Dropping The Durango

Today on trucks, we'll begin the transformation of a 99 Dodge Durango by dropping our SUV three inches all the way around

and believe us, that's only the beginning of what we've got in mind for this Durango.

After that, the guys will take you back in time, more than 50 years to show off a rare Jeep.

That's part of the famed Willie's heritage.

Then it's back to the present where Stacy shows you the proper way to handle a spray gun.

That's all today on trucks.

Welcome to this week's show everybody.

You know the Dodge Durango has been out for a few years now and the more that Stace and I looked at this SUV, the more we started to appreciate the great lines as designers gave it, add to that V eight horsepower. And we knew this was a vehicle we could have some fun with

our Durano

four wheel drive. So most people figure, well, put on bigger wheels and tires and a lift kit and you're done.

Well, we are gonna put on bigger wheels and tires, but not what you think we're gonna show you how the benefits of four wheel drive can go way beyond the trail. The extra traction that you can get in a performance situation can be awesome.

The GMC Cyclone is proof of that.

Now, since we're after street performance on our Durango, the first thing we're gonna do is drop it three inches all the way around. Believe it or not. DJ M makes a kit specifically for four wheel drive durangos on the front. You've got special spindles as well as brand new ball joints,

upper control arms shocks and all the hardware. You're gonna need to complete the job.

The Durango has a torsion bar, front suspension. So

before we put it up on the lift, we need to measure and see just how high it's sitting stock.

This way, we'll know where to set our torsion bars at the end of the project.

Now that we have the Durango up in the air, we need to pop off the skid plate.

Another thing we need to get out of the way is the sway bar. Now, keep in mind you need to hang on to this stuff because you will reuse it later on.

Now, before you get too far into disassembling the front end, you need to take the load off these torsion bars. Now, on a dodge, it's really easy. All you do is back out this bolt and that'll release the bar.

It's also a good idea to mark the bar before you release it

that way, you'll know exactly where it needs to return to. When you put it all back together

with this kit, we're gonna lose a lot of the stock hardware. So we need to get the brake calipers up out of the way. Now. I know we've told you this before, but it's definitely worth repeating whatever you do.

Don't let the caliper just dangle by the hose. Make sure you tie it up out of the way.

Once you have the brakes out of the way

you can take off this drive spindle,

pop off the upper and lower ball joints as well as the tie rod end.

By the way, these stock spindles will need to be modified by DJ M. So you will have some downtime with this project. But as you'll see, it's gonna be worth the wait

now, like we showed you earlier, the upper control arm is gonna be replaced, but we do have to reuse the pivot shaft. So the first thing we're gonna do is knock loose these in bolts before unbolting the control arm. The reason we're doing it this way is because it's a whole lot easier to break these bolts loose with the control arm still on the vehicle.

Once you have the shafts pressed out of the old control arms, put them into the new ones along with the new bushings and sleeves and make sure that the grease hole in the control arm, the bushing and the sleeve all line up. So you get proper lubrication to this shaft.

Once you've got that done, put on the factory washer and nut.

Now that the control arms are set up with their brand new bushings, we can get it in place and bolt it down.

This would also be a really good time to grease them up. That way, you don't forget to. Later on,

the lower control arm is where your drop comes from. Now, the original ball joint faced pointing downward,

you have to press the new ones in pointing up. Now, what this does

is move the spindle to the top of the control arm instead of below it.

And in this case

will give us three inches of drop.

At this point, we're gonna leave the control arm mounting bolts loose. We'll tighten them up later on when the truck's down on the ground.

Now, like we told you before the spindle has to be modified. So let me show you what DJ M did to it. Now, since the direction of the ball joint is gonna change,

they had to drill a proper tapered hole into the spindle itself. Now, all we have to do is slide them onto the ball joints

and bolt them down.

Since our Durango is four wheel drive, we need to make sure we have plenty of clearance around these axles.

That means when we put on the shocks, you gotta use this shim that comes with the kit

and this will give you plenty of clearance

up around these axles.

We're also gonna put on shorter bump stops

while stay finish is putting the brakes and torsion bars back on.

I can go ahead and show you the wheel entire combination. We're gonna run on the Durango.

Now keep in mind you need at least an 18 inch rim on this set up for clearance. So we made a call to K MC Wheel company, had them send us these very slick looking chromed aluminum venoms. Of course, those are gonna be wrapped up in these 2 55 55 Yokohama A vs radio.

And since we're almost halfway through the suspension on project Durango Charger, you need to stick around and see how we're gonna finish it. We'll be back after this

later on trucks. We'll take you back in time for a rare look at a piece of Willie's history.

But up next, we're gonna finish that three inch drop on our dodge Durango.

Welcome back to trucks. If you're just joining us, we're right in the middle of dropping our four wheel drive to Rango three inches all the way around.

Yeah, that's right. And I said it's four wheel drive. Don't worry, you'll understand the method to our madness soon enough. Now, obviously, the rear is a whole lot easier to deal with in the front. So we'll get started by taking off these shocks in the sway bar in lane

like mel said, dropping the rear of the Durango was pretty easy because it's a spring under, which means the spring runs under the axle. So all you have to do to get your drop is put a block between the axle in the spring.

First. When you get rid of these U bolts,

don't get the wrong idea though. The rear kit is more than just a pair of blocks. As you can see. It also comes with brand new U bolts and spring plates, as well as a special sway bar in length, two new gas shocks and all the hardware you're gonna need

with the U bolts and plates out of the way you can jack up the rear end to make room for the blocks. Now, do yourself a favor here. Don't try to do this by hand, make sure you use a floor jack. That way you don't have to do the devil dance when you put the rear end down,

when you put on the new spring plate, make sure it's on the correct side and that you're not putting it on upside down. Now, don't laugh. It's easy to do.

The shock mount should bend down

once you have it where you want it, go ahead and zip it on there.

Now, obviously, since we're raising the axle three inches, the sway bar end length need to be shortened.

You can see these ones that come with a kit are a lot shorter than these stalkers.

First thing we're gonna do is mount this angle bracket to the frame using the factory hole.

Then we can mount the new links to the bracket

and then finally

swing up the sway bar,

connect it to the links and then tighten everything down.

Well, we're definitely coming down the home stretch on Project Durango charger today. In fact, all we have left to do is put on these new gas shocks and the assembly back here is done.

Now, keep in mind when you're shopping for a suspension kit,

the shocks are almost always an option but do yourself a favor, spend the extra money and get the shots that are recommended for the kit you wanna purchase.

Now with all that in mind, once you have your shocks in place, make one final check of your lines and hoses for clearance and you're ready for the rubber.

Speaking of that, mel already told you about the K MC wheels and the 2 55 55 Yokohama, we're gonna run on the front.

Well, on the rear, we're gonna use a 2 85 50.

Now, what the difference in size is gonna give us is a much wider tire in the rear to really fill out those fenders and look cool. More importantly though

the height of the rubber front and rear is gonna be the same. Now, this way, our axle ratios won't be out of whack and give us problems when we stick that thing in four wheel drive.

In order to make the final adjustments on the torsion bars and control arms, we need to get the Durango back down on the ground.

That way we can refer back to the original measurements we took on the front end.

Now, we need to have a three inch drop on both sides.

And if we don't, we're gonna have to adjust the torsion bars until we do. Looks like we're about a half inch high on this side. Let's go ahead and check the other side.

Now with a drop like this, you'll definitely need to change the settings on your torsion bars.

And these marks that we made earlier will make a really good starting point.

Now the front end will settle on you a little bit. So make sure that you check your measurements again after you've gone a few miles. Also, anytime you do any kind of major suspension work, you need to get to an alignment shop before you put any kind of serious miles on the vehicle.

Of course, that's gonna take a little discipline because with the new attitude, this thing's got,

we're gonna want Trump on it, man. You're not kidding. The States and three inches was absolutely perfect. Now, a lot of you guys probably know that the Dodge Charger is one of the most famous muscle cars of all time. So that should probably give you a little hint as to what you can expect. The Durango Charger to become over the next few weeks. Yeah, but right now we need to take a break, stay with us. We'll be right back

later in the show. Stacy has a few tips you need to know to lay down paint with a spray gun.

But that's after we take a look at a sports car that was made by a famous Jeep builder.

Thanks for staying with us. Everybody after World War two returning Gis were looking to kick up their heels and have some fun.

That was also about the same time that sports cars became everybody's vehicle of choice. Well, the fame Jeep maker, Willie wasn't about to be left out on all the fun and answered the call with the Jeeps.

You can see by this 1948 model, how Willie's tried to combine both the Jeep and the sports car

and you Jeep guys will notice that there's more chrome on the grill and the front bumper,

the legendary flip down windshield was replaced with its V shaped unit for aerodynamics, of course.

And like all the sports cars of the day, it had side curtains instead of windows.

Now, since turn signals weren't an option in 48 you had this little vent here so you could do your hand signals.

Most of the Jeeps

ever made were motivated by a four banger, but ours has a rare straight six that gets its juice from a six volt system and is backed up by a three speed manual transmission.

The top of the Jeep was held to the windshield with three latches

and folded back manually into a rear compartment revealing a true phaeton,

which means it had a front and a rear seat. And like we said before, no windows,

turn signals weren't the only option missing on the interior of this vehicle, which believe it or not was state of the art at the time, you also wouldn't find air conditioning, seat belts or a shifter on the floor

that chore was handled by a three on the tree

in the Chiefs

defense though it did have a radio and lots of chrome.

The tail end of the Jeep

definitely had the look of the day from the continental kit for the spare tire

to the slope of the rear tub. A

few sports car buffs, it's impossible to miss the styling cues that look very similar to the rear end of an old MG or triumph.

Another thing that was really popular at the time were fender skirts. As you can see, Willie's followed the style of the day but only half heartedly,

the step plates on the rear fenders were the easiest way to enter the back seat of the Jeep here with the top down and the era of the running board was running awfully thin at this point.

Unfortunately, the utilitarian styling of the Jeep

just wasn't flashy enough for the sports car crowd. So

very few were made. And shortly thereafter, Willie's turned their attention almost entirely to off road vehicles which by the way leads to one final point.

The original Jeep store was never offered in four wheel drive.

Now, this vehicle was meant to tour the countryside with the MGS and jags of its day.

When you're looking to buy a used vehicle, there's some obvious things that you should always look for, like oil leaks and treadwear and things like that.

But

if you go to look at a vehicle and it's already been conveniently warmed up for you,

you need to be really careful by doing this. The seller can hide things like hard starting problems and

valve stem leaks and the real biggie

is you won't be able to get the radiator cap off to see if there's oil in the water. Now, this is a really sneaky way to hide a blown head gasket or a cracked block. Good rule of thumb when you're looking at a used vehicle, always look at them cold

up next on trucks. Stacy takes the fear factor out of using as well as the proper way to handle a spray gun.

If you want more trucks, check us out online at trucks, tv.com.

Welcome back to the shop. Everybody. Now you've heard it said that the key to any good paint job is in the prep and body work. Now this is true.

But if you don't know how to handle the gun Well, you're just gonna end up making a big mess.

Now, it's important to understand that painting is just like welding or engine building. There is a skill involved and you definitely have to practice, but you also need to understand the techniques and tricks to using the tools. So today Stacey is gonna show you the basics on handling a spray gun.

That way, all your expensive paint doesn't go up in a cloud of overspray.

The first thing you need to get familiar with is the operation of the gun. Now, whether you're using a conventional gun like this or an HB LP, the controls are pretty much the same.

The top knob controls the spray pattern and it adjusts from a circle to a line. Now, ideally, you wanna have the pattern set, so you have a nice elliptical shape.

The lower knob controls the mixture of air and paint, turn it in and you get more air and less paint, turn it out. And of course, you get the opposite.

I generally set it in about halfway, but this is subject to change depending on the materials used and the shop conditions.

Now that you have an understanding of the controls of the gun, I'm gonna show you how to hold the dang thing so you can get the paint from the gun

to the truck where it belongs,

start your pass beyond the panel and start the air flowing. Then just before you reach the panel, start to paint

and keep a steady even speed and don't let up on the paint until you go beyond the panel

and you gotta keep the gun square to the panel. And the best way to do that is to lock your wrist and lead with your elbow and shoulder.

You want this, not this,

this is really, really important if you're shooting candies or pearls,

another real important part to all this is to shoot in straight lines. Now, on a flat piece that's pretty easy, but on a piece that's got a lot of curves. Well, it can be a lot more tricky. I'm gonna use this old scrap fender to show you how to approach one of these. Now, start at one end,

follow the contour of the fender. Make sure you keep a consistent speed.

Also, make sure the tip, the gun stays the same distance from the work. About 6 to 8 inches works the best

that ought to lay it in there real nice. Now, as you work this direction, don't keep going and try to shoot upside down. Rookie mistake. Number one,

what this will do is run the paint out of the gun and it'll spit or you'll end up getting the hose into the fender and it will mess everything up. What you need to do.

Stop, come around to the other side

and then continue the worst mistake that you can make when you're painting is to get in a hurry.

You also wanna avoid painting through tight bands with one stroke because that's a good way to get runs.

Instead, bring your line all the way down to the band

and then change the position of the gun

and continue on with the other side.

Well, hopefully this takes some of the guess work out of the painting process for you. Remember if you're shooting too dry, you're gonna have orange peel. If you shoot too wet, you're gonna have runs.

The secret is to hit that sweet spot right there in the middle. So what are you waiting for? Get out there, load up a gun and start shooting.

Well, you know, wait till after the show first. We'll be back after this.

The question for trucks back this week is what year did Chevrolet start doing business? 1909 11 or was it 15 truck gear? And the answer is up next.

So what year did founder Louis Chevrolet open his doors for business while the year was 1911

making 2000. The bow

tie's 89th anniversary

and now truck gear, parts, tools and equipment for pickups and sport utilities

using polished aluminum parts on your truck has become quite the rage these days. But the truth is it's a major hassle to keep clean, not to mention the effort it takes. Fortunately, Weel

has the answer to both of those problems with their complete line of polishes.

The red tube is for nasty jobs including heavy oxidation tarnish and stains. The blue tube is a show polish for the ultimate shine on brass chrome or aluminum and the pink has carnal wax in it for painted surfaces. Bottom line for about 10 bucks a tube, you can get the

ultimate finish for minimal effort by using weel.

Since the majority of time you're gonna spend in your truck is gonna be planted on your butt behind the steering wheel,

you need to be comfortable and most factory seats are not the most comfortable and they kind of hurt in the looks department too.

Well, custom fit decided to give you the best of both worlds with their street pro truck seats.

Now, these babies are leather, fully adjustable buckets with removable headrest and a really cool checkerboard pattern that looks like you're going fast, even if you're just sitting at a stoplight.

Now, prices will vary depending on your application, but custom fit definitely has a seat that'll fit you.

The best part about having a truck is being able to haul stuff in it. The worst part is that most beds just aren't long enough, at least until the hitch hand came out with the truck bed extender. This thing allows you to carry up to 14 ft lengths of material in a short bed while supporting up to 700 150 pounds.

All you need is a two inch box hitch and when you're done hauling your load it, disassembles for easy storage. Give yourself a helping hand with those awkward loads for about 100 and $70. That's gonna do it for truck gear. Here's a preview of next week's show.

We've got a ZR two S 10 in the shop that's gonna get a pop out rear window bed cap and rack.

Then we've got the ultimate work truck from GMC. The professional has everything you'd ever need to get the job done. And then some

after that, we'll get project trail boss ready for the paint booth.

That's all next week on trucks.

Well, that's gonna do it for this week's show.

We appreciate you hanging out with us. Yeah, we got more trucks to roll at you next week

off we go

ha.

Trucks is an RT M production.