Helga

[Lil Whitey]

gonna look pretty cool with a stepside bed Terry!

[jac6695]

Nice pick up Terry! Looks great after the new lights and tires.

What's up with the front end problems? I have some extra parts around from mine (I have a complete 4.10 front axle assembly ready to go in- my 3.73 coming out has a bad bearing but works fine).

Now you need to find some aluminum wheels for it (even the 2000's "PYO" wheels would look awesome). Might even want to clean up the steelies and paint them black for a different look. The step side bed is going to look cool.

[TerryD]

Thanks James. I believe the problem is in the front output of the t-case but have to do some more looking. If it is, I'm going to try to locate a H1 t-case and put that in there. With some donor parts from a Jeep 242, I will have a case with 2WD/AWD/4WD rated at 11k lbs.

I had thought about a set of the later model aluminum wheels, but the steelies are growing on me. I'm wanting to strip and paint them after I get the bed done. I'm thinking about a set of wheel spacers on the rear to even up the track. I think it looks a little odd with the rear being narrower than the front.

[jac6695]

Sounds like a good plan. I don't know much about the case in the H1 but I have always wanted to do an electric shift AWD case in mine and never did. Along with that I wanted to do a full center console from a Denali (I already have buckets). I do know that you want to avoid the AWD (autotrac) case from the 90's 3/4 ton trucks and Suburbans. I know they had plenty of issues.

I still want to see the step side bed. Done yet?

[TerryD]

I have not had a chance to get started on it yet. Chores around the house and then today I had to work on the Suburban's cooling system. I had two of the plastic fittings for the rear heat system broke apart on us at my parents house yesterday as we were leaving.

I've to to buy the stuff to strip the bed this week. I would like to get it stripped to the original paint this weekend.

[TerryD]

Started stripping the bed. A local body shop guy told me that Easy Off heavy duty oven cleaner would take rattle can paint off of an original paint job. He said it would work on anything that didn't have a reducer put in it such as rattle can, highway line paint, ect.

Put a really heavy coat on it and let it sit for 30 min under black trash bags. After that, I hit it with the pressure washer and most all of it came right off.



Started to look like rain so I packed it in with just the front and side done. I'll try to get to the rest of it this week. We're going to visit Julie's niece for her birthday tomorrow and I'm picking up a couple snow blades for our lawn tractor. Gonna try to make a scraper for the gravel that washes into our driveway.

[TerryD]

Well, I've thrown in the towel on painting the bed myself. It is loaded on the trailer and will be going to the body shop next week to be painted. I just don't have the time and I don't want to rush it and it look like crap.

I've not done much to the truck other than a tune up. I'm hoping to go hit some pick-a-parts after we get back from the honeymoon to find both driver's side doors and a rear door panel. I've also got a set of front bucket seats and a console lined up for when we get back.

[UNIMOG-GUY]

What is in it now a bench seat? Condition? If it is a bench seat are you interested in selling it?

[TerryD]

Well, it's a 60/40 split with a fold down arm rest. The driver's side edge is ripped a little but could be patched easy enough. However, I wasn't able to get the set of buckets I had lined up. The guy hasn't answered my e-mails since we got back. When I come up with some I'll let you know if you are still interested.

[Lil Whitey]

http://www.8-lug.com/features/chevy/100 ... mc_sierra/

Interesting look at a crew cab with stepside bed. Maybe some inspiration to you besides the big gay mud truck aspect.

[TerryD]

That's kinda what I'm going for, minus the afore mentioned big gay mud truck thing.

Gotta call the guy about the bed tomorrow. Dad drove by today and it's still sitting on the dolly outside and is still beige.

[TerryD]

The bed is done! We're going down for Christmas this weekend and I'll pick it up while I'm down there. Then I've got to get the badges and flares off my bed and onto it. I've got to order my 4x4 stickers for it as well. I'm wanting this thing to look as factory as possible.

[Lil Whitey]

Nice! Looking forward to the bed swap

[TerryD]

If it stays warm for the next couple days I'm going to try to get the mouldings and flares stripped off my factory bed and start fitting them onto the step side. It's just been too cold for the last few weeks to be in the garage doing anything w/o any heat. Oh yeah, and I'm kind of a lazy bum too...

[TerryD]

Worked on the bed yesterday. I got the flares mounted and the tailgate put back together. I'm might get some trim tape and get the emblems and moldings put back on today if I get motivated again.





Factory bed looks kinda sad now: