The Hornet. 96 S-10 2wd to 4wd

HGSR let this awesome build go and now it's my turn to try and finish what he started. Hopefully I can do him some justice and finish this rig right. I'm not a fabricator by any means, but my OCD will probably prevent me from screwing this up too bad. I picked up a new welder and now it's time to see what I can do.
Millermatic 211.JPG
 
HGSR already had this frame stiffener made up and I can't let it go to waste. Don't make fun of my welding skills. Like I said, NOT A FABRICATOR. Gotta learn on my own.
Frame Stiffener mocked up.JPG
 
Frame Stiffener welded.JPG
 
A little primer makes it look tolerable. Don't worry, I'm gonna keep practicing.
Frame Stiffener primed.JPG
 
New tires also showed up today. I've never bought a new set before so this will be a treat for me. 35x12.50x15 Maxxis Creepy Crawlers. I'm having a set of beadlocks welded onto the steel wheels that came with the truck. I don't trust my welds enough to call them air tight, so I'll have to spend a little.
Creepy Crawlers.JPG
 
Guess I could update this thing a little more. Slowly, parts are starting to find their way to my door step. I decided on a Warn VR8000 winch to bolt up in that Badlands bumper I went back and bought from HGSR. It took a little convincing, but he finally let it go with a couple of mounting tabs he had already cut to fit.
 
Bumper Mocked Up.jpg
 
Brackets.jpg
 
After a little welding, drilling, and painting, I got my 5 year old and 8 year old to push the bolts through for me while I held it in place. It's cool they want to help Dad with the truck, but I've got to get them to move faster. That SOB is heavy!! Finally mounted with a total of 8 - 5/8" Grade 8 fasteners.
 
Bumper Front.JPG
 
Bumper Front (2).JPG
 
Now it's time for the shiny stuff. My kids couldn't wait to get these boxes open and all the pieces dumped out. They each helped put in one bolt before the trampoline looked like more fun. Oh well, at least they're still interested in the truck, even if it's only for 15 minutes.
 
Winch.JPG
 
Winch Installed front view.JPG
 
Winch Installed top view.JPG
 
The other goodies that showed up this last weekend was the Spartan locker for the front diff. Found it on eBay for $215 and they currently have a $30 rebate on them as well. Overall pretty basic installation, but here's a few pics anyway.
 
Front Diff Spartan Bottom Half.JPG
 
Front Diff Spartan Top Half.JPG
 
Front Diff Spartan Locked.JPG
 
Hopefully, the rest of my front axle parts will show up in the next couple days so I can do final assembly and be ready to get this thing back on all 4 wheels. Could be a good weekend if all my tracking info is correct.
 
Next up is my attempt at getting the front suspension finished. I picked up a set of shock hoops and tabs from Trail Gear. They're meant for a Toyota, but I think they'll fit just perfect. Thanks to Low Range Offroad for the low prices and fast shipping. I ended up having to mount my lower shock tabs on top of the u-bolt plates in an attempt to conserve some shock travel. Once I'm back on 4 wheels, I hope to get outside and do some flexing to measure for some better shocks. These are 12" Pro Comp shocks and I don't believe they're going to work for my application, but the truth will come out soon enough. They'll have to do until the budget allows something else.
 
Lower Shock Tab.JPG
 
Lower Shock Tab Modified.JPG
 
Lower Shock Tab Mocked Up.JPG
 
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