2000 Ford F-550 Build

[06h3]

Got the truck started and got the PS system bled. My wife is at work all day and my sister said she would help me bleed the brakes but haven’t seen her come by yet.

At this point the front end is DONE and driving! I guess technically I have 2 things left to do, a potential spring swap and weld in the frame brace.

I got those cut off the donor frame and at this point that frame is ready for the scrap yard.

I also also super stoked! I pulled the axle shaft and counted the splines. 36 spline so it’s an S130 not an S110!!!! That makes me sleep better at night knowing I have the better of the 2 axles when hauling near the GVWR.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I'm interested to hear how tough it is to weld in those frame braces with the engine in. Not a ton of space in there. Pulling off the exhaust manifolds might help.

 

[06h3]

I’ll keep you posted. I’m sure miserable

 

[Grendel]

So you figured out the steering shaft?

 

[06h3]

Yep, cut the rivets out, then used 3/8in bolts to connect the new end and old shaft, after a test fit to make sure it worked I pulled it back out and tack welded the nut to the bolt. Don’t want that thing to come loose! lol

 

[Grendel]

Ok, along with the motor stands, want to sell me the left overs from those shafts?

I am going to play with them, as what you did is not what I do and I am curious about the differences. They should just slide together, as aczlan said.

 

[06h3]

Ok, along with the motor stands, want to sell me the left overs from those shafts?

I am going to play with them, as what you did is not what I do and I am curious about the differences. They should just slide together, as aczlan said.

Yeah, let me get pics of them to show you what I modified and see if you still want them. I did cut into the rubber a little bit.

 

[Grendel]

Yeah, let me get pics of them to show you what I modified and see if you still want them. I did cut into the rubber a little bit.

Well, I am going to go to a Saginaw style column in the G506, so I will probably weld a joint to some sort of shaft that connects to the box we installed today... it's the one I posted pics of.

 

[[486]]

yeah I only suggested the bolty business if they didn't just slide apart (with a reasonable amount of cutoff wheeling any sort of pinched together travel stop business)

though the bolts are how they've been done for decades. Another poo-poo on that one would be to have done the bolts on the other side, because the metal tabs on the other end of the rivets are there for if the rubber fails so the shafts still sorta mash together good, you know? The older style rubber donuts had a lot better metal-metal mesh for when what was just conveyor belt rubber died...

either way, cool shit

 

[RPhil]

I am late to the party here since you already bought some adapters for your PS setup... but the hose should have bolted in to your hydroboost if you unscrewed the hard 90 deg. line from the hydroboost itself. Just did that on my Excursion that got an '06 axle. Good luck with the rest of the build.

 

[06h3]

I am late to the party here since you already bought some adapters for your PS setup... but the hose should have bolted in to your hydroboost if you unscrewed the hard 90 deg. line from the hydroboost itself. Just did that on my Excursion that got an '06 axle. Good luck with the rest of the build.

Good to know for future people watching this thread!

 

[06h3]

Got the truck out of the garage for the first time. I was in Moab (didn’t take the truck) but it’s been in a “done” state for a couple weeks now, well the front end atleast.

So I swapped the door with a new one, swapped the fender and then swapped the bench seat. Got that for $50! I’m not sure it’s a long term solution but it’s wayyyy better then what I have now.

So I gotta get the window tinted or swap the window and swap the door lock.

Before

And after

It’s not a perfect door/fender but for $130 it’s wayyy better then before and now I won’t be mad when I dent it lol

Here is the new to me bench.

Before

After

Now I just gotta deep clean it.

My old bench wasn’t adjustable from a reclining standpoint. This new one is....I wish it could recline flat, it would be cool for sleeping. Maybe I can mod it to do that, I’m not sure.

So now I gotta swap the rear axle, get new front tires, paint the rims, and then figure out the aux trans

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Fwiw, any 99-16 superduty seat will mostly bolt in. I put a ~12 set of vinal bucket seats and console into an 05 with a shitty bench like that. The inside holes on the buckets were there but not threaded, I used a tap, but later heard the bolts are meant to self tap. I used a piece of 3/4" metal conduit as a hole punch for the rubber floor. Only had to drill 2 holes for the front of the console. Those vinal buckets were some of the most comfortable ford seats I've sat in. Not sure why, but they were really nice.

Any plan for the front coils? It doesn't look too much different hieght wise than the leafs in your Pic.

 

[06h3]

Thanks for the heads up on those seats and will consider them long term. For $50 this fills an existing need that’s way better then what I have.

What did you pay for the setup you had?

Yeah, I think the long term plan is to buy Hd coils but wanna drive this truck first.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Thanks for the heads up on those seats and will consider them long term. For $50 this fills an existing need that’s way better then what I have.

What did you pay for the setup you had?

Yeah, I think the long term plan is to buy Hd coils but wanna drive this truck first.

It's been a long time, but I want to say $1k. They aren't cheap.

Those trucks are a little more common now. This was probably back around 2012 and 99% of work trim trucks had the bench seat.

 

[06h3]

Got the rear axle swapped in.

Did it in a couple hours, way less shitty then doing the front. I left the springs attached on the new to me axle and just swapped it as a unit.

The job made my back hurt, man they are HEAVY! I was also paranoid about that heavy axle knocking a jackstand over and killing me.

All that’s left is hooking up brake lines and parking brake and getting the driveshaft lengthened. The new one has a much shorter snout so I had to push it back into the garage.

It is truly amazing how much smaller the S130 looks compared to the S135. It just looks weaker but you don’t hear of the S130 cracking....and it’s GAWR is 14,706 vs 13,500.

With that said my S130 had multiple cracks. Like I mentioned in the past I bet Boone road hitting pot holes and crap with 15,500 lbs on the rear end did it. I’ll try and get pics of the cracks around the spring perch this week.

Goal is to get the driveshaft lengthened this week, get the brakes hooked up, find 3 more 10 lug rims and get the old crappy roller tires off and new tires on the 10 lug rims.

Then I can finally put some miles on this thing.

 

[06h3]

It’s been a month since the last update.

Got everything hooked up, brakes. E brake, etc.

I got the 3 10 lug rims. I swapped over 2 tires myself. Still gotta do 2 more and buy 2 new ones so I have all fresh tires.

Still need to bleed the brakes. I will try and do that tonight. I haven’t had a weekend home since this last post and some week nights I haven’t been home either hence the lack of progress.

I have $350 in riffraff diesel gift cards that is about to expire. I don’t really need much but I think I may buy some smith brothers pushrods and some comp cam valve springs with .30 shims. Is it necessary? Probably not but I figure I have 400k on them. They are probably fatigued.

Just checking in saying I’m still alive, truck is still alive. Just slow going with the way life is right now.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

How bad was it to change the tires out yourself? I've heard it's rough with 19.5s.

 

[[486]]

How bad was it to change the tires out yourself? I've heard it's rough with 19.5s.

I just did some with spoons and prybars on the ground and it isn't horrible
you certainly do need to know how to use a 3lb hammer while getting the beads worked over the rim, that was my biggest trouble spot

 

[06h3]

I bought the kentool 33195 tire spoon kit. Supposedly designed for 19.5s. Not horrible, not the easiest.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Sweet. I just ordered a set for myself.

 

[06h3]

Got the brakes bled last night and took it for a drive up to a swift 30 mph.

So I can’t comment on suspension yet. I need a load on it to really know.

Turning radius: holy shit. It’s amazing. 50* steering alone is worth it. The turning radius with a 238in wheelbase was terrible. Now it’s decent.

Steering feel: the old box may have been original. The damn thing had 3in of slop in each direction. With this box steering is nice and tight!!! So that’s a plus

Braking: everyone says the brakes will be substantially better but at 30 mph unloaded I can’t confirm or deny. I’ll know when I’m loaded at 19,500 lbs and need to stop quick. Before it was potentially trouble, I’m hoping now it won’t be.

It felt a bit peppier. I have bald as can be 225/70R19.5s on the rear right now vs fresh and aggressive 245/70R19.5, I wonder how much of a difference it makes with a bald, smaller and lighter tire.

Lastly, I have kind of a shitty idle. Never had that since the rebuild. I wonder if having that HPOP line leak fucked up my nice and new HPOP and/or injectors

 

[Grendel]

Can you measure your take off rear hubs, please?

I am just being lazy but as you've seen, I found 10x285MM hubs:

 

[06h3]

You want me to measure the 8 lug or 10 lug?

 

[Grendel]

You want me to measure the 8 lug or 10 lug?

Either, they're the same hubs, just different bolt pattern.

 

[06h3]

I’m on the road until Saturday night. I do know mine did not have studs just bolts.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I’m on the road until Saturday night. I do know mine did not have studs just bolts.

Good point, mine don't either.

 

[06h3]

I took my first real test drive. Went to the dump and got rid of the frame, the old door and fender that was all jacked up along with a bunch of other crap.

Got it up to about 45 mph, in real traffic and streets unlike last time….no death wobble, everything seems to be good.

The ride quality is much more controlled. A little stiffer but it is on bump stops. More time in the driver seat will determine how I like it.

The one question and then main reason for my post….the read diff sensor (assuming speedometer since it stopped working since the swap) has a different sensor. I got the correct pigtail and there wasn’t a positive/negative marking on the pigtail. Is it a positive/negative ordeal or just send power to one and it doesn’t matter

 

[aczlan]

The one question and then main reason for my post….the read diff sensor (assuming speedometer since it stopped working since the swap) has a different sensor. I got the correct pigtail and there wasn’t a positive/negative marking on the pigtail. Is it a positive/negative ordeal or just send power to one and it doesn’t matter

If it is like every other sensor out there, it makes an AC signal and the ECU reads the frequency of the pulses to measure speed, so it doesn't matter which wire is which.

Aaron Z

 

[06h3]

Thanks. Weird it isn’t working. I’ll recheck the connections