Axle swap in "The Big Cheese"

[randyscycle]

Looking good. I may be jumping the gun here but what is the plan for the steerng. The cross links no problem. But I believe the steerig box on a one ton chevy uses a outside frame steerng box.Kind of like a duce setup.

Steering will use a FSJ power box and stock pitman arm. A crossover link to the right knuckle and a high steer arm with a spacer. The stock GM center link and stabilizer completes the link of the two wheels.

Actually, a Deuce box is on the inside of the frame, but sort of turned up on its side and the pitman arm moves forward and back connected to the knuckle by a drag link.

[Grantshire]

Considering that you are working on the ice cream mobile you should just leave the axles that color

Ice Cream mobile!?! Now that was uncalled for! Your thong give you a wedggie this morning or something?

I'm not the one who painted it orange and white or labeled it a brush truck but I am working the colors. Anyone can have a green M715, this one is a horse of a different color. Orange, black, a tasteful amount of white, and some top secret modifications and this is going to be one scary truck.

Randy, don't pay attention to that guy behind the curtain, it looks great! Shipped a box of parts off to you today and let me know if the gears don't arrive in the next couple of days.

I hope to stop by in the next couple of weeks, work permitting. I'll bring ice cream.

[Ronner]

lol It was dubbed the Ice Cream Mobile by the former owner, Tom.
At least it was one color and didn't look like a kid painted it - like mine when I got it:



The sag to the right was from a tree falling on it (dent on tailgate) - funny, the bed supports didn't distort at all - just bent the frame. Probably a good thing as the frame guy said he fixed a "diamond" in the frame too - when you see trucks where the back doesn't track right with the front - who knew?

[Grantshire]

lol It was dubbed the Ice Cream Mobile by the former owner, Tom.
At least it was one color and didn't look like a kid painted it - like mine when I got it:



The sag to the right was from a tree falling on it (dent on tailgate) - funny, the bed supports didn't distort at all - just bent the frame. Probably a good thing as the frame guy said he fixed a "diamond" in the frame too - when you see trucks where the back doesn't track right with the front - who knew?

No offense taken, just have fun with you. I have always bought my vehicles for their condition, not color, but the lack of taste of some PO's has always amazed me. Case in point is my 79 Chief:



PO must have been a Richard Petty fan because it is Richard Petty blue! I planned on repainting it when I got it home but my kids took one look at it and named it Smurf so Smurf it is. I have one of these glued to the dash:



I am an Auburn graduate (War d@mn Eagle) but I cannot bring myself to go with the orange and blue color scheme (see first paragraph about PO's) so "Big Cheese" is an inside joke in the family (at my expense). I will have the bed Line-xed like my other Jeeps so black is about to become a dominate color. I have a couple of other modifications planned that will tranform "Big Cheese" into "The Great Pumpkin" so orange is here to stay.

[randyscycle]

Um, it'll be a "colorful" collection...... But hey, once the mud is on it they all look pretty much the same anyway!

Oh, and the gears showed up via UPS this afternoon, so we are on track for some regearing and setup, then an axle install.

Looks like Ronner's 715 has the "Toledo Tilt" going on.......most of these trucks list a little bit to the port side, but jeez.....that's just about as slanted as the Tower at Pisa........

[fisherman]

Richard, I still have a brushguard or two with your name on them.

[Barrman]

Ronner,
Anybody that has met you would automatically look at your bent truck picture and figure you bent the frame down on the drivers front by riding in it. At least I did until I read about this supposed tree incident.

With different king pin caps, just about any steering set up you want can be made to work on the axles.

[randyscycle]

With different king pin caps, just about any steering set up you want can be made to work on the axles.

Yup. That is the beauty of popular GM stuff......

[Ronner]

Thanks Tim.
You know... I had been standing on that bumperette just before the tree came down. Hmmm... lol

[randyscycle]

Not too much progress this week as I am still waiting for some spring plates to arrive.

I did regear the rear axle, and went to do the front Dana 60. Found out something I wasn't aware of, and it may help any of you who choose the same route. The Dana 60 has a carrier break at 4.10. Anything 4.10 or less uses a carrier that is 2-1/8"" tall at the bearing surface. The 4.56 and up uses a carrier that is 2-7/16" tall. With 5.13's on the smaller carrier everything fits, but you cannot set the backlash to take up the extra clearance. This would only apply if you use a 1 ton GM pickup differential as we are doing here. The CUCV axle would already have the larger carrier in it for the 4.56 gears.

Sooooooo, its waiting for a carrier now. More pics coming then.....