Didn't get as much done as I had planned. Had some family in town, and on top of that, O'Reilly's doesn't stock the spring compressor I wanted to use...so, I guess I'll add another tool to the box.
I was able to get the front half of the frame wire wheeled and treated with Metal Blast. I'm not really impressed with the product, but it was worth the $25 gamble. Assembled some of the front steering and put the upper and lower a-arms in place. Finally yesterday I spent some time getting the new band saw dialed in and cut the four 4" square tube chunks for the cab mounts.
I have decided to scrap the idea on the the Explorer rear end. I want a drop in solution for absolute worst case scenarios, so I will be doing a 4x4 Blazer/Bravada axle instead. I intend to drive this truck, everywhere! I have an 8.5" unit located for a decent price, but it's a 6 hour drive one way to pick it up. So I may just run a 7.5" in the meantime.
Added a picture of the decreasing parts pile. I'll be taking the wheels in today to get painted.
