Project "Just an Old Truck"

[cericd]

I thought the new PB crossmember was gonna solve the problem?
Posted via Mobile Device

[C10_ustacould]

I guess it's multiple things to include non-truck related issues. But mainly it's just things I would have done differently if I had known more. I created a Lessons Learned post and I think now is a good time to post it. Some I'm going to post it now and put a big CORRECTED or a ACCEPTED by each one as I correct them or simply accept them. Some may seem petty but they all bother me on some level. It will take a while, but I believe that fixing these issues (along with the vibration) will make me happier with the truck in the long run. Well, here it is...

Lessons Learned

In any build there are things that could have been done differently. I figured I would write a post to highlight the things I would have done differently on mine. I figure the best way to do this is to start at the front of the truck and work my way rearward.

Radiator - I like the entropy radiator and fan set up but if I had it to do over I would have used a factory hose configuration (non-dual pass) and use the factory truck hoses. I would have had to plumb in the steam vent hose, but that has proven to be a simple task with many clean solutions.

Brake Booster/Master Cylinder - The CPP unit I have works great, but it is a monster and I like the clean look of the Wilwood or CPP MCPV-1 units.

Front Suspension Crossmember – I swapped the original ’68 crossmember for a 73-87 unit. The later crossmember does not have tabs for the early brake lines. Knowing what I know now, I would have kept the original and simply bolted new control arms to it.

Control Arms – I rebuilt factory 73-87 control arms, and with all that went into doing them I would have been smart to buy aftermarket tubular control arms at the start. Note: I have Porterbuilt Forward Arms waiting to be installed!

Brake Lines – If I had kept the factory crossmember I would have been able to use new factory bent lines with conversion rubber hoses for the disk brake upgrade. This would have been much cleaner.

Trailing Arm Crossmember – I used an ECE unit because it is what I learned of first, and it is a beefy piece that will work great for many years, but when you drop a step side it moves the wheel rearward in the wheel well. I have ordered a Porterbuilt custom configured adjustable crossmember that will allow me to adjust my wheel placement and my pinion angle. I wish I had learned about the Coil-over Drop Member sooner!

Fuel Tank – I have a Boyd Welding tank and an external pump. When making right turns the fuel sloshes away from the outlet, which almost kills the engine. In retrospect I should have used the tank with the internal Aeromotive pump.

Wheels – I have a good-looking set of wheels, but they are not what I really wanted. I picked an alternative because the wheels I wanted were out of stock… I should have waited. My truck needs a set of gun metal grey five spokes.

Well, that is what I can think of right now. If I remember anything else I will add it. I didn't intend for this to be a therapy session or to degrade the help I have received from many of you, you guys are AWESOME!! I guess I just needed to vent.

[Rusbuilt]

well all I can say is... At least you're learning! lol You've put a lot of time into this thing and one day you will have just how you want it!

[shawno72]

Buck you are doing fine. How many of these trucks have you built? I am on my second and I can tell you this, I have learned a lot from my first but am still doing stuff a second time on my 68 that I have now. Sometimes it takes multiple attempts to get it corrected to the way we want it. I have replaced my drop springs twice with little change in drop. I am about to change my rear blocks to essentially achieve a 1/2'" differance in drop My first truck was a 72 leaf spring truck so I learned about how lower the rear with leaf springs but the front was just springs and spindles. Now my 68 is a whole lot more work, I have already completely rebuilt the front end and I to will probably go with some tubalur control arms I guess what I am trying to say is your are far from alone in this situation. Just keep coming back here and venting with us and we will share your pain and let you know that everything is gonna be fine. Remember it will be well worth it once its finished......oh wait then you'll have to buy another because the sickness does not stop at just one

[Bennett68C10]

Buck I definitely know exactly how you feel as I have made more mistakes building my truck then you could ever do I have changed my suspension 3 times, changed drivetrains twice and changed wheels 3 times. All this while i'm still in the build stage. Like you I wish I knew more in the beginning, I wish I just would have went with the Porterbuilt Dropmembers from the start, but I didn't and have come to terms with that. My biggest problem now is I just wish I would have bought a nice solid rust free truck like you did to start with cause I have a ton of bodywork and paint to do and don't know quite how I'm going to do it all. You can still drive your truck and enjoy it and change the things that bother you as time goes by. I say don't give up on it yet, you have a beautiful truck that i would love to have. Nothing is forever and things can always be changed. Don't give up on her yet.

[shawno72]

Good point Keith, at least your truck is a running driving truck. How many thumbs up have you gotten so far? Only you and us know whats underneath the truck, just take things one step at a time. I at one point put my truck up for sale cause I found rust in a place that I didn't see when I bought it. I know sometimes you just want to get rid of it and start over. Nobody builds a perfect truck in their garage the first time through. Make a list of the things you want to get done then just do them one at a time and check them off as you go. Seeing the check marks will give you a sense of accomplishment and will help.

[RdoubleU]

Originally Posted by BucksSS

Lessons Learned

Fuel Tank – I have a Boyd Welding tank and an external pump. When making right turns the fuel sloshes away from the outlet, which almost kills the engine. In retrospect I should have used the tank with the internal Aeromotive pump.

BuckSS - Check out the idea and possible use of a Fuel Swirl Pot (Also referred to as a Fuel Surge Tank) In your application.

I am going to work on trying to build a system with this concept to maintain my factory incab tank because I also bought a new tank that only supported a carb at the time.

This option may help you out without being too costly

http://flashcustoms.wordpress.com/20...uel-swirl-pot/

[RRC]

I agree with you guys....it's funny I was talking to the painter at work this morning and looking at my rendering , saying how much I liked the look of the seats while rembering that on my last truck I did the interior 3 times!!! Every build has some learning lessons , you just can't let it get you down. Keep up the good work your truck looks great!!! You have to remember your probably your own worst critic.
Posted via Mobile Device

[C10_ustacould]

Originally Posted by Rusbuilt

well all I can say is... At least you're learning! lol You've put a lot of time into this thing and one day you will have just how you want it!

That's true I am learning PLENTY!

Originally Posted by shawno72

Buck you are doing fine. How many of these trucks have you built? I am on my second and I can tell you this, I have learned a lot from my first but am still doing stuff a second time on my 68 that I have now. Sometimes it takes multiple attempts to get it corrected to the way we want it. I have replaced my drop springs twice with little change in drop. I am about to change my rear blocks to essentially achieve a 1/2'" differance in drop My first truck was a 72 leaf spring truck so I learned about how lower the rear with leaf springs but the front was just springs and spindles. Now my 68 is a whole lot more work, I have already completely rebuilt the front end and I to will probably go with some tubalur control arms I guess what I am trying to say is your are far from alone in this situation. Just keep coming back here and venting with us and we will share your pain and let you know that everything is gonna be fine. Remember it will be well worth it once its finished......oh wait then you'll have to buy another because the sickness does not stop at just one

I guess there is strength in numbers, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable knowing there are a bunch of disgruntled truck nuts out there with access to power tools!

Originally Posted by Bennett--G4L

Buck I definitely know exactly how you feel as I have made more mistakes building my truck then you could ever do I have changed my suspension 3 times, changed drivetrains twice and changed wheels 3 times. All this while i'm still in the build stage. Like you I wish I knew more in the beginning, I wish I just would have went with the Porterbuilt Dropmembers from the start, but I didn't and have come to terms with that. My biggest problem now is I just wish I would have bought a nice solid rust free truck like you did to start with cause I have a ton of bodywork and paint to do and don't know quite how I'm going to do it all. You can still drive your truck and enjoy it and change the things that bother you as time goes by. I say don't give up on it yet, you have a beautiful truck that i would love to have. Nothing is forever and things can always be changed. Don't give up on her yet.

Rust is tough, I must thank my luck stars my truck has minimal rust!

Originally Posted by shawno72

Good point Keith, at least your truck is a running driving truck. How many thumbs up have you gotten so far? Only you and us know whats underneath the truck, just take things one step at a time. I at one point put my truck up for sale cause I found rust in a place that I didn't see when I bought it. I know sometimes you just want to get rid of it and start over. Nobody builds a perfect truck in their garage the first time through. Make a list of the things you want to get done then just do them one at a time and check them off as you go. Seeing the check marks will give you a sense of accomplishment and will help.

Driving it is cool, and it does grab a ton of attention. But not driving it at the speeds a modern drive-train should provide bites.

Originally Posted by RdoubleU

BuckSS - Check out the idea and possible use of a Fuel Swirl Pot (Also referred to as a Fuel Surge Tank) In your application.

I am going to work on trying to build a system with this concept to maintain my factory incab tank because I also bought a new tank that only supported a carb at the time.

This option may help you out without being too costly

http://flashcustoms.wordpress.com/20...uel-swirl-pot/

Interesting but I think I'm going to try and sell my tank to a carb guy and buy another Boyd Welding tank.

Originally Posted by RRC

I agree with you guys....it's funny I was talking to the painter at work this morning and looking at my rendering , saying how much I liked the look of the seats while rembering that on my last truck I did the interior 3 times!!! Every build has some learning lessons , you just can't let it get you down. Keep up the good work your truck looks great!!! You have to remember your probably your own worst critic.
Posted via Mobile Device

Except for a new track on the drivers seat and some arm rests I am pretty content with my interior. Although, I would like to do something with my non-existent glove box!

Thanks very much for the pep talk guys, it is much appreciated. I am going to the heed your advice and prioritize my to-do list and knock things out as I can. I am looking forward to receiving the trailing arm crossmember, centering the wheels up should help her looks a lot as right now she looks like Stella Mae's ugly older sister. I am going to try and give the front end a good once over tomorrow night and see if I can find an issue, if nothing then I am going to pull the wheels and have them balance checked. Wheel bearings are an easy check too, so I will check them while I am at it. Anyway, I apologize for being so down on the truck, there is just a ton of stuff going through my head right now. The truck should be the outlet but if she's not right it just adds to the stress. Thanks again for the good words and encouragement. You guys are AWESOME!

[Bennett68C10]

Let me know how much you would want for the tank, I may be interested but in no hurry though. Have to get my chassis back together first.

[C10_ustacould]

Originally Posted by Bennett--G4L

Let me know how much you would want for the tank, I may be interested but in no hurry though. Have to get my chassis back together first.

Will do, shipping may be an issue because it has had fuel in it. We can cross that bridge when we come to it.

[C10_ustacould]

I did some looking last night and I found the driver's side front bearings were loose. I did a quick repack and tightened things up nice and snug... but not too snug. Front end seemed to calm dow a little on the way to work this morning, but the truck is still shaking a good bit at 60 mph. A wheel balance check is next. I have decided to sell my forward arms and buy PB components that support a move toward the coil-over mild drop member; to include trailing arms and a notch for now. My hope is that the PB parts will allow me to better align the truck front and rear, as well as correct driveline angles. I hope this new direction will prove more efficient and successful in achieving a more road worthy and fun truck to drive. I also have a new gadget inbound today it is the PLX Kiwi 2 OBD II Interface for my iPhone. it will allow me to monitor my engine functions, reset trouble codes, and even give 1/4 mile times. I'll start a thread over in the LSx swap thread to let everyone know how it works.

[Rusbuilt]

I think the coil over setup will be awesome! I'd like to do one of those one day!
Posted via Mobile Device

[C10_ustacould]

Originally Posted by Rusbuilt

I think the coil over setup will be awesome! I'd like to do one of those one day!
Posted via Mobile Device

I like the idea of a very low stance with a more controlled ride, and the rack and pinion steering is a plus too. The Blazer built by Hill's Rod and Custom is a great example, although much lower than I would be.

[Bennett68C10]

Originally Posted by BucksSS

I like the idea of a very low stance with a more controlled ride, and the rack and pinion steering is a plus too. The Blazer built by Hill's Rod and Custom is a great example, although much lower than I would be.

I think they used the Extreme Coilover Dropmember on the Blazer, the ride height is awesome on it.

[C10_ustacould]

Originally Posted by Bennett--G4L

I think they used the Extreme Coilover Dropmember on the Blazer, the ride height is awesome on it.

Yep, but much too low for our roads!

[Bennett68C10]

Yeah probably not practical without the ajustable airbags. The Touring and Mild are very nice as well. I went with the Touring on mine to give a little extra clearance for my BBC and cause I already had the correct swaybar for this setup. Nate said it will still lay frame with my spindle and tire height.

[C10_ustacould]

Originally Posted by Bennett--G4L

Yeah probably not practical without the ajustable airbags. The Touring and Mild are very nice as well. I went with the Touring on mine to give a little extra clearance for my BBC and cause I already had the correct swaybar for this setup. Nate said it will still lay frame with my spindle and tire height.

Cool, I know from watching Keith drive Hazel around Biloxi last year that Porterbuilt is engineered to drive, and drive looowww!

[C10_ustacould]

The forward arms are sold and headed to a good home, so I went ahead and ordered everything to complete the stage 2 (mild) rear drop member with the coil-over option. I hope to get three things from this: square the rear end in the chassis, center the wheels in the opening, and a more controlled ride. When these are painted or coated and installed, and I sell the ECE 6" drop parts, I will begin another phase of my "Corrections". In the mean time I've been messing with a new OBD-II WiFi connector that lets me monitor things like MAP, MAF, Timing and fuel trim parameters. It also reads and clears trouble codes and does 1/4 mile times and skid pad figures. Here is a couple screen shots I took at different cruising speeds...

[Bennett68C10]

Awesome glad to see you got the forward arms sold and ordered the rest of your rear Porterbuilt parts.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Rusbuilt]

Man thats really cool! So you're monitoring this all from your iPhone?

[C10_ustacould]

Originally Posted by Bennett--G4L

Awesome glad to see you got the forward arms sold and ordered the rest of your rear Porterbuilt parts.
Posted via Mobile Device

Yep, I'm stoked! I will probably do the fuel tank while I have the bed off, it's easier that way.

Originally Posted by Rusbuilt

Man thats really cool! So you're monitoring this all from your iPhone?

Yep, there are way cheaper ways to go if you have an android phone too. Neat gadget!

[Rusbuilt]

Thats slick!

[Portmod7]

Originally Posted by BucksSS

I'm tired gentlemen. Actually pondered walking away tonight. Maybe I'll drive her to work the rest of the week, maybe that will bring the spark back. Or maybe I should park her over at my folks house for a bit, outta sight outta mind.

I'm a bit late, mostly because I'm in about the same boat and don't even want to look at the forum right now, ha ha.

Just thought I'd say you're not alone. The "bugs" in my project have got me down as well. I've considered putting it up for sale several times, giving up the "chase", and buying a more modern vehicle with the money. Something that I can turn the key and drive down the road without a thought. What a panzy.

I guess I just had this romanticized idea of what it was going to be once I got it together and on the road, and it's just not quite what I had imagined. It's hard to convince myself to just keep plugging along, but, it's just part of it. I think one thing that has hurt me is I haven't 100% finished what I intended for this part of the build, but since I can drive it, I haven't really worked on anything since I got it rolling. I'd probably feel a lot better if I finished up the little things I had intended.

Keep up the good work, keep moving forward!

[Street Smart]

Keep your head up!
I remember one time needing to borrow a car because everything i owned was either apart or broke. Kept thinking W.T.H. am i doing, i should sell everthing and buy something newer or new with a payment. Sometimes you should walk away for a bit and do other things to clear your head. Then there are times when I`m walking up to my baby (my 67 Sub) and think geez i love this truck.
I`ve been up and down the east coast in my Suburban and panel truck, mostly towing my racecar or picking up another project. I LOVE the looks and attention my truck gets.