Progress thread for my 87 MM Sport 4x4 2.6L 5 speed

[jprime84]

I got this thing on 9/28/14
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3869/15206524780_2c426aea0f_b.jpg

It has about 166k miles, and appears to have had a decent amount of work put into it by the previous owner. The carb is new. It has a new distributor cap and plugs/wires. Some of the hoses are clearly new. I was told new brakes went into the front. The water pump is new. New wrangler tires.

The truck seems to run great from an engine standpoint. No major leaking, no smoking, and it fires right up. Lets hop it stays like this for a bit.

Current problems after having it a few days.

The rear left turn signal light is not working. I have discovered it is NOT a bulb problem. The other lights in this fixture are working.
The Headlight switch off of the steering column is broken. It twists 360 degrees freely. Right now, if the fuse is in, the running lights turn on and cant be turned off. Headlights cannot be turned on. This lever still operates turn signals and high beams normally.
Front suspension and steering are junk. Vertical and horizontal play in the wheels. Shocks are dead, and the front left shock bolts on the lower control arm are rusted and snapped so the shock is not even connected anymore:
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3928/15383769176_2f6f33fe74.jpg
Rear shocks are dead.
Missing the license plate light.
Radio is wired such that it only works when the headlights are on.


Current parts on order so far

Outer tie rod ends (2x)
Inner tie rod ends (2x)
Upper ball joint (2x)
Lower ball joint (2x)
Pro Comp ES9000 shocks for the front (2x)
Pro Comp ES1000 shocks for the rear (2x)
New thermostat and gasket
DIY roll on bedliner


I am hoping to get these parts in this weekend to get this thing closer to being safe on (and off) the road. More pics to come.

[royster]

I don't think ANY of these trucks come to us without some designer problem. But they really DO respond to our care and patience, and despite the bad reputation they may have gotten, they're solid little trucks with great designs.

Yours' looks like a spirited toughie, and though the shock absorber problem is a real stickler, once it's tended to you'll really appreciate your truck.

Likely best to order a NEW headlight switch...no, they're not cheap, but if you're keeping the truck for the rest of your life, might as well give longevity to its controls. http://www.rockauto.com/ Be sure to use our discount code.

The rear turn signal sounds suspiciously like a bad ground wire somewhere, and these trucks are notorious for not keeping a good ground (just fixed one, myself, 30 minutes ago). I think the headlight switch is going to solve a lot of problems for you.

We're here to cheer you on, JPrime84! :cheerleaderkid:

[jprime84]

I don't think ANY of these trucks come to us without some designer problem. But they really DO respond to our care and patience, and despite the bad reputation they may have gotten, they're solid little trucks with great designs.

Yours' looks like a spirited toughie, and though the shock absorber problem is a real stickler, once it's tended to you'll really appreciate your truck.

Likely best to order a NEW headlight switch...no, they're not cheap, but if you're keeping the truck for the rest of your life, might as well give longevity to its controls. http://www.rockauto.com/ Be sure to use our discount code.

The rear turn signal sounds suspiciously like a bad ground wire somewhere, and these trucks are notorious for not keeping a good ground (just fixed one, myself, 30 minutes ago). I think the headlight switch is going to solve a lot of problems for you.

We're here to cheer you on, JPrime84! :cheerleaderkid:


My plan was to give the headlight unit a look over to see if it could be fixed before ordering. The part CBS1546 has cruise and my truck doesnt. Would this add cruise? Would it work at all?

[jprime84]

Also, what discount code?

[royster]

Also, what discount code?

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showthread.php/1808-RockAuto-Discount-Code-Thread?p=34328#post34328 is the latest one. The thread is located in General Discussions, so you can always keep up with the latest discount code.

I am unfamiliar with the cruise controls on these trucks, but it seems to me that cruise control is a seperate knob~thing. I doubt the replacement part would give you cruise control, as there are cables and servos needed to control the throttle.

You can take a chance by getting a light switch from a junk yard, or seeing what's available in the forum's parts-for-sale thread. I'm also confident Mike Warme can help you, send him a PM and see. He's a very helpful, friendly person.

[jprime84]

Well this seemed like a good place to start:
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3931/15412676601_c939ff2da7.jpg

Last night I got the truck jacked up and started working on getting the suspension taken apart. To my surprise it was a job just to get the logs off the wheels. I snapped a 3/8" socket extension in the process. Some penetrating oil and a 1/2" socket later I got them off.
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2950/15229304847_5a5e8ece69.jpg

Next I took the caliper off on the passenger side, but then realized i would probably need the brakes on to hold the rotor so I could remove the bolts holding the hub on. Otherwise I was just going to be turning the rotors. After I put them back I began to take apart the hubs. The first piece to come off was the locking/unlocking piece. After that there is a sort of spacer on top of the wheel bearings. I got both of these off on the passenger side before I had to clean up and eat dinner. The gaskets disintegrated while taking them apart so hopefully I can find some replacements. The mechanical parts look to be in good shape though. I am going to clean them all well and put new grease on when reassembling.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3931/15229098059_6292130dfc.jpg
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2948/15412680301_17f9f92b86.jpg

[jprime84]

More parts ordered today. If I am going to be taking all of this apart I may as well replace stuff while I am at it.

Inner wheel seals (2x)
Outer wheel seals (2x)
Wheel bearings (4x)
axle shaft seals (2x)
front rotors (2x)

[royster]

I likely won't be of much use for you, jprime84, because I know nothing about your truck...other than it's the first year of second-generation.

But I will be a source of encouragement, and I cite my own problems with doing a repair fully, without half-measures or quick fixes. You will not regret investing the care and longevity into your truck.

My build thread is full of the process I went through to discontinue an attitude of half-assed repairs, and going the distance with preventative replacement. To this day, I am happy I did that.

So hang tough, jprime84, and KNOW you're doing the right thing for yourself, and you have this community to share it with. :)

[jprime84]

I think I should start buying stock in penetrating oil.

The steering and suspension parts arrived
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3927/15424384662_57fe773bab_z.jpg

Got the wheel bearing and hub assembly totally out. Look at that black grease
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3929/15238131238_34a9a5f462_z.jpg

I started to work on getting the hub separated from the rotor. Wow it is like the are fused together molecularly. I was beating on it with a hammer through a block of wood, but I began to worry about waking the baby. I will have to keep trying later. You can see it began to separate.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3931/15424386642_0b6fca2535_z.jpg

Here is what the axle looks like. I cant get the screws off of that thin debris/heat shield.
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2945/15424728875_3ec5efcab7_z.jpg

I began to work on removing the castle nuts from the tie rod ends and the ball joints. It went pretty well until I got to the lower ball joint and discovered I dont own a large enough socket for it. I then decided to take the shock out. The bolt began to move freely but ended up snapping. I am willing to bet I will be drilling and tapping 4 new bolt holes for the shocks.... Two new lower control arms will cost over $200, so that will be a last resort.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5599/15238053650_bff1cf5507_z.jpg


To be continued

[royster]

Looks excellent, jprime84. Nice, methodical work.

When working on my truck, I found that I lacked larger wrenches and sockets...these trucks give us surprises every step of the way. The good news is: you only have to buy those once (hopefully).

With these great "before" pictures, you'll have plenty to be proud of when the "after" pictures arrive.

[jprime84]

Here is what my garage looks like now.
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2944/15256386458_672fbd8f04_b.jpg

My dad come over this morning and we worked on the truck for most of the day. We made good progress. He has an electrical engineering background, and he worked out the issues with my tail lights.

The steering knuckle and everything is off of the passengers side. Rusty fought us tooth and nail for every bolt, nut, and screw. The tie rod ends were fused to their openings so badly I had to use the sawzall to cut them, and then I used the ball joint pusher i rented to push them out. When they finally went it sounded like metal snapping. You can see in one close up how the pusher was actually beginning to flatten the end of the tie rod like an accordian. This was with 24 hours and multiple applicatios of penetrating oil as well. We ended up getting one of the bolts for the suspension to come out, and we drilled out the broken one.

I barely started the reinstall. The new tie rod assembly is attached via the new inner tie rod. I will probably do the new shock in next, followed by the ball joints.

Anyway, here are the pics.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3927/15419914756_c7770c39d3_b.jpg
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5601/15419916006_2c625a70cc_b.jpg
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3930/15439808671_cd5846c562_b.jpg

It takes a lot of force to do this to a tie rod end.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5598/15256429007_9267e36945_b.jpg

We also took of the steering wheel and found what was wrong with the light switch. There is a tiny nub that is attached to the arm and it moves a little switch assembly up and down to work the headlights. The nub had broken off at some point and was inside the assembly. We flipped the switch with our fingers and it worked, so all we had to do was fix the nub. Gorilla glue is curing as we speak. I am hopeful.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3929/15442996755_648799fbca_b.jpg

[royster]

Wow, you are to be commended for a boat~load of determined work! And congratulated for prevailing with excellent results.

How cool your Dad's helping you.

Not a big believer in Gorilla glue, but I do hope for the best outcome.

It speaks volumes of your personal charactor to bite the bullet and do this enormous job all the way through without skimping. Kudos to you, jprime84!!!

[BradMph]

Try a little heat on those parts might help also to free them up from their mates.

[jprime84]

Got back to work Sunday putting new stuff in. I put the new shock in. I managed to find some bolts with the same thread as the stock ones, so I was able to thread into the stock welded on bolt on one side where we got it out. For the other side, we drilled it smooth and I put my own nut on the underside. I used blue loctite on both.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3936/15263010740_d0e1a69db8_b.jpg

Here it is with the new tie rod assembly, upper ball joint, lower ball join, and shock in place. The axle was cleaned and greased with new grease. The steering knucle was cleaned up as well and reattached. There is now no play in it. Today or tomorrow my new bearings and rotors come in. If they dont come today I will work on the rear shocks tonight.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3927/15449371532_7826631969_b.jpg

[geezer101]

Good to see that you have persevered with your truck. Going the long way and doing it right first time pays off - you get to know your gear and it'll be that much more rewarding when you get it back on the road :thumbup:

[royster]

You're awesome, jprime84! Nice, nice, NICE work!

[jprime84]

While waiting on parts I pulled my seat out!
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5597/15276390757_3c31c9a358_z.jpg

I am going to pay my sister, who is a design school graduate and incredibly gifted with working with fabric, to reupholster the seat. You can see the damages.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3929/15439868626_cd12241984_z.jpg


I took off the current upholstery. It was pretty easy to do, just a bunch of little wire rings holding it on. She can use it to measure for the new one.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3933/15276265250_7ab920c22d_z.jpg

While I was at it, I decided to pull out my disgusting moldy carpet. Wow it was a rust underland underneath it.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5599/15462985655_22fce5665e_z.jpg
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3933/15439883866_875eb9c47a_z.jpg
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5597/15439886526_38cfb35cfa_z.jpg

I am going to clean this up, bondo a hole or two, and then put some primer down. Fun times. Thank you for the comments and support!

[royster]

The original standard upholstery for these trucks is gawd~awful. That's probably why so many of us appreciate the Sport models with the up-graded door panels and nice little details.

From personal experience, I assure you that the right bucket seats in these trucks changes the whole experience. And in case you didn't see my build thread, the top part of the door panel can be removed to reveal painted metal, which spiffies up the interior...if you're so inclined. (photo below)

You're really getting to the heart of this truck's neglect, and it will come back in thank-you's you can't anticipate!

Below: my door card modification. Might not be your style, but ideas stem from thinking outside the box.
11443

Bucket seats allow tons of room and access that the bench seat prohibits. Plus they're so comfortable for long drives.
11444

It's wonderful to be able to reach behind the passenger seat and pull out my camera or paper towels. I can also quickly stash stuff back there should I take on a passenger.

Something to consider.

[jprime84]

The original standard upholstery for these trucks is gawd~awful. That's probably why so many of us appreciate the Sport models with the up-graded door panels and nice little details.

From personal experience, I assure you that the right bucket seats in these trucks changes the whole experience. And in case you didn't see my build thread, the top part of the door panel can be removed to reveal painted metal, which spiffies up the interior...if you're so inclined. (photo below)

You're really getting to the heart of this truck's neglect, and it will come back in thank-you's you can't anticipate!

Below: my door card modification. Might not be your style, but ideas stem from thinking outside the box.
11443

Bucket seats allow tons of room and access that the bench seat prohibits. Plus they're so comfortable for long drives.
11444

It's wonderful to be able to reach behind the passenger seat and pull out my camera or paper towels. I can also quickly stash stuff back there should I take on a passenger.

Something to consider.


I only saw the four outer bolts for putting in the bench seat. What did you attach the bucket seats to?

[royster]

There are 4 additional mount provisions already in the trucks. Look along that forward rail where the front of the bench mounts, and you should see the bolt holes for bucket seats already in place. The rear mounts have bolts in place (or it's the other way around) but you can locate them and use them for mounting bucket seats. Depending on what seats you choose, you'll probably have to create your own mounts. I was fortuneate in that I had the parts truck seat to take bracing from, but I still had to create adequate mounts to get it all to jive. There are members here who have made the switch, and apparently there are bucket seats that fit with very little fudging. Also, Noahwins knows of an e-bay or craigslist site where new carpets for these trucks are sold, and fairly cheap: perhaps he can chime in if he sees this post.

My seats came out of a 2005 Saturn: they were the final choice out of at least 30 vehicles I looked at in a huge junk yard. I think people have posted about seats from Dodge Neons fitting good, but my choice was based on color, condition, and comfort. $70 for the pair, I removed them myself. Mounting them was challenging, but all came out satisfactory. I removed the seat belts that came with the Saturn seats and used the truck's original belts, with good results. I'll get some better pictures, now that I have a digital camera...thanks to ragragtimetime.

EDIT:
Took some pictures of mounts. This should help you locate the existing holes/bolts, and give you some idea as to height.
Driver side, front of seat
11451

Passenger side..note coordinates: seat belt, wrench mount, bolt. Yours' being 4 x 4 and a bit newer shouldn't make much difference. The bolts are in place on the rear mounts to keep water out of the cab, so you should see them (or caps/plugs).
11452 11453

Lookit all that room/accessability for junk and clutter! A mesh pocket on the passenger seat holds my Haynes manual. I was not concerned about appearance on the console frame, as it doesn't get seen when seats are in service. (So if you want, you and your sister can create a custom console).
11454

[royster]

A quick note on my door panels ("cards", some call them) - I simply used vinyl paint and incerted cloth (after removing vinyl in that area) using spray adhesive (industrial strength). The experience was good for me, and my future plans are to create totally new door panels with nice materials that look a bit more "factory". The metal door top is a personal choice, for me. The self-adhesive chrome strips are staying put very well. Chrome replacement window cranks are available in the "Help" -brand section of any auto parts store...take your old one to assure proper fit.
11455 11456

[royster]

11457

On the floor pan and under your door panel you can see the color that will be on the top of the door if you remove that section of vinyl. Should you decide to go that route, be sure to leave a 1 or 2" flap of vinyl to tuck over the top of the actual panel and staple to the back, using 1/8" staples (tape will lose adhesion eventually, my experience). A thin coat of nasty padding needs to be removed from the metal, and paint thinner does the job well without harming the factory paint.

I'm not sure, but I think this photo also shows the passenger-side bucket seat bolt, just under the seat belt head hanging there.

[jprime84]

Thanks for the photos - that is something I will consider for sure.

[royster]

Apollogies for junking up your thread with my own photos (you can have a MOD remove them if you want: they served their purpose).

[jprime84]

Apollogies for junking up your thread with my own photos (you can have a MOD remove them if you want: they served their purpose).

Absolutely no worries Royster. Im just glad to know someone is following my progress.

I had the new rotors and the rest of the seals come in yesterday. I couldnt believe the difference.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3956/15291292908_b629c265f0_z.jpg

I did not have a lot of time to work last night. I got the hub attached to the new rotor, and I just finished packing the wheel bearings. I didnt have the specialized tools to measure the torque on the bearing nut, but the wheel seems to turn normally with no play. I put on the lock washer and then had to quit. I dont have any photos because my hands were covered in grease.

I do have a few more photos of the truck interior that I worked on Monday. I have not started working with the bondo to patch the holes, but you can see the rusty spots I uncovered, brushed, and then primed.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5599/15286684838_911ea26bdb_z.jpg
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5606/15470178851_f46e7f619c_z.jpg

[Fordubishi]

JP if you want bucket seats you can get another set of tracks from another bench at the wreckers. If you look beside the white plug there is a bolt. that's the rear mount hole for the inboard track and the hole on the front cross member closest to the trans tunnel on the front side is for the front bolt.

[royster]

Yes indeedy. And if you get another bench seat, I assure you it is a piece o' work getting the slide separated from the track-mount. But they give you exact mounting from which to build up.

There are three ball bearings in the track. They were placed in there then the track was hydrolically pressed to push in the retaining bend of the unit. If you do get a j.y. seat, be sure to pocket two of the bolts: two are already in place, you'll need the other two from the front mounts.

[royster]

Im just glad to know someone is following my progress.

As of today, 202 views for a thread started a week ago...I'd say plenty of people are following your thread. And I have no doubt you're inspiring others along the way.

Making good use of time, doing it right and going the full distance. Sounds like A+ to me!

[BradMph]

Thread Checked for member visits, Roy, Roy, Roy, Roy...202 times? Wha? :hi:

We all are watching everyone's threads...consider us like the NSA, but in forum terms. Actually were just a bunch of old guys with our trucks and forum trolling is fun to do when it comes to helping people that are just starting to get hooked on their truck..

[jprime84]

Thread Checked for member visits, Roy, Roy, Roy, Roy...202 times? Wha? :hi:

We all are watching everyone's threads...consider us like the NSA, but in forum terms. Actually were just a bunch of old guys with our trucks and forum trolling is fun to do when it comes to helping people that are just starting to get hooked on their truck..

Yeah I am hooked, financially at least. I just hope i dont get the brakes and suspension back to pristine condition and then the motor quits!

As far as updates go, I got the rest of the hub back together. I had to go and get some silicone gasket to redo the locking hub gaskets. Also, I painted the wheel as it was semi rusted and looked rough. Obviously I will paint the others as I go around the truck.

Reassembled hub and brake assembly
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2948/15464132866_de6e666f50_z.jpg
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2945/15485323521_ca17913636_z.jpg

Now onto the rust. I ordered some body plugs to replace the missing ones in the cab. There are just 3 large open holes in it. There is one rust hole near one of these open plug holes. I only found one rust out on the body, and its on the drivers side rocker panel right behind the front wheel. I am going to bondo patch it and see how that goes. I am having trouble getting at it well enough to sand off the bad paint and rust down to bare metal. The door is in the way. Is taking a door off easy to do?

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2948/15300597898_7674c79ea5_z.jpg
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5606/15300543880_8a4f8d038d_z.jpg

[jprime84]

I forgot to mention I got my headlight switch working. The glue held its shape, but it separated from the surface when we flicked the lights off and on a bit.

What I ended up doing was buying a 1/16th inch drill bit, and some #2 brass screws at 1/2 inch in length. I drilled into the plastic and metal where the knob had broken off, and then screwed the brass screw in to serve as a new knob. It works great!

[royster]

Is taking a door off easy to do?

Couple of bolts and pull the pin out of the wind strap thing.

Kudos on some great work, the re-assemble looks terrific.

Nice avatar, too. Have you created a photo album, yet, in the Gallery?

RE: Light switch - the resourcefulness of the members here never ceases to amaze me. One of the good points of these vehicles is that they ARE "user-serviceable" and aren't picky about home-made repairs. We put a lot of ourselves into them, that's for sure.

Continued applause, JP!~

[Fordubishi]

JP a little trick for the rust is cut out as much as possible then get some panel bonding glue (or metal epoxy) from you local parts store and slip a new piece of metal into the hole where the rust was. Using a few magnets you hold the panel to the body till the glue cures. After the glue has cured you can then "Bondo" over it and it won't fall through the rust holes. You can get 1/16" sheet metal from the parts store as well.

[kswildcat]

I like to have an old hood, trunk or door laying around to hack some metal off and the tack weld it in good (thats if you have access to a welder). If not epoxy will take care of it just fine ( and you wont even warp it)... Just wanting to say great job on doing it right the first time... Although sometimes funds are not available to do it right and you may have to do just enuff to get by.. But doing it right the first time just leads for less things that SHOULD not go wrong..

[jprime84]

Brief update tonight. I didnt get to do any of the bondo stuff yet. Instead, I jacked up the back end and took the wheels off for cleaning and painting. Then, I installed new shocks in the back. It was crazy, the nuts came off without a fight and the whole swap took 20 minutes. I then put on the NRG steering wheel hub adapter for my wheel that is on the way, and I fixed my wobbly bumper due to a broken screw on one side. I drilled it through and replaced the screw. The paint is drying and ill put the back wheels on again tomorrow.

Can you spot the new parts? :)
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5598/15305616307_498de3b6e2_z.jpg

[jprime84]

Did some work Friday but didnt get any photos done. I spent most of the time working on the front left wheel doing everything I did to the front right side. Unfortunately, I ended up having to drill out two totally stripped allen screws on the out locking hub assembly. I hope I can find replacements.

My dad was working on the stereo that was wired up all wrong. You could only turn it on when the headlights were on. He rewired everything correctly, and ran me some wires for rear speakers. The dash speakers sounded terrible. When we took them out to examine them, the cones basically turned to dust in our hands. I have a new set on the way.

He had a soldering iron in the cab working on the wiring. I leaned in to take a look at something and I put my elbow down on the hot soldering iron. OW OW OW. It took me a few seconds to even understand what had happened. I burned the top layer of skin clean off, so thats a bit tender now. This truck is haivngs its way with me. I only have a few more days to get it done and driveable before the camping trip.

[jprime84]

Last night I finished getting all of the old parts off of the front left steering and suspension setup. I pressed in the new upper ball joint, and attached the new lower ball joint. I drilled out the broken shock screws and put in new screws and lock nuts with threadlock. The shock is also in place. The New tie rod ends have been put onto the tie rod adjuster sleeve.

The next step will be to put on the new axle seal on the steering knuckle and get it attached. Then I will put the new rotor onto the hub, and get the new bearings packed.

I was looking at the locking hub that I had to drill out, and it looks like I might have drilled out too much material from the cap for the new screws to grip it and make a seal. I found something on amazon that I think will work as a replacement locking hub, so I decided to order that just in case I needed it.

I just learned in the brake forums that my weak brakes could be a vacuum issue, or a load sensing proportioning valve issue. I doubt that I will get to the bottom of that issue this week. Too much else to do.

[jprime84]

More work done - still lazy with taking pictures.

I got my new front speakers installed. The ones that came out literally crumbled to dust in my hands. I also got my NRG steering wheel installed. On my front left wheel I have the bearings in and the hub reassembled. I now need to get the caliper and pads back on and the wheel on.

I took a look at my brake issue. The vacuum line going to the booster appears to be in good shape. I will have to get the caliper back on so I can follow the booster tests as written in the service manual.

I also took my first shot at applying bondo and a metal mesh patch. Its about as ugly as you can get. The path didnt want to stick to the metal very well. Good thing I am not trying to win a beauty contest.

[jprime84]

Back from a successful camping trip!

On the downside, I did not get it aligned after finishing the front end, because it looks like one of the inner tie rod ends I ordered is either not to spec or the wrong part in the box. It rubs the castle nut on the pitman arm because the arch is not where it needs to be. They told me I need to replace it before they can align it. I drove it to camp anyway. 4x4 works great. I loaded up my kayak, tackle, backpack, rifle, chainsaw, gas, cooler, camp stove, etc. The ride on the highway was so much nicer with new shocks.

Also on the downside, my blower motor must be dead. I cant get anything to come out of the vents except a warm draft. I still havent figured out my brake issue, and it sounds like my power steering pump is on its way out. It wails in agony any time you need to make a sharp turn.

Here is a few pics of the truck after I got back from my trip. My sister is still working on the seat cover.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3948/15396799278_a071ba7f9f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/psyC1w)
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5607/15396800298_e4fbaabcec_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/psyCj7)
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3953/15559236596_6661f3b92f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pGV9XW)

[royster]

[very large letters] YAY!

Another member on the forum reported a heater switch that simply needed cleaning to spiff up the contacts. On heater issues: You might check behind the dash and make sure the duct work is all tight. Perhaps see if you can vacuum out the heater air intake, and if you can get to it, the heater core. Also check in the engine compartment for any kinks in the heater hoses. Another possiblitiy is that the thermostat has been removed (horrible shudder remembering just such a discovery in winter, E-150 van).

Check and be sure the power steering belt is tight and in good condition.

One more "YAY!" for your outting!

[jprime84]

Well I finally got around to replacing that one inner tie rod end. I bought a Moog part, as I didnt want to get burned again by another cheap chinese part. Looking at the two parts side by side you can see how the arch was insufficient in the cheap product. Also, the rubber boot was already beginning to fail. On the plus side it only took me about 15 minutes to change it out. I didnt even need to jack up the truck. It drives SO much better.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5613/15626685586_40e7d0e27f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pNSRcy)

[royster]

:) Amazing how much of a joy a vehicle is to drive when you can steer it and stop it!!

[jprime84]

Wow so its been almost a year! I have not done much on the truck until recently. I decided to see what I could do to get it looking a bit better this past weekend. It stays parked outside under a bunch of trees so it typically has sap and pine needles sticking out of all of the trim. The previous owner had some cheap paint job done and that paint was coming off as seen in the other photos. When I went to wash it this weekend a lot of paint came off just from the hose pressure.

I power washed all the loose paint off that I could, then I went over the whole truck with my random orbital and some polishing compound. I also put on a coat of wax since there is basically no clear coat on it. I also put the gallon of bed liner I bought to use. I did the bed and then did the quarter panels and fender flares. I think it turned out pretty well!

Truck bed cleaned up before liner:
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5654/20653718216_3a28cb3696_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/xt6GRW)


Liner applied!
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5621/20048181973_033651f6f4_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/wxAb2T)


The rest of the truck with the painted quarter panels and polished old paint:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/616/20669123955_2bcf97aa3a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/xusEs8)
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5751/20642847916_062f732c9b_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/xs8ZuY)
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/660/20659900762_123da328ef_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/xtDoHy)

[jprime84]

New seat upholstery!

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/685/21770005049_1516e74a3a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zaJY3D)