2002-03 GMC/Chevy LB7 3500 Dually build

[What?]

Great progress on it, love what you did to the dually bed

As for wax oil, is this the one you're talking about? Waxoyl USA | Offering 360º of Protection from Corrosion.

 

[Springer-]

Great progress on it, love what you did to the dually bed

As for wax oil, is this the one you're talking about? Waxoyl USA | Offering 360º of Protection from Corrosion.

Thanks, it's actually a fleetside bed and not a dually bed but I know what you mean. And Yes that's the Waxoyl product. I have a couple of 30 gallon drums of it I got for free.

 

[Springer-]

Today I worked on the hub lock. I drilled and tapped a bolt hole pattern in the end of the wheel spacer to match the unit bearing.

Arrow #1 in the picture below shows the bolt hole for the hub lock selector mount. #2 is where the original hub lock would go. I used a extra hub lock and disassembled it for the top casting and removed the selector. The I turned the inside (the surface above arrow #2) for a spacer to fit. I will make the spacers tomorrow.

Here is a better view of the hub lock assembly with the selector removed, mounted in the unit bearing. The black rubber pad at the bottom is a seal and diaphragm of sorts. When vacuum is applied that get sucked down and engages the hub lock. It works on a similar principal as a ball point pen that you click the top of to extend the pen tip. You click it once and it engages, you click it again and it disengages. The vacuum system doesn't keep vacuum on the entire time, just long enough to "click" it to engage or disengage.

The manual lock part has the selector you turn to engage the hub. The way it works is with a ramp system. When you turn the selector to lock, a plastic piston on a ramp extends and presses down on that same black rubber pad. The depresses the spring inside and engages the hub lock. It holds it in place the entire time. Unlike the vacuum activation, when you turn the manual selector back to auto it releases the spring and unlocks the hub. It doesn't use the click system to hold it in place.

The spacer I am making will extend the manual selector to the outside part of the wheel spacer and I will add a piston of sorts to take up the space between the manual selector and the black rubber pad so the manual selector will still work and the vacuum will work.

This picture shows the manual selector in place on the wheel spacer, lined up with the bolt hole pattern I drilled and tapped in the first picture above. As mentioned earlier in the thread, the wheel spacer replaces the dually wheel spacer. The original Ford dually wheel spacer has a hub bolt pattern of 8 x 170 and converts it to 8 x 200. My wheel spacer goes from the 8 x 170 and converts it to 8 x 6.5 to match my rear wheel bolt pattern. I didn't want to run different size and type wheels.

 

[Springer-]

I made the hub lock spacers today. Started with aluminum 4" solid round stock 5.5" long. This is enough to make 2.

After many hours the first one was made. The second went quicker.

Here is the spacer set in the modified hub (shown in the last post). The center hole will get a plastic piston that will operate the hub when the manual selector is turned. In final assembly a little silicone will seal everything, basically just to keep any water out.

With spacer in place the wheel adapter is put in place.

This one look likes a previous picture however that was a mock up. Here everything lines up properly and is ready to be install on the front end now.

 

[Springer-]

I mentioned above that I would use silicone to seal stuff up during assemble but looking it over and a few measurements later I thin I can put in some o-ring grooves to seal stuff up instead of the silicone.

Here is a picture of the hub stack now so you can see how I'm spacing it out without all the other stuff in the way.

Here is the stack without the wheel adapter to put it into perspective.

On the left is the hub selector (arrow #1), it shows the cam action that presses the hub engagement system when you turn the know. In the factory hub it presses down on the rubber pad (arrow #2). This picture puts it all together if you didn't follow along with what the spacer actually does. With the spacer in place it allows for a plastic spacer to sit loosely in the hole (arrow #2) and when the manual hub selector is rotated to the "Lock" position, the plastic piece (arrow #1) presses on the plastic spacer pressing down on the hub lock (arrow #2) at the bottom.

 

[Fnl8t]

These were stout trucks, built tons of them as dump/plow/utilitys at a upfitter so its cool seeing this come together. Some nice work on the 5th plates and bed integration. Anyway, keep at it this thing is going to be a solid pickup. It almost needs a light folding crane to compliment the liftgate... just be careful chasing that dragon, known to lead to heavier service bodys and before you know it class 7/8!

 

[Springer-]

These were stout trucks, built tons of them as dump/plow/utilitys at a upfitter so its cool seeing this come together. Some nice work on the 5th plates and bed integration. Anyway, keep at it this thing is going to be a solid pickup. It almost needs a light folding crane to compliment the liftgate... just be careful chasing that dragon, known to lead to heavier service bodys and before you know it class 7/8!

Thanks for the comments, glad you like it. I'm building it to be the last truck I ever own. I had the same brand liftgate on my old truck and you don't know how much you need one until you have one, it really takes the fun out of everything.

Compared to the regular 2500/3500 and any F-350 this has a way stronger frame. I kind of ended up building it by chance and I don't think I could have picked a better base truck to start with if I tried.

 

[Springer-]

In previous pictures I have an aftermarket rim, I needed it to fit the brakes and everything. It will eventually be used as a spare. I have been looking for a set of 6 rims and they specifically need to be 2008-2010 GM dually 17 x 6.5 with 8 x 6.5 bolt pattern. They were only used for 3 years. I found a set a couple of weeks ago on a 2008 part out truck. They guy was taking the truck apart last week and delivering them last Friday. One of the inside rear wheels was rusted bad. Basically, 5 OK wheels and 6 50% tires for $650. After thinking about it, that was too much, I had to pass. So I started looking again and found another set that looked like new take off wheels. Talked to the guy and they were take offs from his 2008 and just sitting around for years. $300 for the set (a steal) however 500 miles road trip to go get them. $125 each to blast and powder coat them.

So for the first time I have a wheel to wheel front end. The WMS measure 78.5", now I have to figure out what my truck WMS measures stock.

 

[Lowrollin70gmc]

This is looking good. I really dig the cab and chassis rear under a fleetside, so much more "nimble" than huge fiberglass bedsides.

I also miss my liftgate truck, still keeping an eye out for another one.

 

[Springer-]

Finally getting to the assembly of the hubs. There is a snap ring on the axle inside the hub that holds the axle in the correct place. When I took everything apart it was at a friends shop but now I'm working in my garage. I didn't have a set of snap ring pliers that would work so I bought an OK set for about $45. The tips are 4mm and intended for larger snap rings than I am doing. First thing, grind the tips to fit the snap ring. They worked great.

The reach and leverage of the set you see above worked great. Probably many other chooses but if you need to do these snap rings, that set made it easy.

 

[Springer-]

I made the plastic plunger for the center of the hub lock. You can see how it protrudes from the center. I tested its function to see if it needed any adjustments but first try was a charm. I also bought a cheap hand vacuum pump to test the vacuum operation of the hub lock. The cheap pump is enough to engage the lock but not to disengage properly. I have to build the Ford vacuum system next to test it all.

And the final assembly !!!

 

[Springer-]

This week I found a powder coating company and dropped off all the suspension parts. The guy I spoke with explained they do a zinc coating first then the powder coat. I guess this increases the durability against Salt 4 fold. They did 5 bars and 2 mounts for $150. Seemed like a good price but I've never had any powder coating done before. Very happy with the way it turned out. Contemplating having them do the wheels, $125 each

The frontend is completely assembled and ready to install.