Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Sneak peek at stage 3: 2 lockers (d60 spartan & 14bolt spool), 14b 5.38 gears, d60 hi-steer arms & drive flanges...
Black Betty "Build"
- Thread starter Lurch830
- Start date
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Not a huge update, but something I've been wanting for a while...
Picked up some doors from a '97 hardbody from 'Royota' on here, stripped them down to have spare parts/glass if I ever need it and started cutting:
Cut the inner panel out (left the speaker mount):
Test fit on my crawler:
At this point, I've got about 4 hours in them...all they need to be finished is some sheetmetal work, body work & paint.
Hopefully I have them done before the Windrock trip in July.
Picked up some doors from a '97 hardbody from 'Royota' on here, stripped them down to have spare parts/glass if I ever need it and started cutting:
Cut the inner panel out (left the speaker mount):
Test fit on my crawler:
At this point, I've got about 4 hours in them...all they need to be finished is some sheetmetal work, body work & paint.
Hopefully I have them done before the Windrock trip in July.
WHITEY
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2006
- Location
- DURHAM, NC
Truck is looking good. You'll have it up rocks like Kodak in no time.
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
I hope to make it up Kodak again in the future. I've only conquered the hard line once, haven't been able to duplicate since!
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Started ordering more parts...shooting for wheeling on 1-tons by opening weekend at URE.
jrmiller
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2011
- Location
- Lincolnton
Better start welding then! I know a guy. I can give you his business card haha.
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Only reason I bought that was because of Dan's 25% off sale, rebuilt transmission is my priority right now.
Croatan_Kid
How's your hammer hangin'?
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2007
- Location
- New Bern
Mmmmm...that looks like a bunch of stuff to toss links under that jewel piece! I'm jealous! I'd really like to put a 4 link setup under my Silverado and ditch the front leaf springs so I'd have room for longtube headers 
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Pulling out all the stops I guess you could say...if my wallet can handle it. I've been telling myself if I break something on chromo 1-tons I'm selling it!
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Pile-o-Parts #4
Thanks to the guys at East Coast Gear Supply & their 10% off sale over the holiday. Shout out to them and their outstanding customer service!
Thanks to the guys at East Coast Gear Supply & their 10% off sale over the holiday. Shout out to them and their outstanding customer service!
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Pile-o-Parts #5:
PVC inserts, H1 O-rings & valve stems from TrailWorthyFab
H1 wheel centers & rim stiffeners/rock rings from MudPro
Ordered the last part I need for my transmission rebuild, hope to have the drive train back together this weekend if I don't go duck hunting. After that, I can really start making some headway.
PVC inserts, H1 O-rings & valve stems from TrailWorthyFab
H1 wheel centers & rim stiffeners/rock rings from MudPro
Ordered the last part I need for my transmission rebuild, hope to have the drive train back together this weekend if I don't go duck hunting. After that, I can really start making some headway.
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Made some progress this weekend, took the axles to a friend's place and we tore them down. Found out when tearing down the 14ff that it had already been smoothed down a bit, so that's one more thing to be crossed off the list unless I decide to shave it. I'll be heading back in a couple of weeks to rebuild, gear & lock them. Pulled my wheel spacers, wheels & tires (they're being picked up tomorrow) & swapped for some rollers. Transmission was picked up ~2 weeks ago, just haven't had the time to put the drive train back together yet.
Last edited:
jrmiller
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2011
- Location
- Lincolnton
I thought the locker install went great.....
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Spartan recommends swapping from their cardboard carrier to a metal one for manual transmissions....something about torque converters & gravity. The question is "what makes the gravity?"
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Finally got some pics of my finished half doors. They each weigh ~40lbs compared to the ~65lbs of the full doors. I really like the integrated cup holder...its nice to have those again! Spray bombed the outside primer, gloss black & clear, scuffed up the inner aluminum panel and clear coated. I could have spent more time on the body work & paint, but figured that would be ruined after the first trip.
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Picked up my axles after Chris put his trusses on them. They look amazing!
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Apparently 2014 is not my year...
Ruined my transmission during our 2013 Windrock trip by it running out of oil (never saw it leak). It was so badly worn that the rebuilder told me it'd be cheaper/easier to rebuild a JY unit. Only took 3 trips at a JY in Shelby to pull one out of a totaled hardbody...apparently its not a common transmission.
The only good thing was that transmission had already been rebuilt by Whatever It Takes transmissions, so my transmission guy just had to go through and freshen it up. I had already sold my 36" Iroks & wheels and ended up having to buy some 16.5" aluminum wheels to run this year with my military takeoff 36" tires. I made two runs to Uwharrie & Gulches; after the gulches I had sheered two of my ARP steering studs that had to be dropped off at a machine/weld shop to get them out. Went to put everything together the night before our 2014 Windrock trip and ended up stripping the threads out of another steering stud hole. Was still going to make the run, but my trailer brakes decided they didn't want to cooperate and I wasn't going tow through the mountains without them so I ended up riding shotgun with another club member. Working on the trailer last night and decided to crank up my crawler, turned the key and nothing but a 'click'. All batteries are charged & test good, but literally nothing comes on including the dash lights, radio & CB. Fingers crossed its something easy like the ignition switch...
The plan now is to troubleshoot both the crawler & trailer and get them working again. Drop the crawler off at my folks & bring back my 1-tons. Build my 1-tons & H1s to swap out this winter.
Ruined my transmission during our 2013 Windrock trip by it running out of oil (never saw it leak). It was so badly worn that the rebuilder told me it'd be cheaper/easier to rebuild a JY unit. Only took 3 trips at a JY in Shelby to pull one out of a totaled hardbody...apparently its not a common transmission.
The only good thing was that transmission had already been rebuilt by Whatever It Takes transmissions, so my transmission guy just had to go through and freshen it up. I had already sold my 36" Iroks & wheels and ended up having to buy some 16.5" aluminum wheels to run this year with my military takeoff 36" tires. I made two runs to Uwharrie & Gulches; after the gulches I had sheered two of my ARP steering studs that had to be dropped off at a machine/weld shop to get them out. Went to put everything together the night before our 2014 Windrock trip and ended up stripping the threads out of another steering stud hole. Was still going to make the run, but my trailer brakes decided they didn't want to cooperate and I wasn't going tow through the mountains without them so I ended up riding shotgun with another club member. Working on the trailer last night and decided to crank up my crawler, turned the key and nothing but a 'click'. All batteries are charged & test good, but literally nothing comes on including the dash lights, radio & CB. Fingers crossed its something easy like the ignition switch...
The plan now is to troubleshoot both the crawler & trailer and get them working again. Drop the crawler off at my folks & bring back my 1-tons. Build my 1-tons & H1s to swap out this winter.
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Its been way too long since I've updated this, so here we go:
Not a lot of progress has been made since I was looking for a DD, starting a new job, hunting, etc, but I did manage to get the trailer back up and running. Turns out the battery compartment needs to be bigger since it doesn't seal properly, so I added some drain holes, charged the battery up and its worked ever since. While I was at it, I added some LED brake lights to the ramps and a new license tag light to prevent any more pull-overs for warnings that I had a light out. On the truck, I've added a push button ignition and now it won't run for more than 5-10 minutes before it shuts off. I think its a bad ECM, but I'm still testing everything before I start throwing parts at it. Oh, and the brown santa dropped off a new shiny part...
Not a lot of progress has been made since I was looking for a DD, starting a new job, hunting, etc, but I did manage to get the trailer back up and running. Turns out the battery compartment needs to be bigger since it doesn't seal properly, so I added some drain holes, charged the battery up and its worked ever since. While I was at it, I added some LED brake lights to the ramps and a new license tag light to prevent any more pull-overs for warnings that I had a light out. On the truck, I've added a push button ignition and now it won't run for more than 5-10 minutes before it shuts off. I think its a bad ECM, but I'm still testing everything before I start throwing parts at it. Oh, and the brown santa dropped off a new shiny part...
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
StokesCo.94HB
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2005
- Location
- Rural Hall, NC
Lurch830
messin' with sasquatch
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Location
- Wilton & Albemarle, NC
Unfortunately progress has been slow enough to be called a standstill. Got burned out on it for the most part, but I still tinker on it from time to time; between starting a new job last year, hunting, finding a new DD after my previous one was totaled, having to rebuild the engine in my current DD, no room for projects in my garage & prepping the house to sale (mainly to find another with a bigger garage/shop) I just don't enjoy it like I used to. Long story short, I may not be the best to draw inspiration from!
Call inbound...
