Shoestring Budget 65/73 Chevy 2WD LWB

[irish1966]

Lookin good guys!! Keep it up

[chevy_man5]

Didn't get much done this weekend. BlondieK's social calender got in the way on Saturday.

Put her to work grinding notches in the bed bolt heads, so we could try to salvage the wear strips for re-use.





I worked on cleaning up the passenger side frame rail, and started on the firewall, while she was notching the bolt heads.





Then we worked on starting to pull off the bed wood. Someone on here suggested tightening the small bolts for the wear strips, and snapping them off, instead of trying to loosen them. It actually works pretty good. Either a 14MM or a 13MM 12 point socket fits over the square nuts. Depends on the nut I guess. I was using both of them. A pliers and or a small screwdriver pops the nuts and bolt ends out of the 13MM, and they just fall out of the 14MM.

We got through about 1/2 of the bed. There are some we will just have to cut off, because they were too hard to get to, or would just spin, even with the screwdriver on top.



We'll keep jamming next weekend!!

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice work. Funny you posted this, I was just leaning on my Longhorn this morning dreading how many rusty bolts I have to remove.

[chevy_man5]

That is funny Ryan. It has been / will be a real pain in the backside to get all of them off. Oh well, we went into this project knowing it wasn't all going to be fun and games. Good Luck on your bed!!! Having a Longhorn, you probably have an extra row or two or bolts also. That sucks!!

We tied to take off the tailgate as well, but one of the nuts inside the fender broke off, and is just spinning inside. Tried to wedge anything and everything we could think of in there, but couldn't get it to stay still long enough to get the bolt out. I think I am going to have to do some surgery to get at it. We have some reverse lights that I got from Jonzcustoms to install anyway, so hopefully I can get at it when we cut those holes.

Hope all is well with your ladies!

[Dieselwrencher]

Thanks, everything is going well now. That stinks about the nut breaking off. Can you get a welder in there and tack it so you can atleast get the bolt out?

[chevy_man5]

I can just barely get my index finger down to it, and cannot see in there at all. So no go until I get some more access. I should be able to when we drill the hole for the reverse lights. I didn't have a big enough hole saw. I only had 2 1/8", and needed 2 1/4". Probably could have made due, but didn't. They mount almost even with the bottom of the tailgate. So I should be able to get to it pretty easily then.

Glad to hear all is well!!

[chevy_man5]

It took us all day, but we got almost all of the bed wood out. Just a couple of small pieces left. We will get those tomorrow.



We took all of the wear strips out carefully, so none got bent, and we could re-use them. After we were wrapping up for the day, I took a picture of the bolts used for the wear strips.



LMC sells a replacement bolt kit for these, but they are carriage bolts. Am I not going to be able to use the wear strips again?

[Captainfab]

Here you go.....

http://www.classicparts.com/1960-66-...ctinfo/08-318/

[chevy_man5]

Thanks Captainfab!!

I looked at LMC before I posted that, and assumed that the other parts sellers would be the same.

I don't know if the ribbed bolts are even going to come out. I sprayed them down with Liquid Wrench last night, so they could soak a little.

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice progress on your bed. Good luck getting those rusty bolts out. I know it is a PITA when trying to save certain parts.

[chevy_man5]

Thanks for the encouragement Ryan.

We got the bed all the way apart and off. It took all day. A couple of times just had to get a little crazy, and just "persuade" it apart with the BFH.







The bolts in the wear strips still wouldn't budge, so we soaked them down again with the Liquid Wrench, and laid them across the rails to soak for the week.

Any suggestions for bolt removal?

[chevy_man5]

I meant to ask also, if anyone else's bed sides were / are welded to the rear cross sill?

What a huge PITA!!!

[Captainfab]

Yes the factory welded the rear cross sill to the bed sides. It should be welded just across the very top (3/4" long weld) and down the back side. A 4 1/2" grinder with a cut off wheel will make quick work of those welds.

As for the bolts in the strips. Find a socket that is just barely bugger then the head of the bolts. Set the socket on a good solid surface. Then place the bed strip over the socket with the bolt head inside. Then take a MFH and hit the bolt a time or two. That should break them loose.

Originally Posted by chevy_man5

I meant to ask also, if anyone else's bed sides were / are welded to the rear cross sill?

What a huge PITA!!!

[chevy_man5]

Thanks for the tip on the bolts Captainfab! I was thinking of something along those lines, but hadn't thought about a socket. I was thinking about using a block of wood, so it wouldn't damage the wear strips, but the socket sounds like a better plan.

I tried using a brand new 4 1/2" cut off wheel down the back side, but the drivers side of the bed had been smashed in, and was pretty much in the way, and on the passenger side, the hinge for the tailgate was in the way. It is the one with the nut broke loose inside the bedside. I was able to just barely skim the grinder over the surface of each side, so ended up persuading it off with a cold rolled chisel, and the BFH. It did tear the metal, and left the weld, so I probably have made myself a bunch more work, but oh well!!

[chevy_man5]

A 9/16 12 point socket, a hammer, and a drift punch, and we got out all of the wear strip bolts.



We unbolted the cab mounts. That was quite a chore. BlondieK wasn't able to hold the other side still on the fronts, so we had to rig up some bracing. Finally got them off.

We also started taking off the rear axle. Got the rear shocks, and the panhard bar off, but couldn't turn the nuts on the bottom of the u-bolts. Didn't feel like cutting them today, so will try to turn the nuts again next weekend, and if they wont turn, we'll cut the bolts.

We started cleaning off the frame rails under the bed. You can really see quite a difference. We were working on the drivers side only. We both kind of had a headache, so we went with the wire brush and the scrappers to start with. We will hit it with the sanding wheels next weekend to get the frame clean and shiny.







I think both of the crossmembers with arrows by them have to come out to put the tank back there. Does anyone know if we should just relocate one to the back, or will the frame be OK without them both.

[cokeb]

Jason are you putting in a rear tank? I would move the rear one back to allow the clearance need, i think if you dont there wont be any support for the rear frame rails except for the bumper.
I like to do things the hard way!

Craig

[1985-GMC]

Another nice build, keep up the good work!

[Captainfab]

You'll just need to remove that small crossmember in the middle if you use a typical tank for the rear. If you do need to move the rear one, just move it back a little and drill some new holes. You still need a rear crossmember besides the bumper.

Those nuts on the U-bolts on the rear end to trailing arms rarely come off. Even if you do get them off, the U-bolts are usually rusted so badly, they really shouldn't be reused. New U-bolts aren't too expensive.

[chevy_man5]

Originally Posted by cokeb

Jason are you putting in a rear tank? I would move the rear one back to allow the clearance need, i think if you dont there wont be any support for the rear frame rails except for the bumper.
I like to do things the hard way!

Craig

Craig, I ALWAYS manage to do things the hard way. When I get done with something someone will ask me "Why didn't you do it like this?" Oh yeah, that would have gone A LOT easier.

Thanks 1985_GMC, yours is looking pretty good as well! Those diff covers are awesome! I showed my daughter the quote you have on your signature a while back, and she loved it. When her truck is ready to start showing, she is going to make a sign that says that. We have been going to car show since she was tiny, and all of my kids have been trained, that when they look at a car, put your hands behind your back, so you are not tempted to touch anything. Its funny to watch them now. They will all line up near a car, and they almost simultaneously put their hands back and lean over. My wife and I just laugh. She laughs even harder when the kids and I all are standing there like that.

Captainfab, surprisingly, the ends of the u-bolts have very little rust on them. It is probably due to the pounds of grease and oil that were slung on there. I was planning on using new ones either way, but thanks for making sure I don't do something dumb! I need all the watching over I can get!

I figured I would need at least one of the crossmembers in the back, to keep everything tied together. Thanks for the responses guys!!

[bubba327]

Jason , On the trailing arm U-bolts, I was able to heat the ones on the 72 frame that donated the trailing arms and get things loosened with BIG breaker bar and then a impact gun (with a lot of penetrating oil), but the U-bolts on the truck would not budge even with a torch and a big cheater bar. I finally cut them apart with a sawzall.
If you need part numbers for the urethane bushings for the control arms and track bar let me know.
New U-bolts and nuts are the way to go!!

Are you still thinking about putting in the 3.73 rear axle???
Glad you and BlondieK made it to the meet and greet Saturday. Good to meet everybody and see their projects

[1985-GMC]

Originally Posted by chevy_man5

Thanks 1985_GMC, yours is looking pretty good as well! Those diff covers are awesome! I showed my daughter the quote you have on your signature a while back, and she loved it. When her truck is ready to start showing, she is going to make a sign that says that. We have been going to car show since she was tiny, and all of my kids have been trained, that when they look at a car, put your hands behind your back, so you are not tempted to touch anything. Its funny to watch them now. They will all line up near a car, and they almost simultaneously put their hands back and lean over. My wife and I just laugh. She laughs even harder when the kids and I all are standing there like that.

Thanks again! I saw that quote written on a sign next to a car at a indoor old car/muscle car car lot several years ago and I always like it. I was also trained very young to look but not touch when any car show.

[chevy_man5]

Bubba,

We are still planning on the 3.73, because it is what we have at this point. But nothing is set in stone as of yet.

It was good to see everyone, and their projects! Hopefully we can get even more next time.

[chevy_man5]

Didn't get much done, ended up being a plumber again for most of Saturday. I HATE PLUMBING. Ok, so I like plumbing, I just hate being a plumber! LOL

The rest of Saturday, we spent cutting up a good wood supply for the stove. Cut up 6 pallets, and a pile of 4x4 posts. We should be good for the next few weekends.

On BlondieK's truck we got the rear end totally off of the truck.



We also started sanding all of the paint and rust off of the frame rail. Got most of the drivers side under the bed done. We scraped most of the grease off of the back half of the frame, and the springs.



We also spent a while putting up all the tools we had strung all over the garage. Only missing one socket, so not too shabby. It'll turn up somewhere. Probably when we get some of the wood burnt.

[chevy_man5]

Some more pictures of the passenger side floor board rust.





I have a question about the passenger side rocker panel. The rocker itself appears to be in good shape, but everything around it is rusted. Should I take the rocker out just to be safe?





It is solid underneath as well. But my luck, it is rusting from the inside out, and is just being held together by the paint.

Took all of the donor truck wiring out of the harness tape, electrical tape, and loom, then looped it all into different sections, so we can concentrate on one section at a time.



Cleaned up drivers side frame rail the rest of the way, and cleaned up the passenger side one from the back to the cab, so the only section left to clean up is under the cab. Then cleaned up the rest of the firewall.

Found another possible factory problem. One of the door hinges had a bolt snapped off. All of the other bolts were sealed on with green body paint, and the head of the snapped off one, had flecks of green paint on it. I think it got snapped off at the factory, and no one caught it. You can see the groove where it was tightened at one point.



Oh well, some Liquid Wrench, and a pair of vise grips, it came right out.

[irish1966]

Nice work! Probably the only way to tell the extent of the rust is sand blasting the cab.
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