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Wheels & Tires

I finally got a break so I could get the tires mounted on the new wheels. I'm itching to install them on the truck but there are a few things that I really need to do prior to mounting the tires. Last week I bought some 2x4s to make a few more blocks to raise the truck off the ground while I am working under it.

First up was disassembling the front sheetmetal and priming a few things. I pulled the forward filler panel and soaked it in a vinegar bath to strip off the mill scale so I can prime it. I also went ahead and pulled the rotors back off to paint the center section since they were starting to rust a bit.

With the front sheetmetal removed I also went ahead and temp plumbed the front airbags so I can manually raise and lower the truck with my shop compressor once the wheel are on. I also had to swap out some hardware on the airbags while the area was more accessible.

Since both fenders were removed I took the chance to pretty-up the inner fenderwells where I had cut them out to clear the IFS. A bought some 3/16 dia round rod to weld along the cutout to stiffen the trimmed area and to make it less sharp when I'm working in that area.

I've got a few more parts to de-rust and to paint before I reassemble the frontend but it shouldn't be too long now....fingers crossed.