5spdman's slow and cheap XLT build

[NICE59FORDF100]

Just...plain....


You are simply the best!

 

[5spdman]

Just...plain....

You are simply the best!

I don't know about that, but I'll take it!

 

[mr cribb]

Nice, I'm caught up now.

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

I don't know about that, but I'll take it!

haha, did that transfer case ever come in handy for yea we gave yea last year?

 

[5spdman]

haha, did that transfer case ever come in handy for yea we gave yea last year?

It's sitting in my garage at the moment...problem I noticed was that the battery switch I installed on the trans tunnel will be in the way for the lever, or would at least make contact with each other. Trying to decide if I want to try and install it/move the power switch or save it for my next project truck...

 

[5spdman]

Put the shackles on today after work.....don't ask me how I lifted the truck to get them on...you don't want to know, and I don't want to admit what I did...only took about 5 minutes to actually swap them out.

I'll grab a picture tomorrow of it sitting on the ground, as it's really leveled out now. But until then, I removed the short front shocks and disconnected the sway bar for a few minutes...

Gonna try and get the shocks all replaced this weekend, which includes the new towers...hold on tight! Gonna be a wild 2 weeks before Moab!

 

[96EXXLTinCO]

Awesome!! I'm jealous..................we're moving up to Central City tomorrow. Excited about that, Yankee Hill which is one of the most popular year round trails in Colorado will now be LITERALLY right outside my front door. Will also have a garage again, a bigger one than I had thank god so hopefully I can get back to working on both trucks soon. I was hoping to make it to Moab for at least just one night, but it's not looking good anymore Was really looking forward to meeting you and some others out there and maybe squeezing in a trail.

 

[5spdman]

What a bummer!! Was hoping to meet you as well, and I have those RA drop brackets ready to go too! We can work something out if you really still want them, otherwise, someone here in my area was asking about them.

I decided I was gonna (needed to) tackle the shocks this past weekend. Hearing that it was supposed to rain, I decided to not take my chances in maybe having to set up a tarp again...

Talk about getting close!! Luckily, I didn't have to lift any of the truck real high to get tires off. A few hours later we have this result:

They're in! Have a little more work to do yet...Saturday, all I wanted to do was to get them in, as the shocks I was using before were maxed out as it sat, so they were just bolted in. I've been driving gingerly until I get the chance to weld the towers to the buckets, which I'm hoping to start Wednesday after work unless the rainy week they're calling for happens and we don't work...

While I was at it, I took the time to get the rears replaced as well...

I didn't stop there though...in addition to the shocks, I added breather hoses to both diffs, re-greased wheel bearings, lubed the hubs, changed oil and filter, topped all fluids, got some speakers that quit back to working condition, and finally did the zip-tie mod (took 3 and there's still a touch or slack in the cable).

Yesterday, I went ahead and took out the plugs to look them over...seemed like I was starting to lack a bit of power and fuel economy for a while, so I thought I'd check what I could.

They all looked decent, just a little sooty...so they all got brushed, gap checked and replaced. That, along with the zip-tie mod, seems to have the truck running smoother and with a little more umph. Just filled the tank this morning, so we'll see what if anything it does to the fuel economy...

Also this morning, I went to open my passenger door and, SNAP! Further investigation during my lunch break revealed the door rod lock clip had broken...an on-the-way trip to NAPA on my way home got me a new clip, and I got it installed soon after pulling into my spot at home.

Still have a few more little things to do, but the big things for Moab like suspension and reserving a camp-spot are now done as of tonight!

 

[5spdman]

Well, a few things...got the coil buckets and shock towers all finished up...

...and at last minute I decided to do something crazy....friend of mine is a LED dealer, and he made an offer I couldn't pass on...

Bought four of them...thinking maybe sometime in the future, I may get another for the rear cargo area and mount a switch in the back. For now though I'll just mount another switch on the plate...

A few hours of running and hooking up wires later and...

...ready for night runs! (And turning a few heads )

Few things to button up in the truck yet, tools to sort out, gear to pack...ready for Moab!

 

[96EXXLTinCO]

Well, if you're heading to Moab down I-70, maybe we could meet you for a quick bite to eat or something on your way through or way back if it works out. We moved up to Central City for the time being which is not far from Idaho Springs which is right on I-70.

Nice work on the buckets and towers, and those rock lights too!! I love those!!

And if you have someone interested in those RA drop brackets, by all means sell em buddy!! We're back to looking at going SAS with full width again. Just can't pass up the deal on these axles. Not entirely decided which Ex to put em under, but most likely would be the 94 anyway.

 

[5spdman]

Well, if you're heading to Moab down I-70, maybe we could meet you for a quick bite to eat or something on your way through or way back if it works out. We moved up to Central City for the time being which is not far from Idaho Springs which is right on I-70.

Nice work on the buckets and towers, and those rock lights too!! I love those!!

And if you have someone interested in those RA drop brackets, by all means sell em buddy!! We're back to looking at going SAS with full width again. Just can't pass up the deal on these axles. Not entirely decided which Ex to put em under, but most likely would be the 94 anyway.

Sorry we didn't stop...trip out took longer than we planned and we were pushing time to be back in Ohio by 6pm Tuesday...would have liked to though!

Pics of the trip and a report to come later!

 

[96EXXLTinCO]

Sorry we didn't stop...trip out took longer than we planned and we were pushing time to be back in Ohio by 6pm Tuesday...would have liked to though!

Pics of the trip and a report to come later!

No worries at all!! Totally understand. Went through some pics today, looks like a good time for sure!!

 

[RockRanger]

Can't believe I missed your build thread. It was nice meeting you and your wife in Moab. Wish we would have had a chance to chat more. I am impressed you drove it to Moab and back.

 

[5spdman]

Can't believe I missed your build thread. It was nice meeting you and your wife in Moab. Wish we would have had a chance to chat more. I am impressed you drove it to Moab and back.

Was good to meet you guys too! Hopefully we can make it out that way in the future again and we'll get that chance!

 

[5spdman]

Well, not much to update, everything is running smoothly...I have run into a problem though...

Every now and then, after we get a good rain, I get a leak...unfortunately, this dribbling water comes out of my visor lights (emergency light-bar) which means my windshield is leaking...I thought this was the only place (passenger side of the windshield,) but as I was cleaning out my truck today, I found a puddle on the driver side floor mat and the road maps I collected from our trip to Moab that were sitting on my dash were soaked.

Now my natural instinct says "don't be an idiot, do it right...remove the windshield, reseal it, do it the right way and do it once..." My bank account however says "yeah right! You'll need to buy tools, sealant and new trim...you can't do that!"

So.....since my trim around the windshield is curling and cracking anyway (maybe the problem), I'm thinking of pulling what I can off and running a bead of silicone around the windshield until I can do it right...any thoughts?

*EDIT*
I have found what I need to do it right...$10 on eBay gets me the removal tool, $15/tube gets me the urethane adhesive and $50 gets me the trim....so in all, probably around $90...aka: not gonna happen right now...will stop at a home improvement store tomorrow and get some silicone...we use this at work, and I'm thinking it might be the better option and somewhat mask the fact for a little while that I didn't do what I should as it's also black in color (http://www.loctiteproducts.com/p/pl...-S30-Polyurethane-Roof-&-Flashing-Sealant.htm)...

 

[1992explorerMi]

Hey man i know its a hual for you but septemeber 16 17 18th a large group of my buddies and i are going to silver lake sand dunes. If its in your cards you should come up

 

[natenkiki2004]

Well, not much to update, everything is running smoothly...I have run into a problem though...

Every now and then, after we get a good rain, I get a leak...unfortunately, this dribbling water comes out of my visor lights (emergency light-bar) which means my windshield is leaking...I thought this was the only place (passenger side of the windshield,) but as I was cleaning out my truck today, I found a puddle on the driver side floor mat and the road maps I collected from our trip to Moab that were sitting on my dash were soaked.

Now my natural instinct says "don't be an idiot, do it right...remove the windshield, reseal it, do it the right way and do it once..." My bank account however says "yeah right! You'll need to buy tools, sealant and new trim...you can't do that!"

So.....since my trim around the windshield is curling and cracking anyway (maybe the problem), I'm thinking of pulling what I can off and running a bead of silicone around the windshield until I can do it right...any thoughts?

*EDIT*
I have found what I need to do it right...$10 on eBay gets me the removal tool, $15/tube gets me the urethane adhesive and $50 gets me the trim....so in all, probably around $90...aka: not gonna happen right now...will stop at a home improvement store tomorrow and get some silicone...we use this at work, and I'm thinking it might be the better option and somewhat mask the fact for a little while that I didn't do what I should as it's also black in color (http://www.loctiteproducts.com/p/pl...-S30-Polyurethane-Roof-&-Flashing-Sealant.htm)...

Just to throw this out there... My 1991 leaks a fair amount around the top of the windshield. So much so that the top of the pillars has started to grow a bit of green. I'd have gotten the windshield replaced but... that's what the previous owner did to fix the issue. He took it back because it leaked and the shop added sealant. Still leaks. I've added sealant, still leaks.

I've come across some info that doesn't appear to be widely known, it looks like Ford had issue with the drip rails in early years. There's sealant at the bottom and it shrivels and cracks. I believe there was a service bulletin about it that said to remove all the sealant and apply new. I'm not sure how this worked as you'd destroy the paint. The weird part is that it looks like my 1994 doesn't have any sealant at all from the factory.

I don't know enough about the issue to start digging in and spending money. I think the best place to start, unfortunately, is to remove the headliner and see exactly where it's coming from.

 

[malohnes]

Mine does the same. I'm about to pull the windshield and replace the gasket with a new one and fresh adhesive. A local autoglass installer said this is a common problem on lots of makes and models from Ford and others. The original OEM gaskets swell and dont seal anymore. The only cure is to replace them. Adding sealant more often than not fails because the sealant is often applied over dirt and grime in the cavity and water, through capillary action, works it apart and the leak soon reappears.

 

[5spdman]

Hey man i know its a hual for you but septemeber 16 17 18th a large group of my buddies and i are going to silver lake sand dunes. If its in your cards you should come up

As of this moment, any off-roading is out of the question until our funds can start building back up again. Would love to though!

I don't know enough about the issue to start digging in and spending money. I think the best place to start, unfortunately, is to remove the headliner and see exactly where it's coming from.

Mine does the same. I'm about to pull the windshield and replace the gasket with a new one and fresh adhesive. A local autoglass installer said this is a common problem on lots of makes and models from Ford and others. The original OEM gaskets swell and dont seal anymore. The only cure is to replace them. Adding sealant more often than not fails because the sealant is often applied over dirt and grime in the cavity and water, through capillary action, works it apart and the leak soon reappears.

Resealing would have been my number 1 choice, but money isn't there right now for that.

I did reseal it with the synthetic roof/flashing tar. Started by tearing off the trim/gasket that was cracking and curling anyway, and used a utility knife to cut as much of the trim/gasket away as I could, getting as far back behind the glass as I could. There was a lot of sand back in there, so I blew it out with my air compressor and used a damp rag to clean it out. After a little while (it was a hot day, so it didn't take long) it was dry and I proceeded to fill the void on both sides and the top of the windshield with the roofing tar. After letting it sit for a bout 15 minutes, I decided I didn't like the way it looked like I had just caulked it (even though that's what I had done), so I fixed it. The stuff can be "shaped" for a lack of better words by wetting your finger (at work we usually just use spit) and spreading the stuff around, so it now make s a smooth transition from glass to cab.

I know what you're all thinking..."sounds really cheap and not quite like him"...well, I'm broke at the moment (bringing in enough for bills, gas and food) so I had to make due.

Proud to say though, it's been over two weeks with quite a bit of rain recently and no leaking! This is only a temporary fix though....I wouldn't have been so proactive in remedying the problem, but as my emergency lighting/siren were getting wet, I had to do something. Actually fixing the windshield will come at a later time.

 

[natenkiki2004]

Could you post pictures of what you did, your process intrigues me.