1986 B2000 2.5 T Diesel FOR SALE $750obo

Good job Mike. Hey that hue of yellow paint looks familiar........lol.

Ok I finished installing the coilovers in the rear. I really need to get bigger springs than what came in the kit, but for now they will hold just fine.

What I did was get one of those eBay $55 kits that comes with 4 springs, 4 sleeves, the adjustment tool, and any possible o-ring to help position the sleeve. Since I was doing a different application than what the kit was for (a Miata, not a converted B series) I had to mount the sleeve a little different. I used the set screws to keep it in position, then welded a 2" muffler clamp to the shock housing to use as a perch for the sleeve. w/out the perch, the sleeve would have slid down the shock (I tested this out w/out the perch, set screws are NOT strong enough.)

Here you can see the clamp that I welded to the shock, it is possible to weld along the shock body, you just have to be VERY careful not to let it burn through. I usually prefer MIG with 75/25, but I was out of the gas so I used .035" flux core. I painted it after I was done welding and cleaning to inhibit future rust issues.


Here is the mount all welded up.


And even with flux cored wire, it is possible to get a good looking weld. Not as pretty as my gas welds, but not fugly.


With the coilover installed




I don't want anyone to worry about bracing for the mounts, I do plan to reinforce the mounts AND the cross members that I welded in. For now I just want to get everything positioned before I go crazy with bracing. I'm also not happy with the rubber plug that is used at the top of the spring, so I'll be fashioning an aluminum or steel disc (probably 1/8" thick) before the truck is on the road.


Another feat for today, I mounted the battery tray. This is also going to be under the bed, I'm doing this for a number of reasons, mainly because I can't get the battery to look good under the hood with all the stuff that I have fitted under there. This sits where the fuel tank USED to rest. I tested the sturdiness of the mount by standing and jumping on it. I figure if it can handle me jumping on the tray for a couple of minutes, it can handle a tied down battery.



With a battery sitting in it (battery shown is worth only a core, I'll be using a bigger/better battery)

Can coilovers handle the same load amount as leaf springs? I'm fairly certain it would be a smoother ride, but I'd worry about losing hauling capabilities (me personally, I haul more than I should in my B).

the load that the coilovers can handle is going to be determined by the spring rate of the coils used. For the coils that are currently on the shocks that I have, they wouldn't be able to haul as much as the leaf spring setup would. However if I were to put a better spring on them then they would be able to handle the same if not more.

The weak link in the B series for the coilovers though isn't going to be the spring rate, but the mounts for the stock shocks won't be strong enough to handle the weight of the vehicle. That is why I decided to use the MB shocks and to use a stronger mount. I am going to be bracing the mounts even further. There is a coilover option for the 300D that I parted out, so I know that the MB IRS subframe is more than sufficient to handle the load.

I still need to fasten down the metal lines that I ran tonight, but I got the fuel lines in place. I also decided that the fuel filler for my truck is going to be under the license plate, kinda like an old box chevy. For the factory setup, the fuel lines were run along the passenger side, but the Merc diesel has the fuel stuff on the driver side. With the fuel tank in place, I was able to figure out how I wanted to run the lines. Got too dark to take pics.

Also going to the PaP tomorrow, I saw an online listing for a 74 280-class. I am hoping beyond hope that its a 107 chassis, so I can get the wheel spindles for the front. We'll see what ball joints will work with this spindle.

as promised



Redid the fuel tank braces, I wasn't happy with how the first round looked. This one is much more solid


And all painted up. I'm out of black paint now, lol.


Tomorrow, time permitting, will be the final mounting of the fuel lines. Joy!

Fuel lines have been secured in the rear.

Got the front wheel hubs sent off to the machine shop, I need the bearing seating surface drilled out to fit the larger Mazda outer wheel bearing. For the inner wheel bearing I did quite a bit of research. What I found (by comparing dimensions in a Timken catalog with the MB and Mazda dimensions) was that a wheel bearing and race part #s L68149 and L68110 were what I needed. Using O'Reilly's website, I was able to find a compatible vehicle that used these. Turns out the application was a 1986 BMW 735i front inner wheel bearing. I bought 2 and learned that they do indeed fit perfectly.

Ball joints and steering linkages arrived as well, so soon I'll be able to put the front of my truck back together.


Still need:
Body lift, 2"
Custom Driveshaft flanges so I can use u-joints and not the flex discs
front shocks converted to coilovers
instrument cluster

Ok the cab is lifted. I haven't done the bed yet because I'm doing something different back there.

First thing, an acceptable before picture. Not much to compare it with as the front wheels are still off.

and a night after pic


closer


The hood does close all the way, seems to be about 1/2" from engine to the hood, a bubble hood might be in my future as well if the vibrations hit the hood. But for now I'm happy

By the way, notice the nice suspension lift I have in the rear from the IRS Coilover upgrade I have?

Looking good so far, its gonna be sweet when you're done!