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another awesome thread. Keep up the hard work squatch, that trooper is still my favorite.
 
squatch when u painted ur frame and axle, did u sand down the rust?
 
squatch said:
Well I thought my E-brake cables were frozen. They weren't it was just the calipers. I had drained motor oil through the old cables before I installed them. They still move fine. I'm going to replace then with the new ones anyway. I have to pick up brake pad hardware on the way home from work and intend to get the rear brakes done this evening.
Do you mean literally frozen, as with ice? My e-brake freezes on in the winter. I was thinking of flushing them with oil or replacing them. Do you have to get replacements through a dealer, or do you have a part number we can look up? A friend and I both have the same problem.
 
Discussion starter · #44 ·
Whew what a day! This might take a couple of posts.

Medic, check the 1st link in my sig it's all there. This frame had no rust really. Inside or out. The only places on the frame with rust now are chipped places from jacks ect. They will be touched up. I just scuffed the frame real well with a scotchbrite pad soaked in mineral spirits. Then wiped it down with mineral spirits before primer and paint.
Just a note: when looking at my current pics and you see speckled looking spots on the frame and in the wheel wells. That is just splash up from rain in my gravel drive. It leaves gray specks on everything.

BTW1549, thanks for the heads up on the cunifer. I normally do that anyway. Same with the rear sway bar. I've upgraded them on both my previous Trooper so I know what to expect. I'm sure t will be a pleasent feeling none the less. Sorry to reply earlier with a rant. That wasn't aimed at you. This is just one of the many problems I've had with that company. Last year my kid called from school his brakes were locked in the garage of his apartment. Brand new Wagner rear drum shoes. 2k on them. 3hr drive from here 1 way. When I got everything apart the lining had come off the shoes and lodged between the ends of the shoes and the drum locking both the rear brakes. The shoes surface was rusted and there was only a drop of glue at each end of the lining to hold them on the shoes. NICE! Another quality Chinese product. I'm just thanking the Lord it didn't happen on the highway.
(Let's see melamine in the pet food. Lead in kids toys and in the ceramic glazing of dishes. Brake linings not glued on. All innocent little slip ups I'm sure)!!!!!

RedOctober, No not ice freeze I've had that happen as well. That means water is getting in the casing and they need oil! When I say freeze probably locked would be a better word. As in cables that have gotten water in them and rusted as the grease disappears with age. In this case on my truck the mechanism for the E-brake on the calipers was rusted into a solid mass. I got my new cables from Jerry Lemond. I get ALL my new OEM parts from Jerry. He is the best! I have occasionally used St Charles in the past as well with good results.

Any cable can be oiled if it is otherwise intact. This method works for speedo cables,brake cables, boat control cables. Old motorcycle trick.
>Peel the rubber boot off the casing at each end. If this is gone the cables are on their way out.
>Take a zip lock sandwich bag and cut the corner off. Just enough to fit the cable into the baggie so the baggie is around the casing. Secure it to the casing with a zip tie sealing it as well as possible.
>Fill the baggie with motor or gear oil till the inner wire is submerged in oil.
>Hang it from a nail on a garage rafter over an oil drain pan. The idea is for the oil to run/drain between the inner wire and the casing for a couple of days till it is draining out the other end of the cable well.
>Occasionally work the loose end in and out a little. It makes a bit of a mess but does a good job of oiling the cable.

Thanks for the kind words guys today they really help.
 
Discussion starter · #45 ·
Most know that I am a big advocate of jumping in there and doing it yourself even if we have to talk you through it. In this case I'm going to change that. If you do not consider your self a very experienced home wrench/fabricator with good tools, a good well equipped shop, preferably with a lift, and have lots of experience coming up with creative problem solving ways to fix things please do not try to replace control arm bushing on anything. There is a reason that shops charge $1000 or more to do this job! I consider myself all the above and this job is kicking my butt/hand LOL. Partially because of a couple of decisions that I MADE at specific stages that locked me into a certain course of action. 1st let me say that unlike most frames mine is not rusty. The hardware is in good shape. So it could be much worse!!!!!!!

I broke several tools today and probably my left thumb/hand in a couple of places AGAIN! If not broken then much soft tissue has been turned to hamburger. This has been done a few times before in the same spot in the same way. I don't really enjoy it much anymore.
BFH!!!!!!!! Linemans hammer also known as a long handled 3lb sledge. It hurts real good when a big mug like me swings it as hard a space allows and it hits flesh several times.


This is a small old high quality craftsman cold chisel that had a run in with that hammer today in the course of duty. It was made for hitting with a hammer. Just one of several tools that were broken.


1st a couple of pics of the patient/trooper parts.










The bushings look like this. front new on right, old inner sleeve in the middle, What's left of the old outer sleeve on the left.


Rear same deal. It's bigger and the outer sleeve is a bit thicker(important detail).


The idea here is to take a drill bit or 2 (or many in my case today) and drill through the rubber bushing in many places tearing it up. Once this is done if necessary use a jig saw and cut all the way around the inner sleeve through the rubber so the sleeve can be removed. This just leaves the outer sleeve in the frame. Then you take a Hacksaw and put the blade through the bushing and reassemble the saw. Now cut the outer sleeve most of the way through so you don't cut or damage the frame part. Then it should be a simple matter of driving a small punch or chisel between the sleeve and frame at the cut folding the sleeve inwards drawing it away from the frame and breaking the tight fit. Often a bigger chisel can be used to open this cut all the way from end to end and the sleeve comes right out. I've done this many times on leaf spring bushing and some frame bushing such as these. See the above pics.

The front bushing on the drivers side went well. Too well. Which coaxed me into short cutting the longer rear bushing on that side. The front ones have a small outside flange. I didn't even need to cut it with a saw just bent it inwards and cut it with a big cold chisel. I then cleaned up the frame mount and greased it and the bushing and slid the new bushing 1/2 way in by hand. A home made jig of 1/2" all thread some big washers and a couple of sockets finished the job.

Sorry dark pic.


Now the rear bushing on the drivers side. Here after known as the unholy mother of hell! When I started drilling the rubber my drill bit slid to the inner sleeve in went in right against it. It's hard to start the bit in this springy rubber. You can't exactly center punch it. Anyway once the drill went through it just zinged all the way around the inner sleeve pulling itself along. It only took a minute and completely cut all the way around that sleeve. I drilled a couple more holes and the sleeve came out fine. Unfortunately most of the rubber was left. That ended up being a big problem. I just kinda gouged out a couple of places and went for the chisel just like on the front one.

There is not much room for a hacksaw there because of the front axle/diff housing. My support blocks were under the transmission cross member which made the sawzall too long.

What the heck the front one was easy wheres my hammer. It started all right but the bigger bushing has a thicker sleeve and it was bonded to the frame after 22 years. By the time I realized the rubber was keeping the sleeve from folding in very well I had a mess of folded metal and no way to get the saw in there even after I moved my frame support blocks. So I just decided to chisel the hell out of it.

'm used to swinging that big hammer and it still didn't take long for my arm to get tired. Which doesn't help accuracy in tight spots laying on your side on the hammer arm. I beat on that thing with a couple of different hammers and several different chisels. Small chisels to lift the sleeve from the wall. Big chisel to cut and spread. I beat on that thing for over an hour. So long my BIL/neighbor who is also a gear head (heeper) came over to see what I was beating on. I even put a big drill bit in the drill and chewed away some rubber.

Anyway I beat that thing with the BFH and missed or glanced into my hand several times. That's why big cold chisels now have hand guards. I was wearing gloves which help a little. I finally got it out as the pic above shows but I paid for it. I'm going to have a bit of cleanup in the frame hole with the die grinder to smooth it back out. Then still have to press in the bushing and I still have the other side to do.

We'll see how the hand works tomorrow. Tonight it's useless. Can't bend the thumb and forefinger or hold anything. I'll add a couple of new air tools to my arsenal before I do any more. An air saw and a air hammer with a chisel set. The rest of these will get cut through on 2 sides before I get out the chisel. Might have to just mow grass instead tomorrow. The tractor has power steering!

I used to brag about the fact that in 300k miles and 11 years I never once cussed my 1st Trooper while working on it. Because I didn't. It was a dream to work on after the Ford Ranger it replaced. Sure can't say that about Red Beans. Not even close. This truck has fought me more than just about anything I've ever owned.
 
Discussion starter · #46 ·
I went out today to pick up a couple of air tools to help me out on the bushing job. Pretty much a waste of time. I went to 3 places. TSC had the best quality of Chinese junk(Ingersol Rand) but didn't have any in stock except a sorta decent drill. HD junk and little stock. I ended up buying a Kobalt air drill and a air hammer. What total dog poop. I don't expect this stuff to be $500 commercial tools. But give me a break! The drill chuck would not hold a drill bit without it spinning and the grip on the handle came apart in the 1st 5 minutes I tried to use it. The air hammer was a joke. I cut most all the way through these SHEET METAL bushing sleeve with a Sawzall and the air chisels that came with the tool just folded up on themselves like hot butter. I went to great lengths to make sure these tools didn't have to work as hard as I did yesterday. They weren't up for the job. I'll take them back to the store tomorrow for my money back. If they had been 1/2 way usable I'd keep them but they are junk. I ended up cutting all the way through the bushing with the sawzall and scarring up the bores in the process on 2 sides.

Anyway the bushings are all out and the bores where they fit have been cleaned up with a die grinder and then polished with fine sandpaper. A couple of the bores got pretty beat up and slotted by the Sawzall. I put the bushings in the freezer until I use them. Hopefully this will make them a little easier to draw into place.

The hand will probably live but is pretty busted up. My thumb and forefinger still look like bratwursts. Doesn't hurt too bad. I think I finally mashed they nerves out of service.
 
Jeebers, Sqautch... I was feeling sorry for myself and took the day off 'cause I got a bit of dirt in my eye.

Take care of yourself man... and Heal up fast!
 
Sorry for the headache! Your hands maybe bruised, but at least you're still the owner of 8 fingers and 2 thumbs. My dad lost a quick battle with our table saw Christmas eve 2005 - pinky and ring finger were retrieved from the saw and middle finger now has 2 nails.
 
Discussion starter · #49 ·
I'm alright just a PIA! That hand has been beat on so many times over the last 50 years I have a large permanent lump between the thumb and the 1st finger knuckle. I'll live, just sucks when you are trying to get something done and trying to work 1+1/2 handed. Of course because of that and a thousand other similar incidents I can predict the weather far better than NOAA ever dreamed of. Most older folks can!

Justwork, I'm real sorry to hear about that. I used to do a lot of wood work. I really enjoy that compared to wrenching on cars. I try to be super careful around saws and such. All you have to do is look up and it's too late. I've seen it happen in person myself.
I had the end of my middle finger on my right hand reattached when I was a kid. I closed it in a wooden fire door at school. The ER wanted to just take it off but my mom worked in the lab at the hospital and knew the local hand specialist so I got sent elsewhere and spent 3 hours in surgery getting it put back together with all kinds of fancy micro surgery. Can't even tell it happened unless I show you the tiny scars. That was in the middle '60s. The things they can do now are amazing if you can get to the right doctor. Baltimore has a hospital that specializes in that stuff. It's incredible what they can do.

Be careful out there folks!
 
Discussion starter · #50 ·
Ok, Update. I took a couple of days off to give the hand a break (pun) and get some other non Zoo stuff done. Gotta keep Mama Squatch happy! Took back the junk Kobalt air tools.

The lower control arm bushings are in. I ended up removing a piston from one of the old front calipers. (Probably the new one I just paid $85 dollars for 6 months ago. Didn't think about that just grabbed the nearest one.) I drilled a 1/2" hole right in the middle of it for all thread to go through. I needed a Press tool that was the right size for the larger rear bushings and it was perfect. My closest socket was 1/16 too small. It took a little doing but went a whole lot easier than getting the old ones out.

So tomorrow I start reassembling the front end pieces. I've got new SS flex lines coming from Indy4x. They will probably be here Friday or Saturday. I hope to have the front back together well before the weekend is over. I had hoped to take pics of every step to use as a tutorial for hubs, brake upgrade ect. I'll try to get the pics and then write that up later.

The hand is fine. Still a little swollen, sore and stiff but nothing new there. I guess nothing major is broken as it's coming back around to quick for that. Didn't seem that way Saturday though.

URE is coming up fast. The cam job will have to wait until I get back. I have access to the cam degreeing stuff now. Hope I can measure all 3 cams I have for future record. No time for that before URE. If The big stuff is done by 1st of the week I can get the alignment done and the exhaust put back together. I'm going to put the BJ spacers I have in this time. There is a few shims in there from the last alignment and I want to try and make some of those disappear this time. I'm breaking the list down into wants and needs before URE. Some stuff will have to wait.
 
If you had your own press, would you think it'd have gone easier removing these bushings? My friend Larry showed me a miniature press kit that utlized an impact gun and supposedly pushes control arm bushings right out one at a time.. It'd be really interesting to see how it works.

You're starting to make me think it's a better idea to forget replacing the bushings in my truck untill they visibly look bad. I've been dreading pulling the front end apart for this reason but they really don't look bad.

I replaced every single chassis bushing on my old 1991 Honda accord and I think I might still have some bad nerves left from that. :lol: I got through one lower control arm on the damn thing and then I decided it was easier to pay the local shop $40 per control arm (there were 3 bushings in each) to worry about heating the bastards up and then pressing/hammering them out. Best $120 I ever spent. :lol:
 
Discussion starter · #52 ·
The big prob is the lower ones are in the frame not the arm. I had the upper ones pressed. They are in the A arm. Matt @Indy4x told me yesterday That he can get new uppers already rebuilt with new bushings and cross shafts at a price that makes it seem silly to do your own. The lowers are a whole other story. Big problem is just getting to the things. Probably would have gone much better on a lift. I asked here and elsewhere and a couple of people told me those C clamp style presses are fine for putting the new ones in but are not so good for removing the old ones. Surfer Joe(ex fleet mech) said the same. I didn't try it myself. Just did it shade tree style. I learned some things that I could have done differently that would have made it go easier. Obviously it can be done and several have done it. I just don't think this is a job for a newb shade tree.
 
Understandable. Strange they put them in the frame itself. I realize now what the horrible PITA it is when I look at the diagrams. :?

Although I consider myself a few pegs above a shade tree, I still don't have the proper tools for this. Looks like an air hammer/chisel and a torch to burn out the rubber is going to to be the trick. I'm going to examine them and most likely leave the lowers alone since I'll be doing all this in my garage.

Not to go too far off topic in your thread; but Pray tell - regarding the rebuilt uppers: is that something I should call Matt and inquire about? I can probably just press my own though if it's off the rig.

Wrench on,
 
squatch said:
URE is coming up fast. The cam job will have to wait until I get back. I have access to the cam degreeing stuff now. Hope I can measure all 3 cams I have for future record. No time for that before URE.
First off, glad to hear your hand is getting better. I've smacked the stuffing out of mine a time or two and it is no fun.

Second, if you do actually dial out the cams I may scream like a giddy school girl. Because it means I won't have to guess for my engine build.
 
Bob w/ a trooper said:
.....Second, if you do actually dial out the cams I may scream like a giddy school girl.....
:laughing3: :laughing3:

but really, I wanna know too :oops:

~psguardian
 
Discussion starter · #56 ·
Ruination said:
Understandable. Strange they put them in the frame itself. I realize now what the horrible PITA it is when I look at the diagrams. :?

Although I consider myself a few pegs above a shade tree, I still don't have the proper tools for this. Looks like an air hammer/chisel and a torch to burn out the rubber is going to to be the trick. I'm going to examine them and most likely leave the lowers alone since I'll be doing all this in my garage.

Not to go too far off topic in your thread; but Pray tell - regarding the rebuilt uppers: is that something I should call Matt and inquire about? I can probably just press my own though if it's off the rig.

Wrench on,
I'd check it out for the uppers. I hear the problem is not bending the arm when you are pressing.
As for the lowers you are on the right track. If you get the rubber all the way out of the way it will be a big help. I didn't do enough here. Then slice the sleeve with a saw. After that they fold in on them selves ok. I didn't want to burn them out in the garage. Couple of reasons besides the obvious. decent paint on the frame I didn't want to burn off. Fuel lines are very close on the passenger side.

No promises on the cam specs but I want to try. I want the specs of the calmini so it could be duplicated. I'm really curious how these cams compare to each other.

It's going to be a busting weekend. I want the truck back on it's feet at the 1st of the week. I found a local place that does SS mandrel exhausts. Hour on the other side of town. I called today to give them a heads up and check scheduling. They also do regular car repair next door and can do alignments so that will happen while it's there. One stop shop.
http://www.mandrelbendingsolutions.com/ ... StoreFront
 
Discussion starter · #57 ·
Well I got a lot of work done this weekend. Unfortunately no pics tonight. I've got them but photo bucket is acting stupid again. so I will try again later when I have time and patience for it.
A-arms back on.

CV axles installed with some new grease and metal bands.

BJ spacers installed. I had to chamfer them a little with the die grinder to get them to sit flat on the BJs.

I cleaned and repainted the Indy4x tie rods. They were pretty rusty. I installed them with new poly boots. The rubber ones didn't last long.

Hubs are packed and new 2nd gen front brake backing plates and rotors installed. These are much bigger and HEAVIER than the 1st gen stuff.

I had 3 out of 6 bearing retainer plate screws strip when I removed them. I had to drill the heads to get them off the truck. I had fits getting them out today(of course). I drilled 2 from the back side and they spun right out. The last one I drilled all the way through. But an easy-out wouldn't get it. I drilled it real close. I have a metric taps with 3mm and 4mm taps. Of course these screws are 3.5mm. My BIL/neighbor had a bunch of loose small taps and one was close enough to get the remains of the screw out of the threads. Saved the day.

I'll finish The locking hubs tomorrow evening and start bending new brake lines. Might take Tuesday off work. Just to make sure I've got everything done for exhaust shop/alignment trip on Wednesday.
 
Sounds like a big weekend. Nice work!
 
Discussion starter · #59 ·
It's 1:30am and I just got back from a test drive. She's back on the road. I've been under the truck since early this morning and have an appointment for an alignment and the get some exhaust work done 1st thing tomorrow. 1st impression of the big brakes and semi metallic pads all the way around is very good. Much better than before and I don't have to warm them up to stop like the EBC's. She corners very flat now with the new rear swaybar added to the Calmini HD front sway bar. I had it off today I had forgotten how massive it is. HD TB's back on the truck. Can't wait to get some seat time after tomorrows work. I still have a few little things to do before URE. I'm not going to get any cosmetic stuff done before the trip so she'll be looking faded and shabby! Oh well.
 
squatch said:
I'm not going to get any cosmetic stuff done before the trip so she'll be looking faded and shabby! Oh well.
Aw, that's just proof of the old girl's legacy. Think of that as battle scars.. earned not granted. She's a really fine example of trooper.
 
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