I talked to KHC, they’re helping out.
For now, I’m going ahead without the skid plate - which I never wanted in the first place, but it was part of the group buy deal.
I want to preface what I type with all of this is because I’m not using ideal tools or work conditions for the job. Although our current house technically has a garage, previous owner built it around his boxster, so it’s a 2 bike garage - 3 at best. So this is happening in my driveway.
Doing this install in the driveway s*cs b@lls. I wish I had a lift or had just paid a damn shop to do the install. I did anticipate problems, but not THIS many. I just keep tripping over stupid stuff.
Anyway, the over the diff cradle seemed solid, I could do pull ups from it and it wouldn’t budge, but, I could verify a gap between the diff and the cradle. So, I pulled it apart, pulled the skid off and reassembled without the skid plate.
I bent the rear brake (metal) lines. I got the torque arm mounted to use the jig, and couldn’t get the damn slip joint to move, not matter how hard I hit it with the largest available implement - a 3 pound hammer. Out it comes again. With a few whacks, it comes loose, I reassemble put back in place and secure the front mounting plate. I drill 1 hole and realize the only 3/8 bit I have - I have zero 7/16 bits, is shagged. I cajole the wife to go grab 2 7/16 bits, figuring I’ll shag another one. I get a 2nd hole drilled and call it for dinner.
Let me just say, even with the new drill bits, I have new respect for Ford’s truck frames.
after stuffing my face for about 15 minutes, I got back at it and made shorter work of the remaining 2 mounting holes. So now I need to fish the 2 mounting jigs in. F***’s sake. best guess here is to fish wire through the entire width of the frame, tape to the first nut plate and gently pull through the cross frame rail. What happens? the tape stays on the nut plate when it gets in place. So, I manage to get the tape off inserting a drill bit into the nut portion of the nut plate. lesson learned. I put bolts into the nuts - this is much harder than it looks.
2nd nut plate, less drama, almost as much time. probably half an hour for each of these. 2nd Nut plate has bad threads in the nut. You cannot make this stuff up. I thought it felt tough when I test fitted, but the bolt went in, so I figured ok - good enough. <-- I should have run the damn tap through it right then and there. I fought for 75 minutes trying to get the bolt in and it just wouldn’t go. I ended up having to use the tap anyway, only while the jig is in the truck frame!
I was all prepared to drop the drive shaft for this, but, it looked like I had clearance on both sides to drill the holes, and I did. Sweet, something went right.
Wouldn’t you know, 1 of the 4 holes drifted while I was drilling. again, I fought this for 20 or more minutes until I resigned to dremeling the hole. Quoting Maxwell Smart - Missed it by THAT much. got that resolved and the t/a is test mounted and that’s where I stopped.
Hopefully, I’ll finish up soon.
