rocker panel update
two new bolts on the way for cab mount rubber.
Lo and behold this truck seethed just like an old subaru...only much better.
This means an electrical anchor is in place where an open rocker cannot keep one. That may even be fuel mileage for this old girl.
Sailing along in the low 20s mpg seems miraculous already.
I have decided I liked my first attempt, driver side version is a final rough in..will clone it exact for the other side.
two pinch bolts to grab the old rocker at 2 layers, and my 22ga stainless, also at 2 layers...bolt it all together to compliment the welds, and pinch the layers.
That is one robust edge. I ponder I could weld a jack point on the rocker.
I give the door bottom a break away from the elements cramming back at it. this still works exactly as gm's door bottom does, as I love that part of this trucks design.. wants to keep heavy air out, allow whatever HVAC controls you place to win.
when 70 miles of pebbly icy salty rock snow is slamming a door edge, cramming whatever opening it can...
something has to get done.
that may be this trucks #1 flaw...aside from access to fuel pump.
Both fixed.
Also, four of the 6 cab mounts in. These lowers are changed to the point of almost foam like..more than the nitrile dump eaters they began life as. Their time is done. The uppers are in great shape, in fact good hardness to keep heights and aligns. I also used valvoline sythentic wheel bearing grease, good for 450F.
rubbing rubbers get hot.
someone did work with the right forward one...they changed a bolt already. I added two washers to gain a little more pressure as it bottomed out too soon. This may explain the only broken rubber..the back driver side one. The cab interacts like a letter X. Gaining real pressures even makes the seat comfortable. Liking black and chrome as it is...now gaining a fat strong looking cab to go with it.
All the bolts are excellent but the back 2, and three of the 4 I am keeping still have a grey paint. I simply greased. Above is a new one by someone else.
The driver side forward one got some serious creaks gaining on real psi of polyurethane as I tightened it in. Moved the cab apparently, small measure. I like the manual tranny hole in the floor. This as automatic would be stubborn as all hell to someones sagging laziness of ignorance on cab bushings.
I am now self taught to know...the bushings pretty much care less about the b-pillar as far as serious structure hold down goes..but very important for door comforts. The important ones are the two forward, and back. the middle ones do have an interesting purpose to gain a very straight cab overall.
Radiator mounts are terrible to look at but still working. Will see how the energy suspension fits. Those die at 5 years or less in this region. It looks as of now, the energy version are too big on the upper..just right lower...and that sucks. I wanted poly complete up front. I may cut to height if I have to. To use only half the kit in good measure is fine by me.
Being the huge scary five foot 9 sasquatch I am.. I shook the cab violently to get things rumbling around. Very quiet already.
Two more lower cab bushings to go for the very back...awaiting bolts.
edit:
by evening, it is not the same appearance as this morning before mounts. I am guessing the two forward cab mounts did something very powerful. Different to look at, like the roof even flattened out some. A.25 gain on a bushing is a ten foot run somewhere on the cab. This one is nice already, can't wait to finish the back ones. Those seem to be the most dramatic of all...looking forward to gaining some more creaking noises of change.
two new bolts on the way for cab mount rubber.
Lo and behold this truck seethed just like an old subaru...only much better.
This means an electrical anchor is in place where an open rocker cannot keep one. That may even be fuel mileage for this old girl.
Sailing along in the low 20s mpg seems miraculous already.
I have decided I liked my first attempt, driver side version is a final rough in..will clone it exact for the other side.
two pinch bolts to grab the old rocker at 2 layers, and my 22ga stainless, also at 2 layers...bolt it all together to compliment the welds, and pinch the layers.
That is one robust edge. I ponder I could weld a jack point on the rocker.
I give the door bottom a break away from the elements cramming back at it. this still works exactly as gm's door bottom does, as I love that part of this trucks design.. wants to keep heavy air out, allow whatever HVAC controls you place to win.
when 70 miles of pebbly icy salty rock snow is slamming a door edge, cramming whatever opening it can...
something has to get done.
that may be this trucks #1 flaw...aside from access to fuel pump.
Both fixed.
Also, four of the 6 cab mounts in. These lowers are changed to the point of almost foam like..more than the nitrile dump eaters they began life as. Their time is done. The uppers are in great shape, in fact good hardness to keep heights and aligns. I also used valvoline sythentic wheel bearing grease, good for 450F.
rubbing rubbers get hot.
someone did work with the right forward one...they changed a bolt already. I added two washers to gain a little more pressure as it bottomed out too soon. This may explain the only broken rubber..the back driver side one. The cab interacts like a letter X. Gaining real pressures even makes the seat comfortable. Liking black and chrome as it is...now gaining a fat strong looking cab to go with it.
All the bolts are excellent but the back 2, and three of the 4 I am keeping still have a grey paint. I simply greased. Above is a new one by someone else.
The driver side forward one got some serious creaks gaining on real psi of polyurethane as I tightened it in. Moved the cab apparently, small measure. I like the manual tranny hole in the floor. This as automatic would be stubborn as all hell to someones sagging laziness of ignorance on cab bushings.
I am now self taught to know...the bushings pretty much care less about the b-pillar as far as serious structure hold down goes..but very important for door comforts. The important ones are the two forward, and back. the middle ones do have an interesting purpose to gain a very straight cab overall.
Radiator mounts are terrible to look at but still working. Will see how the energy suspension fits. Those die at 5 years or less in this region. It looks as of now, the energy version are too big on the upper..just right lower...and that sucks. I wanted poly complete up front. I may cut to height if I have to. To use only half the kit in good measure is fine by me.
Being the huge scary five foot 9 sasquatch I am.. I shook the cab violently to get things rumbling around. Very quiet already.
Two more lower cab bushings to go for the very back...awaiting bolts.
edit:
by evening, it is not the same appearance as this morning before mounts. I am guessing the two forward cab mounts did something very powerful. Different to look at, like the roof even flattened out some. A.25 gain on a bushing is a ten foot run somewhere on the cab. This one is nice already, can't wait to finish the back ones. Those seem to be the most dramatic of all...looking forward to gaining some more creaking noises of change.
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