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OUR KAISER JEEP HAS VINTAGE GOOD LOOKS AND RICH MILITARY HISTORY, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA TAKE ON THE TRAIL IT'S GONNA NEED SOME MODERN PARTS. TODAY ON XTREME OFF ROAD WE'LL BOB THE BED, UPDATETHE SUSPENSION, AND DROP IN A HEMI. PLUS WE'LL SET UP OUR TIG WELDER FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE AND EXPLORE THE BENEFITS OF PULSE WELDING.WE'RE GONNA KICK THINGS OFF TODAY BY WORKING ON OUR PROJECT LOCKJAW, THE M-715 JEEP I PULLED OUT OF A LOCAL JUNKYARD. NOW I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT WHEN I GET A NEW RIG IN THE SHOP I JUST GET EXCITED BECAUSE THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO TEAR IT ALL APART.NOW THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS GOING TO BE TO BOB THE BED. THAT WILL IMPROVE THE DEPARTURE ANGLE OF THIS RIG WHEN IT'S OFF ROAD. IT WON'T HAVE THIS BIG LONG CHUNK OF FRAME HANGING OUT PAST THE AXLE CENTER LINE. NOW THERE'S TWO STEPS IN DOING THIS. FIRST I NEED TO CUT THE FRAME DOWN.NOW I KNOW THAT OUR NEW LEAF SPRING IS 27 INCHES LONG FROM THE CENTER OF THE EYELET TO THE CENTER PIN. SO I'M GONNA ADD A NEW REAR CROSS MEMBER JUST AHEAD OF THAT. PROBABLY RIGHT HERE AT THE TWO FOOT MARK. THAT WILL ALLOW ME TO MOUNT MY SWING SHACKLE OFF THE NEW BACK CROSS MEMBER UNDERNEATH THIS FRAME. THE BED, I'VE GOT SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT PLANNED. THE EASIEST WAY TO BOB THIS BED, BECAUSE IT'S PERFECTLY STRAIGHT, WOULD BE TO CUT IT OFF FLUSH WITH THE NEW REAR CROSS MEMBER. BUT I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. SEE I REALLY LIKE THE LOOK OF THE BACK CORNER OF THISBED WITH THIS MOUNTING HOOD, THE REFLECTOR, AND THIS SORTA BUILT OUT BOX PART. SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO INSTEAD IS BASICALLY CUT THIS FREE FROM THE BED, RELOCATE IT CLOSER TO THE NEW REAR FRAME SECTION.THAT WAY OUR BED WILL STILL LOOK LIKE AN ORIGINAL BED, IT'LL ONLY BE ABOUT 18 INCHES SHORTER. BEFORE I REMOVE THE FACTORY REAR AXLE ASSEMBLE, I'LL MARK THE LOCATION FOR THE NEW FRAME CROSS MEMBER. THEN CUT OUT THE FACTORY LEAF SPRING BRACKETS WITH THE TORCH.THE FRAME IS CUT USING A GRINDER WITH A CUTOFF WHEEL. A NEW CROSS MEMBER IS THEN BUILT USING SOME TWO BY THREE INCH QUARTER INCH WALL RECTANGULAR STEEL. AND THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME IS PIE CUT AND BENT TO MEET THE NEW CROSS MEMBER.TO RELOCATE THE REAR BOX SECTION ON THE BED, THE FIRST STEP IS TO CUT IT APART FROM THE BED AND SEPARATE IT FROM THE BED FLOOR.THE SIDE OF THE BED IS THEN TRIMMED SHORTER AND THE REAR CORNER FIT INTO PLACE. SOME GRINDING ON EACH OF THE CUTS WILL HELP LINE UP THE NEW BODY SEAMS. A HOLE IS CUT IN THE BED SIDE SO THE FACTORY HOLD DOWN CAN BE ACCESSED, AND HOLES ARE DRILLED IN THE SIDE OF THE BED FOR SOME PLUG WELDS. THE QUARTER IS FIT IN PLACE AND FULLY WELDED. ALL THAT'S LEFT TO DO IS TO TRIM THE LEFTOVER BED FLOOR FREE AND I NOW HAVE A SHORT BED JEEP M-715.NOW THERE'S NO BODY MODIFICATIONS PLANNED FOR THE FRONT OF THIS TRUCK. I KINDA LIKE THE LOOK OF IT. ALL I REALLY WILL DO IS BUILD A GRILL TO FILL IN THIS OPENING IN THE FRONT OF THE RIG CAUSE THESE TRUCKS DID NOT COME FROM THE FACTORY WITH ANY TYPE OF COSMETIC GRILL ON THERE. I DO WANT TO COMPLETELY REMOVE ALL THE FRONT SHEET METAL TO MAKE REBUILDING THE FRONT SUSPENSION THAT MUCH EASIER.DON'T DENT IT!UP NEXT, A HIGH PERFORMANCE LEAF SPRING SETUP GETS OUR SUSPENSION UP TO DATE WITHOUT SACRIFICING THAT CLASSIC JEEP STYLE. PLUS WE'LL ADD FIVE POINT SEVEN LITERS OF PURE POWER.WE ARE BACK ON XTREME OFF ROAD WORKING ON OUR JEEP M-715 FULL SIZE JEEP PICK UP. THE NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS WILL BE THE SUSPENSION, AND I WANT TO START OUT WITH A BARE FRAME RAIL. SO AFTER SOME CUTTING, THE STOCK FRONT AXLE IS SLID OUT OF THE WAY. THE PLAN FOR THIS PROJECT IS TO KEEP THE ORIGINAL STYLE OF OUR M-715. KEEP IT LOOKING LIKE AN OLD TRUCK BUT UPDATE EVERY PART OF THE DRIVETRAIN. NOW WHEN IT COMES TO SUSPENSION THAT'S A LITTLE BIT TRICKY. IF I WANTED TO BUILD A REALLY WELL PERFORMING OFF ROAD RIG, I'D LINK IT FRONT AND REAR AND STUFF A SET OF COIL OVERS IN THERE. BUT THAT'S NOT GONNA LOOK RIGHT FOR THIS TRUCK. WHAT IS GONNA LOOK RIGHT IS LEAF SPRINGS ALL THE WAY AROUND. SO I WENT AHEAD AND GOT A COMPLETE SUSPENSION SYSTEM FROM BDS SUSPENSION.NOW THESE ARE LEAVES FRONT AND REAR FOR A CHEVROLET SUBURBAN TRUCK, '73 TO '87, CAUSE THOSE TRUCKS HAD LEAF SPRINGS ON ALL FOUR CORNERS. EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE STILL LEAF SPRINGS, THEY'RE GONNA FLEX A LOT BETTER THAN OUR FACTORY KAISER SPRINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE DESIGNED TO GIVE A NICE, SOFT RIDE TO A LIFTED TRUCK. AT THE SAME TIME I HAD THEM SEND ME A SET OF MATCHING FOX TWO POINT ZERO SERIES SHOCKS.THE BEST KEY TO MAKING A LEAF SPRING SUSPENSION WORK WELL IS TO UPGRADE THE SHOCKS, AND BDS AND FOX WORK VERY WELL TOGETHER TO INSURE THAT THE SHOCKS MATCH THE LEAF SPRINGS IN THE SYSTEM. NOW THESE AREN'T OBVIOUSLY JUST GONNA BOLT INTO OUR JEEP. I HAD TO GET SOME BUILDER KIT PARTS. SO I CALLED UP RUSTY'S OFF ROAD AND HAD THEM SEND ME A SET OF UNIVERSAL BRACKETS FOR ALL THE LEAF SPRINGS BOTH FRONT AND REAR, AND NOW ALL I HAVE TO DO IS BUILD A WHOLE NEW SUSPENSION SYSTEM. TO START OUR CUSTOM SUSPENSION BUILD I'LL NEED A NEW FRONT AXLE. AND THIS JUNKYARD 2003 FORD F-250 HIGH PINION DANA 60 IS PERFECT. IN '03 THE SUPER DUTY TRUCKS STILL HAD LEAF SPRINGS UNDERNEATH THEM. SO A PERCH IS CAST INTO THE HOUSING. AND WITH IT PLACED ON SOME JACK STANDS UNDERNEATH THE FRAME, THE NEW BDS LEAF SPRINGS AREDROPPED INTO PLACE. THIS IS WHERE BUILDING A CUSTOM SUSPENSION SYSTEM USING LEAF SPRINGS GETS A LITTLE BIT TRICKY. YOUR HANDS ARE KINDA TIED ON THE LOCATION OF THE ACTUAL SPRING. I CAN'T MOVE THE LEAF CLOSER TO THE AXLE CENTER LINE TO GET THE MOUNT DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE FRAME RAIL BECAUSE IF I MOVE THIS SPRING I HAVE TO MOVE THE OTHER SIDE SPRING, AND THE DIFFERENTIAL IS IN THE WAY. SO TO MOUNT THESE SPRINGS I'M GONNA HAVE TO PERFORM WHAT'S CALLED OUTBOARDING OF THE SPRING MOUNTS. BASICALLY MAKING ALL THE MOUNTS FOR THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE SPRING AND JUST MOUNTING THEM TO THEOUTSIDE EDGE OF THE FRAME RAIL INSTEAD OF DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH IT. THE NICE THING IS THAT'LL HELP ME FINE TUNE THE RIDE HEIGHT BECAUSE I CAN MOVE THOSE SPRING MOUNTS UP AND DOWN A COUPLE INCHES JUST TO GET EVERYTHING SITTINGEXACTLY WHERE I WANT IT. NOW ANOTHER ITEM THAT COMES INTO PLAY RIGHT NOWIS GOING TO BE OUR SHOCK MOUNT. WE UNBOLTED THE FACTORY MOUNT AND I HAVE THOSE NICE FOX SHOCKS TO INSTALL. SO I HAD RUSTY'S OFF ROAD SEND ME THESE INBOARD SHOCK MOUNT KITS. NOW THIS IS USUALLY USED ON A JEEP TJ, WHEN YOU WANT TO MOVE THE SHOCKS FURTHER INTO THE FRAME RAIL TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ARTICULATION. BUT IT'LL WORK PERFECT IN THIS APPLICATION. I'LL JUST NOTCH IT TO SIT RIGHT ON TOP OF THIS FRAME RAIL, WELD IT INTO PLACE, ADD A COUPLE OF TABS ONTOOUR SHOCK TUBE, AND WE WILL HAVE A MOUNT FOR OUR FRONT SHOCK. I'LL START BY REMOVING THE STEERING BOX FROM THE FRONT OF THE FRAME. THEN TRIM THE FRAME FLUSH WITH THE FACTORY CROSS MEMBER. A PIECE OF TWO BY THREE RECTANGULAR STEEL IS ATTACHED TO THE FRONT OF THE FRAME, CHECKED FORLEVEL, AND TACKED INTO PLACE. THE NEW LEAF SPRING IS SET INTO PLACE AND A HOLE IS DRILLED INTO THE FRAME TO ACCESS THE UPPER SWING SHACKLE MOUNT. USING A CARDBOARD TEMPLATE AS A GUIDE, A GUSSET IS CUT AND TACKED ONTO THE FRAME.ONCE THE SWING SHACKLE IS ASSEMBLED, A SECOND GUSSET IS ADDED FOR STRENGTH.UP NEXT, HOW TO DIAL IN YOUR TIG WELDER TO CREATE CLEAN, STRONG WELDING JOINTS. PLUS A FRESH DRIVETRAIN TO POWER THIS BEAST UP THE HILL.NOW SHOP TIPS FOR STRONGER, SAFER WELDS.TODAY FOR OUR TIG WELDING SEGMENT WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE ARC THAT'S CREATED BY THE TIG WELDER. THERE'S A LOT OF ADJUSTMENTS ON A HIGH END TIG MACHINE LIKE WE HAVE HERE. AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THOSE ADJUSTMENTS EFFECT THE ARC WILL JUST MAKE YOU A MORE PROFICIENT WELDER. IN THE WORLD OF OFF ROAD FABRICATION THERE'S REALLY ONLY TWO CURRENT SET UPS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH.THE FIRST IS A/C OR ALTERNATING CURRENT, AND THE SECOND IS D/C OR DIRECT CURRENT STRAIGHT POLARITY. NOW WITH D/C STRAIGHT, THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO BE WELDING YOUR CARBON BASED STEELS. THINGS LIKE MILD STEEL TUBING, DOM, CHROMOLY, EVEN YOUR STAINLESS STEELS. D/C STRAIGHT WORKS JUST LIKE THE BATTERY IN YOUR CAR. POWER LEAVES THE WELDER, THE CURRENT TRAVELS OUT TO THE WORK PIECE. IT JUMPS THE GAP, CREATES THE ARC THAT CAUSE THE MOLTEN PUDDLE FOR YOU TO WELD. AND THEN RETURNS BACK TO THE MACHINE ALL IN ONE STRAIGHT LINE. THERE ARE SOME TIG WELDERS THAT YOU CAN SET UP IN D/C REVERSE POLARITY BUT YOU WILL HONESTLY NEVER NEED THAT FOR ANY TYPE OF OFF ROAD FABRICATION. WHEN THE MACHINE RUNS IN D/C REVERSE, IT ACTUALLY CREATES A HOTTER ARC RIGHT AT THE WORK PIECE, AND CANCREATE WHAT'S CALLED A CLEANING ARC. NOW THAT CLEANING ARC COMES INTO PLAY WHEN WE'RE WORKING IN A/C VOLTAGE. A/C, OR ALTERNATING CURRENT, TRAVELS EXACTLY AS THE NAME IMPLIES. IT ALTERNATES BETWEEN THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SIDE OF THE CURRENT LINE. SO IF YOU HAD YOUR TIG WELDER SET TO WELD AT 90 AMPS, THAT MEANS AS THE CURRENT FLOWS IT'S GONNA RAMP UP TO 90 POSITIVE, FALL DOWN TO NEGATIVE 90 AMPS, AND RETURN TO ZERO. THE ONLY TIME THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE DOING ANY WELDING IS AT THE TWO PEAKS OF THAT NUMBER. THIS WAVE IS CALLED AN A/C SIGN WAVE, AND IT HAPPENS 60 TIMES A SECOND, OR 60 HERTZ. NOW WHAT WE'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN HERE IS THE TIME THAT THE WAY IS UNDERNEATH IN THE NEGATIVE SIDE, BECAUSE THAT IS WHEN WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE CLEANING THE MATERIAL THAT WE'RE WELDING. THAT IS WHY A/C WELDING IS USED FOR ALUMINUM. ALUMINUM AND OTHER ALLOYS CREATE AN OXIDE LAYER ON THEM DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. NOW WE NEED TO BURN THROUGH THAT LAYER BEFORE WE CAN BEING TO WELD. BY ALTERNATING THE CURRENT, WE CAN ACTUALLY USE THE WELDING ARC IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS. FIRST WHEN WE STRIKE THE WELD AND WE'RE ON THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THE CURVE, THE CURRENT IS FLOWING AND WE BEGIN WELDING. THEN IT FLIPS AND WE REVERSE THE CURRENT AND WE'RE ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF THE CURVE. WHEN WE'RE ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF THE CURVE THE HEATACTUALLY GOES UP AND WE CREATE A CLEANING ARC, AND THAT IS WHAT BURNS THROUGH THAT OXIDE LAYER. THEN WE FLIP BACK TO THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THE CURVE AND WE BEGIN WELDING, AND THEN BACK TO THE NEGATIVE SIDE TO CLEAN AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, THIS IS HAPPENING 60 TIMES A SECOND. YOU CAN'T SEE THE CHANGE, YOU CAN HEAR IT THOUGH. AND THAT'S WHY ALUMINUM WELDING SOUNDS DIFFERENT THAN STEEL WELDING. ALSO WHEN YOU FLIP THAT CURRENT AND THE HEAT GOES UP, YOU ACTUALLY CAN CAUSE THE TUNGSTEN TO BECOME BALLED, AND YOU WANT THIS TO HAPPEN. THAT IS WHY YOU RUN A A BALLED TUNGSTEN WHEN YOU'RE WELDING ALUMINUM. THE NEXT SETTING WE NEED TO LOOK AT IS THE ARC PULSER. NOW NOT ALL TIG MACHINES COME EQUIPPED WITH PULSE TECHNOLOGY, BUT IT'S WELL WORTH INVESTING IN A TIG WELDER THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO PULSE THE ARC. IT IS MONEY WELL SPENT. WHAT AN ARC PULSER BASICALLY DOES IS IT'S GONNA TAKE OUR D/C STRAIGHT WELDING CURRENT AND TREAT IT SIMILAR TO A/C. IT'S GONNA CREATE A WAVE, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA DIP INTO THE NEGATIVE. SO THE DIRECTION OF THE CURRENT WILL NOT CHANGE. YOU ENGAGE THE PULSER SIMPLY BY TURNING A BUTTON ON ON THE MACHINE. AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT ALLOWS US TO CHOOSE THE HERTZ, OR PULSES PER SECOND, THAT WILL PULSE THE ARC. IN THIS CASE I HAVE IT SET TO FOUR. NOW ON THE DYNASTY I CAN TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER AND TAKE THE PERCENTAGE OF TIME THAT THE MACHINE WILL OPERATE AT ITS PEAK VOLTAGE AND A PERCENTAGE OF THE TIME THAT THE MACHINE WILL OPERATE ITS BACKGROUND VOLTAGE. BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE PULSING THE ARC. WE'RE GONNA HAVE FULL VOLTAGE AND THEN A LITTLE BIT OF VOLTAGE, FULL VOLTAGE AND THEN A LITTLE BIT OF VOLTAGE, AND THAT WILL GIVE US INFINITE CONTROL OVER OUR WELDING ARC.WHEN PULSE IS ENGAGED, YOU WILL SEE ANDHEAR THE ARC FLUCTUATE. RIGHT NOW I HAVE THE MACHINE SET TO 100 AMPS WITH THE PULSE CYCLING AT FOUR HERTZ, FOUR TIMES A SECOND. THE ARC RAMPS UP TO 100 FOR 75 PERCENT OF TIME AND THEN FALLS BACK TO 25 AMPS AND THEN BACK UP TO 100. THIS WILL LIMIT THE HEAT INPUT INTO THE MATERIAL, IDEAL WHEN WORKING WITH THINNER MATERIAL OR SOMETHING THAT'S EFFECTED BY HIGH HEAT LIKE CHROMOLY TUBING. A SIDE BENEFIT TO HAVING THE PULSER ENGAGED IS IT PUTS A BEAT INTO YOUR HEAD WHILE YOU WELD. AND THAT RHYTHM WILL JUST INSURE THAT YOU HAVE A NICE, EVEN TRAVEL SPEED WHILE YOU WELD BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO REMEMBER, TIG WELDING'S KINDA LIKE A DANCE. YOU'VE GOT THE TORCH IN ONE HAND, FILLER ROD IN ANOTHER, AND YOUR FOOT CONTROLLINGTHE AMPERAGE CONTROL. ANYTHING TO JUST HELP YOU SUBCONSCIOUSLY SMOOTH OUTTHAT WELD WILL GIVE YOU GOOD APPEARING, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY STRONG WELDS.UP NEXT, A POWERFUL NEW DRIVETRAINAND HEAVY DUTY SHOCKS.WE'RE BACK ON XTREME OFF ROAD REMOVING THE UNDERPOWERED TORNADO ENGINE IN OUR KAISER JEEP, MAKING ROOM FOR A FIVE POINT SEVEN HEMI. TO GET OUR HEMI IN BETWEEN THE FRAME RAILS OF OUR JEEP I NEED A MOTOR MOUNT KIT. AND I GOT A UNIVERSAL SETUP FROM ADVANCED ADAPTERS.NOW NORMALLY WHEN WE'RE INSTALLING PARTS FROM ADVANCED ADAPTERS WE'RE INSTALLING ATLAS TWO TRANSFER CASES OR OTHER DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS, BUT AA ACTUALLY GOT THEIR START IN THE AUTOMOTIVEAFTERMARKET SPECIALIZING IN DRIVETRAIN SWAPS INTO A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT VEHICLES. THEY HAVE PILES OF MOUNTING OPTIONS OUT THERE. THIS IS THEIR UNIVERSAL HEMI KIT. IT COMES WITH NEW ENGINE SIDE BRACKET WITH MULTIPLE MOUNTING HOLES IN IT AS WELL AS A FRAME SIDE BRACKET THAT WE WELD ONTO THE PROJECT. IT COMES WITH ALL THE HARDWARE AND RUBBER ISOLATORS. AND THE NICE THING IS IS WE CAN FINE TUNE THE POSITION OF THE HEMI IN THE JEEP THANKS TO ALL THE DIFFERENT MOUNTING OPTIONS ON THE BRACKET.JUST LIKE WHEN BUILDING THE SUSPENSION, TO INSTALLOUR NEW ENGINE MOUNTS I NEED TO START WITH A CLEAN FRAME RAIL. SO ALL THE FACTORY MOUNTS NEED TO BE REMOVED AND THE FRAME GROUND SMOOTH. THE ENGINE SIDE OF THE MOUNT IS THEN INSTALLED ONTO THE HEMI, AND THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSIONARE LOWERED INTO PLACE. THE ISOLATORS AND FRAME SIDE MOUNTS ARE BOLTED ONTO THE ENGINE, AND A JACK STAND IS PLACED UNDER THE BACK OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE ENGINE IS THE SQUARED IN THE CHASSIS AND THE MOUNTS ARE TACKED INTO PLACE. THIS CLASSIC MILITARY TRUCK, NOW IT'S GOT A HEMI IN IT. I'M SURE SOME OF YOU ARE WONDERING, SINCE I PULLEDTHE FRONT CLIP OFF THIS TRUCK AND REMOVED THE BED, WHY DIDN'T I JUST GO AHEAD AND PULL THE CAB OFF THE FRAME TO MAKE BUILDING THE SUSPENSION AND INSTALLING THE DRIVETRAIN A LOT EASIER? I MEAN IT'S GONNA HAVE TO COME OFF ANYWAY TO REPLACE THE ROTTEN FLOOR BOARDS. BUT YOU SEE, THIS IS NOT MY FIRST RODEO. I KNEW THAT I NEEDED THE CAB IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THE DRIVETRAIN WAS IN THE RIGHT POSITION. WITHOUT THE CAB I WOULDN'T KNOW IF THE TOP OF THE MOTOR WOULD CLEAR THE HOOD, WHICH IT WILL. IT'S LOWER ENOUGH FOR HOOD CLEARANCE BUT NOT SO LOW THAT IT'S INTO THE FRONT AXLE. I ALSO NEED TO KNOW THE LOCATION OF THE FIREWALL, AND THE MOTOR'S PUSHED UP AGAINST IT BUT NOT TOO TIGHT. JUST ENOUGH FOR A RADIATOR UP FRONT. NONE OF THIS STUFF WOULD BE ABLE TO BE CHECKED WITHOUT THE CAB ON THE TRUCK, AND THAT'S WHATSOMETIMES HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING A VEHICLE LIKE THIS, PUTTING IN DIFFERENT DRIVETRAINS INTO FRAMES THAT THEY WEREN'T DESIGNED FOR. A SIMILAR THING HAPPENED WITH SOME CUSTOM FAB. I COULDN'T INSTALL THESE SHOCK MOUNTS ONTO THE FRAME WITHOUT THE MOTOR IN PLACE CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY WERE GONNA CONTACT THE ENGINE OR THE EXHAUST. NOW THAT THE ENGINE'S IN HERE, I CAN GO AHEAD AND FINISH UP THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE FRONT SHOCK TOWERS ARE MARKED AND TRIMMEDTO FIT THE FRAME RAIL. A TOWER IS THEN TACKED INTO PLACE. ON THE AXLE A SET OF SIMPLE SHOCK TABS ARE WELDED TO THE TUBE AND THE SHOCK IS INSTALLED. AND WITH THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE CUSTOM FAB WE NEED TO DO TO THE FRAME OF THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETE. WE NOW HAVE NEW SUSPENSION BOTH FRONT AND REAR, AND OUR MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION ARE IN BETWEEN THE FRAME RAILS. I DO STILL NEED TO BUILD A TRANSMISSION CROSS MEMBERBUT I'M GONNA WAIT UNTIL I HAVE THE TRANSFER CASE INSTALLED, AND THAT WILL REQUIRE ME NOW PULLING THE CAB OFF OF THE FRAME. SO THAT'S WHEN I'LL FIX THE FLOORBOARDS. BUT SO FAR I LOVE THIS TRUCK!