Project: Doitall Dodge

Metcalf

Expedition Leader
Dinner Break....

It took a lot more work than I had planned, but I have the fender on the rear passenger side all cut apart. It's ready to be put back together now. Dang its a BIG hole in the side of the truck!

It looks like it will turn out ok. I guess I just wasn't in the mood today or something. I found myself getting pretty frustrated while working on it. I had to slow down, take a few breaths, and try again.

Hopefully I will have it tack welded back together tonight, then its time for the section patch and some bracing to keep the bedsides from flexing too much.

Pictures after I get it back together....its just a big hole right now!
 

Metcalf

Expedition Leader
I'm creating a MONSTER!!!!

Well, at least that is what it feels like sometimes. So here is the lowdown on the first rear fender.....or at least as far as I got this long weekend.

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First you lay out the cuts. I was able to do this a little different than the front because of the lack of an inner fender. I am taking 3" out front and back, but I am going to do a single section in the middle instead of two like the front.

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Then you hack the entire thing apart. This is the point where I go....
DANG....what did I do?!?!??!?!?!. This was a BIG hole in the side of the truck. Cutting out the fender lip that joins the outer panel to the wheel well was the hardest part. Did I mention that was a BIG hole!

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Then you start putting it back together. At least it starts to look like something at this point. Don't mind the mismatch at the rear lower portion of the bedside. All that is getting hacked off for a wrap around bumper.

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Then you put the other half back in. At this point it starts to look like a bedside again! I didn't have enough clean metal around to make the section filler. I am going to buy a sheet of steel this week. I don't really need a 4x10 sheet but I don't think I can get around it anymore. I was able to add some braces from the inner wheel well tub to the outer sheet of the bedside. This helped make everything a little more rigid.

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Now comes the best part. The test fit! This always makes things come together in my head and get me motivated again. Sometimes these projects seem to drag. So tell me that doesn't look SWEET! The tire has plenty of room front to back and on the top.

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This is the worst clearance spot. The tire is getting a little close to the wheel tub. Its better than I thought it would be, and I could drive it like this. I am still debating if I am going to need to tub the rear. I think with the 14-bolt rear axle, which is wider by about 2.5", that I don't 'need' to. I will have to see. I can always do it down the road since its not going to be a painted surface.

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This one is for scale. My very understanding and supportive girlfriend is 5'7" tall. These tire are BIG!!!

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Surprisingly these tire don't stick out much! This will change with the new wider axle but not THAT much. I like that they don't stick way out. The low stance of the truck lets me get away with this. Sometime I have to remind myself that these tires measure the same as most 40" tires. Honestly I think I have room for 42" tires if I ever wanted to upgrade, especially if I mini-tubed the rear.

Hopefully this week I can get another tire mounted up so I can do a front and rear test fit. This should really help me visualize the final product. After I get the sheet of 22 gauge cold roll I can finish off the front inner fender and the rear section and add the last brace. Then its on to the other side. In the rear the gas filler door adds a little complexity, the front should be about the same. I can't decide if I want to try and do the other front ON the truck instead of off?

After the fenders are done and tires are all on....

Gearing, Body and Paint, or Bumpers next?

Thoughts, Comment, Suggestions, Kind words of encouragement, etc?
 

chasespeed

Explorer
I would either go with gearing, or bumpers next... paint last....

Then again, this is coming from the guy, who is going to mimic the Rustoleum Roll-On that another build did......

Chase
 

Metcalf

Expedition Leader
I am going to do Rustoleum too! That was the plan from the start pretty much. I had fleeting thoughts of doing the 90s Landcruiser color Moonglow Pearl but I don't think the body work on this truck is ever going to be that nice. I am going to use 'Smoke Grey' Rustoleum instead. There is nothing wrong with using it as long as you get enough on and take the time to color sand and polish. A coat of wax every few months will keep it looking really nice. The key is prep.

I don't know if I am going to roller it on. I thought about it, but I already have a compressor and a gun. I may roller it on just to keep the mess down though. With a roller you REALLY have to thin it...something like 50/50 or so...you want all the bubbles to pop on there own. It almost looks milky this thin and you need to put on about 6-7 coats or more to get enough to sand on.

What is this thread you talk about with roller paint...is it on here? I'm going to go look around....

I want to do gearing but that is going to involve opening another can of worms as far as lockers go....and I will be swapping in a 14-bolt if I do anything for gears. I am going to at least TRY the 3.55s with the big tires just for fun. As far as locker go I really want selectable lockers, but I don't know if I can spend that much on this old truck. I guess I could always build my own lockers....I have always wanted to do that :) I think I could copy the T-locker design pretty easy for the D60 front. A selectable locker for the 14-bolt in the rear might be a little harder/different. If for some reason I decide to stay with the D60/D70 stock axles I would probably just add a Powr-Lok to the front to match the rear. Even that is probably more than this truck needs.

I guess I also need to do at least the rear bumper before the paint and detail body work. The rear of the bed is getting cut off a lot for the wrap around rear bumper I have mentioned earlier in the thread.

I am just trying to work on the truck about an hour an evening....that seems to get a fair bit done without going overboard and burning myself out. If I didn't need to drive the truck sometimes during the week I think I could move a little faster.

I just got to keep going......
 

Rot Box

Explorer
I just got to keep going......

Yes--yes you do! We've all been waiting long enough and want to see it driving with all four of those tires mounted up :elkgrin:

It's too bad the Olive Drab paint scheme is so played out because it would fit your truck perfect. That being said I think doing the gearing next may be you best bet then some bumpers afterwards.

Looks awesome keep it up :drool:
 

Metcalf

Expedition Leader
I'm going to keep going....it's a longer process than most can imagine. If I could keep the truck down for a week or two I could make more progress, but when you have to drive, and use it, stuff like this becomes harder.

It will be on the big tires soon.

Did I mention these tires are BIG....what was I thinking?!?!?!? :D

I have the front and rear bumpers designed. I just need to buy the steel. I need a sheet of plate ( still going back and forth on thickness ) and some 2x4 tube. I would like to build the front bumper around the winch....so I guess I have to think about buying that soon.

I don't think I will ever run out of projects for this truck....just too much potential room for improvement....or I always have too many ideas.
 

Rot Box

Explorer
I was just being a little sarcastic as usual. I don't have enough cuss words saved up or enough tools left to throw to even attempt enlarging my fenderwell and expecting it to turn out that nice :( Great work! :sombrero:

Any ideas yet on the rear suspension? For a quick fix I've been contemplating running 52" Blazer springs and keeping the tension shackle... I noticed the rear of of my truck will wash out on even the smallest of washboards with the stock ones.
 

Metcalf

Expedition Leader
I would have to say the best thing you can do for a suspension is run GREAT shocks. Yes, they are expensive......but if you buy the good ones you can rebuild them as many times as you want AND tune them to do about anything.

I think on these old dodge trucks the stock shock position doesn't do the truck any favors. They are tilted in ( angled ) which makes them less effective and inboard of the springs also...which also makes them less effective.

If I have my way I will be buying a set of 2.5" Dia Remote Reservoir shocks from FOA. They are not top of the line, but they are good re-buildable shocks that have enough beef to do some good. Don't get carried away with overall travel, its more about quality of travel.

In the end....the stock rear springs on the dodges are pretty rough but you can't really get away with a super soft spring, especially with the tall rear block. The rear end will wrap enough to break things. I think the best thing to do would be to have a set of custom rear springs built to eliminate the rear block....and provide a good 'empty' ride. Then have some long travel air bags for weight carrying capacity and towing.

Sadly, all this stuff is a lot of money......its hard investing a ton of coin in an old truck.
 

chasespeed

Explorer
Thats how I built my bumper, AROUND the winch. And everything is various sizes. Go with some beef for the mounts, and winch plate(and front center section), and the rest, can get a little lighter.

Second, FOA, I have not used them myself yet, BUT, everyone is aparently pleasantly surprised at them....

When this Bilsteins go(5100s), it will be FOA remove res shocks for me....

Chase
 

Metcalf

Expedition Leader
Thats how I built my bumper, AROUND the winch. And everything is various sizes. Go with some beef for the mounts, and winch plate(and front center section), and the rest, can get a little lighter.

I am still debating on what to build the bumper out of. I am honestly leaning toward 1/8" :) I think with the proper design that it will be more than heavy enough. I have the ability to test everything is FEA so I don't have to guess too much. If you look, most ARB bumpers are made out of similar material. I think if the bends and gussets are in the right places it could work out sweet. I have a nice design in my head.......

I want to keep it lighter than most. I don't need any more weight in the front of the truck, that Cummins takes care of that!

The winch is also going to be fairly hidden, mounted down low between the frame rails, and tucked back against the front crossmember right below the radiator and intercooler. Something like the new dodge Powerwagons.



Second, FOA, I have not used them myself yet, BUT, everyone is aparently pleasantly surprised at them....

When this Bilsteins go(5100s), it will be FOA remove res shocks for me....


I haven't heard anything bad at all. They offer a few different options for the top cap and seals too. You can upgrade to the high temp seals for a few bucks and a billet top cap for another few dollars.

I just heard that Edelbrock is going to be releasing a set of air bumps that are very affordable. I think they are about $100 each. That is about half the price of the name brands. Its amazing the difference a good bumpstop makes in a suspension.....everything becomes much more progressive when you hit a big bump.

I am having second thoughts about keeping my rear axle. Its not the best axle, but its in there and I just verified that I have a Dana Powr-Lok in the rear. This is a GREAT limited slip diff that is very strong and is only one step below a full locker. I would love to have ARBs but I don't know if its worth all the extra money for this old truck?

The 14-bolt rear axle swap is still a really good option. I can find them all day long with 4.10 gears. They have the 3rd pinion bearing for strength. They are a little wider than the rear I have now and match the front axle almost perfect. The axles are slightly bigger. Disc brakes are cheap. Etc Etc. I will have to buy a 1410 rear yoke which is about $100 and figure out something for brakes. I would like to do discs in the rear but that adds a lot of auxiliary cost for a new master cylinder and perhaps a hydroboost system.

If the truck had 4.10s stock I would just keep the D70 rear. Boy that would be simple! No such luck though.
 

Metcalf

Expedition Leader
Sunday....weekly update.

Though I didn't end up working a ton of time on the Dodge I did manage to get a lot done in a short time. I only spent about 4-5 hours working on the truck this Sunday afternoon. Its getting close boys and girls! I have both rear fenders pretty much done.....only one left now!

I came up with a pretty good system for the other rear fender....

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Step one. Use a wire wheel to get most of the paint off and get down to some bare metal. Its a lot easier to do this step before you get everything cut apart.

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Step Two. Use good masking tape ( I like 3M products ) to mark off your cut lines. Use as much as you need to get the cuts you want, mark everything with a pen if you need to remember where to cut.

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Step Three. Drill your pilot holes to allow you to make the cuts you need. These go in the eliminated section areas so you don't have to patch anything later. Even with the double section around the fuel filler door I was able to get away with only having to drill two holes.

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Step Four. Use this little magic guy to make most of the cuts. The only cut I couldn't do with a the jigsaw was cutting the inner fender away from the outer panel. I had to use a saws-all for this. I used a pretty short metal blade. Cut the inner fender away first before you cut on the outer parts. I had to make this short blade for the jigsaw buy using a cut off wheel on the grinder. This makes the blade just short enough that it doesn't hit the inner panel on the top of the wheelwell.

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Make this cut first while the panel is still very stable. I did the horizontal cut and vertical cut in this area while the panel was still in one piece. It add stability and lets you cut without much vibration in the panel.

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I then cut the rear section. I cut the panel in one piece with the section attached. It just works out better to cut the sections out once the panel is loose from the truck.

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I save the top cut till last. As I go I used some duct tape ( 3M ) to hold the panel as I went. This keeps the panel from falling and ripping the last bit out as you cut it free.

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After all that you end up with a big freaking hole in the side of the truck!
 

Metcalf

Expedition Leader
Now you have to put it back together again!

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I use this tool to cut off the sectioned areas. Its pretty easy to get a very straight and clean line. They do make you hands hurt after a bit though! One secret to using these is to work a long string out the top instead of taking little tiny bites over and over.

P1010016.jpg


Once I removed the sections I used a grinder and cut off wheel to remove most of the inner fender. I lift a little lip on the back to add strength. I then cut the fender apart in the middle. The rear section got welded in first. Take a little time to make sure the fit is good. As long as you cut straight it should be. You can use a flapper wheel to adjust the edge as needed. I use a combination of magnets and duct tape to hold the panel in place for tack welding. I start at one corner and work my way all over the panel. Generally you have to push, pull, and hammer a little to get the edges to line up well enough. Just take you time until you get the hang of it.

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The front section gets welded in next. On this side of the truck you have to deal with the fuel door. I decided to work the sectioning around the door so I could leave it in place. It makes for a few more edges but worked really well.

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The last thing you have to do is fill in the gap you created by sectioning the fender. I finally picked up some new 22 gauge cold roll to make the rear patches. Working with new clean metal is SOOOO nice. I was able to duplicate the fender line and lip buy using a cheap rubber mallet, a ballpeen hammer, and a piece of 1/4" strap to form the patch over. I formed only the fender line before welding it on the truck. Then once it was welded in I used a pair of flange pliers and a little hammer and dolly work to form the lower edge.

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Then you have to keep welding the structure together. I use the tack/move/tack method as much as possible. Once the area is too hot for a bar hand I move on to another area. I use a brass bar to help fill the gaps if needed. Once you get the wire speed and temp right you can go pretty fast without having to worry about blowing through. Once you have it all welded up....then you have to grind it down. I use a flapper disc to do this. I generally use a 60 grit. It seems to be aggressive enough to grind down the welds without burning through the sheet metal.

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I also made and welded in the patch panel for the other side and finished welding it all up. This patch turned out extra nice I thought....

Only one more fender to go. I hope to have the big tires on this coming weekend! Stay tuned!
 

Metcalf

Expedition Leader
Thank you very much!

Its just metal though....I am pretty confident that anyone could do something like this. Most people are just too afraid they are going to mess something up. Once you get over the initial fear of cutting almost the entire side of your truck off it gets pretty simple :)

My best advise is to just get out and do it. I don't really have any fancy tools other than my welder. It's even a cheap 110V Northern welder that only cost me $400 delivered with an auto dark hood. I think people get to carried away thinking that they need $1000's of dollars of tools to do stuff like this.

Old trucks like this are cheap. Its a great way to learn. I think too many people get wrapped up in having the best and newest stuff. Worst case with this truck I'm only out a few thousands dollars if I just walked away from it today. I could part out the motor and drive train for more than I paid for it.
Its also paid for...so I don't have to worry about extra insurance, inspections, or resale.

If anyone needs any advise or encouragement please let me know!
 

EuroJoe

Adventurer
Metcalf, this is a great build, and the fact that it is 400$ welder and a hammer is great! i think i'll be looking for advice if i buy a truck next year, i could prob sell a cheap truck plus welder and parts to the misses, as better than buying a more expensive bit of kit. great build i look forward to the finish!
 

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