I’ve been pretty busy this week. Playing with and chasing Everett around, helping Mama Bear with baby Eliza, weeding the garden and beds, yard work, removing trees for my little old lady neighbour (she pays me in expired Vintage Truck, Antique Power magazines that she gets free from work and cookies!), helping dad with his bobcat and car brakes, shingle quotes for our roof, but somehow I’ve been getting in time on the trucks in the late evening. I better thank my wife for that! 😉 It’s cute now because Everett has really taken a liking to this 1300. When he sees it he says, “ Everett’s ...chruck (truck).” One day bud! I wonder if his sister will want the C10 one day?
I welded on the extensions on the clinch clips on the springs and then drilled holes for bolts. I cut stainless tube as a roller to put over the bolt. The springs look great and should be good for a long while still. I removed the bushings from the frame for the front spring shackles. They were a bear to get out, oh boy. I then pressed in new bearings as well. I cleaned up some areas with a wire wheel and cleaner and then simply painted areas with Rustoleum gloss black. I’m going this route on this truck frame’s underpinnings for simplicity, price, ease of touch up, etc; plus when the cab and box are off I’m going to get my nephew to help me paint the frame. I think he will like that. He’s 8 years old.
I pressed out the old rear axle studs and cleaned, blasted, painted, prepped the pieces and installed new studs as the old ones were heavily worn around their circumference.
I took the “new,” straight, parts front straight axle, tie rod, and the rear axle housing to my pal’s and blasted them. They turned out great. I painted them with gloss black and let them dry. Then I greased the kingpin thrust bearings and then assembled the king pins and spindles on the axle. It went very well, except I had to redo one side as it had too much gap and had to be shimmed 0.003 to be within spec.
Then the fun stuff!! I installed the front springs, front axle, backing plates, steering arms, spindles, shocks, packed bearings, installed hubs and wheel cylinders. Things are flying off the counter now! It is going very well and it is very enjoyable.
I envy those builders who are able to sidetrack rust, irritation, rebuilding, refurbishing, cussing and time spent by using brand new parts on everything. I had to get some parts new (because they were toast) but I do get great satisfaction after all the effort to see the original pieces going back on the truck. I often tell the old truck, “Be patient. You’ll be right straight again soon.” Straight, clean, painted, shiny. Woooo doggy! I swear sometimes I hear it say, “I know.”
As Martin says, “There is no cure!”
Frame: 54
Box: 23
Sheet: 3
Total: 80
😎🦊
I thought I would include a photo of my shop whiteboard showing where I track my hours every time I pick something up on this truck. It was from a couple nights ago. 😉
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fwaCRmF2jVUn1Xhf8
