So I picked up this truck about 2 weeks ago for $3,500 with a blown rear end. The pinion just flops around. Just got it up and running, tagged and test driven yesterday!
I found a donor 03 with what I hoped was a good rear end and grabbed it lug nut to lug nut including disks and calipers for $300 plus another $100 for the rack and pinion and high pressure PS line because the PS on mine was just pushing fluid onto the driveway.
Pulled the old rear end out on Saturday and set the new one in place. I bolted everything up and torqued it up on Monday afternoon and took yesterday off to finish the job and give the diff RTV a chance to cure. I just used the rear brakes from the donor, bled them and cleaned them up a bit. No noise at all and brakes work fine.
The PS pump pulley was a real bear to get off and back on but the additional $48 for a new pulley motivated me. I let the penetrating oil do its work on the old pump and then put the pulley in the oven at 170 for an hour or so to get it onto the new pump. Tough and nerve wracking but it worked. I got a 1/2" PS filter but I think it's too small. I had to really work the pipe clamps to get it to tighten but it doesn't leak so it's good for now. I already had scratched it before test fitting it so I couldn't take it back. I was really surprised that the PS system took almost 1.5 quarts of ATF+4 but once it was topped off the groaning went away completely. It's stil leaking PS a little bit, like a drop an hour but I can work with that for now.
So here is where I am on a budget 4x4 daily driver:
3,500 truck
300 rear end
30 gear lube
120 PS Pump
14 ATF+4
30 PS filter
45 2004 rear seat with head rests
----------------------
$4,032 all in
I've got another $335 into the rack and pinion but that's not immediately necessary so I'm leaving it till it warms up a bit.
Next:
- 4-wheel brake job with rear caliper rebuild
- Engine oil swap to synthetic
- Trans fluid change
- Clean the front suspension to determine exactly where leak is
- Clean donor rack and pinion and get it ready for installation with new bushings and tie rod ends
The truck already has K&N CAI and Flowmaster dual exhaust. It's loud for my neighborhood but it will do for now.
I found a donor 03 with what I hoped was a good rear end and grabbed it lug nut to lug nut including disks and calipers for $300 plus another $100 for the rack and pinion and high pressure PS line because the PS on mine was just pushing fluid onto the driveway.
Pulled the old rear end out on Saturday and set the new one in place. I bolted everything up and torqued it up on Monday afternoon and took yesterday off to finish the job and give the diff RTV a chance to cure. I just used the rear brakes from the donor, bled them and cleaned them up a bit. No noise at all and brakes work fine.
The PS pump pulley was a real bear to get off and back on but the additional $48 for a new pulley motivated me. I let the penetrating oil do its work on the old pump and then put the pulley in the oven at 170 for an hour or so to get it onto the new pump. Tough and nerve wracking but it worked. I got a 1/2" PS filter but I think it's too small. I had to really work the pipe clamps to get it to tighten but it doesn't leak so it's good for now. I already had scratched it before test fitting it so I couldn't take it back. I was really surprised that the PS system took almost 1.5 quarts of ATF+4 but once it was topped off the groaning went away completely. It's stil leaking PS a little bit, like a drop an hour but I can work with that for now.
So here is where I am on a budget 4x4 daily driver:
3,500 truck
300 rear end
30 gear lube
120 PS Pump
14 ATF+4
30 PS filter
45 2004 rear seat with head rests
----------------------
$4,032 all in
I've got another $335 into the rack and pinion but that's not immediately necessary so I'm leaving it till it warms up a bit.
Next:
- 4-wheel brake job with rear caliper rebuild
- Engine oil swap to synthetic
- Trans fluid change
- Clean the front suspension to determine exactly where leak is
- Clean donor rack and pinion and get it ready for installation with new bushings and tie rod ends
The truck already has K&N CAI and Flowmaster dual exhaust. It's loud for my neighborhood but it will do for now.
