Some random pictures
Got the shop all cleaned up Saturday night and set everything out so I could start first thing Sunday morning....
My workspace, complete with welder (not the one I'm using to put the brackets on though), lighting, and a spare stock, puny D30 to measure from.
This is what I started with... I had both shock mounts torched off the housing already, and the passenger side spring perch, but I still had to remove that cast-in perch on the driver's side... what a pain, eventually got all that material off there with a cut-off wheel and a chisel, piece by piece.
Then Aaron wanted to show off his rear bumper he's building for his Comanche. It's actually upside down in this picture, when it's finished it will fit the contour of the rear 1/4 panels on the bed and mount about 1/4" below the tailgate. The shackle mounts are actually pierced through the bumper, they're welded to a big plate that's inside the bumper, then welded again to the outside.
Aaron welding the differential bridge on. I was exhausted and taking a break after all that work with the flap disc getting those tubes bling-bling'ing :)
The shop hand showing off...
The progress... I have the bridge, both coil buckets, both LCA mounts (not pictured) and the track bar bracket (not pictured) welded on... decided to call it a day because I was incredibly tired. I used a Lincoln Electric 135Plus wirefeed for tacking the pieces on, and a Craftsman 220v ARC set on AC, 120 amps with 7018 rods to stitch everything together. This axle is going to be pure beef, no more worries about breaking shafts/u-joints or wearing out unit bearings and ball joints like I did on the old Dana 30. On top of that, I get lockout hubs, better brakes, and 6 on 5.5 lug pattern.
