Just go pull a used drive shaft off any 80-90's car/truck with either the 8.8 or 7.5, cut the yoke/U-joint/ Flange off then replace the one on the back of the MM axle tube. I did the front Drive shaft when I dropped the 302/AOD in mine.
Just go pull a used drive shaft off any 80-90's car/truck with either the 8.8 or 7.5, cut the yoke/U-joint/ Flange off then replace the one on the back of the MM axle tube. I did the front Drive shaft when I dropped the 302/AOD in mine.
I was just going to order the correct driveshaft yoke for it. I may look into that tomorrow. I have to go pull a bunch of parts, so might as well bring the sawzall with me.
Rebuild and paint work are finished. I'm waiting on some parts to show up this week. I ordered new pads and rotors, extended studs, lug nuts (since I switched to 1/2"-20), and a few other little things to finish this off.
Here is how it looks now
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Picked up some 4G69 accessories today. I got lucky.... the yard didnt want to sell them to me at first because the car was on the "front line" meaning only complete engines can be bought, not accessories. I explained to the manager that the engine was bad because it threw the timing belt, so it would end up coming back for warranty no matter what. She said I could remove only the harmonic balancer, Compressor and belt tensioner - nothing else.
I grabbed those parts and picked an alternator from a 3KGT (for the 6 rib pulley) and rolled out of there feeling lucky. I wish I could have grabbed the water pump pulley from the G69, but oh well I guess. Maybe I will luck out somewhere else.
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To better explain why I am after all this is simple - I want the 6 rib belt instead of a couple different belts. Normally you would just take all the accessories off the G63 Evo or G69 since they are pretty much the exact same. The only thing is I will not be running power steering and my alternator needs to be positioned out of the way of my turbo (actually, not anywhere near it because of the heat). I found a way to make the reverse water pump function on my setup, so I will have to make a couple idler pulley brackets and do a custom routing on the belt - no biggy.
Here goes the latest....
I'm still waiting on my proportioning valve to show up, but I did decide I don't want to hassle with converting the parking drums on the 8.8 to work with the MM. It is pretty easy to do with some cable stops, but it would just doesn't fit with future build plans. The solution is to grab a hydraulic hand brake (drift brake) and throw it in.
Here is pretty much where it will sit. Once I get the buckets in I will move it to a more usable position.
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A new 2014 MP product will be released in the next couple weeks, so time is now very limited to work on the truck. Today I had to finish this phase. If you recall earlier in the thread, I added a -10 return fitting to the 8.8 where the ABS sensor went. Well, you can't have a return without first having a supply port. I picked a low spot on the diff cover and added a -10 pickup port.
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After a fast cleaning, I painted it to match the accent colors.
The rest was straight up assembly
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I'm not exactly sure when I will get this installed, but hopefully sooner than later.
Questions or comments - post up!
a beautiful axel and your truck photo bombs the pic for a cool relation considering the axles going in there. idk seemed like an awesome picture cause the truck is in the pic.
if you didnt already have the 8.8 and got it all assembled id say just grab a 3.45 third member and toss it in the stock axle until you do the swap but you already are lol looks awesome though my only point of experience is the axle being 100% center throws off the geometry of the driveshaft the manufacturer designs it always at least a little off center on purpose, i just dont remember what it is lol
Wow..
the offset is to allow the needle bearings in the ujoints to rotate properly and not bind. Some axles do an offset side to side, others top to bottom - either gives the same result.
Pennyman1
The best Dodge that Dodge never made
Living the D-50 lifestyle since 1980
Thanks for the comments everyone!
I have been extremely busy with the move and the new product line kicking off, so I haven't had a ton of time to work on the truck or update this.
In response to the diff offset, there is still an offset no matter which way you install it since the pinion angle will never really be dead on. Even as the axle sits right no, the pinion is offset slightly and not straight on in relation to the drive shaft - so all will be fine.
Some of you may have seen my last race car. It was a '93 Dodge Colt equipped with an Eaton M90 su[ercharger, TD04 turbo, Alcohol, and nitrous. It was pretty beast. I had to part it out years ago, but I did keep some things off of it. The M90 is one of those things I could not let go of.... not sure why. Either way I have been tossing around the idea of bringing it back to the build. I really like the whine of a SC, and it isn't hard to install one at all (easy as a turbo set-up), so I will probably slap it on there at some point.
Here is a half ass mock-up shot with it sitting on top of the valve cover. I think I like it there...
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Over the past week or so, I have managed to rip out the glass to tint it with some 20% which is good enough to keep the sun out, but not dark enough to where you can't see at night. I like a nice clean edge on the tint, so I rip all the glass out to do it. I don't have any pics right now, but later I'm sure it will be seen.
I did have an awesome score at the yard today. Found some Lexus 5 spoke 17x8's and couldn't resist buying them. Snagged all four for $120 out the door.
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(yes I grabbed 4 - only 3 are shown here)
Here is a shot on the Ford 8.8.
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I can't wait to see the 314mm rotor stuffed in there when I get the front brakes all set up.
Here is pretty much what it will look like on the truck (it will be lower once the other diff goes in)
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And just when it all seemed on the up and up, things went south..... My POS replacement oil cap from the parts store decided it wanted to disassemble itself leaving a tab and some screws floating around somewhere in the crank case. I'm not sure if they are stuck up top still, or if they made it down to the pan. Either way - I'm not playing with it. It's basically a problem that could be solved only to find out the next problem. As a result, I am rearranging the schedule and am getting the engine done and ready to drop in.
This is the first time in 15 years I have encountered this problem, but it could happen to anyone I guess. For those of you that have cheap-o replacement caps, turn them over and have a look at them once in a while. If it has a screw (not a rivet), maybe toss on some thread locker, or replace the cap with one that has a rivet on it. This one little inexpensive fix could save you from having to dismantle your engine to dig out pieces of oil cap.
More updates as they happen.
Looking good, I would love to see that s/c on there too, I've seen a few DSM guys do it to their 4g63t's before it's pretty cool. I like the Lexus rims, I was thinking about running some back on the day but they cost too much for what they were.
score on those wheels! cant wait to see it all together with the new engine and 5 lug big brake setup!!
Look at all the pretty colors. The supercharger has my interest, can't wait to see that sticking out the hood. Keep those pictures coming.
Thanks for all the replies guys!
I have been super busy with the move back to Vegas, so my updates are very limited. However, I do have a few to give...
I decided to grab my seats the other day since my buddy was headed to the warehouse, so I had him grab mine. I haven't actually seen them, or tried fitting them into the truck, but I'll get to it when I head back to SD. I chose a touch of class mixed with a touch of go fast - red leather
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I can't wait to get these in and finish my interior plans.
I've been scoring at the yards lately.... Kinda impressed. As it sits right now, my dash completely sucks. It's all cracked up and the last owner tried to stuff some giant speakers into the dash that don't fit. I've been on the hunt for a replacement since I bought the thing. Yesterday I scouted some yards here in Vegas. Amazingly I found 4 Mighty Maxes! I was able to grab a good dash, all the missing interior bits and even more importantly - I bought the AC Condenser and Evaporator assembly from a AC equipped truck. I have to custom build the lines, but that's easy. The hard part hunting it all down is now OVER!! I even found an OEM dash clock and the missing lens for my dome light.
Here is the dash as I bought it.
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After a thorough cleaning and complete strip down, I dyed it black
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One key thing to living in the desert is understanding you will never be rid of dirt.
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BUT - I will try to manage for now...
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Everything is all nice and clean now. I will probably add a few more coats of dye, but either way - I'm happy with it.
That's all I have for now. Soon I will make a trip back to SD and start putting all this stuff together shortly thereafter.
It's been a minute or so since I have updated here. Not a whole lot of big stuff has been changed, but sometimes the little things make the biggest impressions.
Starting off with the seats, two important factors had to be considered when installing. First thing is the height of the seat. I need to be able to fit myself in there with a roll cage and helmet. I'm almost 6'3" and there isn't a ton of space, even though I make my roll cages tight to the body, there is still limited amounts of space in the cab of a mini truck. The seats must sit lower than the factory height.
The second consideration is the side of the seats by the doors. The roll cage needs room to pass. I really can't stand offsetting my seats. I'm such a stickler to being centered to the wheel that almost any change in position will drive me nuts. I am also very big in racing, so having a cocked up seat while on the track distracts me from the race itself. Luckily for me, the seats I chose are narrow enough to allow side gap AND will center to the wheel.
After measuring the factory height to the bucket height (vs my height/driver height), I determined that the seats rails must sit no higher than 2 inches from the floor. It's almost perfect how the MM floor board sits. The only problem I encountered was the hardware of the seat bracket to the slider. Since the rear seat bolt will interfere with the slider (not allowing it to sit flat), I had to find a way to clear the bolt without changing the seat height. This is where the offset comes into play. Since the seats need to move inward to clear the roll cage, I just extended the brackets inward to clear the rear bolts.
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Once fabbed and painted, I installed them and took it for a spin.
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What a difference! It's amazing how much a small change can make. Driver position and comfort is a hidden part of the handling battle. The ability to "feel" your vehicle, and what it is doing, or the ability to hold a corner better can all be affected by driver comfort. These seats stick me right where I want to be (position wise) and keep me nice and planted. I haven't changed or added any more to the chassis or suspension, but it now handles a ton better than before the seats went in - because driver comfort.
I don't let many people drive my truck at all, but either way, both seats have full range of motion. They both recline and slide forward/backward within their limits. Personally, there is no reason to allow them to do that, but at the same time, it is a half ass job if they don't. If you buy the whole seat, use the whole seat, and sit in the whole seat, you might as well use the whole seat
I jokingly say "I'm gonna be a midnight Drift-O King" in my Mighty Max, but maybe I actually will. Years ago I was into drifting before it became as huge as it is today. I build many drift cars and support a couple racers as well. This truck is a "shop truck" at the end of the day, but it will have race abilities. Normally I build according to the race type. This truck is going to be built for just about all types. If one day I feel like cone dodging, I'll make a quick change and hit the AutoX scene. If I want to hit the Drag Strip, another quick change will allow it. If I want to take up drifting again, a quick change will make it happen. This whole chassis must be master engineered to run in any event with only a few adjustments, or :"quick changes" made, to allow it.
As such, I need a hand brake. This will solve 2 problems. First it will allow my to connect and convert the Ford 8.8 I have built without having to adapt the MM/Ford cables to one another (I'll just stick with hydraulic). Second, I can now approach a drift easier with a dedicated rear brake.
As such with any race vehicle, you need to control rear braking bias, and you still need to not roll away when you park it. I added a brake proportioning valve and a line lock (parking brake) to the circuit, all contained to one unit - the hand brake assembly.
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In order to place it where I wanted, I built a pedestal to mount it to. Here is how it all looks assembled.
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You may be wondering if it is still possible to move the seats - the answer is Yes. Both seats slide forward and backward without hitting the hand brake assembly. That is why is is sitting at an angle.
Finally, the dash needs to go in. The last owner performed a real class act hack job on the dash. It was almost a deal breaker when I bought it, but the price was right, and I knew I was going to replace it no matter what. After many heavy coats of dye, the dash was ready to go in.
While I had the dash out, I added the AC evaporator and wiring.
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And here it is....
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The weather hasn't been ideal here lately, so I do have a few more pieces to finish up, but you get the idea....
Here is something that totally sucks.... I just replaced every front steering component on this truck right before I moved back to Vegas. This ball joint had less than 500 miles on it before it failed. Right after I replaced it, I noticed my steering was exceptionally tight to the point where you could point the wheel in any direction and it would stay there. The alignment helped, but it did not solve it. This was the culprit. This was a manufacturing defect that destroyed my control arm in the process.
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It was so tight that the splines ripped apart the cup that the ball joint is pressed in to. Instead of it being tightly pressed into the cup, it was free to turn, grind, and eat away at the arm until all of the weight of the truck was resting on the snap ring. It only takes a few bumps to cause a snap ring to fail... After a run to the yard, and a new ball joint, I was back on the road. The only part of this that steams me is the fact that these were not the standard cheap-o components used in basic "DD" replacement parts. These are of better quality. I do buy at wholesale, but at the same time, I'm kinda pissed that I had a good part fail so quickly. It wasn't expensive, but I still had to do the job twice. I would have expected to do that with a cheap-o brand. Oh well I guess. Such is life.
Here is a random shot of the truck just chillin' out in the sun after the dash and everything was finished. Basically - how it looks right now after everything.
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It's the little changes that make the biggest difference!
Last edited by Merrill; 04-26-2014 at 11:31 AM.
I had to move this down one post since the attachments disappeared from the post above. This update is a little out of order....
Here is one example of a small exterior mod that makes a big difference.... the paint work around the door matches the rest of the truck. Only problem with that is no matter which way you look at it, there is always a black outline around it. To me, it looks a little off.... It just doesn't match right. So, a small change to the door frame and now it fits in a bit better.
Before
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After
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Then I must advertise that this is a project, or "under construction" (as it is overly used). I think the "under construction" sticker is just too played out. I also see it everywhere with little to no change to the vehicle it's stuck to. I thought to myself there must be a better way to declare you are in the process of building, but aren't slacking, or hiding laziness behind a decal.
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Since the rear gets awesome sauce stickers, why not tag up the front too. This was a random idea I had one day, so I tossed up the layout on Facebook and let my friends decide what would look best; 2 rows of staggered white MP decals was the decision.
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I think it looks pretty good.
Last edited by Merrill; 04-26-2014 at 11:29 AM.
Finished the dye work today on the plastics..... Not too shabby
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All I really have left on this interior is carpet, aluminum door cards (have to build them), black edge trim, audio, and a roll cage. Other than that - interior is pretty much done.
Other than my hand prints being all over the dash in these pics, I'm kinda diggin' it.
looks awesome! kinda makes me wanna dye my interior black to pop against the blue exterior, the factory grey is just so blah... The angle of the hand brake i would think is also nice for being pointed towards you a bit
Personally, I think black fits just about everything better. The only color I dont think it will work with is the tan/brown combo they used. Color changes on the MM are so easy compared to most vehicles. The dash comes out in 5 minutes, the plastics are few, and generally speaking - not complicared pieces to dye/paint.
Angle of the hand brake makes little difference to me, but I onow a lot of racers who prefer it angled in.
Took a measure of my suspension travel/height/motion, I have to modify the driveshaft tunnel since it will smack the shaft when the axle goes in (since the axle sits higher).
I was going to swap the rear diff this week, but it has been postponed until I mod the tunnel.
Took my rotors to the machine shop today to have the hub bore enlarged. Should be done tomorrow.
Big brakes are almost done!
pics to follow...
Looking darn good merrill. I can see a dash removal and cleaning in my future. Yours looks great now. Awesome work!!!
Merrill, how about some pictures of your bank account book.I enjoy your build and your doing a great job with photos and what your creating, but darn man...show me duh money!!!!
Keep the updates coming!
DANG-IT..
Can't believe that I missed your thread!
I also wish that I read the parts list for 'big brakes' before I just spent 213.00 on a GM style 11" booster and 1 1/8 master..
I'll call tomorrow and see if I can return them.
(I'm dropping a 5.2/NV3500/Yota 3.73 rear into my 89 1-ton long bed.
I think I can still do the front rotor stuff..
Where did you score the lowering spindles? I missed a pair on Ebay and haven't found any since.
Here in Memphis area, the youngins are more interested in FULL size trucks. And don't like the mini's all that much.
Great build by the way..
Errol
Thanks! The dash is extremely easy to remove. It literally takes as little as 10 minutes. If you ever find yourself with nothing to do, cleaning up behind there is a day job and you will end up with a better smelling truck. It seems strange that my truck smells clean and feels clean just knowing all that dust and junk is out of there.Originally Posted by asmyser
Merrill, how about some pictures of your bank account book.
Keep the updates coming!Let's just say it's cheaper to do when you do it for a living (or do it yourself). I'm glad you are enjoying the build.
Thanks, Errol.
I think a lot of people have missed this oneIt's whatever.... I'll just keep updating anyway. I know people are reading it, and that's all that matters. Free info is always good for those looking ideas. I just like car talkin'
Make sure you read the info about the 314mm rotors and the Montero Sport calipers. The rotor thickness of the VR-4 rotors is thicker than the MS caliper will accept. Modification needs to be made to clear them. I did go back and correct the info post (with the parts list) and post #27 has a pic with the same info. Once I pick up my rotors and assemble the front end, I will make a final update with all the verified info (in a few weeks).
I have also converted to a Toyota front hub. The offset will be different than that of the Mighty Max hub. The VR4 rotor will likely not clear when installed to a MM hub. If you are using the 5 lug Toyota hub, all should be fine.
There are the drop spindles http://www.airbagit.com/Mitsubishi-L...les-s/1775.htm
Some members here posted about finding them on eBay and Amazon a little bit cheaper. If you are patient, you may find the same deal and save a few bucks.
I cant find the words or the right picture angle to describe or show just how big these rotors are. They are so much larger in person....
So, either way, I picked them up from the machine shop today and did a quickie fit check. Here is the result
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I only have a few more mods to make in order to get these installed.
More to follow soon!
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