rang-a-stang's summer project/build

[78 WIDETRAC]

Rang. On the very first page of this build you have the front clip off. Are those rock laurence SSR brackets on the frame mounting the front springs?

[rang-a-stang]

Rang. On the very first page of this build you have the front clip off. Are those rock laurence SSR brackets on the frame mounting the front springs?

Indeed! I love them. I added my own structure in between and the tow hitch.

[bkilby]

You know, after looking at his FSSR again, I think my rig can use that mod. I had to put longer shackles in the front to help raise it but I don't like the way it handles. It can stand to go higher too. For $200, it'll be worth it until it goes coilovers. Lol.

[rang-a-stang]

$200 + $150 for a driveshaft and $30 for brake lines.

[bkilby]

I already have the brake lines installed. Shocks too. Front DS is custom, might work. If not, I'll get it resized. I've done shackle reversals on CJs and YJ's before. I could make my own brackets if I had more time too.

[rang-a-stang]

Passenger door: Check!

Put new gaskets on the door handles and key hole on my passenger door, then installed the door and alinged it. I also bought some of cheap amazon sound deadener (This stuff) and installed that.
Here are the door lock tumblers with the gaskets installed.


Then I put the window channel in, then the window, then the scrapers. Then I adjusted the window so it went up and down square.
Next up I made a moisture barrier out of 3.5 mil plastic sheeting. I tried to match the pattern that the factory had.

Earlier this week I took my door cards and vinyls to the interior shop that did my seat cover and they wrapped the vinyls around the door cards. They came out AWESOME! I had to drill the holes to install the chrome trim. From the factory, all 4 chrome pieces were in different spots so I took my sweet time drilling the holes. First I put a piece of tape down, then measured and marked. When I went to drill the holes, I heated my drill bit with my MAP torch because I didn't want to tear the vinyl as it went through.


On the driver side where the mirror control bezel is, I could not re-use the little metal plate. The ABS is too thick. I feel comfortable just using the speed nuts though because the ABS is so much more firm.

Hung the door card on the door and aligned it. Then took it off, put Velcro down either side of the door to keep the sides stuck on, and reinstalled the door card.

Then I installed everything and ended up with this:

When it closes it's nice solid "THUCK" rather than the old "BLackakak". Super stoked. I am not sure what I am going to do about speakers yet so that hole is going to stay like that. I can't install my old speaker covers but the black hole does not bug me that much, really. Passenger door, done!

Then I moved on to the driver side Vent window. Full Size Jeeper sent me some of his left over rivets from doing his door channels (THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH DARIN).

First I trimmed the heads off the stock rivets using a dremel with a cuttoff wheel and dissembled everything. Uneventful. Then I started fitting stuff up. I decided to do the brackets at the bottom of the channel to try out my rivet smashing process before moving on to the vent window.

Here's what worked for me. First I found an old bolt in my magic bolt box that just fit inside the channel. I put that in a vice:

Then I put the rivets through the holes they would reside in and the supported the whole assembly on that bolt (The rivet head was on the bolt). My grandfather was a machinist and I have a few of his old tools so I poked around in those and found a manual rivet setter in his stash that worked perfect!

I would set both rivets with the driver, then pound them flat with a ball peen hammer.

Worked great on the 2 lower brackets.

Then on to the vent window. I bent the upper bracket out and riveted the top on just like Full Size Jeeper did in his build. Then I bent the bracket back into shape and realized I forgot to install the chrome strip. DANG IT!
Ground off the 2 rivets I just set and started on the window again. This time I put the chrome strip on, riveted the top, moved to the bottom and riveted it on, and I start feeling some victory....but I can't get the seals back in. Then I realize I put the chrome strip on upside down.
I asked for 9 rivets from Full Size Jeeper, and he sent me ~16. So at this point, I am looking at my pile of rivets and I have 3 left. But I have to fix this. So I grind the 4 rivets off AGAIN, flip the chrome strip, and rivet it all back down but I was one rivet short. I started cleaning up my mess for the day to come in and as I picked up some tools, there was one more rivet sitting there! YYEESSSsssss.... Installed the rivet, installed the seals, installed the vent window back in the door, and cleaned up for the night. Hopefully I can finish my driver door tomorrow after work.

[FleetFox]

Oh we have all been here.... Sometimes I have to go sit in the quiet place... Watching you closely here. These vent windows are coming up on my list/

Fleet Fox

[Full Size Jeeper]

I sent you 18 rivets! No telling what happened to the other 2. Did you eat them? LOL!!! Glad you got it knocked out!

[rws31]

Major PITA.

Major accomplishment though. Nice work. Love that nice sound of a newly rebuilt door closing.

[63J200atLSU]

DUDE!

Those came out great. "Little" things like thunking doors will make you smile every time you get in the truck. Actually reminds me I need to do a little work on my driver door alignment...

Glad to see you got your vent windows all back together, yet another part of my job I need to work on a little more...

[SOLSAKS]

great work rang
coming along nicely.

dave in NC

[rang-a-stang]

Driver door done! No drama:

[rws31]

Now I'm jealous. I don't got no door panels.

What did you use for the vapor barrier?

Do you have the speaker grill covers still? Or you just going to wait till later to worry about speakers and covers.

[63J200atLSU]

Driver door done! No drama:

Holy shnikes, man. That's lookin awesome. I'm so pumped for your progress, my guy.

[rang-a-stang]

Oh we have all been here.... Sometimes I have to go sit in the quiet place... Watching you closely here. These vent windows are coming up on my list

If you have the correct rivets, they are not hard, just time consuming. I would not be afraid to do them again.

I sent you 18 rivets! No telling what happened to the other 2. Did you eat them? LOL!!! Glad you got it knocked out!

Wow! They went fast! I super appreciate it. you save me a few days wait time if I would have ordered them.

Major PITA.
Major accomplishment though. Nice work. Love that nice sound of a newly rebuilt door closing.

It is really nice to not hear my window flop around anymore. SOOoooooo worth the effort/heartache!!

Those came out great. "Little" things like thunking doors will make you smile every time you get in the truck. Actually reminds me I need to do a little work on my driver door alignment...
Glad to see you got your vent windows all back together, yet another part of my job I need to work on a little more...

Holy shnikes, man. That's lookin awesome. I'm so pumped for your progress, my guy.

Thank's Greg! the Driver Door thunk is even cleaner sounding than the passenger side.

great work rang
coming along nicely.

Thank you, Dave! I needed some win like this. My interior actually looks pretty nice these days (other than the roof).

Now I'm jealous. I don't got no door panels.
What did you use for the vapor barrier?
Do you have the speaker grill covers still? Or you just going to wait till later to worry about speakers and covers.

That's OK, I got nothing on my tailgate so we are even!!
I used this:

I have TOOOooooonnns left over. PM me and I'll send you some.
I used this tape. I got it from work and it's really thick and really sticky.

I have the speaker grills but I can't attach them to the panels because they snapped onto the speaker frame. My son is going to want a stereo pretty soon so they'll get patched soon enough.