Cab upgrades

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'm starting a thread because I have my cab opened up to install some new sounds, replace the tattered cab mounts and do some insulation.
Hopefully this will result in less squeaks, rattles and leave me with the option to just turn the radio up so I don't have to hear them.

Also, I don't want to hijack Nick's thread.
Although his advice is very welcome.

Last evening I pulled my seat and old vinyl mat, then scrubbed the floor and rattlebombed with some cheap closeout rustoleum paint from Wal-Mart.

Today I need to change the cab mounts, run power and ground from the engine bay, roll down the insulation I have and install the new mat  before I mount the Retro sub beneath the seat.

I'll be out in the paddock, but hope to get pictures of the process.

Thanks for following along.

[86 1/2 Brutus]

Cnt wait to see some pics.    We're hoping against hope once we get the manifolds back on, we can put the heater/evap box back in and get the dash put back

[ArdWrknTrk]

Hopefully I laid good groundwork yesterday.    🙂

[Gary Lewis]

Following!  And it already is looking good.  

Boy, those cab mount instructions bring back memories.  Don't lube those things!

What sound mat are you using?

[ArdWrknTrk]

I also ordered a new style steering shaft.
I need to figure this out...

[Rembrant]

Ha! I was just going to say that in 2020 New England, cab "upgrades" to a 1987 are often to install a new floor!!

Lookin' good Jim!

So, what steering shaft is this? And from where?...

[85lebaront2]

Jim, if "new style" means 1992-97, it actually has one u-joint inside the cab and one at the box. If it is a replacement for the rag joint and can joint, you may have to cut the can off the base of the column shaft.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I think it's a '14 style shaft.

Have to see if the end can be made to fit the steering box.

Length seems right

[Gary Lewis]

That steering shaft is very similar to the Borgeson that Vernon had put on Big Blue.  No rag joints, just u-joints.  It has worked very well.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Well hopefully my welds and process are a little better than

Amazingly I got all the cab mount bolts out in one piece.
Really grateful for that battery impact.  

Heat index over 100 this week, so I'm taking it easy.
With so many people being without power (a few still) ice has become the new toilet paper.
And I need to bolt the cab back down before I can even go get some.

Back out into the sun to fight my floor jack on soft ground.

[Rusty_S85]

Oooo I wouldnt use prothane polyurethane bushings for cab mounts.  they will transmit the road harshness into the cab.  I only use them on suspension components but keep the body to frame bushings traditional rubber for energy absorption.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Well, I've got them, so they're going in...  

It was a LOT more challenging than I thought to get the old bushings out.
Especially the one above the gas tank.

I'd like to do the sway bars too, as long as I'm under there.

Unfortunately, Cory would say "Air you can wear"
It's steaming, there's no breeze at all, and my heart just isn't in it today.

I took a break after cutting the mounts out with a sawzall.
I was covered in hot, sticky blobs of rubber.
I painted the frame horns and they're still really sticky.

So I moved on to looming up some of the wiring.
The radio adapters, the sub harness and the power and ground harness from the engine bay.

A few pics of things I actually DID get accomplished.












Oh, and for Gary:

[Gary Lewis]

Progress is good!  

I know the hot, sticky blobs of rubber feeling, but not when the air is that thick.  YUK!

But the wiring looks good!  

As for the Acoustic Blanket, what I'm finding is most from Home Depot.  Is that the stuff?

[ArdWrknTrk]

This definitely isn't from Home Despot.
Ive used this for generator and pump enclosures.
I don't remember where I got it.
I also have 4x5 sheets of adhesive, reflective neoprene foam in 8 and 10mm thick.
I use a brayer to roll it down.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Gary Lewis wrote

I know the hot, sticky blobs of rubber feeling, but not when the air is that thick.  YUK!

The cicadas constant REEEEEEE! is nature's own psyops to drive you to want to kill yourself as the sweat from your brows dumps all at once into your eyes.

Shorts and a tee shirt feels like I'm wearing a gimp suit.
I need to go crawl in the dirt and cool off already.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Ok, I've cooled off and calmed down a bit.
The cicadas din hasn't let up though...

George had this advice:

  I looked at all your stuff.  i think it's going to sound pretty good once you are done.  From what i can see your sub remotely turns on with the radio so you are good there.    In our situation, Nick has a hot wire connected to the fuse box on switchd line using a 25 amp fuse.  We did this this way for this reason.  When the truck is running and we dont the stereo on, the amp will remain off.   Most of the time when people connect amps, they connect them to the battery, meaning the amp will have available power all the time when connected to the radio via the remote turn wire.   Ours turns on the same way, with the remote turn on wire from the radio, but the circuit will remain dead until the signal from the remote turn on wire is sent.  Nick likes the amp to be disconnected from the battery when the truck is off.  Unlike the other amps that have available power all the time.  But remember , this is not a big powerful amp, is only 50 watts, the 25 amp circuit is more then enough for it.   you can choose to do it this way or connect to the battery which is usually what the manufacturer suggests.  it really does not matter which way you do it.  Doing it through the fuse box is neater and you dont have power running into your amp all the time.   Other then that just make sure when your ground the sub, ground it in the SAME PLACE as the radio is.  you can can ground where the sub is located, but ground where the radio is as well.  other then that it's pretty straight forward.

george

So, once I figure out from the head unit manual if I can use the sub RCA jacks and the non-RCA speaker harness output I will have that all down.

I'm using remote out to trigger the sub and the trucks side to trigger the relay (Econoline blower relay) to take constant -30A fused- power and send it to the sub.

I'm bringing all grounds to a spot on the firewall (dash stay, I think) and going 10Ga. from there directly to where the battery grounds on the radiator support.

The 10Ga. -fused- yellow cable will be attached to the Megafuse on the side of my little PDC.

The relay will be somewhere behind the radio or ashtray.

I also got all the Bricknose Ford mounting tabs attached to the head unit.

I hope this makes sense.
I guess I'll have pics later.

[kramttocs]

Sounds good but not quite following this "trucks side to trigger the relay". If wanted, you could use the remote out to trigger the relay that then feeds both the power and remote in wires of the sub.

Also, this thing fits nicely on the driver side dash support to provide more ground screws for the accessories.
https://www.bluesea.com/products/2306/Common_100A_Mini_Grounding_BusBar_-_6_Gang

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yes I know, that's why I have a wye in the blue/white wire.

But I'm wondering about the ".04A max" tag on the receiver harness.
Maybe I should trigger the amp from the switched side of the relay?
IDK.
Maybe that would be some kind of feedback loop and NO GOOD.

[kramttocs]

Yeah, that's what I am proposing (and kind of what I am doing in my truck). Forgo the wye and use the blue/white wire for a single relay trigger and then let that relay output handle both the power and the remote turn on of the sub.

I think we need a diagram

[ArdWrknTrk]

The wye that came on the harness is going.

All my ground cables are lugged.
I'm simply going to use a longer flange bolt in the dashboard stay to the right of the bellhousing hump.

Pics later, but no schematics....