The Victim Build Thread -- Featuring frame replacement

Where are you getting the replacement frame from? I'm really digging this build, by the way. I've bought two vehicles that were from the North. Had a 2000 Jeep Cherokee and a 2002 GMC Sierra that were both from Michigan. Loved them both (especially the Jeep) but the rust was a bitch. Did a lift on the Jeep and all four rear shock bolts broke off and I had to drill and tap. This is definitely gonna be a great build, be sure to post more pics than you think are necessary. We like lots of pics!
 
Slammer said:
Where are you getting the replacement frame from? I'm really digging this build, by the way. I've bought two vehicles that were from the North. Had a 2000 Jeep Cherokee and a 2002 GMC Sierra that were both from Michigan. Loved them both (especially the Jeep) but the rust was a bitch. Did a lift on the Jeep and all four rear shock bolts broke off and I had to drill and tap. This is definitely gonna be a great build, be sure to post more pics than you think are necessary. We like lots of pics!
Click to expand...

I got the frame from New Jersey. It's in VERY good condition. I have neglected to post pictures of it, but I will soon! Rust is a total bitch, but the replacement frame has, for all intents and purposes, no rust. It will be completely coated in SPI (Southern Polyurethane) epoxy primer. All the brake lines and fuel lines will be replaced, all the front suspension and steering components will be inspected and replaced as necessary, and all bushings, mounts, or anything that needs doing will be done. It's not gonna be a show truck, but if things go my way, it will be a SOLID truck and will look halfway decent. Thankfully, the truck is fairly mechanically sound as it is. It needs a few things, but the engine is in decent shape and the transmission is fine. In the future I hope to replace the fairly weak AX-15 tranny with an NV4500 (tranny that comes behind the V8s) and replace the rear axle with a 9.25" axle and a limited slip...but these are [very expensive] luxuries and will be done as money permits. SO many things to think about. Goal for now is to do all the essentials...and of course, an audio system is one of those essentials...;) Thanks for your interest. :)
 
The truck itself looks pretty solid. Is it 4 wheel drive? Looks like it is based on the height, but I don't see any badges to indicate it is. I would say lift it while doing the frame work, if so. Sucks those use torsion keys on the front like my Sierra did. Scary shit when you release the tension on those things! Looks like you have it pretty well planned out. Go ahead and assume brake and fuel lines will be a bitch, because they will. As for steering and suspension components go, they can add up quickly. You may want to look into a complete replacement package online, which could be less expensive than paying retail for a few parts here and there. If you are gonna do individual parts, be sure to check out rockauto.com. I've bought from them many times in the past. Way cheaper than retail, trust me.

http://www.rockauto.com/
 
You are right sir. It is 4-wheel drive; it's got a 4x4 emblem on the upper tailgate, and if you look very closely at the first picture in the thread, you can just barely see where it says 4x4 on the protective rubber strip next to 'Dakota'. It's supposed to have one on the driver's side as well, but it fell off! Minus 20 hp right there. :( I gotta say though, the 4x4 in this is pretty damn good. However, I'm really hoping I can budget in a new rear axle to really get some bitchin' traction. I have a puny 7.5" axle in the rear for which there is no LSD/Locker available, and I'd like to replace it with a 9.25" axle from a later model Dakota/Durango and add a Powertrax Lock-Right automatic locking rear differential. That'll be at least $500-$600 all told.

I plan to lift it max of 3" suspension lift, but more like 2" probably, with torsion bars maxed out. A solid axle swap is not for me at this time.

For the brake lines and probably the fuel lines, I'm going to use SUR&R EZ-Bend Nickel-Copper lines. They are awesome. I replaced all the lines on my dad's '02 Silverado (all of them were rusted through at the ABS module) with those lines, and they are wonderful to work with. I'd recommend them to anyone. It's going to be a piece of cake to do the lines when I have the "luxury" of the cab and bed off.

Yea, I use Rockauto too! They've always got some sort of ridiculous prices on "Wholesaler Closeouts" that make me so happy. I plan to come up with a giant order so I can do like $1000 worth all at once, hopefully covering a nice chunk of things that it needs. I'm gonna dive into this money pit head first!
 
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I did the torsion bars on my Sierra and was happy with the height improvement but hated how the front end was "super sprung" whenever I went over a bump. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't reverse it if I were given the opportunity, just learned to take it slow over speed bumps. The difference in the torsion makes the front end PUSH down over the slightest bump. As for the rear diff swap, you may want to keep a drive shaft issue in mind. I went from an 8" to a 9" Ford rear end many years ago and found out that the distance was different (longer yoke on the 9") and have to have my drive shaft cut and balanced. Hopefully you won't, but a heads up regardless.
 
The lack of updates is due to my being busy. Sorry! The project has been progressing slowly and I have plenty of updates, which I'm going to post one at a time. First a quick progress update:

I am currently in the process of painting the frame. I have removed everything from the new frame that isn't welded in, including the leaf spring hangers and rear cross members, which are riveted in. I ground down a total of 28 rivets. This is not a quick process; therefore, I am cleaning and painting the frame in "one-day" sections. This is so I can avoid surface rust forming on fresh sections and apply paint as soon as possible after stripping the frame to bare metal. More detailed updates will be posted shortly. But we'll start with this:

Rust Removal using Electrolysis

A member on NASIOC posted a thread about using electrolysis to remove rust from rusty parts, and I decided I had to give it a try.

First of all, I'm not a chemist. As I understand it, rust is Fe2O3 (Iron Oxide). Electrolysis uses electric current to promote the removal of negatively charged oxygen ions from the rusted part (cathode) towards the anode, which is a positively charged piece of metal, through an electrolytic (current conducting) medium. Don't know what I'm talking about? Neither do I, but the great thing is that you don't have to! This is a very inexpensive and easy to setup process. This is my setup:

-Rusty part: This will be your cathode.
-Sacrificial steel: Get PLAIN steel. Not galvanized, stainless, or coated. Just plain rebar or flat steel. 4 ft. of 1 1/2" wide flat steel did it for me.
-Clean 5 gallon bucket
-Battery charger: mine is a trickle charger (12V/1.5A). I had doubts about it being powerful enough, but it works just fine. A slightly more powerful battery charger would likely yield quicker results.
-Arm & Hammer washing soda (sodium carbonate): This is your electrolyte. I have heard that baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will work, but not as well.
-Small piece of wood to lay across bucket
-Wires
-Hardware as necessary

The pieces of sacrificial steel are bolted to the bucket. This process works on "line of sight". That is, if the rust can't "see" an anode, it will not be de-rusted as well as it would be if it could.


I used an old jumper cable to connect the four pieces of sacrificial steel.


Suspend the part to be de-rusted in the bucket, so that it does not touch any of the anodes. Releasable zipties work great for this purpose. Fill the bucket with water and add 1 tablespoon of A&H washing soda PER GALLON of water.


Then, you will connect the NEGATIVE lead of the battery charger to the part to be de-rusted. It may be a good idea to connect the lead instead to a length of wire (see above picture), which is then connected to the part, so that the lead is not submerged in the solution. This will ensure that the battery charger clips aren't damaged. The POSITIVE lead will be connected to the anodes. Turn the battery charger on, and after a while, you will see rusty foam forming at the surface.


After three-ish hours.


The part comes out looking like this.


Take a wire wheel to it for a few minutes, and see the difference.

Clean.


You may ask...well, can't you do the same thing with just a wire wheel/flappy disc? NOPE. Those are great tools, but it is not possible to remove rust with them without removing some of the surrounding metal. Not to mention the fact that some crevices are impossible to get to with these types of tools. See the difference on this cross member. The ends were treated with electrolysis, then hit with a wire cup brush on an angle grinder. The middle was only de-rusted with the grinder.

...woops, I don't have this image right now...I'll have to get it off my camera... coming soon!
 
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Friends and I were joking about putting it in a swimming pool. Then we thought...why not have electrolysis parties?! Dump a whole bunch of rusty crap into a big concrete pool, then drink beer and let it do its thing! Probably would need a slightly bigger charger...
 
Those plastic kiddie pools work good for larger parts or a wood frame and a roll of that heavy black plastic for the really big stuff. PH plus for swimming pools is the same as the washing soda and generally easier to find and make sure you use one of the older style battery chargers, the newer smart chargers won't charge unless they see voltage from a battery.
 
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