BHD

The next step was to get the truck in the shop and assess the rust damage. I pulled the bed, windshield, seats and what was left of the floor mats. Other than the typical floor rot and a bunch of dents, from being used as a contractors truck, I am pretty confident that I have a better than typical starting point for a 40 year old Dodge that lived it's entire life in Pennsyltucky.

BHD

I also pulled the cab off the frame and it will live on a make shift mobile platform. I have some rust to address on the forward portion of the rockers as well as the lower portion of the firewall. I plan to sandblast the bottom of the cab and hit it with epoxy primer and probably John Deere Blitz Black. The cab mounting hardware has seems to have reached its maximum shelf life

BHD

I'm doing my best to keep these posts in chronological order of the work that has been completed. I am certain the pics of the cab coming off the frame were about early October and the engine work was last February. This project has taken a lot of planning and time. I wish I could stick with it for more than a few hours here and there.

archer2

The rust doesn't look too bad for it's use and age. That lift is the way to go.

KRB

Does look like you've got good bones to work with! That hourglass shaped body mount bolt is pretty impressive.

Spring ain't that far away you know. Just sayin'...

BHD

Man, you ain't kidding. I'm working on this project as much as possible. It's tough with 50 hrs a week spent at my job, plus all the other small jobs around the property.

BHD

I got the frame cleaned up and over to the sandblasted. I pulled all the hangers and mounts off to get a clean piece to start rebuilding.

oliver foster

Well at this point in the build, there is not much more to take apart....Let the re assembly begin.

BHD

You are absolutely correct. I farmed out most of the cleaning up part, mostly because I don't like spending hours with a wire wheel on the grinder and not doing a class A job. The assembly part is much more fun and rewarding than the clean up step.

BHD

I got the frame and other parts back with a coat of Epoxy primer. Notice how Mopar changed the forward cab mounts. In the 3rd pic the one on the left is circa 1975 and the right one is off rhe 1985 chassis. Both right side OE cab mounts were unusable so I scavenged a set off a 1975 chassis. The rear cab mounts appear identical.

BHD

I decided I couldn't live with an open differential, I mean who can? I chose an OE style Trak Lok. I think it will be the best unit for towing vs a Detroit or Lunch Box locker. I installed a bearing kit while I had the D80 apart. We got the set up almost perfect. I know the contact pattern shows it is close to the toe of the ring gear on the power side, but we left it better than we found it. I also deleted the ABS tone ring and sensor. I think the sensor hole is great spot for a rear axle temp probe.

KRB

The extra hole on the cab mount saves a few grams in weight or what???

I admire a person that can setup a rear end. Something I've never learned to do. Dad's '93 has an open rear behind the Getrag and empty it gets stuck as soon as he drives off the gravel on a level surface. My auto with the posi takes a good deal more effort before it spins out.

Good idea on the ABS hole. Can't have too many gauges!

BTW, the All Day is good but I prefer the Centennial (but you can't drink that stuff "all day"!).

oliver foster

Atta boy!
The extra effort to get that frame all torn down and cleaned up looks like it was worth it!

I am not going to tell our buddy "Island" Bill about this project. It will stress him out knowing he is going to have to be parked next to all that fancy paint at the Carlisle Mopar show next summer.

BHD

I have a Trak Lok in my 1990 W250 with a G360 and it works well.

That Centennial is another favorite from Founders as is the KBS

BHD

The ultimate goal is to make this truck last a long long time and to keep it as rust free as possible. The pretty paint is just part of the process. It won't look so good after a few years of Fluid Film applications