle mechanism and a couple of window regulator rollers but that's it.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

I was hoping U might chime in;) Good information. Against my first instinct I'll leave the shims to the pros.....Something is off on my RH side, either the bracket or A-arm. There's little clearance between the front of the bracket and the edge of the arm, but I think it's okay. The LH side is perfect all the way around..............Can't be the cross member, it only fits one way.

The only way to screw this up is are the bushings, and that's not it. I did the RH twice:lol: It's in my head, 4.5 360s both sides and you're a pinch off the A-arm;) I followed it all the way through. The shafts are nuts with the A-arms. A bushing on each side did have more to give, I believe that's normal, though I did see where you can make some adjustment.

Speak of zerk fittings, I suspect Moogs parts are engineered enough you can use the zerk fittings tight as an indicator how the bushings should finish. Not that you can't adjust the fittings, perhaps even the bushings. That and when the bushings contact the shaft the tip on the nut is @ 12-O-clock. Makes for an easy mark.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

We mocked up the motor and trans! Progress...

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

I took apart the radio and painted the needle. The radio doent work but it will look better.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

turn

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Hers it put back together

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Sorry for the delay in getting to this. Since that post, we have had 14" of snow, downed trees, Christmas road trip, then 8" of rain and flooding. Oh, and the old engine in the truck started knocking (joy).

Anyway, got to it tonight. The whole process worked out much better than I feared. My goal in all of this is for the drip edge to be weather tight, not looks.

Before the Christmas road trip, I had sprayed on a coat of 2K Epoxy primer that I got in a rattle can from Advance Auto (who knew?). Primarily because the 3M instructions indicate to apply this on a 2K primer or bare metal. This will be the beige color in the pics below.

Along with the 3M 8307 Self Leveling and the 3M 8308 heavy body, I also ordered the 3M gun (3M P/N 8571).

Attachment 1852632

I started with the vertical portions of the drip edge and laid down a pretty thick bead of the 3M 8308, starting right at the top of the upper curve. Then I simply used a gloved finger to smooth it out, trying to press it into the seam without squeezing it out. I left the beginning of the bead pretty thick, so it will act as a dam for the self leveling 8307.

Attachment 1852629

I also had a spot at the upper right corner where there was about a 1/8" gap between the roof skin and the rest of the metal that I filled with a small bead of 8308. Once both sides were done, I let it cure for about an hour, then took the 3M 8307 and got after it. Starting on one side, I began filling the drip edge, and worked my way around to the other side. The 8307 is definitely thinner than the 8308 and leveled out nicely.

Attachment 1852630

I then let that cure for about an hour, then masked off the cab and sprayed a coat of basic white rattle can primer over the newly sealed drip edge. Nothing fancy.

Attachment 1852631

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

No longer in jackstand jail. Having trouble with brakes still though :(

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

While I'm waiting for some parts to refresh my door mechanisms I decided to tackle a couple of rust issues in each outer corner and where it is split unde the vent wing. Also I'm getting rid of that God awful 6x9 speaker hole. here's a few pics of my progress.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

And a few more of the rust repair and speaker hole.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Nice ride. Hope u get those brakes worked out before spring bro

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

moved the coil packs

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

I pulled my bench seat, removed last of the green shag carpet. So glad that is gone. I vacuumed floorboards. Installed new dome light I got for Christmas. Removed lower part of old door gaskets, they were holding moisture. Removed old stereo amp under the seat.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

I finished up welding up the patch for the ugly speaker hole in the door this afternoon Also I picked up this nice E brake cover at the swap meet this morning. Thanks Todd, nice meeting you.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

that really turne out very nice worth the investment of the gun i bet

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

I finally got started on my project over the holidays, i'm going to try to upload photos shortly. Getting the front drums off, they were completely rusted solid, was a chore. But I have them off, and I've gotten all the parts to put it back together. I'm keeping the drum brakes for now, I hope in the future to go to disc.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Let me see if I got the picture upload thing down?

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...pszqh5ituv.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...psakyqexul.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...psbv5ek99f.jpg

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Got my control arms in. I'm going to see if I can install the coil springs cleanly with an internal compressor. I'm not holding my breathe on that one. If I can't then I'll wait for the engine, see if that's enough weight. I'd like to put the suspension to rest already.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

If you rotate the shaft in the A-arm before you install it, it will move fore and aft within the A-arm to center it.