"Rocky" - 1981 F250 Restoration

[Gary Lewis]

Before you strip the nuts or studs off, check to see if they have left-hand threads. Some of the F250's and F350's came with LH threads on the left side of the truck.

I'm not remembering which axles got those threads, but yours might. There may be an "LH" on the end of the stud, but I may be confusing these trucks with the Chrysler products which did the same.

So apparently I have left hand threads on my left rear wheel

This truck is "special" in so many ways LOL. Every wheel has different lug nuts, apparently replaced/sourced over the years. You wouldn't by any chance happen to know the standard thread sizes here would you? I can't find my thread gauge anywhere and was hoping to order some new ones today. My wheels came with new nuts as part of the package but none of them fit.

I can tell for one thing that the front and rear threads are different. The front also takes a 13/16 socket and the rear takes a 1-1/16. So I think the rear must be 1/2-20 and the front might be 9/16-18? But I'm not positive.

Glad you caught it before twisting them off.

As for the size, all I can tell you is what I read in the MPC - to paraphrase a famous Okie. Here 'tis, but I need to immortalize this on a page in the documentation.

[Gary Lewis]

Glad you caught it before twisting them off.

As for the size, all I can tell you is what I read in the MPC - to paraphrase a famous Okie. Here 'tis, but I need to immortalize this on a page in the documentation.

And as I look at it, that info is confusing. It could be construed to say that all 1980 - 89 (80/) F250 HD trucks and all F350's with single rear wheels had LH threads on the rear. I know it doesn't really say that, but it could be construed that way. And that isn't the right interpretation.

Big Blue's 10.25" Spicer doesn't use LH threads. So I'm thinking that when they went from the Dana to the Spicer that changed. And that change happened in '85.

[taskswap]

And as I look at it, that info is confusing. It could be construed to say that all 1980 - 89 (80/) F250 HD trucks and all F350's with single rear wheels had LH threads on the rear. I know it doesn't really say that, but it could be construed that way. And that isn't the right interpretation.

I'm learning my truck is "exceptional" and sometimes "off the books" on parts and measurements for two reasons: DIY work done by previous owners, and it was made in 3/81. From the history pages here and other sources it seems that was a changeover point for a lot of "80-87 stuff". For instance, most people have pop-up door locks from '81 on, but _I_ have the (now impossible to find parts for) slide locks because mine was made in Kansas and they didn't change until April.

As far as I can tell I have 9/16-18 x 15/16 RH studs on both front wheels, 1/2-20 x 1-1/16 RH on the right rear, and 1/2-20 x 1-1/16 LH on the left rear. All four sets of nuts are different, even on the same wheel, so I'm guessing some were lost over time and replaced with whatever the owner(s) could find. I'm going to get replacements for all of them, run a wheel-lug-repair set around the whole mess, and see where I land.

Out with the old:

In with the new:

They look great IMO, very happy. With any luck they'll last the life of the truck at this point. I could change my mind but at the moment I'm not looking to put a ton of miles on this thing.

[Gary Lewis]

And as I look at it, that info is confusing. It could be construed to say that all 1980 - 89 (80/) F250 HD trucks and all F350's with single rear wheels had LH threads on the rear. I know it doesn't really say that, but it could be construed that way. And that isn't the right interpretation.

I'm learning my truck is "exceptional" and sometimes "off the books" on parts and measurements for two reasons: DIY work done by previous owners, and it was made in 3/81. From the history pages here and other sources it seems that was a changeover point for a lot of "80-87 stuff". For instance, most people have pop-up door locks from '81 on, but _I_ have the (now impossible to find parts for) slide locks because mine was made in Kansas and they didn't change until April.

As far as I can tell I have 9/16-18 x 15/16 RH studs on both front wheels, 1/2-20 x 1-1/16 RH on the right rear, and 1/2-20 x 1-1/16 LH on the left rear. All four sets of nuts are different, even on the same wheel, so I'm guessing some were lost over time and replaced with whatever the owner(s) could find. I'm going to get replacements for all of them, run a wheel-lug-repair set around the whole mess, and see where I land.

Out with the old:

In with the new:

They look great IMO, very happy. With any luck they'll last the life of the truck at this point. I could change my mind but at the moment I'm not looking to put a ton of miles on this thing.

I like the new wheels!!! Winner!

And yes, your truck is "special". It was built in that transition period on locks and turn signals, so is unusual. And, I kinda like that. Dad's truck is one of those as well.

[Gsmblue]

I like the new wheels!!! Winner!

And yes, your truck is "special". It was built in that transition period on locks and turn signals, so is unusual. And, I kinda like that. Dad's truck is one of those as well.

What a massive difference! I am amazed how such a seemingly minor thing like wheels/tires can transform a vehicle.

[taskswap]

What a massive difference! I am amazed how such a seemingly minor thing like wheels/tires can transform a vehicle.

Me too, guys. It's a huge difference. I got five so I have a full-size spare, too.

It's time to start reassembling the interior. My A/C has a drain tube that apparently was always left just dangling inside. I got some new tubing to run it properly, then discovered that the channel in the passenger-side kick area where it goes down (which I know it goes to because there was an old broken bit still there) a) still had its plug in (so it could never have drained) and b) is full of pine needles and other stuff. Getting it out is a chore because it's tight quarters but I'll also need to sort that out.

I've also been cleaning up and wire-loom-taping the various dangly bits like the intermittent wiper control, A/C components, etc. Hopefully in the next few days I can start putting the dash back in!

[FuzzFace2]

Picking away at little items. Got the 7/4-pin combo trailer socket installed (but not wired yet).

https://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n109729/plug.jpeg

I also got the license plate camera frame installed (also not wired). Electrical is my big upcoming task so I'm trying to get all the peripherals mounted so I can sort out connections to them.

On the trailer wiring you know Etrailer (and others) make a Tee harness that plugs in between the frame harness and the tail light harness so no cut-n-splicing.

You will stil need to run (10ga) wires for electric brakes and power to charge a battery on the trailer.

Not hard as I did all that on my 81 F100 as it is a back up to pull my car trailer.

I am old school and no back up camera

Dave ----

[taskswap]

On the trailer wiring you know Etrailer (and others) make a Tee harness that plugs in between the frame harness and the tail light harness so no cut-n-splicing.

You will stil need to run (10ga) wires for electric brakes and power to charge a battery on the trailer.

Electrical is probably the only solid thing I brought to the table in terms of prior knowledge in this project. I've done some brake and suspension work but I'm as green as a four leaf clover when it comes to engines/drivetrains/cooling/etc. Most of this stuff I'm making up as I go along, plus knowledge from here, Youtube, etc.

But if it has a copper wire in it... I tend to get a little carried away.

I'm going to be doing a few things here. I'm not a huge fan of tee harnesses not because they're bad in general but because it's just one less thing to maintain/have corrode under there. I can make these connections hard-wired as proper extensions of the loom, so I may as well. But more important, this is a hunt/camp rig for my wife and I. About 80% of the time it's driven, it's going to have a camper in the bed or towed, plus some "special stuff" like a modular LiFePo4 battery box and charge controller for the camper, Quick Connect power ports for things like water pumps and winches, backup camera, aux lighting, and so on.

I'm going to be pulling a new fuselink-protected ACC line from the alternator back to the bumper and to an accessory port near the front of the bed, to plug into the camper and battery box charge controller. I'll also be adding a dedicated electric-brake line and harness to the interior where you'd normally install one.

Currently the only trailer I have is a fifth wheel, and I'd never put it on this truck - I haul it with a RAM 2500 and I'm near my limits with that. But I have VERY fond memories of a Jumping Jack trailer I used to own and I've had some thoughts of getting one again. They're cool trailers because you can use them as utility trailers, but they're also a 5x8 canvas tent rig when you want that. They have very high cargo capacities (a 5x8 can carry two UTVs on top), have electric brakes, and are pretty off-road capable (torsion axles). I just love them. It wouldn't shock anybody who knows me if I picked one up again.

Anyway, to answer your question, basically replace any "here's a sensible and cost effective option for this electrical hookup" with "what could you do some imagination, beer, the right tools, and your wife unaware of your plan" and you probably have what's going in Rocky

[Gary Lewis]

On the trailer wiring you know Etrailer (and others) make a Tee harness that plugs in between the frame harness and the tail light harness so no cut-n-splicing.

You will stil need to run (10ga) wires for electric brakes and power to charge a battery on the trailer.

Electrical is probably the only solid thing I brought to the table in terms of prior knowledge in this project. I've done some brake and suspension work but I'm as green as a four leaf clover when it comes to engines/drivetrains/cooling/etc. Most of this stuff I'm making up as I go along, plus knowledge from here, Youtube, etc.

But if it has a copper wire in it... I tend to get a little carried away.

I'm going to be doing a few things here. I'm not a huge fan of tee harnesses not because they're bad in general but because it's just one less thing to maintain/have corrode under there. I can make these connections hard-wired as proper extensions of the loom, so I may as well. But more important, this is a hunt/camp rig for my wife and I. About 80% of the time it's driven, it's going to have a camper in the bed or towed, plus some "special stuff" like a modular LiFePo4 battery box and charge controller for the camper, Quick Connect power ports for things like water pumps and winches, backup camera, aux lighting, and so on.

I'm going to be pulling a new fuselink-protected ACC line from the alternator back to the bumper and to an accessory port near the front of the bed, to plug into the camper and battery box charge controller. I'll also be adding a dedicated electric-brake line and harness to the interior where you'd normally install one.

Currently the only trailer I have is a fifth wheel, and I'd never put it on this truck - I haul it with a RAM 2500 and I'm near my limits with that. But I have VERY fond memories of a Jumping Jack trailer I used to own and I've had some thoughts of getting one again. They're cool trailers because you can use them as utility trailers, but they're also a 5x8 canvas tent rig when you want that. They have very high cargo capacities (a 5x8 can carry two UTVs on top), have electric brakes, and are pretty off-road capable (torsion axles). I just love them. It wouldn't shock anybody who knows me if I picked one up again.

Anyway, to answer your question, basically replace any "here's a sensible and cost effective option for this electrical hookup" with "what could you do some imagination, beer, the right tools, and your wife unaware of your plan" and you probably have what's going in Rocky

You and I think alike, and that can't be good for you.

That battery looks good, but where are you going to put it? My aux battery is under the hood in the factory aux battery position, and the two batteries are tied together using a Cole Hersee smart battery isolator. That way the 3G keeps both of them up to snuff but neither can pull the other down - unless I want it to.

And ALL of my "small" connections are soldered and covered with adhesive-lined heat shrink, although the "large" connections are crimped with a hydraulic crimper. As I explained to the tech lady at Pormido when discussing splicing their camera cable, I've been soldering my connections for probably 65 of my 75 years, and it works.

And, speaking of Pormido, I really like their mirror/camera system, with the exception that they don't have a sealed front camera. But you might be able to use their "front" camera on the inside of the windshield as they intended, and not have to worry about waterproofing it like I am.

However, the tech told me this morning that she is going back to the engineers and push for a version with a waterproof front camera. She's following my Installation Of A Pormido 998 Mirror/Camera System thread and now sees the need for it. (And, hopefully, a more elegant way to mount the mirror.)

[taskswap]

That battery looks good, but where are you going to put it? My aux battery is under the hood in the factory aux battery position, and the two batteries are tied together using a Cole Hersee smart battery isolator. That way the 3G keeps both of them up to snuff but neither can pull the other down - unless I want it to.

I'm fond of Weather-Pack connectors where I might need a device to be removeable/serviceable (e.g. a blower or light fixture). I do the same as you re: solder, heat shrink (I use the waterproof adhesive type) and wire-loom-tape for permanent connections. Definitely jealous of your hydraulic crimper though. :) I've done a few DIY battery cables but don't bother anymore. There are too many good vendors like batterycablesusa.com that make them any way you want. For the few cables I need...

The battery box will be an accessory for the slide-in camper. It has limited internal space and used to draw straight from the truck or an outside power pole/generator. I'll be adding solar instead, but there's not a lot of room for batteries, charge controllers, inverters, etc. So I'm either going to use a commercial "solar generator" or just make one DIY, and it will live in the empty space in front of the wheel well. (I'll have an access door to get to it in emergencies, but these things are pretty bulletproof.)

That box will have inputs for solar from the camper roof and a DC-DC charge controller from the truck's alternator. The feed from the truck will be isolated like yours. I'm not worried about a second battery for the truck itself - I carry one of those lithium jump packs and they work great for my needs.

This will keep a heavy, less-frequently-used item out of the camper "footprint" and also isolate the camp rig from the truck while still giving me plenty of power. When the camper isn't installed, I can use the battery box for other things.

This is sort of off topic for this forum, but I'm converting the camper to all-electric. The old propane lines are sketchy and I don't trust them safety-wise. The only two things that use propane are the stove and fridge (there's no hot water heater). I'll replace the fridge with one of those new chest-style units the van life folks are switching to, and the stove can run on 1lb bottles.

And, speaking of Pormido, I really like their mirror/camera system, with the exception that they don't have a sealed front camera. But you might be able to use their "front" camera on the inside of the windshield as they intended, and not have to worry about waterproofing it like I am.

However, the tech told me this morning that she is going back to the engineers and push for a version with a waterproof front camera. She's following my Installation Of A Pormido 998 Mirror/Camera System thread and now sees the need for it. (And, hopefully, a more elegant way to mount the mirror.)

Think that camera would still work if you sealed it yourself? People make all kinds of containers for cameras, you might get away with it for a long while if you add any kind of barrier at all. I don't know how big it is but if you don't care about voiding your warranty maybe you can carefully epoxy-pot it, just with a brush, you know? And just tape off the lens while you do it?