[SkidmoreGarage]

I have perfected my rivet removal technique with the plasma cutter! I have also been waiting on 3 wheels, brake lines, and suspension parts for the last week. A bunch of stuff is stuck in shipping limbo. I have one package that has been in transit for 11 days and has made 15 stops, and it has only made it to Nebraska. Another package has made 15 stops and it is still in Montana... I did get some parts though, and I have been keeping busy. I bought a Mr Heater Big Buddy propane heater for the garage. It is a life changer, so much more comfortable to work in the shop when you have heat. I think it will also enable me to paint the frame.

In the meantime, I have been mocking everything that I can. in preparation for mounting the coilovers. After I get everything mocked up, I will pull it all out again for paint.

I removed the extra brackets mounted to the frame, and removed the rear camper step bumper in preparation for the new bumper I bought a while ago. I also drained the 15 gallons of fuel that I left in the old tank, in preparation for removing it from the cab. I also pulled the driveshaft in preparation for a new carrier bearing to be installed.

I installed the rear end, NLE low roll panhard bar, upper coilover mounts, and Boyds Welding tank. Nothing too surprising was discovered during mockup. It was standard "aftermarket parts and c20" issues that needed problem solving. I bought Boyd's mounting kit. It is a quality part, if a little too fancy for the job. I welded the mounting bracket to the frame using some existing hole in the frame. I still need to make a filler. I plan to get a Dorman filler neck from summit and copy TA_C10's bed filler.

I also measured the track width front and rear, and ordered some spacers to square the wheels. I also used my patent-pending cardboard tire to ensure that I wouldn't have any interference. I needed exactly an inch on each side. I bought some billet bolt on spacers.