Third time's a charm...but it will be slow going

[Kaiserjeeps]

Yes still watching of course. That looks like a good sized package to fit up. Don't look at the whole project. Just focus on the stage in front of you at the moment. That is how I try to look at these projects when it seems and feels very far away from where you want to be. It does help. I get the age thing. I just moved to a place with way more snow than I want to deal with. My moving boxes are now getting stored in an attic. And not getting recycled. Keep posting up. You have moral support out here.

[jeeper]

Thanks for the encouragement.

I'm down over 50 pounds from a few years ago and I feel great most of the time now but I get cold quickly now. I still don't have a "heated" shop to work in during the cold winter months. Add to that it gets dark before I get home from work on weekdays. This thing is still sitting in the exact same spot as it was since the last update. It is outside without a front axle installed so I can't even push it into the garage to resume working on it in the evenings. I'm hoping to get some time in the next couple weeks to get the axle back under it and get it rolled inside where at least I can aim a torpedo heater at me to take the chill off and be out of the wind.

[brute4c]

Yeah...i understand that...winter has definitely set in! Wish I could stop by and help get her in for you...

[jeeper]

Merry Christmas. Time for an update.

After waffling over this project for a while I finally am starting to get the desire back to get this underway in earnest.

I have given a lot of thought on which direction I wanted to take this. I was considering the pros and cons between a frame swap or an axle swap. I have finally decided I would prefer to do the axle swap. I feel that for myself it is less "engineering". Even at the time I was test fitting the engine into the frame I was unsure if I was going to use the stock frame.

I also have looked at what axles I am attempting to use. I'm not really loving the front axle choice but so far I think the axles will work. I started off with a 2001 Dodge Cummins sport. I went to FCA's website and typed in the VIN for the truck and found it came with a Dana 70 rear and a Dana 60 front axle. According to the build sheet the rear is an "Anti-spin" which was verified when I lifted the back of the truck off the ground and both wheels turn the same direction when I turn either wheel. Both axles also have 4.10 gears.

Today I went out and tacked in some motor mounts and set the engine where I think it needs to be. Once I get it back on some axles I hope to test fit the cab to be sure it will fit. I'm struggling a bit to think through what order I need to assemble this. I'm also thinking I may assemble it before I go through the effort of restoring all the parts to make them durable/presentable.

I feel like I'm back in the saddle. I hope I don't fall off again. At least not until I get this thing finished...

[jeeper]

I spent today getting the axle housings out of the Dodge frame. I hope to get the existing brackets off the axle tubes in the next couple days. No pictures of the axle removal but I plan to get some once the brackets are removed.

[jeeper]

I got the brackets cut off the axles. I pulled the cover off the rear axle to inspect the gears. Everything looked good. Even the oil looked new.

I hope to have new spring perches here soon. I'd like to get the axles under the frame. My current thinking is to get the frame on axles so I can get it into the garage. I'll worry about cleaning them up and painting things when the weather here allows. We've had some very mild weather but it has been raining off and on.