4X4X4 roof console and dakota digital dash

[rattlecan]

That is a cool design. I was also looking at these styles too. The prices are a little high for these bumpers. What do you guys think?

[customcrewcab]

i helped casey load that thing from the blaster on friday. it was pretty funny towing it around down town mesa. did those shock brackets come out sweet or what.

[rattlecan]

Thanks for the help! I felt bad that Casey had to do it alone. That thing barely fit on the trailer!
Here are some pics of the latest progress.....

lifted the front shackles 3 inches and added a receiver to the new front crossmember





added a permanent trailer hitch in the back


new shock mounts on the axle (really cool design!!)


Welding porting of the project is complete. I will take the cab and bed back off the frame and media blast the underside of the cab and get it ready for paint and strip all the stuff off the frame and paint that as well. More to come......

[PhilthyF100]

i'm loving this build, you're doing outstanding work
I may have missed it, but what welder are you using for all the work on the frame? I'm about to do a frame stretch on my '69 F350 (for a ramptruck conversion, currently has an old school wrecker back on it)

[71PA_Highboy]

I like the shock mounts, but couldn't use them here. The 'pocket' at the back would just hold the road salt and would be rotted out in a year or two.

Is there drainage at the back?

Very sweet receivers... I will have to do that next...

Thanks for the ideas!

r/

eric

[rattlecan]

I put holes in each of the shock mounts to allow mud and stuff to run out. I was worried about rust outs too.
all the welding to the frame was tig welded with a variable rate welder (a very expensive welder) done at a friends shop.
I will be painting the frame and axles this weekend. pics soon to follow

[rattlecan]

Had some time to get back into the shop and make progresss. while the frame was getting welded on, I stripped the cab and painted the firewall and floor pans. I have also stripped the frame and painted it, those pics are soon to follow.

media stripped the firewall and floor pans



a little primer and viper red enamel ( oh yea it is BRIGHT red! )

[zakt]

what did you use to media strip it, thinking about doing mine myself.

Todd

[rattlecan]

Hey Todd,
I thought about doing it myself but it was too big of a project. I took the cab over to prostrip here in Mesa, he always does top notch work. I have stripped a car before by myself, I used 250 pounds of silica sand!! it was a major mess. It is so much easier to have a shop do it. I almost blew up my air compressor in the process.
Rob

[zakt]

did you then just put it on the trailer and drove it over?? How did they move the cab around??

Todd

[rattlecan]

Hey Todd,
It was easy moving the cab to the blaster and back. I bought 4 of those 4 wheeled furniture movers and rolled the cab onto the trailer and strapped it down. I thought it would be harder than it turned out to be.
Rob

[rattlecan]

painted the frame and springs. Good to have it rolling again!
stripped it down to bare frame and prepped it for epoxy primer.




I used eastwoods porcelain satin frame paint. it is tough, very hard to scratch.





springs were painted in cast iron grey enamel





starting to assemble all the goods

[Fordnatic]

Wow, Looks GREAT!!!!!

[marvin2]

Great work....that truck is gonna be huge.

[rattlecan]

I am not sure how i am going to park this thing???
Thanks for the compliments! I hope to have the bed on this weekend
Rob