Since the truck was mechanically able to be driven again, it was time to get the fuel situation wrapped up. We plumbed the fuel cell with all braided-stainless-steel line. Here you can see the blue cartridge-style filter that we added and the new Pierburg external fuel pump.
This is where we ran into another snag. See, the truck runs on about 65 psi of fuel pressure, and the new pump pushes out roughly 95 psi and the stock regulator is in the stock tank. The answer: Add an external bypass regulator. This colorful unit from Aeromotive was precisely what the doctor ordered.
The truck was driveable at this point, but there were still details to attend to. Rewiring the taillights topped the list. We rewired the taillights using a five-pin trailer plug and cleaned up all the wiring with black sheathing.
Prior to mounting the bedsides, we had to build the mounts for the spare tires. We decided to mount the spares horizontally in order to help with visibility out the rear window and to be a little different than most trailrunners on the road. We secured the spares with Beard three-way tire straps.
Mounting bedsides is no easy task, especially when they need to be customized to fit horizontal spares. Motorcycle straps are no replacement for a spare set of hands, though they don't talk back as much.
Before we were able to drive the truck again, we had to replace a bad inner tie rod. For this, we made a call to Dixon Bros. Racing and ordered the upgraded steering with machined clevis, stainless steel tie rods, and high-quality FK Heims and spacers. This is definitely a high-quality piece, much nicer than the stock unit it was replacing.
Old stock tie rod and extension.
One of the last steps before putting the truck back on the road was a thorough check of all the work that was done. This involved tearing the rear of the truck down and checking every nut, bolt, electrical connection, and fluid level. Once the truck got a clean bill of health, it was ready to hit the road!
With the suspension on, fuel cell plumbed, wiring completed, everything mounted, and the time limit for completion done, it was time to resume daily-driver duties and I am happy to report it made it to the office with no problems! And with over 1,000 miles on the system thus far, I'm glad to report all is well!