Now that we have given you a run- through of some of the tools for this job, we can begin setting up the truck. We say some, because we can't go through every tool, but you'll see most of the tools and their applications during the build. Today, we're going to set up the truck to prepare for 'bagging. After we 'bag the front and rear, we are going to body-drop it, tub the front and rear, and lay the truck out on 18-inch rims.
 7. The first thing you must...  7. The first thing you must do before every job is make sure you disconnect your battery before you weld. It's always a good idea to disconnect it no matter what you're doing to ensure your drunken buddy (in our case, Jimmy) doesn't start it with your head or hand in the engine bay. |  8. Here, you can see some...  8. Here, you can see some shims we cut to level the truck. This will ensure accuracy in our measurements. You can't always rely on the floor being completely level. |  9. Now we've got the truck...  9. Now we've got the truck up in the air and our work area is ready to go. As you can see, it's late in the afternoon, but lights are set up and we're ready to rock 'n' roll. Before you put it up, make sure to loosen the lugs enough to make them easily removable once in the air. |
 10. Since we loosened our...  10. Since we loosened our lugs before, they should be easy to remove now, so we removed the tires to get them out of the way. |  11. Next we measured the...  11. Next we measured the rear. If you're off by a bit, use some metal shims to get an accurate clearance. Obviously, if you have to use too many shims, it's going to be unsafe. Always click the jackstand up or down a notch before adding shims. |  12. With the truck up in...  12. With the truck up in the air, we measured the front-ground clearance. |
 13. With the shim in place,...  13. With the shim in place, we remeasured and were right on the money. Working on an uneven floor can be a pain, but we deal with it to ensure perfection. And remember, it's always better to measure twice and cut once. |  14. At this point, we need...  14. At this point, we need to remove the bed, and recommend you take your taillights off so you don't break them while moving the bed around. It's better to take them off and put them in a secure place. |  15. Disconnect the fuel filler,...  15. Disconnect the fuel filler, and make sure you get all of the hoses that mount to the bed disconnected. It's sometimes easy to forget about the breather hose. Once disconnected, go underneath and pull it down and out of the way. |
 16. Undo the bed bolts, and...  16. Undo the bed bolts, and make sure to unplug the wiring harness from the bed to the frame. I've removed many Mitsu beds-a step I always forget. |  17. Now, you're ready to...  17. Now, you're ready to remove the bed. Hopefully, you have some friends around to help, because this isn't an easy process. Four is ideal, although it can be done with fewer people. Later, we'll come back and body-drop this bed. |  18. Can't TrustEm's crew,...  18. Can't TrustEm's crew, from left, Aaron, Steve, and Jimmy. Missing is yours truly, Ernie. Maybe we'll add to this funky bunch by draggin' Mike away from the Weekend Warrior long enough to lend a hand. |
 19. Here it is in all its...  19. Here it is in all its glory and almost naked-a '94 Mitsubishi Mighty Max ready to go under the knife. Stay tuned for project STK TRUK in upcoming issues to see how we take it from a static-dropped daily to a body-dragging monster. | | |