Brake lines ad Nauseum

I have to get the right side of the chassis wirebrushed and primed ready to be epoxied. Can't do that with all the rusty brake lines all over the place. Before I remove the rest of the lines I wanted to have a plan in place. So I have been sourcing hard lines for the Durango's with RWAL brakes ( all disc or disc/drum). Feel free to follow along.

I purchased an ebay kit for 4-wheel disc/ awal brakes. I knew it would not work, but I wanted them to have a kit that works for the RWAL folks. WHY? you ask? Lets go to the source. I did a chat data request with Chrysler/Jeep: I could only get date for 2003 Durango brakes:


2003 Dodge Durango. 5/13/16
2003 Dodge Durango 4X2 Information
Vehicles with BGJ 4 Wheel Disc, Rear Anti-Lock Brakes - 37,570.
Vehicles with BRT 4 Wheel Disc, Anti-Lock Brakes - 2,723.
2003 Dodge Durango 4X4 Information
Vehicles with BGJ 4 Wheel Disc, Rear Anti-Lock Brakes - 67,687.
Vehicles with BRT 4 Wheel Disc, Anti-Lock Brakes - 11,836.
Thats 105257 people compared to 14559. RWAL folks need a kit.

So I have been in contact with Jeremy at Finelines. They are going to work with me and have me penciled in around June 13th for work. I spent most the day using cardboard to fit the lower lines on to my cardboard frame. I put all the brackets, brassblocks and brackets in the radiator box I had. Neat right. I am still struggling with getting the upper lines to the proportioning valves and master to proportioning valves off with out wrecking them. We'll see. Here is a link to my personal website for some of my vehicles. I have a WAAAAy more extensively described set of pictures of the difference in the lines I received vs those that I need here. Working 7 days, this is all the update I have time for now. Vacation in 9 days woot. I need two. Stay tuned> Is anyone reading this?:shock:

 

Breaking Bad Brakes

The past two weekends has been put into how to send all my brake parts to sstubes.com to have front hard lines made. There are two versions of lines one for the 2001 and 2003. I took a piece of wood and mounted the 2001 CAB controller directly to the board with the mounting screws

.

I then did the same with the 2003 controller

. Finally I added the mocked up lower left and right assembly with the brass blocks on cardboard

.

After all of this, I then proceeded to add each brake line that I purchased and put cardboard design notes on each one.

this series shows the 2001 CAB controller with its spaghetti monster of lines for the valve and proportioning valves ( I'm sure they have other proper names ). You can see the lines all the way down to where they connect to the top of the two brass blocks that are used in RWAL. ( 4x2 4x4). IN the 3rd and 4th  pix you can see the 2003 controller and lines. Much simpler. Last one is a top view. All of this was shipped out with 1000$ insurance. This is how much the controllers are worth together, not counting the lines. ( $640 and $464).Since my durango is a hodge podge of parts, I need to have both sets of lines. I want to get the truck running with the 2001 ECU and CAB controller, then when I swap bodies, move to 2003 everything, wiring harness, CAB and ECU. So I need both sets of lines. By doing all this prototyping work, I hope that the most common type of gen 1 D's will have brake lines kits available that work out of the box.

 

Collecting the front end components:

Collecting the front end components:

I have a guy at one of my jobs that built his own powdercoating oven out of oil drum, four heating elements and a dryer timer. I think I am going to have him powder coat the calipers (color?). Anyone know if I can find rebuilding parts? I haven't looked yet. I have already taken the rotors to O'Riley's to get turned on monday. Found one of the hubs totally blown on one steering knuckle. Common issue, going to have to replace em in pairs.



I was goofing around with an old broiler. What do you think, a Durango broiler trailer?

 

Franken-rango

Some one at work quipped " How's that Franken-rango project going". I whipped up some art work, what do you think?

 

Donor chassis stripping. REPO'in da partz

Here are shots of the final chassis disassembly. Hard to believe I have now taken every system off of a vehicle. Almost to half way point. Axle(s) captured, brake calipers and upper a-arms. I have never taken or messed with the torsion bars/keys etc. yet. Please pass on any advice. I would like the lower a-arms and everything I can save.

This set of 3 pix of for the person asking about removing the axle from the engine. I could not find the thread in my limited time to post. There are the 3 mounting locations on a front axle. All 98-2003 typical. To note is one of the bolts goes through the mount for the starter IIRC.

 

More pix of chassis parts removal.

 

Last bits

, Chassis is clear.

 

Chassis rust removal. front end parts swap

this week has been removing the front end off of the 2001 and clearing the rust off of the frame. I removed the axle and rack.

Here are the parts from the 2001 and the 2003.

 

found a broken shock bung, that was improperly repaired. Yup it broke. So cleaned up and primed the replacement torsion bar, key and lower a-arm. Needs new rubber and lower ball joint too.

 

Steering knuckle clean up and 2/3 of front chassis primed

Yesterdays progress. Can't get the lower a-arm and torsion bar separated. tried torch, and Kano Kroil, AND sledgehammer. Today is one whole day sun up to sun down working on truck. see how much I can get done .

 

Is there a roll pin holding the torsion bar in? I'm going back 13 years so I might not be at all correct.

 

Yes there is a roll pin. However it's purpose it to keep the torsion bar from walking forward and out. It comes out to the rear of the truck.

 

Chassis Prime!

chassis primed, first coat. steering knuckles and rock guards all cleaned, primed and painted. Almost ready to start assembling.

 

Steering gear clean up.

Here you can see the shots as I progress through cleaning the best steering gear of the two.
I will be wire brushing all the aluminum, then clear coating it, the body probably be black. though I might make it silver too. IDK yet.

 

Disc caliper clean up

Disc caliper clean up. Still have to compress pistons, clean in front top inside of caliper body. Then prime and paint.

 

steering knuckle redo. good hubs from 2001 re-used. cleaned primed and painted

 

chassis painted.

Chassis is now painted. Used Rustoleum 15 minute drying paint .

 

UPPER A-arms reburb

Officially I have used one knotted wire brush to clear from firewall to front bumper.

A-arms prepped. I purchased Duralast upper ball joints from Autozone, and they did not have any zerk fittings. Took those back. #1 Durango design flaw. No greasable ball joint fittings. What were you thinking Dodge?

Two coats of primer. Zinc cold galvanizing compound on roll bar. For color and corrosion resistance.

 

Lower A-arms, ball joints and Steering gear redo

Steering gear coming out looking nice. Clear coated, painted, tie rod ends on, Still need to refurb the two hoses. I ended up killing the lines from the 2003, which were seemingly in better condition, however they kinked and wrecked immediately. Go back to the 2001 and a slight tap with a hammer and 18mm wrench and the lines came right off.

Lower arms, ball joints, torsion bar, key all installed and back to base height adjustment from the height the 2001 was Pro tipI counted the threads above the key holder to top of bolt. Much easier then counting the # of revolutions used to remove the key bolts at end of torsion bar ( approx 22 turns, yet it was 16 threads showing on the top).

 

Lower Ball joints installed

other side of steering gear redone. Ball joints installed, lower a-arms, torsion bars and keys all installed and ready to go.

 

Calipers going RED.

This morning I ordered heavy duty service semi metallic pads, new seals for pistons. I pumped the brake fluid out. Today I will continue the derusting in prep for painting red.

 

This is just amazing. Great work!

 

You certainly used up that wire wheel!! Lol.

It's coming out great!

 

Damn. If I had known, I'd probably have been able to offer you new semi-loaded calipers, pads, rotors, hoses, drums, shoes, hardware, and wheel cylinders for stupid cheap. They're in the back of my D, which is currently under a tree.

 

Nice job!