lostviking

Edited: I used a PV2 proportioning valve and I also swapped in a Toyota dual circuit master cylinder. There is a thread from another member that gives the part number. I didn't know this for sure, so I just looked it up...it is a combination valve. It is designed specifically for disk/drum combos. I'd think about doing the master cylinder upgrade, and yes, for safety it is an upgrade. Then use a proportioning valve so the rears don't lock up at the worst possible moment.

I did the same conversion on my 3/4. I didn't have to grind anything though. Should have been the exact same kit I believe. I did a thread you can refer to if you'd like. There should be a minor amount of drag if you bleed the brakes and haven't driven it. The slight wobble of the assembly pushed the pads back, otherwise they lightly make contact with the rotor. Tight, or just a bit of dragging sound?

Not horrible. I sure wish I would have just bought them to begin with.

Braided straps have a much lower resistance that other styles and are usually more flexible. You can cover the ends and use plastic dip products to prevent any corrosion, at a slight lose in flexibility. Typically they are used to strap the engine to the frame, not as a battery cable.

Here is a quick shot of everywhere on the cab that has damage. It might just be the paint was damaged, or it might be one of the places that needs metal work, but here it is. AND, the two holes that shouldn't be there I need to weld shut.

Just got the .25 inch spacers. In case anyone was interested, 15x7 wheels with a 4 inch back space will fit if you add a .25 inch spacer. I think it could have been a bit thinner, maybe even .125. These rims are intended to fit a Cherokee.

Just before the horror...Coming back from the laps around the block Readjusting the rear brakes before I left on the next test drive.

Challenge is putting it lightly Maybe sand bags and a BFH. I don't want to mess up the pattern on the surface, so I have no idea right now. I won't be hitting the metal direct or I'd just smooth out the texture and destroy them. I'll buy fiberglass as a last resort only.

The PO didn't use any of the correct "gaskets" between sheet metal. I'll use it when I put it back together, and probably do the other side. I wonder what those broken off bolts/screw are then. It's almost impossible to get at that side right now, it's against the garage wall. Once I can move the truck I'll take a better picture and discuss it. I don't put it past the PO for modifying things.

That weird, because there are cutouts in the fender lip, and on the passengers side there are two broken off bolts in threaded inserts. Wonder if that is a 3/4 ton thing. I'll have to go look at the parts manual. I figured the PO wouldn't have added them, but no telling.

The parts in the pictures were just being stored in the truck bed. Stock rotors from my Challenger, stock rods and pistons from the 218 I tore down and the stock front brakes from the truck. Oh, the rotor didn't make a great wheel, but the front brakes did stop. The rotor was ground when I hit the brakes after getting to the side of the road. They seemed to work pretty good. The new wheels.

Couple more shots, of the running board. Even though the rear inside part of the front fender looked bad, this is the one I'm most worried about fixing. That metal is thick.

I wish this was the worst for the front fender. But it wasn't.

More shots of the damage. You can't see it very well in the picture, but there is a fold line all along this part. The spot welds (?) at the very rear edge failed and it was pushed in. I'll have to get the running board mount fixed to get this part back into it's proper position.

After the horror of losing a front tire on my test drive, it's time to stopping crying and get the girl repaired. The details of what I know about the event are in another thread. This one is about fixing what happened. So, at 15-20MPH the drivers front tire came off. It went mostly out the opening, but caught the fender bending it up pretty badly, and causing some damage to where the fender met the cab. The tire then went under the running board it seems, and bent it up, forcing it upwards into the lower side of the cab under the door. The running board mount was pulled loose from what looks like a rivet on the bottom, mushrooming the metal. I need to get the running board mount off the truck to flatten the mushroom out, then reattach it. Right now it doesn't give me room the fix the bottom of the cab. I took some horror shots, but I had already started some of the repair. This is part of where the front fender bent the cab. I was able to pop most of it out from inside the foot well area. The previous owner snapped off the original mounting bolts and replaced them here. On the other side, he just left the broken off bolts in the cab. At some point, I'll drill them out with a Kobalt drill and see if I can retap. This is where I stared body work already. I watched quite a few pros on YouTube over the last week. It was pretty amazing seeing the dent disappear, but I'm not a pro. It was pretty deep and there was a crease up to the front edge. Off dolly tapping and patients. It isn't finished but my arms get tired easy and I didn't want to mess it up due to that. I'll take my time.

Thank you for the good wishes. That nobody got hurt, and there was no damage other than my truck is the one upside. I still can't explain what happened. I used a digital torque wrench on those lugs. All the others were intake, just this one had the threads destroyed. I just can't be sure what happened. My only guess is like I said above, the lug nuts were the wrong ones to use on my steel wheels, and they must have eroded the metal, opening up the holes. Once they were loose at all, it just steamrolled from there. There was only one corner that really had any significant load, and it felt funny at the time. Unfortunately I knew the tires were a bit low and chocked it up to that. I believe if I had stopped right there I would have seen the problem starting and avoided this. Hindsight is 20-20, and it sucks sometimes. I bought four new wheels, with the 4.5 inch bolt circle, so no more adapters. My stock wheels seem to have about a 3.5 inch backspace, but I could only buy 4 inch BS. I'm waiting on a .25 inch spacer set to arrive as the fronts hit the rod from the steering box on the drivers side. I'll put the spacers on both fronts. I'm going to start a new thread, since this one is a dead horse anymore. I'll post the horror pictures there, and listen to any advice that is given. I'm not experienced with body working metal, but I do have the internet...

Things went horribly wrong today. My insistence on reusing the original wheels, so I could use the chrome hub caps, bit me hard today. I was using a wheel adapter to put the 5 on 5 wheels on the truck, rather than just buy a set of 5 on 4.5 wheels. The lugs that I was using to put the wheels on were designed for a tapered wheel, but I thought the steel ones would be OK. I couldn't have been more wrong. I had only driven it around the block a few times. Then today I did that again, then went a little further. With less than a mile or two, it never occurred to me that the lugs could loosen. They could. My only guess is that the tapered lugs chewed at the wheel enough to get it a bit loose. That worked on the wheel maybe, and the lugs. I had put them on at 100ft/lbs. Maybe that was what caused the failure, I just don't know. There were several corners in my route today, so there was some load on the wheels and studs. About two blocks from home, I heard something strange. I was moving in second gear at the time. I had been keeping things slow on purpose. Then there was a rattling noise, and before I could react the truck pitched up a bit, then seemed to drop on the drivers side. What the heck? But I saw what the heck immediately as my tire continued down the road. I was rolling on the rotor. I got it to the side of the road immediately, no person was hurt, no property other than my truck was damaged. I should feel thankful for that at least. But the tire had come straight out under the drivers fender and then the running board. Both of those are heavily damaged. The bottom edge of the cab got damaged also, but I can fix that pretty easily I think. Looking at the damage, I don't think I have the skills to fix either the fender, or the running board. I know fenders are hard to come by so I am going to take a stab at it. The running board I know I can buy. The cost may drive me to take a hammer to it also though. I guess my feeble sheet metal skills are going to have to improve. The rotor is toast of course. I'll order a new one. I'll take everything apart on that side and clean any metal dust before I reassemble it. I purchased a set of 15x7 steel wheels with the right back space and bolt pattern. I'll be kicking myself for a long time over that. If I had done that originally, I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in now. I've rarely been as depressed as now. The wheel adapters are not at fault, but they are being removed as soon as I can get the new wheels and have my tires swapped. What a depressing day. I hope yours went better. Regards, Tim

It is finally alive again. I took a few laps around the block today. The brakes need to be bleed and adjusted better, but they do stop it. It stops straight, and the 3.55 gears feel pretty good coming off the line. I only went around the block a few laps, so I never got it out of 2nd gear, but even then I could tell it was moving faster, duh. Tomorrow I'll ask the wife to help me bleed the brakes, then take it on a longer trip. Still not leaving the neighborhood area, but go fill the tank. When I park it after that I'll take a close look at everything and make sure it's all still tight and right. Feels good.

No. I swapped a Jeep Cherokee 8.25 inch rear with 3.55 gears. It can be upgraded to disks, but since that is maybe 25% of the stopping power, and I've just rebuilt everything in them, I don't see the reason. Tim

Cool.

Did they still have hand cranks when yours was made? Take a look at the crank bolt. If you can't see it because the radiator is in the way, then you wouldn't be able to put a hand crank on it either. On my newer stuff a big socket and a socket wrench.

Did the manual adjust on the rear brakes today. Cleaned the diff cover and puts some RTV on it, finger tight. I'm waiting for that to skin over, then tighten the screws all the way. I'll fill the diff then. I couldn't wait entirely, so I fired the engine and let it idle...the rear is still up on jackstands. I gingerly let out the clutch, and just let it idle. I have to get out to see if the tire is moving...which of course it was. Hit the brakes, firm pedal and turned it off for now. I need to go and get some gas for it because I ran the tank pretty much dry to avoid having a bunch of stale gas. I won't have enough to go anywhere, and I need to bed the brakes before I leave the block. Maybe later today? Maybe tomorrow, but at least it is now soon.

Thanks. Pictures? Are you using steel lines, or NiCop?

You do need a proportioning valve if you mixed disks and drums. I talked to Scarebird and they said I didn't need a residual valve.

FINALLY! It rained yesterday, so a slight delay...changed the wifes oil/filter. THEN, I was able to move the truck away from the wall far enough to pull the passenger side axle. Swapped the lugs with zero drama, then the brakes came off. Without a second thought, changed the wheel cylinder...tada, no drama, the brakes went on smoothly and I buttoned it all back up. Moved the truck back over, so the wife could reclaim her parking spot and all was well in the world. The adjusters are at min on both sides right now. I'll crank them up until the wheels don't turn, then back them off a bit. Bleed the brakes one more time due to the wheel cylinders and I should be done for now. Oh, readjust the brakes as necessary. Some time in the future, I'd like to put a new transmission in. When I do that, the parking brakes will need to be reinstalled (the bracket I left out and the cables). I've got a pretty good idea how to do that, after a kind sole pointed out the obvious trimming of that too long spring. Right now, I just want to drive it. Once the brakes are sorted the rest of the way, and the axle is refilled, it will be time to bed the brakes. Couple times around the block should give me enough stops. Hope to see you on the road! Tim