Making rear brake lines REAR drums

Since I am not doing the axle swap until later. I focused on getting new rear lines all bent and installed. Previously I had ordered a new center brake line that drops from frame bracket to the axle.

shots before i started

using zipties, my thumb, and a 3/16" brake line bender.

foam donut in holder

this is a test of a way to protect the threads and the face of the flarenuts.. Rubber hose, zip tie, then later some bed liner.

 

55256778AC 55256779AC Front body mount kit. PICTURES

here is the part 5 KIT for repairing the front body mounts. You can see the support plate is already welded to the mount, along with the capture bolt and plate already installed and painted black.

Now to figure out how to install these.

 

Rear wiring harness complete. Misc tools

Harness all installed

shots of the tools used for brakes lines. This flaring tool lasted exactly 5 crimps before breaking.

These are the "fir tree 1/4" pushpin zip tie holders. Go right in the 1/4" hole in chassis and keep the water out to boot.

 

Removing sound deadener on floor pan

Removing the sound deadening with a heat gun. The best technique is four passes with heat gun on high, Then heat the tip of chisel. This will glide through the tar. Any idea how to clear all the tar off the metal? Need clean metal. And wire brush just heated it up and spread it.

 

removing body mount support plate.

vbulleting messing up tonight. just posting these pic. I removed the body mount support plates in prep to fix firewall, floorpan and then add the new body mounts.

 

Do you take pictures of everything prior to taking apart? Have you rebuilt other vehicles to this extent? I'd be so lost by now, you are much braver then I lol.

 

Yes the donor body is thoroughly documented in this thread with before pictures of everything.
Never attempted such a feat, However i did put a lot of ERTLE farm models together when I was a kid. I also slept in I Holiday Inn Express oncee.
Well I am deep over my head. I was hoping someone with metal working experience would help me. I have no idea the true gage of the metal used. Gotta start there them start bending.
I making step my step plans as I go, working each task and moving to the next. Many times I can't do noisy work as I am working in my driveway.
The goal was to have this road ready by aug 25th. Ha I keep finding more stuff. I really want to fix it all correctly too, now that I have well over 1k hours invested. Not to mention all the tools
and skills I have already "self" taught myself.

.. next Professor Whoppie and Tennessee Tuxedo are going to show me how to fix this floor plan. I've had one night to sleep on it. I have a few ideas. One is using the old body mounts and support plates as 'bucks' to form part of the inside front rocker. I have to make this from scratch ,. no durango in mi is going to have a good one.

 

Following this thread has made me appreciate living in an area where rust is not common.

 

flintstone patching part #1

 

flintstone patching part #2

I don't need no stinking brake, shrinker, or stretcher...

 

Flintstone floors part #2

passenger floor

shaping the patch

tack welding patch before cutting

cutting in the patch and tacking it "up" flat.

passenger side almost done and it started to rain

drivers side done.

 

Making progress

Today I made good progress working the metal. I got a extension made up with 12 gauge wire for the welder.
I was doing great until the feed rollers on the mig quit. Don't have time to mess with that HF Mig welder.
I went directly to CL and purchased a good welder with a bottle. I will be picking that up tomorrow.

• finish firewall replace drivers side
• floor pan passenger side
• firewall passender side
• Inside rocker panels left and right.
• attach body mounts
• $PROFIT$...lol

Used a flanger and hole punch tool to install the floor pan patch

stitching this together, my mig crapped out and would not feed the wire. I don't have time for this shit... Eating some dinner then going to make patterns and cut out patches that are remaining. I have to drive an hour away to get the mig and back. I still want to have this one the road by next week... in a dream ... on another planet.

 

finishing drivers side firewall.

new mig was just that brand new. Guy only had it listed on CL for 2 hours. brand new Hobart 130, with .023 wire, full bottle. It's welding much better.

 

Passenger size floor and firewall

Started with this huge ass hole

Made a new flange

Bent with a socket

side cabe

outside firewall installed

Where the body mounts go. still need some grindage

same here. While I am not going to have it on the road by next weekend as planned. I am making head way> next make those inside rockers and add the body mounts. I did a test fit and they are almost ready. Just need some grinding a bit on the drivers side.

 

That is coming out great and even though except for people following your progress here nobody gets to see how much effort you put into doing this build the right way. After all the time you have spent on this project I can imagine how badly you want to see it rolling down the road.

 

I to am ompressed and surprised someone would work this hard on an older d. I truely love it though!

 

Attempt to make inside rockers ( sill). Patterned out. Just need to cut and shape.

carefully laid out a pattern for the inside front rocker on both sides.
Also of note.I have over 1500 hours in this project. I'm hoping to be complete and running at least and inspected in two weeks. I was trying for this thursday. Not going to make it.

 

Inside rocker panels easier to make than using Vbulletin...

Hey folks. started out with a pattern I made, left some extra. Of having to make two of them they are a mirror image. I don't care how they look, just how they fit. they are going to be covered up almost completely with the front body mounts. I used to make these:

• socket
• 20 ton press
• dead blow hammer
• body hammer
• 20 oz ball peen hammer
• leather gloves

for some reason vbulletin is choking on showing these pictures inline. good grief let me see the logs. ( i DO happen to work for a webhost. )

I made a bend plan, and tried to recreate what I am seeing on the truck. back and forth. Using the steel plates for the 20 ton press like a brake, A socket for curves, Hammer vise,... well hope you can see what I did one down. mirror image tomorrow.

 

Body mounts in

After RTFM'in the vbulletin manual. I discovered that I set my picture size bigger than vbulletin is set to handle. grr. So after resizing these pic.

I have now recreated the rockers on both sides and have both body mounts installed. I have a few more welds to go on the last mount. I had to break yesterday for my birthday.

I have taken 5 days off to get the build done. I am on day 3.

 

I've followed this thread form day 1, one helluva thread, write-ups, pictures everything. I don't know where you get your energy to do this, two jobs the D and doing all this right through the cold Michigan weather. Never again will I complain about doing an oil change in 50 degree weather out here in CA- LOL!! As the song says "This is F@#$%*g Awesome! Great Job! Great Write Up!

 

Are you going to have any energy left to take it for a drive when it is done????

 

yeah when I get done I will sleep in the blue on black durango for a week. ....

 

Blown rear axle seal

blown rear axle seal. Replaced both. never took an axle apart before. Found a retainer clip for spiders broke. Going to have to rebuild the rear end. ( Hopefully next year). Got both fixed, new gasket, RED rtv, waiting for it to cure 24 hours before adding gear oil.

 

body bottom primed and painted

body is going on tomorrow. I might get a second coat on bottom in morning. That axle seal and not being able to find rear parking brake cables with the proper return springs is a bitch ( 2001 drum brakes parking cable)

 

Body on frame!

Body is down. Not all the bolts in yet. But now I can start hooking things up. ( and clearing two years of mud daubers out of the hoses. I will probably have to replace them all ).

 

Nice, now that the body is on hopefully you can see the end on the horizon.

 

All body bolts in!

Only 1230 more tasks to go...