I swear, it follwed me home. Kert's B2 project

[kert0307]

Picked up a new off-road project b2 to "save" the explorer for a couple more years.

Plan:
Rip out interior
Sell un needed parts
Rebuild engine - Swaping in a Inline 300 instead (still needs a rebuild)
bumpers/sliders
cage
Full width D60/Sterling SAS (with extended wheel base)
one-link suspension
Beadlocks
36-40 tires

EDIT: link to build album http://rides.webshots.com/album/573133941VUSlFR

 

[rookieshooter]

A guy after my own heart. Going to follow this one.

 

[kert0307]

Specs:
89 B2
160k

5 speed manual
2.9l engine
electronic transfer case
power windows and locks
auto hubs

The good:
-Picked it up on Craigslist for cheap
-Truck migrated from Cali to Iowa in 97, so there is very little surface rust on the body
-Painted in 98 (lost two tone and pin striping)
-New bumpers in 98 as well (even though I will be selling them...)
-Low mileage tranny swapped in 2000

The bad:
-2.9 was over heated bad, heads warped in 2002
-heads replaced with new aftermarkets in 03, but still ran bad/smoked bad.
-Parked outside on a farm since 03 waiting for someone to fix it. (cracked dash from sun, clear coat gone on hood, and mouse nest in glovebox)

 

[Tbars4]

...subscribing...It's nice to see we have more projects getting started....

 

[rookieshooter]

Mouse nest in glove box LOL. You might want to pull off the heater box or at least try to check out the heater ducts. That's were I found my mice nests in my B2 when it sat for 2 years before I started working on it. Along with leaves.

 

[SVTmountianeer]

im in !!!!! cant wait to see how it turns out

 

[410Fortune]

dayum thats a clean BII nice!!

 

[rngmStr]

good luck..............

wishin' had a garage to tear into things
instead I'm here in an apartment

 

[kert0307]

good luck..............

wishin' had a garage to tear into things
instead I'm here in an apartment

You'll have a garage eventually. I've only had one for about a year now. It's nice to have all my tools in one place now.

This project will probably go in steps because we are doing stuff to the house as well. Work will begin next week as the truck is sitting at work because we have family coming this weekend and needed the parking around the house.

 

[kert0307]

Update: Wheels, bumpers, auto hubs and maybe axles all have buyers thanks to Craig's list. Plan is to start disassembly tomorrow. Also have a lead on some D60's unfortunately I need to sell some more stuff before my wife will be "happy" with me buying them. Here are some pics of unloading the B2 off the trailer with the lawn tractor. As you can see, I almost had to add the wheel weights to it to get the traction at least with my wife on it (first time I let her ride the mower too...).

 

[kert0307]

B2 jack stands ready to go. I made them the highest possible to still have functionality of the garage door with the B2 on them.

 

[kert0307]

Got the interior pulled out of the B2 today. Here is a list of where mouse nests were found:
Under Drivers Seat, in glove box, under rear seats, inside rear drivers wall, air intake. Also found remains of a baby mouse in the track where main wire loom runs next to the drivers seat under the carpet...

Surprisingly the air vents seemed to be clean. Shop vac got a workout cleaning it all up though.

 

[kert0307]

Progress...

 

[kert0307]

Update:

Picking up axles this weekend weather permitting

Working on pulling up factory dynamat material to bed liner the floor

Picts of the beginnings of the front bumper and my double pass weld for the D-ring mounts.

 

[SVTmountianeer]

the welds look really good!!!

 

[kert0307]

Axles
D60 Front (89 F-350 DRW)
10.25 rear

Good thing I still have these carts laying around...

edit: Realized even though the truck I got them off was SRW, the axles are set up for DRW

 

[zjrog]

Subscribed! Wanna see where this one goes...

 

[kert0307]

Update

1. Interior is Bedliner'd
2. Rear suspension torn out and 10.5 stored under it for room and safety if the stands fail
3. Started disassembling the D60
4. Massiveness of D60 calipers

 

[fischerry]

r you gonna run full width's...what hieght are you thinking, gear and tires?

 

[kert0307]

As stated, It's going to stay full width, shooting for a tire size from 36-39 (depends on what I find locally on Craig's list). Gears probably 5.13's and I'll be adding a doubler. I will either be swapping in an explorer 4.0 or a carbed 302 on propane.

I will be keeping the ride height as low as possible with the tire size. I'm also keeping it street legal, even though it probably won't be driven much.