74 Scout II rebuild/restore

[Rentalman]

I was not looking forward to this project. Installing the windshield gasket and installing the windshield. I watched a few videos on the university of Youtube and that seemed to help. It is easier if you have an extra set of hands for both projects. My wife helped me with the windshield gasket toward the end. She held it in place as I was able to squish/push the last few inches of gasket in place. I did not have my windshield yet, so in fives places on the top of the windshield frame I had zip ties holding the gasket in place so it would not fall. I ordered a new windshield from IHPA. Once it came in I picked it up from the local supplier. I had a neighbor help me set the windshield in the lower windshield gasket/channel/groove. You just have to keep your calm, use a lot of soapy water, and have patients getting around the corners. The gasket did pop out of the corners a few times. You just have to keep working with it in short increments. Make sure you have some nylon prybar installers to help get the window seated. The easiest part of the job was securing the windshield with the built in lock in the gasket.

 

[Rentalman]

Interior is in! I'm just waiting on the dash pad to be wrapped. I'm leaving the original Sage metal door panels, Sage armrest and the original 4403 Sunburst Yellow Paint on the doors. I'm also leaving the cargo sides exposed with the raptor texture. I like the look of the bed detail. My focus is to keep its utility feel. I like it.

 

[Rentalman]

This week I took vacation and worked on the travel top. My prior employers body tech prepped the travel top for paint by sanding and shooting it with epoxy primer. The outside was painted 9120 Alpine White by a national paint company. Sadly they did not give any attention to the underside rails. They basically painted it on the dollie I had it bolted down to. I wire wheeled the rust out of the rails and applied Rust Bullet. I also sanded some light rust from under the headliner supports and upplied Rust Bullet. I attached the travel top weather seals with 3M Weater Strip Adhesive. I applied-attached heat and sound deadner to the underside of the travel top. Lastly I made the headliner board out of 1/8" x 4' x 8' Temperd Brown Hardboard. Later, I'm going to inlarge the 1/4" headliner attaching holes to 5/16" and attach 5/16" riv nuts to the supports. I will be sending the headliner board to my upholster to cover it with a combination of vinyl and the same plaid fabric I used on the seats and door panels.

 

[Rentalman]

I'm a little behind posting my progress. At the end of December Expert Auto Upholstery finished wrapping my dash. The dash pad is the final piece of the interior to be installed.

 

[Rentalman]

A few weeks ago I got my travel top side sliding windows installed. I had to get creative to install the windows as I had no help. It was actually easy to install by myself. I soaked a thin roap into a soapy water solution. I used a gasket caulking tip to push the rope into the window gasket channel easily as I ran the nozzle and rope around the channel completely. I tied knotts in both ends of the rope where they met. I brushed on a soapy solution around the window gasket and pushed the window in place in the travel top and held with one hand. With the other hand reaching inside the passenger door to grab one piece of the soapy rope, I would pull the rope toward me to get the window gasket to climb over the ridge. Once I had about a third or more of the gasket over the ridge it was safe enough to take my hand off the window as it was not going to fall out. Then I would get in the interior of the scout and finish pulling the soapy rope around the rest of the window channel. After getting the gasket over the ridge, portions of the gasket would not lay flat on top of the ridge. If the gasket is not completely flat going around the interior of the window the gasket is not 100% seated over the ridge. Parts of it would be partly twisted exspecially around the corners. I used some plastic trim tools from HF to manipulate the gasket to lay flat over the complete channel . I did the same on the other side. I hope these tips help someone else on a travel top window install. I could not find any good information on this install in forums that I searched. Thanks for following the build.

 

[FDChappie]

That dash looks really nice.

 

[Antiquetractor]

Hello Rentalman,
your project looks impressive, and you are making great progress. However you may take a closer look at your spring hanger setup, to avoid running (driving) into issues. Looked at the last photo in post 47 and the first photo in post 67. Your rear axle spring shackles (at the rear end of the spring) look leaning forward. These should lean to the rear (lower end behind the upper end of the shackles.). It may also seem your rear axle isn't center in the wheelhouse, i.e. moved a little towards the front. These results aren't uncommon for a conversion to progressive springs. Both issues could be solved by moving the rear axle's front spring hangers to the rear. Before doing something on your ride, you may form your own view and do some research on these issues on your own, or collect views from other followers of our project.
Greetings from Germany.
Antiquetractor

 

[Rentalman]

Hello Rentalman,
your project looks impressive, and you are making great progress. However you may take a closer look at your spring hanger setup, to avoid running (driving) into issues. Looked at the last photo in post 47 and the first photo in post 67. Your rear axle spring shackles (at the rear end of the spring) look leaning forward. These should lean to the rear (lower end behind the upper end of the shackles.). It may also seem your rear axle isn't center in the wheelhouse, i.e. moved a little towards the front. These results aren't uncommon for a conversion to progressive springs. Both issues could be solved by moving the rear axle's front spring hangers to the rear. Before doing something on your ride, you may form your own view and do some research on these issues on your own, or collect views from other followers of our project.
Greetings from Germany.
Antiquetractor

Thanks for the advice Antiquetractor. The new CPT Spring and shackle Hangers were welded in the same spot as original hangers. I do notice the rear tires seem forward a bit. I believe that was caused by installing a 33" tall tire vs the original 29". I think the rear springs when flexing would move up, down and towards the rear shackles to kick out towards the rear. This is something that I will need to research. Thanks for following the build.

 

[Rentalman]

Hi all. I'm a little behind in posting my progress on the build. I've been driving the Scout since February breaking everything in slowly. The engine, TF 727 auto, Dana 20 T-case and Dana 44's have all been rebuilt. I don't want to put to much strain on anything and have been following the manufactures break in procedures for all related parts. I've put a little over 100 miles on it. Soon I need to change the diff and t-case oils. I never had the opportunity to get a cut & turn done on my front Dana 44 as I was on a time line to get the Scout rolling and off my former employers property before they sold the business. With that being, I took it out for its first test drive. At 30 mph and above I had to keep both hands on the steering wheel as it wanted to wonder. It was not a comfortable drive. That was the only main issue I have had. I've had to tighten a few hose clamps for minor coolant drips and an eng oil leak at the two phillips screws on the oil pan. Other than that the engine is strong, no over heating, tranni shifts great, hydro boost brakes work great, no rear end noise or driveline vibration. I could not find any shop local to do the cut & turn for me. I called IHPA and spoke with Darren. Knowing that I live in So Cal he worked with me. I got the axle to him on a Monday afternoon, I stayed at a local hotel and picked it up the axle next moring around 10 AM and was able to make my 10 hr drive home so I could go to work the next day. IHPA is awesome! They have been so helpful durring this build with taking my many phone calls, emails and squeezing me in for the cut & turn. IHPA did a 4 deg positive cut & turn and installed new outer C's. For the reistsallation they suggested I also add 4 deg shims with the thick portion toward the T-case for better drive line angle. I also had to pick up new longer spring center pins. The original center pins in the springs were not long enought to accomidate the 4 deg shims. After I reassembled everything and took it for a drive the wondering was gone but now I had a camber issue. The front tires were squeeling when I when turning, they were out of toe. What I found out is I needed to readjust my tie rod and drag link to accomadate the cut & turn change. I dialed it in by sticking push pins in the middle of the front and rear of the front tires with a nut suspended from a string like a pendulum taking measurements with tape measure at front and rear of tire by adjusting the drag link and tie rod. Before the adjustment the rear of the front tire was at 63" center to center and the front of the tire was 60.5" center to center. They were way off. After the adjustments the closest I could get them within the factory spec of 1/16 +/- was at rear of tire measuring 61 7/8" center to center and front of tire measuring 61 1/8" center to center. Close enough. Eventually I will have it dialed in by a shop. I took it out for a drive, what a difference. One hand on the steering wheel now, no wondering, no tires squeeling in turns, what a major improvement. I just recieved my steering stabilizer from IHPA and hope to install that next weekend. I'm sure that will also help with the steering feed back form the road.

 

[Winchested]

Looks good!

Camber and toe are not related. You still have over 1/2" of inward toe which is still way too much.

Jack it up take the wheels off clamp some straight edges to the rotors (with the lug nuts holding rotors tight.) Much easier than trying to get measurements off tires.

I run 1/8" of toe in at rotors (using 24" straight edges accross rotors) And that's perfect for 40" tires. 33's and under 1/16" to 1/8" is plenty.

 

[Robert Kenney]

Very nice work!