I finally drug home my axle from my buddy's shop. He has been busy and I was very thankful just to have a place to store it. Friday was a long day, so didn't make it home till late.

I couldn't get my Malibu to stay running long enough to get it out of the carport. The battery died so I jumped it off my wife's suburban. Then I needed to park the Malibu where the Sub was, so I told her to drive it around the trees and park it, I even pointed exactly where. She drove the Sub all the way around facing my pickup. Since I had a trailer, she needed to back down to were I told her to stop in the first place. WHAM, she hit the tree so hard the rear tires were both off the ground. I am expecting to find the rear totalled, but no, only a mildly twisted bumper. Thank goodness for old iron.

I get my truck turned around in the back woods and get the axle unloaded off the trailer into the carport, but not without tripping/falling and hurting my back. Errrr.

I get the axle scrubbed down, and painted then call it a night. I wake up this morning and find this waiting for me.


Not to shabby, but it was cold when I painted so there were some runs. I fix that. I jacked my truck up, pulled the rear drums and head to Orielly's. I pickup new wheel cyls, shoes, hardware kit, rear brake hose, and have my drums turned. This should be everything I need. I grab some brake fluid, some paint and head home.

I start pulling out the old axle and get everything loose without a hitch. I get ready to break loose the U-bolts. No dice, not budging. So I cut them off with the grinder and call the parts house, no one has them in stock. Only one place can get them, Wednesday and they will be $70.

I decided to call summit racing, they will have them here Wednesday, $75 with the cast iron lift blocks.

So now I have an upset wife and a dismantled truck till at least Wednesday.

I did take the time to scuff down and clean up the rear of my frame and paint it semi-flat black. Looks good enough I think I am going to finish out the frame while I am waiting.

Oh yeah, I bought some Bilstien shocks off a guy in town that were only used on his truck for a month before he decided to install a lift kit. I didn't notice when I bought them they appear to be 4 front shocks, 2 thin and 2 thick. They are no where near right for the rear. So I had to go buy new shocks tonight as well.

I got to spend the day with my nephew though, you can see him in the picture. He is the original Mr. Clean and only 8 years old. By the end of the day, I had him covered in grease, black spray paint, and he didn't want to get cleaned up. He thought it was cool and wanted to go to church tomorrow and show his friends all his grease, LOL.

 

All the screwing around must have taken more of a toll on my bad back then I thought. I can hardly move my head today. I need to get things moved around, supposed to rain tomorrow.

 

He re-visited today. When I got my axle, it only had 4 bolts holding the cover on. Sure enough the bolts from the old axle are different then the new axle.

One more thing added to the order list.