The build commences . . .

[Optimistic Paranoid]

So, as I mentioned in my introductory posting, I just bought a 2012 F250 4X4. I will now spend the next year or so slowly building it into the Ultimate Travel Machine.

Just got in some new diff covers for the Dana 60 and Sterling 10.5 axles from RuffStuff Enterprises. These are welded up from 3/8 inch steel. I certainly don't INTEND to bash them into rocks or stumps, but I want to make sure that if it DOES happen by accident, it hopefully won't damage anything.

Only thing is, I do have to paint them first. I'm going to go with POR 15 and Topcoat.

I see everyone here has given their project vehicles names. Given that my truck is a white, crew cab with 8 foot bed, I was thinking I would call it Moby Dick, the Great White Whale. But wait, if I travel around inside a whale, doesn't that make me Jonah? And isn't a "Jonah" an unlucky person?

Maybe calling it the Ultimate Travel Machine ain't all that pretentious after all . . .

 

[Mr. Leary]

Maybe "Ultimate Travel Instrument?" UTI for short. That way you can tell everyone that you have a UTI, then proceed into the details...

 

[bob91yj]

The Great White Hope! It'll never be "exactly" what you want it to be, you'll always be hoping to make it a little bit better.

 

[TangoBlue]

I painted my axles with POR 15 once... didn't take too long and I was peeling off sheets of POR 15... like that time I got immersion-foot in Australia a while back. POR15 did work very well on the frame and cross members however, or those pieces not subject to extreme heat.

Seems that this coating doesn't care for the extreme heat that often is generated by gears and such. No worries - a little wire-wheel action eventually took off the coating and a nice oil-based enamel Rustoleum took it's place. Seems an oil-based enamel is able to expand and contract with heat much better than POR15. YMMV.