1972 F-250 2wd to 4wd build

[rattle_snake]

Wish I had a better solution for line retention than 'p' clamps, after seeing what was done on midnight panic, but ain't nobody got time for that.

 

[rattle_snake]

After fuel system was re-worked, I took it out for a short test drive in the sun. Some tire spin may have occurred.

Then had my neighbor help me install hood and set bed back on chassis. Good to have all the body panels off the shop floor.

I painted the inside of the tailgate which should be the last piece. Long way to go on re-assembly but over the hump now and can putter away on little things and not be dependent on weather. Trying to prioritize the items needed to get it back on the road, like glass, mirrors, bumper and so on.

 

[rockota]

Wish I had a better solution for line retention than 'p' clamps, after seeing what was done on midnight panic, but ain't nobody got time for that.

if that's the most "hack" thing of this build, I don't think you need to worry.

 

[rattle_snake]

yes but I can't un-see what Skipped_Link did. He set bar too high.

I am trying to improve the hackery I accepted up to this point. Redoing various things and replacing broken and missing clips and HW that I didn't want to wait for previously.

 

[rattle_snake]

Paint job is pretty much complete. I had planned to putter along on the trim rehab but I guess I can't operate at that speed so finished it out. I did take time to address many minor issues and Band-Aids that had been done in the past. Fixed fuel filler leak. Replaced the clips inside doors for lock and latches so everything works smoothly. Re-worked e-brake onto chassis. Cleaned things that no one will ever see. But still same list of todo items that existed before paint job started.

But it is a different color now. All new rubber and plastic bits as needed. New windshield glass, seals. Wing window seals, and so on.

All body panels and all but one piece of trim is original to this truck. Trim isn't perfect, but polished up it is good enough. To get any better, just trash all and buy new. It fits the quality of paint (or lack there of). I did buy all new trim clips but otherwise restored the original fasteners.

With enlargement of rear wheel opening the lower trim had to be cut down to fit properly. So had to re-form ends on 4 pieces

 

[Levigarrett76]

Wow that turned out better than i thought, color looks great

 

[Loki89t]

Truck turned out great

 

[reptillikus]

Wow the trim really sets that thing off

 

[rattle_snake]

Wow that turned out better than i thought, color looks great

Not quite a match to original 1972 Ford 'U' Medium Lime. Looks like instead I got 1973 'U' limestone, but I like it better. Darker color.

Truck turned out great

Thanks!

Wow the trim really sets that thing off

Yes it does complement. I waffled on deleting most of the trim as these trucks look good without. In the end I left all the holes and kept all the 'Explorer' trim as it was.

 

[rattle_snake]

Enjoyed putting clean shiny stuff back together. I painted tool box latch to match, and replaced the seal. Was a filthy mess now nice and clean. All the tools in this box but bro-dozer drop hitch is in 2 soft bags. little one is winch recover gear and other tools and parts.

Also bough a new dash bezel since I was ordering 'stuff'. More fitting with chrome like A/C, controls, knobs and so on. Next is radio bezel and new head unit with screen for back up camera.

Put in a generic bed mat, wish it didn't have goofy logo. Spare and stuff back in. Guess I need a shiny new shovel and high lift proudly displayed so everyone knows I'm 'hard core'. Maybe even a dozen roto pacs and a stack of tread boards.

 

[arse_sidewards]

Enjoyed putting clean shiny stuff back together. I painted tool box latch to match, and replaced the seal. Was a filthy mess now nice and clean. All the tools in this box but bro-dozer drop hitch is in 2 soft bags. little one is winch recover gear and other tools and parts.


Also bough a new dash bezel since I was ordering 'stuff'. More fitting with chrome like A/C, controls, knobs and so on. Next is radio bezel and new head unit with screen for back up camera.


Put in a generic bed mat, wish it didn't have goofy logo. Spare and stuff back in. Guess I need a shiny new shovel and high lift proudly displayed so everyone knows I'm 'hard core'. Maybe even a dozen roto pacs and a stack of tread boards.

I love those tool boxes. Every pickup should have a tool box in that otherwise dead space.

Any closer pics of the shovel mount?

 

[AK_F250]

Any closer pics of the shovel mount?

Looks like quick fist clamps from the pic

 

[rattle_snake]

I love those tool boxes. Every pickup should have a tool box in that otherwise dead space.

Any closer pics of the shovel mount?

Would like to graft one into the other side now that fuel fill is moved. Just need a doner.

ya shovel is just 'fisted.

 

[350TacoZilla]

Before you replace the head unit for a back up screen don't forget about the rearview mirrors that have screen in them. I bought one on sale and you almost cant tell the screen is there till you turn on camera. I still haven't installed it since my project is in pieces but for the price I had to try it.

 

[rattle_snake]

Well the head unit I bought is about same price ($50) as the cheap rear view mirrors with screen/camera. It works OK and solved a few other issues, mainly wanting to use the OEM style radio bezel, but couldn't use old CD player head as depth is too much and hits wiper linkage. So new non-CD head unit with screen seems to sovle.

 

[rattle_snake]

Was able to knock out a few more upgrades that have been on the list for a long time. I swapped out the rest of the park/turn/brake light bulbs for LEDs. Now every bulb on truck is LED, current much lower in old harness and can leave lights on for a long time and it will still start. Also did LED compatible blinkers. Looks the same so no pics.

Finished windshield wiper system. I bought a new reservoir but it leaked and didn't fit in intended location with shock towers I added. So ended up with a cheap generic reservoir/pump and fit it near hydroboost.

Swapped out stereo head unit for one with a screen for backup camera. I had pre-wired the video cable into main harness. I wanted to use a factory style radio bezel to better match the rest of the dash. Problem is a DIN opening is bigger than the tapered bezel will accept, so I chose a unit that had a narrower face for back mount install. I was gifted one from a forum member (thanks gump1376 ) including shipping, who does that? So I cut it up.

old mount was a generic Volvo setup, an although it is a easy install the angle is wrong and looks is 'plastic'

So the unit needed to be mounted solidly itself and the bezel just a bezel. I made some simple adapter plates to secure the unit to the knob 'ears' that were bent out of the way previously. The knob holes are larger so allowed some adjustability to get face to center in bezel. Without CD mechanism depth is much shorter and allows use of recessed bezel mount, otherwise interferes with windshield wiper linkage.

Moved the Sniper screen off ash tray door to right of column. Cleans up the dash a bit.

Goes well with new instrument panel bezel

 

[350TacoZilla]

Man that looks good in there, I had figured you would have to open hole up more to fit one with screen in so that was my worry. You better stop improving this thing or the truck is going to be too nice to drive once your done with it

 

[rattle_snake]

What is this 'done' you speak of?


Next item is to recover the seat, or a different seat, or recover a different seat. That would more or less complete phase 3 (of 3) of the build. But phase 4 would include;

• Rear locker
• full length sliders
• rear bumper extensions
• Primary fuel tank protection
• 2nd fuel tank
• fix rear main seal (pull motor)
• Improved steering linkage/high steer knuckle mod
• ?

 

[rockota]

What is this 'done' you speak of?


Next item is to recover the seat, or a different seat, or recover a different seat. That would more or less complete phase 3 (of 3) of the build. But phase 4 would include;

• Rear locker
• full length sliders
• rear bumper extensions
• Primary fuel tank protection
• 2nd fuel tank
• fix rear main seal (pull motor)
• Improved steering linkage/high steer knuckle mod
• ?

extra interweb points if you find an old Pape 1/2 sleeper.

 

[rattle_snake]

A/C season has started. The fan switch in my 72 ford that I 'refurbished' started having issues on high speed so I figured I would rewire for 2 reasons. Off load the high current and isolate magnetic field collapse back voltage spike. When fan is turned off, the energy stored in magnetic field has to go somewhere, and generates a high negative voltage, perhaps enough to arc across open switch terminals. Had same issue with A/C clutch, it fried the other HVAC switches for same reason.

The fuse box was also badly thermally damaged so I had added a relay and dedicated HVAC power supply to remove high current from it and factor harness. So phase 2 was to do similar for switch. This required 3 relays, one for each fan speed but can remove the existing one. Graphed the relays into the HVAC wire harness but still having issues with high speed. Dooh, too late I guess.

 

[CDA 455 II]

extra interweb points if you find an old Pape 1/2 sleeper.

Damn; that takes me back!
Mid-'80s Toyota with a half sleeper.

Half sleepers were YUGE in the '80s.

 

[rattle_snake]

find me one of them and send it my way!

 

[rattle_snake]

Ordered some bump cans for the front end. Goal is to get more up travel, so moving bumps behind coils and outward as far as possible. Then move limit straps up front. Raise ride height 1/2 or so.

 

[Deleted Member]

Dang I love this truck! Having done many over the last 30 years, I KNOW what it takes to do what you've done here... and it looks freaking outstanding man!

Still my favorite build to date.

 

[rattle_snake]

Thanks Fleck'.

I'm enjoying it also. It's doing it's job but can always use some more $.

 

[rattle_snake]

Took the truck out in the desert just to screw around and do some testing. It was over 100* so a workout for cooling and A/C systems. Both did fine. Cruise at 70 is loud in cab even after all the sound control, mostly wind noise even with everything sealed up tight. Turns about 2700 RPM at 70.

Was getting a lot of banging noises that I thought was front bump stop contact. So I removed the lower bump spacers to make sure that was not the case. Noises persisted. So decided not to beat on the truck, no 2nd vehicle and pretty much no one else out in the area. So played with R/C crawlers on some large rock formations and called it a day.

Picket post mtn

Racked the truck and did a thorough inspection of the entire front end. Bushing, heims, brakes so on.

What I did find is that the cab is contacting the transfer case. I had moved the engine down and back for A/C, and the pocket I had sectioned out of the cab floor crossmember is no longer sufficient.
Have a few options to resolve. Can't drop trans mount much as front drive flange and yolk are already tight to the trans crossmember. Cab does need to go up at the back a bit so might as well take care of that now. Grind the rest as needed.

The good news is that I'm not hitting the bumps like I thought and uptravel limit is not that bad. Still going to do out-boarded bump cans and improve the setup, but probably don't need to cut up the fenders to get the performance I want.

 

[rattle_snake]

Had to pull exhaust to access bottom of the cab. I see that on the right side the pipe right after header collector has been making contact with cab floor pan. I had built the exhaust system without body so it was all a guess. Moving drivetrain back didn't help.

So already off on a side project. Cut up the exhaust and started making a zig zag out of mandrels to clear floor. Going to add another v-band so muffler(s) can come out separately from tail pipe and collector extensions.

A further look at cab to transfer case interference showed that the TC is hitting in multiple places on floor. So no easy fix to leave drivetrain where it is at. Driveshaft is already close. Contemplated sectioning trans cross member with some large pipe to add clearance to drop down. Ended up trying different sized shim stacks in trans mount to find a good balance of clearance on both driveshaft and cab. Given the geometry, a small change is shim moves the end of TC by a larger amount. Also going to shim back of cab up a bit to offset saggy old bushings (shoulda replaced them Dooh!). So I think this will be enough and no major surgery is required, well other than the exhaust.
Popped the trans mount spacers in the lathe to removed 0.125", and hit with Ford blue paint.

 

[BigUglyFord]

With distribution block re-orientated, I re-bent the output lines to match up. Much cleaner. I tried to position the block inside the frame as best possible in case the front drive shaft u-joint fails and the shaft flops all over wrecking things. It should never come up high enough to get inside frame, but you never know.

Committed to the front brake hose locations. Finish welded, painted. The brake system is almost complete. Just need to hook up pedal, tighten all fittings, bleed and check for leaks.

Nice build man! Impressive work. I do have to ask, where did you get the distribution block for the brakes? I have a hard time finding one

 

[rattle_snake]

Thanks 'Ugly.
That is the original distribution block. Should be easy to find one with no guts/valving other than brake light switch.

Truck was so clean back then...

 

[rattle_snake]

Finished exhaust modifications to clear right side floor pan. Took a few sections to fit pan contour with <1" gap. The header extension is pretty short, but the added v-band make removing muffler section much easier. Plan to swap out the 2-into-1 muff and series 3" for a pair of 2.5" muffs in parallel at some point.