Truck dis-assembly

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Uncle Skip
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Truck dis-assembly

Post by Uncle Skip »

I think I've covered everything.
At least I hope so.
It's not rocket science, its only brain surgery.
U@ss

A general guide to Slick truck body removal.
What it takes:
1. Patience. Take your time and have patience.
2. Before you start your project, I suggest building a body and a bed dolly with casters so you can move them around while you’re working. There are examples on the web site for ideas.
3. If you can, pre-soak all the nuts and bolts you can reach for as long as you can with a rust buster penetratant of some kind. Remember, if some of them break or strip , you'll have to figure out how cut or saw some of them off, but keep the pieces if you do.
4. Remember to get some kind of paper tag with a string on it, blue masking tape, some sharpies, and zip lock bags for saving and tagging all the parts you take off the truck.
5. Except for body parts, I suggest you clean and tag every part you take off your truck as it comes off. I also suggest you take “before” pictures of details so you can remember what goes where when you go back together. More pictures is better.
6. All nuts and bolts from an assembly should be kept in a bag or small box and labeled as to what they are and where they came from, even if you plan to replace them. For example, keep all your door hardware together. Keep all your window hardware together. Etc.

Removing the bed from the truck:
• Take special care with little springs, brackets, screws and such because they are not reproduced. If you lose something like the e-brake detent spring, you’ll have to find a parts truck.
• Remove all the bumpers and fender brackets.
• Remove the bumpers and fender brackets.
• Remove the tail gate.
• Disconnect all the light wiring harnesses from their components in the grill and in the rear of the bed. Remove the 2 harnesses in the engine compartment.
• Remove the bed by taking out the bed bolts. It takes about four people if you’re lifting a styleside, a flair side (step) can pretty much be taken off with two people.
• Put on your bed dolly.

Removing the front clip as one piece:
• I suggest taking the entire front end off as one piece if you can. Again, pre-soak all the nuts and bolts for as long as you can before you go on. This way, when you dis-assemble the parts from the clip it can be turned upside down to allow better access to hidden bolts.
• Remove the hood and put the bolts back in the hood. Leave the hinges for now.
• Remove the radiator (don't forget the transmission cooler lines if you have an automatic), heater hose hold down clips, battery, battery cables, and battery tray.
• Unbolt the emergency brake cable bracket located on the drivers side inner fender.
• Also, use caution while dis-assembling because most of the hidden bolts use clip nuts and these will break and allow the bolt to spin. Not good because you’ll have to figure a way to cut them off without damaging the sheet metal. Take your time and think about what you want to do if this happens.
• There are two hidden fender bolts. One is directly below the bottom of the door front seam. It bolts the bottom of the fender to the cab. The other is inside the cab on the kick panels up close to the dash. Same deal. There is an access hole in the kick panel to reach it.
• There is a “L” shaped clip bolted to the back hole on the inner fender and to the firewall. I suggest leaving the clip on the firewall and unbolt the fender from it.
• There is a rubber strap holding the bottom of the inner fender to the firewall on both sides that need to be removed.
• Make sure the wiring harness to the headlight/ turn signals, and the wires to the horn and starter solenoid are disconnected.
• Remove the two large bolts holding the core support to the frame.
• Lift the entire assembly up to clear the wheels and shock towers and walk it forward to the front of the truck. You’ll need at least two people.
• Disassemble the rest of the pieces from the front clip.


Taking off the body of the truck.
• You’ll have to remove the steering column next. Depending on what year truck you have, the process is different. 61-64 trucks have a one piece steering column and will have to be unbolted from the frame. 65-66 trucks can be disconnected at the “rag joint”. The rest is pretty much the same for all years. For the earlier trucks the process is as follows:
• Take the doors off the truck. Before unbolting the doors, first drill two 1/8” holes in the hinge, top and bottom where it bolts to the door jam so you can relocate the door in its original position when you put it back together. Put the bolts back in the door jam. At this point you can take the hinges out of the door if you want to but mark them right and left and top and bottom.
• Undo the speedometer cable at the instrument cluster and at the transmission and pull it out of the truck thru the firewall.
• Make sure the ground strap from the motor to the firewall is disconnected.
• Remove the speedometer/ instrument cluster for access.
• Remove the steering wheel and note the spring contact where the horn grounds to the column. Also unscrew the turn signal arm.
• Remove the turn signal wiring harness at the bottom of the column.
• Remove the seat (and seatbelts?).
• Strip out all the old floor covering and insulation.
• Drain and remove the fuel tank and fuel lines. There are brackets at the top and bottom of the tank holding it in place. Don’t forget to pull the fuel line out thru the bottom of the floor.
• Unbolt the column bracket that holds the column to the dash at the bottom of the dash and remove it completely
• Remove the floor seal around the steering column on the floor.
• Remove the shift rod linkage from the column and transmission. Take pictures of this process.
• Remove the brake lines from the master cylinder and remove the master cylinder from the firewall.
• Remove the wire harness plugs from the front of the firewall and take them completely out of the truck.
• Unbolt the pitman arm from the steering box. It is the part that connects the box to the front axle.
• Remove the three bolts that hold the steering box to the frame.
• Pull the steering column and steering box up thru the floor and into the cab to remove it. Get help if you can so you don’t break the rear window.
• Disconnect the emergency brake cable from the handle and pull it out thru the front of the firewall. To do this, the e-brake assembly has to be unbolted from the bottom of the dash and two small bolts removed from the firewall. Do not lose any of these pieces. Drop the e-brake assembly down, use vice grips to pull the little pin (it is NOT a screw) out of the back of the e-brake shaft where the cable mounts to it. Don’t twist it, pull it out straight. You’ll see why after you get it out. Don’t lose it. With the pin out, there is a ball on the end of the cable that fits in a pocket in the shaft. Rotate the handle and remove the ball from the shaft. Take special note here, and a picture, of the handle end of the e-brake assembly where the detent and spring are. Don’t lose these parts.
• Pull the e-brake cable out of the firewall into the engine compartment and make sure it is also free of the bracket on the inner fender.
• Disconnect the carburetor linkages.
• Make sure the heater hoses have been removed from the motor at the firewall.
• Remove the heater assembly now if you want to reduce weight.
• Remove the four cab mount bolts. Two in the floor pans in the front and the two behind the seat where the fuel tank mounts.
• Look for ground straps or anything else you may have missed that might tie the body to the frame.

Finally:
Remove the cab from the body and put it on your cab dolly.
I'm not arguing with you. I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Pardon me. Does your deaug bite?
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BigMike
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Post by BigMike »

Great write-up. Thanks!
1965 F250 352 4spd/Dana 4.10 (sold)
1991 Porsche 964 Cabriolet
2006 Cheby Silverado
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee - yeah, it's a HEMI
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Hookedtrout
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Location: Southeast Idaho

Post by Hookedtrout »

This should come in handy shortly. I'm getting anxious to get started, bought and had the truck for one night and then took it to my mechanic/best friend and he's been going through and tuning, changing all the belts and hoses and brake work. I'll be getting it back shortly and starting what ever it is I'm going to do? Can't wait.
Cory

1962 F100 SWB Unibody, 223
1931 Ford 5 window coupe
1968 GT/California Special Mustang, 289
Complete 61 LWB Unibody parts truck with 292 Y Block
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BigMike
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Location: Roswell, GA
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Post by BigMike »

How much time do you think is needed to strip a Slick down to the frame while taking the proper time to take tons of pictures and properly label things?

I'm getting more anxious to start mine but I need to determine when I want to stop driving it for a few months. I plan to do the power steering and C6 while it's apart. Also need to seal the engine and install new Eldebrock intake and 4V.
1965 F250 352 4spd/Dana 4.10 (sold)
1991 Porsche 964 Cabriolet
2006 Cheby Silverado
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee - yeah, it's a HEMI
jamesdfo
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Joined: February 15, 2011, 10:32 am
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
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Post by jamesdfo »

Skip:WELL DONE!! But, here are several things to consider, from a bodymans perspective:)

Always spend some time prior to beginning dis-assembly & "GAP" you truck. What I mean is, make sure the doors fit the openings, and all gaps are even. Sames goes for fender to door gaps, and hood to cowl/fenders. And lastly, cab to box. Make sure the vertical cab to box gap is even, and that when sighting down the side, all body profile lines are at the same elevation.
If the door hinges need pins/bushings, NOW (prior to dis-assembly) is the time to do this. The same could be said for rubber mounts for the rad saddle and cab.
Right about now, some people are probably "WHATEVER".....but the whole idea behind doing all this PRIOR to taking your vehicle apart, is so that you can be certain that IT DID FIT, so there will be no surprises when you are on the home stretch and putting things back together.

And then there is the whole panel repair and painting deal:):)
if you are welding repair panels into the posts, floor, or sills, etc, a wise man would do this with the doors hung whenever possible, so that periodically you can stop & close the door to verify that the gaps are still OK.
If you have repairs to make to the cab mounts, they should be done early on, then the cab bolted back down (and doors checked AGAIN)
And lastly, when doing priming, painting etc, take a few minutes and think about the sequence you are about to use. Why would you paint the inside of the cab (and in some instances the firewall) if you haven't even finished the bodywork or primed the outside?
Painting the inside this early on means that now, EVERY TIME you go to spray primer on the outside, you will have to go to great lengths to mask/protect the paint on the inside. If you wait untill the outside bodywork is done, primed & blocked, you avoid all that BS:)

I could continue, but sometimes I get wound up, and it sounds more like a rant, but I hope that somewhere in the preceding there is some FOOD FOR THOUGHT:):)

James
Last edited by jamesdfo on March 1, 2011, 9:50 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Hookedtrout
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Location: Southeast Idaho

Post by Hookedtrout »

Great question. Especially with the photo documentation.
Cory

1962 F100 SWB Unibody, 223
1931 Ford 5 window coupe
1968 GT/California Special Mustang, 289
Complete 61 LWB Unibody parts truck with 292 Y Block
poisonivy24
Posts: 5
Joined: May 25, 2011, 4:13 am

Post by poisonivy24 »

• Remove the steering wheel and note the spring contact where the horn grounds to the column. Also unscrew the turn signal arm.
• Remove the turn signal wiring harness at the bottom of the column.


The question is what are the tools needed to remove the parts? I am going to the car shop tomorrow to buy some tools. Thanks.
Last edited by poisonivy24 on June 18, 2011, 10:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
oldtrucks
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Location: Pinehurst Idaho
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Post by oldtrucks »

Must be something wrong with me. I take everything apart and put it all in a bunch of boxes. I'd never get the rig dis assembled if I went through all of that. Most of it only goes together one way any way. Oh I do label the boxes so I know which rig the parts came off of.

I'm not trying to be a smart ass its just that I've done it so many times through out the years it is kind of like second nature for me. The body shop I apprenticed in that was the way we did it. Didn't have digital cameras back then. Any way don't take me wrong I'm not critisizing anyone.

I do photo document my builds but in a very general way mostly in a before and after style not step by step.

Once I decide what I want it to end up looking like I "see" it in my head down to the most minute detail. I don't have a photographic memory but I have pictures in my head as to what each section should look like as I move along with the build.

Having said all that it does sound kind of weird doesn't it. I guess it just goes to show how we all have our own way of doing things.
Mike Kincheloe
Mikes Old Trucks
I restore old trucks and cars


1962 UNI Short Box, Stock Y block, 4 speed Image
1972 F 250 4X4 429 4 speed Dana 70 rear
1977 F 350 Camper Special, Ranger, Super Cab
1950 F7 Cab and Chassis
1976 F150 4 Speed 4 X 4
1996 Taurus
oldtrucks
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Joined: November 28, 2007, 1:59 am
Location: Pinehurst Idaho
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Post by oldtrucks »

I fully agree with jamesdfo that "before dis-assembly" is where the time needs to be spent to make sure the vehicle will go back together with the least problems. This means the process will be repeated many times before final dis-assembly.

The truck in my signature was subjected to at least 6 rounds of dis-assembly re-assembly, check, modify/repair/check again until we could do it in our sleep. Tedious to be sure but for a quality product there just isn't any other way. This is the part that needs the documentation if any customizing is being done. This truck is the results of 2 different trucks being used to make 1 truck. The frame, cab floor cowl front clip and doors are non uni. We also shortened the frame 11 1/2 inches right behind the cab and 8 inches at the rear of the frame. We left all of this on the frame and then joined the uni cab top and bed assembly to it. Before any welding was done door gaps and windshield fitment was verified. Every thing was on its mounts and adjusted before any welds were done and checked and verified several times during weld up. Then we took it all apart and made everything pretty and then put it all back together again.
Mike Kincheloe
Mikes Old Trucks
I restore old trucks and cars


1962 UNI Short Box, Stock Y block, 4 speed Image
1972 F 250 4X4 429 4 speed Dana 70 rear
1977 F 350 Camper Special, Ranger, Super Cab
1950 F7 Cab and Chassis
1976 F150 4 Speed 4 X 4
1996 Taurus
ICEMAN6166
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Joined: July 11, 2006, 11:28 am
Location: Dove Creek, Co. elevation 6842
Poland

Post by ICEMAN6166 »

oldtrucks wrote:Must be something wrong with me. I take everything apart and put it all in a bunch of boxes. I'd never get the rig dis assembled if I went through all of that. Most of it only goes together one way any way. Oh I do label the boxes so I know which rig the parts came off of.

I'm not trying to be a smart ass its just that I've done it so many times through out the years it is kind of like second nature for me. The body shop I apprenticed in that was the way we did it. Didn't have digital cameras back then. Any way don't take me wrong I'm not critisizing anyone.


i am the same way.
1966 F250 4x4
1964 Rambler Ambassador 990
Rest in peace departed Slick family members
Cam Milam
Lesley Ferguson
Steve Lopes
John Sutton
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Uncle Skip
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Post by Uncle Skip »

Mike, et al. No offense taken. The reason I wrote this is because there are a lot of young guys out there that don't have our "experience", if you know what I mean.
The photo documentation is for remembering where a wire was originally placed, and the like.
And if something sits in a box or bag for a couple of years, even someone with experience can forget where things go.
Thanks for all the comments and improvements.
I'm not arguing with you. I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Pardon me. Does your deaug bite?
oldtrucks
Posts: 1015
Joined: November 28, 2007, 1:59 am
Location: Pinehurst Idaho
United States of America

Post by oldtrucks »

You are right Skip, my son helped me on the last build and it reminded me of what I was like on my 1st time. I'm thinking my trainers must have thought that I would never get it. It did get easier with each project. I don't think Polorid cameras had been invented yet back in the early 60s but if they had been I'm sure we would have used them.
Mike Kincheloe
Mikes Old Trucks
I restore old trucks and cars


1962 UNI Short Box, Stock Y block, 4 speed Image
1972 F 250 4X4 429 4 speed Dana 70 rear
1977 F 350 Camper Special, Ranger, Super Cab
1950 F7 Cab and Chassis
1976 F150 4 Speed 4 X 4
1996 Taurus
624WD
Posts: 70
Joined: February 5, 2014, 8:52 am

Re: Truck dis-assembly

Post by 624WD »

This process list was helpful to me. On Friday I started the process to lift the cab. It was a head scratcher for me when I had to figure out the removall of the emergency brake cable assembly. After thinking about it overnight I searched google in the morning as a last resort - and up popped this list. I would have mangled the cable pin and lost the detent spring for sure if I didn't have this as a reference. The Ford Truck Shop Manual doesn't provide this level of detail.

(Now I need to figure out how to remove the hinges from the pillar when the steel threaded backing plate that holds the bolts inside the pillar is rusted and broken off the pillar and just hanging on by the hinge bolts. If I remove the bolts to remove the hinge that steel plate will drop inside to the bottom of the pillar that I just repaired and welded shut. !!!


Thanks for the help.

Tom
Blue64F100
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Location: Chicago Burbs

Re: Truck dis-assembly

Post by Blue64F100 »

Awesome write up!
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Gota64
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Re: Truck dis-assembly

Post by Gota64 »

Thanks for the write up. Can we get this one pinned?
Darrell
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The Big M
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Re: Truck dis-assembly

Post by The Big M »

Agreed, this topic would be a good candidate for a sticky. I've never actually seen this post before today.
jamesdfo wrote:Skip:WELL DONE!! But, here are several things to consider, from a bodymans perspective:)



Always spend some time prior to beginning dis-assembly & "GAP" you truck. What I mean is, make sure the doors fit the openings, and all gaps are even. Sames goes for fender to door gaps, and hood to cowl/fenders. And lastly, cab to box. Make sure the vertical cab to box gap is even, and that when sighting down the side, all body profile lines are at the same elevation.

If the door hinges need pins/bushings, NOW (prior to dis-assembly) is the time to do this. The same could be said for rubber mounts for the rad saddle and cab.

Right about now, some people are probably "WHATEVER".....but the whole idea behind doing all this PRIOR to taking your vehicle apart, is so that you can be certain that IT DID FIT, so there will be no surprises when you are on the home stretch and putting things back together.



And then there is the whole panel repair and painting deal:):)

if you are welding repair panels into the posts, floor, or sills, etc, a wise man would do this with the doors hung whenever possible, so that periodically you can stop & close the door to verify that the gaps are still OK.

If you have repairs to make to the cab mounts, they should be done early on, then the cab bolted back down (and doors checked AGAIN)

And lastly, when doing priming, painting etc, take a few minutes and think about the sequence you are about to use. Why would you paint the inside of the cab (and in some instances the firewall) if you haven't even finished the bodywork or primed the outside?

Painting the inside this early on means that now, EVERY TIME you go to spray primer on the outside, you will have to go to great lengths to mask/protect the paint on the inside. If you wait untill the outside bodywork is done, primed & blocked, you avoid all that BS:)



I could continue, but sometimes I get wound up, and it sounds more like a rant, but I hope that somewhere in the preceding there is some FOOD FOR THOUGHT:):)



James
Good stuff James! I'm curious what sequence you would recommend following when a fender needs to be replaced:

Image

Image

As you can see mine is rough, rusted through between the skin and inner structure at the rear, rusted near the hood hinge, and heavily bashed in at the front corner. I do have a replacement fender I saved from the crusher, but it has a bit of the same rust near the hood hinge that would need to be repaired, and also needs to be straightened a bit to get it to 100%. The bodyman who did my floor repair did everything with the doors and hood removed, but without removing the front clip.

He put the doors back on and adjusted them enough so that they would close, but the fitment is still junk. Hood hinges are toast as well but I do have some repros I picked up at the RD swap many moons ago, and the hood is going to need some rust repair too.

So since the front end is going to need some attention, I'm guessing starting from the back and working forward is the best option. That is, get the door fitment dialed in first, before removing the clip?
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