got another couple of good days at this again last week...im glad to say the list of remaining jobs keeps getting smaller!!
got the axle fitted after getting a lick of paint, and got the brakes built up...
i was delighted and thankfull to have got a couple of donations of nos genuine ford brake parts from mates who saved them from the skip of main dealers that were closing down in the past.
theres great satisfaction in fitting genuine parts to a project, so seeing as i had new genuine brake cylinders and shoes, i treated her to a pair of new drums and handbrake cables also, which came very reasonably on ebay!
i got the air suspension plumbing finished and tested once the axle and bags went in permantely..
the air bag kit came with just a simple air line tyre valve and gauge on the feed pipe which i didnt use as ive a onboard compressor fitted along with switches on the dash to control the setup...
but i decided to put it to use it as an emergency measure and teed it into the outlet feed to the bags,.....so i mounted it in the side box also, so the bags could be pumped up or deflated with an airline if the compressor ever packs up or anything else goes wrong on the road!
also got the rear mudguards fitted that i had kept from the same breaker that the exhaust system came off...i had already welded mounting bars onto the body before it was dipped but still had to finalise the height they would be fitted at to allow for suspension travel..
still have to fit a pair of rubber mudflaps to them......
for the ramp tray, instead of fitting aluminum chequer plate or the likes, i used a bit of 12mm recycled plastic sheeting.....should be less noise and rattling from the ramps sitting on that hopefully...
last bit of progress i made was making a start on sheeting the body...there were several layers of crappy paint on the aluminum chequer plate that came on the body...only simple way to get it off was a good coat of paint stripper left for a couple of hours and the cup wire brush in the angle grinder...a slow job but worth doing as the bed will look a bit fresher, and i didnt fancy forking out a few hundred quid for new sheeting!!
got the first section in place and the winch bolted down for good....getting ever so close now!!
till next time!!