Well this is my first time of being able to build a truck with a welder. I started with this truck I had sitting for a couple years.

The bedsides in particular were bad. They were full of fiberglass and bondo.

But it was in no way a junker. The frame is still very good and it runs well. It has a 22RE.

 

88 project

So, after thinking back on my 4x4ing experiences, I decided what I would like to improve. I bobbed the bed.


I think I cut about 13 inches out.
I bought 1.5 inch ball joint spacers from 4crawler.com.

 

Bumper

I also moved the bumper up to add clearance. Since I had to cut the rear parts of the frame off I could suck the bumper in and raise it up.
Before:

After:

 

1988 22re 4x4

Because I bought a welder, many new opportunities became clear to me. My trucks really needed some real work done to them to make them better.
I decided to put new metal (22 guage) into the bedsides. I tried my best with the tools I had to make the new bedsides look close to stock.
It is was my first try at any bodywork too. I bought some self etching primer. I also used high fill primer. After I realized you should usually put bondo on, then high fill primer, then self etching primer and then paint.

 

19hundred and 88

This is it sitting with the bj spacers installed. One bedside is mostly done. I need to do an alignment. I am also building new rear shackles that are thicker metal and use 3/4inch bolts.

I am going to paint it camoflauge green and go for a military theme. I may have some white lettering on the side (hood too maybe). I welded some bullets on the side of the cab. I picked them out of the desert in Arizona at a military testing ground when I travelled there a few years ago.

 

88

It has 30's on the front and 31's on the back right now. So that brings my work up to date.

 

Lookin good! I bet you have some nice wheelin out there?

 

pics

Yea there is decent wheeling around the kootenays. I have explored everywhere in my area that I could reach. But now I will have the ability to go new places with the added clearance.

I started on the 2nd homemade bedside

And I quickly relocated the gas filler to the inside of the bed (on the inner fender). The hose is a bit more tucked out of the way now.

 

where in the kootneys do you live... all my family lives up there and i worked up on kootney lake for 4 months this last year, we have a lake house about 3km before the lakeview store on kootney lake

 

That's wicked. I was working on some new houses in that area last year. It's about 50 mins from where I live. I live out in the Slocan Valley.

 

Looks good man! Ive just started to dabble in bodywork too. Talk about a pain.

Nice rig tho.

 

Some pics

I did some more work. Here's pics


I made my own shackles.

They have a small lift to them. Just under 1 inch or so. Painted silver.

 

dude .. I like your "tenasity" on trying to repair the bed .. but really !! history has tought us that it will not last ..
did you miss that history lesson ?

I guess only time will tell ........

onward and upward

.

 

I don't like flatbeds. And people around here fiberglass over boxes and try to sell them for $800. I just did it this way cuz I wanted some experience working with sheetmetal and for welding practice.
But really, it is a TANK! And that is how it is going to look

 

I did well in history class.
I used some POR 15 so we'll see how it lasts.
My 4.88 ring and pinions arrived.

Here are some seats I put together for my lil 92 drift truck.

 

Nice weather!

It got up to 80* today! I am really appreciating it. I've been able to work comfortably.
Got some bedliner sprayed. And the sides are camo green the paint I will be using.

And the rims I will be using with 33 inchers

 

just a heads up, if possible, steer away from those aluminum rims unless you take it easy on the trails, because steel rims if bent by a rock or jump etc can be beat out with a big hammer on the trail and the bead of the tire can be reseated but the aluminum will just crack or break and you will be stranded unless you have a spare or two, and you can weld beadlocks onto steel rims very inexspensively

 

Yep. Thanks I'll take that into account when I'm jumping it. They are somewhat aged I think. I WILL have a spare or 2. Your looking at them mounted on the truck in the pic.
These rims are the only 4 matching that I have which aren't wrecked.

 

Progress

I have power steering!

 

Sand sand sand

I began adding body filler where needed. Seam sealer has been applied. The bedsides have enough clearance for the 33x10.5 BFG KM2's I am getting.

Driver's side. Sooo much sanding.

I recessed the lights into the bumper and hooked them up. The fuse keeps burning out so I need to work out the tweeks.