On the other side of the mounts we have the upper-link mount, now complete with a custom gusset for added support. | 
Necessity breeds innovation and with no place to mount a tube-bender and drilling the driveway not an option, we opted to build a hitch mount, and it works absolutely flawlessly. | 
We decided to build the new bedcage out of 1-3/4-inch, 0.120-wall DOM tubing. DOM is right in the middle between mild steel and chrome-moly in both price and strength, and since this is a budget trailrunner and not a race truck, DOM got the nod. |
With the suspension and axle taken care of, we were able to focus on the smaller stuff like what batteries to run, what Heims to use, what kind of tubing, what nuts and bolts, and where to buy all these parts. After scores of trips to the local parts houses and off-road shops, and with the parts pile growing and to-do list shrinking, it was time to start laying out our plan of attack.
Knowing that this truck was a daily driver, everything had to be laid out ahead of time and ready to go when the build started. So, for four months nothing was done but ordering parts, designing, fabricating the different units to be installed on the truck such as the trailing arms, and working out dates for the build. Everything was planned out down to the day a part was to be installed. Obviously though, being a small-time operation (one man working in his backyard at night to be exact) nothing ended up following the schedule, but you'll read more about that later.
ExecutionThe time had come. All of the critical parts had been ordered, paid for, and had arrived. The subassemblies, trailing arms, pivots, and axle, to name a few, had been built. The plan of attack had been laid out and the truck backed into the driveway. It was time to start building.
Follow along as we tear into the truck in an attempt to make a good truck great!
Be sure to check out OFF-ROAD's blogs at http://blogs.off-roadweb.com for even more photos and information on what went into building Project 4x4link.