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Shadetree Mechanic
Joined: Fri Oct 27th, 2017
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It looks like we left off with setting up the gears in the new-to-me rear axle. After getting the gears set, the new set20 axle bearings and seals got pressed onto the (chromoly
) axle shafts. 
After getting the axles into the carrier and the SOLID diff cover on, I ran the new brake lines. I used steel hard lines from the T fitting on the pumpkin out to just inside the spring perches, and then used stainless braided lines out to the calipers.
Before the axle could go under the truck, there was a lot of rust repair to do and new frame cross members to make.
Here's what was left of the factory rear cross member/spare tire carrier.
Picked up some steel for the cross members (2x2 and 2x3 1/8th inch wall).
New Upper shock mounts that had been sitting in my garage for several years.
Bed and rear and mid cross members removed.
The start of wire wheeling/cleaning the frame in preparation for paint
Cutting a piece of 2x3" for the rear most cross member
Test fitting
After getting the rear cross member situated, I got impatient and threw the rear axle under the truck.
Final welded the rear cross member, put a coat of POR15 on the rear 6" of the frame, and got the cross member bolted in.
Then I jumped around a little bit and started working on the front end. Dropped the skid plate and pulled the front axle. There was quite a bit of four wheeling left overs on the skid plate.
If you've never seen a D35 ring gear/carrier, its not very beefy...
New 4.56 gear set.
Housing cleaned and ready for gear set-up
Mid set-up
Final gear pattern
The cheater bars required to torque the pinion nut. Busted my knuckles too many times during this process
Front axle completed (minus diff cover) and ready to be shoe-horned back into the truck.
Then we (me, myself, and I) bounced back to rust repair. Mid cross member welded up and ready for install.
Then the old gas tank cross member was forcibly removed. It had quite a bit of cancer in it.
Cutting steel for the new gas tank cross member
Mocking things up
Here you can kinda see how the rear gas tank strap mounts (angle iron in the center and a horizontal tab on the right side).
Pretty welds
Ok, so at this point I was rushing quite a bit to get things buttoned up before the weather turned on me, so pictures were few and far between.
Here is the freshly painted frame (two coats of POR15), and all cross members installed.
After getting the rear end back together, I had some maintenance stuff to take of up front before taking it for a test drive. Had to replace a CV shaft, outer tie rod end, and the rod end bearings on the drivers side coilover.
Old bearing vs new
New bearing installed
Old bolts were looking a little worse for wear, so they were replaced with new grade 8 hardware.
Here she is back on the ground and ready for a test drive.
Bed back on and everything back together.
I'm really loving the new gear ratio. Overdrive is useful on the highway again! I'm still getting used to the harshness of the auto-locker when driving on pavement, but it was awesome wheeling the truck with the rear axle locked
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2002 XLT 4x4, 4.0l V6, Silver Frost Metalic, Superlifted and stuff