Dad's Truck Build

[Gary Lewis]

Great job. Beautiful!

Thanks, David.

Well, not lots to report today. Must remember that two steps forward and one back is still progress.

First, I took a step forward and got the wheel studs installed:

Then came the step backward - I was going to install the wheel bearings and seal and discovered that I ordered the right outer wheel bearing set, but had ordered the wrong inner bearing and seal. With lots of measuring and consulting the Timken site I've determined that the truck takes:

• Outer bearing & race: SET45

• Inner bearing & race: SET37

• Inner seal: 4250

So the inner ones are now on order, but won't be in until next week, and the wrong ones will be returned tomorrow - on our way to T-town for a day "off". (We are taking Blue to the dealer's collision service to have his wounds from the encounter with the deer taken care of. And otherwise having a day together.)

Then, given that I was stymied on getting the front wheels on it, I turned to the front sway bar and cross member. While the parts washer was heating up I pressed the bushings out of the links:

And, then it was to the blast cabinet. It is interesting what you find under some of that rust and grime:

Doubt I'll get everything blasted clean today, and with tomorrow off for the outing to Tulsa and Friday off for a funeral, it may be Saturday before I get to finish the blasting and powder coat a few things.

 

[scbill]

Thanks, David.

Well, not lots to report today. Must remember that two steps forward and one back is still progress.

First, I took a step forward and got the wheel studs installed:

Then came the step backward - I was going to install the wheel bearings and seal and discovered that I ordered the right outer wheel bearing set, but had ordered the wrong inner bearing and seal. With lots of measuring and consulting the Timken site I've determined that the truck takes:

• Outer bearing & race: SET45

• Inner bearing & race: SET37

• Inner seal: 4250

So the inner ones are now on order, but won't be in until next week, and the wrong ones will be returned tomorrow - on our way to T-town for a day "off". (We are taking Blue to the dealer's collision service to have his wounds from the encounter with the deer taken care of. And otherwise having a day together.)

Then, given that I was stymied on getting the front wheels on it, I turned to the front sway bar and cross member. While the parts washer was heating up I pressed the bushings out of the links:

And, then it was to the blast cabinet. It is interesting what you find under some of that rust and grime:

Doubt I'll get everything blasted clean today, and with tomorrow off for the outing to Tulsa and Friday off for a funeral, it may be Saturday before I get to finish the blasting and powder coat a few things.

:nabble_smiley_good:Looking Good Gary.

[Steve83]

...just to interject some color.

I'm not a fan, for several reasons. I don't really like to draw attention to the undercarriage - it's just bare, rough mechansisms. And I wheel mine hard - so I need to be able to touch it up quickly & affordably. But I'd never use a light color because it would show stains too easily: either grease/oil stains, or rust, or dirt (there's a lot of Iron in the soil around here, so many things acquire a reddish hue).

...make it "symmetrical"...

Since no one will ever see the whole underside of the truck at once, I don't see that as a real consideration. This was pretty difficult, and it's the only time I've ever done it:

https://supermotors.net/getfile/65161/thumbnail/winchup.jpg

...things that can't be heated to 400 degrees, such as springs...

The temper (eutectic) point for steel is far above that, so you're safe to PC any spring. If it breaks afterward, it had NOTHING to do with being in the oven.

...it took a bit of "persuasion"...

I'd use anti-seize lube. But if it's tough now when it's perfectly clean, it'll be nearly impossible next time it needs to come apart. So I'd shave a little metal off somewhere to make a little more clearance (not slop).

[Gary Lewis]

...just to interject some color.

I'm not a fan, for several reasons. I don't really like to draw attention to the undercarriage - it's just bare, rough mechansisms. And I wheel mine hard - so I need to be able to touch it up quickly & affordably. But I'd never use a light color because it would show stains too easily: either grease/oil stains, or rust, or dirt (there's a lot of Iron in the soil around here, so many things acquire a reddish hue).

...make it "symmetrical"...

Since no one will ever see the whole underside of the truck at once, I don't see that as a real consideration. This was pretty difficult, and it's the only time I've ever done it:

https://supermotors.net/getfile/65161/thumbnail/winchup.jpg

...things that can't be heated to 400 degrees, such as springs...

The temper (eutectic) point for steel is far above that, so you're safe to PC any spring. If it breaks afterward, it had NOTHING to do with being in the oven.

...it took a bit of "persuasion"...

I'd use anti-seize lube. But if it's tough now when it's perfectly clean, it'll be nearly impossible next time it needs to come apart. So I'd shave a little metal off somewhere to make a little more clearance (not slop).

Bill - Thanks!

Steve - I understand your thinking, but this has turned into a show truck, and I don't like the monotonous black I see on most vehicles. So I'm adding a bit of Silver Lining here and there just to break up the black.

As for the temp of the metal, I had the same class you apparently did: Mechanics Of Materials. And a year ago I'd have agreed that 400 degrees won't hurt a spring. But, that was before having a long conversation with tech support at a spring company, and that guy strongly recommended that I not powder coat springs. So, I don't.

Anyway, here's today's blasting results. Looks like a little bit of touch-up here and there is needed, but overall not bad - 47 pieces in half a day. Just have to get the sway bar and cross member blasted and it'll be powder coating time!

EDIT: Steve - I meant to say that I wish I'd have thought of anti-seize instead of grease.

[Steve83]

As for the temp of the metal, I had the same class you apparently did: Mechanics Of Materials. And a year ago I'd have agreed that 400 degrees won't hurt a spring. But, that was before having a long conversation with tech support at a spring company, and that guy strongly recommended that I not powder coat springs.

Did you get the impression that he had ever taken a materials class? Did he mention the temperature at which they temper their springs, and for how long? If you have any spares, I'd paint one, powder the other, and then drive on the powdered one until it breaks. I bet it'll take a long time.

[Gary Lewis]

As for the temp of the metal, I had the same class you apparently did: Mechanics Of Materials. And a year ago I'd have agreed that 400 degrees won't hurt a spring. But, that was before having a long conversation with tech support at a spring company, and that guy strongly recommended that I not powder coat springs.

Did you get the impression that he had ever taken a materials class? Did he mention the temperature at which they temper their springs, and for how long? If you have any spares, I'd paint one, powder the other, and then drive on the powdered one until it breaks. I bet it'll take a long time.

No, I didn't get the impression he'd had a class. But, he was emphatic that I need to keep the temp below 300 degrees, if I remember correctly, and powder has to go to 425 and then back to 400 for 20 minutes. So I've POR15'ed all the springs.

The spare that I have is for an F250 and is twice as thick and is of a different shape, so won't work. But, I agree with you - it doesn't make sense given what I've been taught about steel.

[85lebaront2]

As for the temp of the metal, I had the same class you apparently did: Mechanics Of Materials. And a year ago I'd have agreed that 400 degrees won't hurt a spring. But, that was before having a long conversation with tech support at a spring company, and that guy strongly recommended that I not powder coat springs.

Did you get the impression that he had ever taken a materials class? Did he mention the temperature at which they temper their springs, and for how long? If you have any spares, I'd paint one, powder the other, and then drive on the powdered one until it breaks. I bet it'll take a long time.

My concern (I worked in a materials testing laboratory for 30 years) would be changing the temper in the springs, not necessarily causing them to fail, but changing the load characteristics. We were asked at one point to do hardness tests on springs, after discussing it with our metallurgist and engineering, we did them on the tails only, not the main active portion, as even the small indent of a Rockwell C diamond indenter could create a stress point and lead to a failure.

[Gary Lewis]

My concern (I worked in a materials testing laboratory for 30 years) would be changing the temper in the springs, not necessarily causing them to fail, but changing the load characteristics. We were asked at one point to do hardness tests on springs, after discussing it with our metallurgist and engineering, we did them on the tails only, not the main active portion, as even the small indent of a Rockwell C diamond indenter could create a stress point and lead to a failure.

Yes, it is the temper that is the issue. I wouldn't have thought 400 degrees would be an issue, but he sure did. He's tech support at a spring manufacturer and I had a college-level class 50+ years ago. So I'm playing it safe.

[Nothing Special]

Yes, it is the temper that is the issue. I wouldn't have thought 400 degrees would be an issue, but he sure did. He's tech support at a spring manufacturer and I had a college-level class 50+ years ago. So I'm playing it safe.

My company makes springs (a small part of our business). We stress relieve most of them around 450 F, so heating them again to 400 shouldn't do much, if anything to them. But you can see that it's pretty close. And that's what we do, I'm not saying that all other springs are done the same.

[Ford F834]

I don't really like to draw attention to the undercarriage - it's just bare, rough mechansisms.

To each their own, but I completely disagree. Maybe it is just a left-brain romance with the running gear, but I have really come to love the look of certain stout Ford components like the 9” center chunk, webbed ZF main case, mono beam D60 kingpin caps or the straight six timing cover. And yeah... I want to see ‘em and show them off. I get what you are saying about spending too much time putting trendy colors under a trail rig, but for the average use truck it just does not take that much extra effort to use some accent color to show off your gear...

It can easily be over-done, but one contrast color (especially a metal tone) looks classy, I think. No sense arguing aesthetics since there is no right answer, but to me the engine bay and drive train are every bit something to look at as the body lines and trim.