Jeff tries to make a hot rod out of a farm truck. '92 Mighty Max

[ChargerX3]

Might as well ride out the dash for now. Keep an eye out for one in good condition. They seem to pop up quite often.

Good luck on the seats. Sounds like just about anything is an upgrade. I too am getting the itch to get rid of the bench. Really want to score a dodge center console.

[Jeff V.]

I think I'm just going to drop in one from an Acura Integra. Hopefully it'll work with the dual shifters on the 4WD.

[ChargerX3]

Hmmm. That doesn't look bad. Almost looks like it fits.

[Jeff V.]

I hate drum brakes. I really, really hate them. They're a gigantic pain to work on. I think the disc brake conversion is going to be the first thing I do once the Stealth is done.

Anyway, I only got as far as getting the left drum off. It was a mistake to only buy shoes. I think the wheel cylinder is partially seized, so I'm just going to replace them both. This should explain some of the poor brake feel though.



The front brakes look to be in good condition. I could get by without doing the pads, but I've already got it torn apart and they were cheap. Might as well.

I also found out why the speedometer doesn't work. The drive stud that fits into the tail housing of the transfer case is snapped off inside the cable. I can get a new one off eBay for $20 shipped.

I pulled a few more random trim pieces off the gold truck, and got a set of 97 Rodeo seats. They're not a direct bolt in, but they shouldn't need much tweaking at all.

Now that it's jacked up, I was able to get all the way under it and really look around. It's still good news. It's filthy and there's a lot of stuff that's worn, but this thing really has a solid structure and mechanicals. I'm pretty optimistic about it.

It looks like the ABS was deleted. Not that I care. I'll pull the computer out when I go through the harness in a month or two.

[ChargerX3]

Good timing on those rear pads. Those could have been a nightmare. Not sure why they would even bother with ABS on these trucks. Heck my 98 Cherokee Limited didn't have it and that thing is glorious.

I'll let you know how the SR rears go in the upcoming weeks.

[Jeff V.]

I'll get some diagrams and part numbers up eventually, but at a glance the rear caliper brackets and discs interchange with both the full size and sport Monteros. There's some difference between the calipers themselves, but I don't know for sure what that is. I think the full size caliper is a bit bigger. More swept area for the pad maybe?

[ChargerX3]

You are probably right. Install those seats?

[Jeff V.]

No. I had some unexpected family time pop up. When I got back, I spent the rest of the night fighting with removing lug nuts that don't fit the wheels correctly, and then hammering that drum off. The passenger side drum is still in place.

I may screw around with the seats later in the week.

[ChargerX3]

Oh fun. I think your wheels are starting to grow on me. Bet the look tons better after the spray down.

[Jeff V.]

I'll trade you for the Montero rims. I hate them They look like they came off a mid-80s S10.

I'm going to have to buy a full set of smaller lug nuts. Most of them are 13/16 hex. My 13/16 (and 21mm) sockets are just a hair to big to fit into the bore on the wheel itself. I can get a set of 24 19mm hex lugs off eBay for $15, so hopefully that'll fix my problem.

I'm also wondering if that's why the seller said it needed front end work. All of the steering linkages are relatively solid. I'm wondering if the wheels aren't hub centric. I'm going to see about getting centering lugs. Just gotta measure the lug bore on the wheels.

[Chris GTO TT]

I've discovered my craftsman impact sockets are too thick walled to fit into the lug recess on many wheels but my Pittsburgh, Harbor Freight, ones have no issues. I picked up a 19mm and 21mm Pittsburgh ones just for wheel use and then use my Craftsmen ones for everything else.

[Jeff V.]

I'm not even using impact sockets. These are regular chrome hand tool sockets.

[Chris GTO TT]

Oh, so much for my idea lol

[ChargerX3]

That will be funny if the "bad front end" is attributed to not having hub centric wheels installed. That would be a real quick fix. Lol!

[Jeff V.]

I was working late tonight, so I didn't get as much done as I wanted.

The passenger drum popped right off. Once I broke it loose with the bolts, it slid right off. Sadly, the time saved would be sucked up on the passenger front caliper. It came apart easily enough, but the piston just would not compress back into the caliper body. After a lot of grunting, I finally convinced it with my big ass C-clamp and a whole lot of leverage.

Hopefully the brakes will be done tomorrow. The rear wheel cylinders are on order. So is the new speedometer cable. The exhaust bolts are soaking in PB Blaster in preparation for replacing the flex section in the downpipe.

After that, I needed some low impact work. I pulled the ECU out to inspect it. That was a pain because the connectors just would not slide out. It's been rebuilt, but looks to be in good shape.

So then I decided to tackle the horrible purple window tint, starting on the driver's door.

This picture is after the tint was peeled off, but while it still had the adhesive as well as the thick layer of grime on the outside.



First was a ton of citrus Goo Gone, followed by a razor scraper. Then more Goo Gone. Next was Simple Green on both sides. The final pass was some AutoLite glass cleaner I had laying around.

The difference is even more drastic in person.



The windshield has some pretty dense scuzz inside and out. I also need to do the same work on the passenger's door, and the rear window. I'll swap out the Goo Gone for mineral spirits next time. That should speed it up a bit.

By the way, the wheels seem to be from American Racing. I'm going to order a set of centering lugs from eBay.

[Jeff V.]

Bingo. American Racing AR-08 Sawblades.

Looks like they can be made to clean up nice. I still think I'd prefer the 15" Montero wheels like Steve has.

[vr4]

You "convinced" the piston to compress? Just replace the damn calipers. If you had to work that hard to compress it it's going to stick and cost you more in the long run by wiping out the pads and rotors.

[Jeff V.]

This is temporary just to get it past the safety inspection. I'm going to grab a set of Montero brakes next time one pops up at the yard.

Otherwise, yes...I'd have replaced the caliper.

[Jeff V.]

For the record, it was just the last 1/4" that it gave me trouble. It compressed a half inch before that without problems.

Regardless, the Montero brake swap is the first thing I'm going to do once I can start that actual project phase.

[Monochrome]

Want anything powder coated? My time at this job is running out.