1952 F-6 Build

[Torchie]

Enough of all this health nonsense....

Thanks for all the good vibes and pm's Gang.
Lets get this build back on track.
When last we spoke I had gotten the front spring. The axle and wishbones and spindles in paint.
Now it's time to press in the shackles studs so we can assemble the spring to the axle.
Pic 1. Older style Ford shackle studs. These have a rubber inner liner that acts as a damper to help control spring bounce. So they need to be pressed in.

Pics 2-3. Spring eye and the ball joint press that I will use.

Pic 4. Washers are used to give me a surface to press against. Pressure needs to be applied to the edge of the metal sleeve. If you press on the stud end it will push it out and ruin the shackle bushing.

Pic 5-6. Easy peasy. Lemon squeezy. Shackle in and centered. Took about 5 minutes per end to do.[cl
Going to take a little break and then it's on to pressing the studs into the axle spring perch. Lets hope it goes as smooth.
Thanks for checking in on me......
Torchie

 

[smallfoot]

You're making it look easy Torchie!

 

[soltz]

I agree this is a much better topic.
Nice work, keep at it [cl[cl

PS
We're still keeping you in our thoughts

 

[AZRodDave]

You Da Man, man !!!

 

[Torchie]

A little more progress tonight....

Didn't get back out to put the spring perch shackles in but I did move the axle/wishbone in prep for finishing it up tomorrow.
Since I was out there I decided to put the new rubber "Ball" on the knob end of the radius rods. Some guys use grease. Some guys just muscle it on. But here is a way that I was shown way back when.
Pic 1. The rubber ball.

Pic 2-3.Place the ball on the knob end of the wishbone and stick an air nozzle into the small hole.

Pic 4. Press down on the ball while shooting air into the hole.

Pic 5. And there you have it.[cl [cl
Thanks for looking in and see you all tomorrow.....
Torchie

 

[Old Iron]

That's a slick way of making a hard job easy.
I'd of never thought of that trick.

 

[MercuryMac]

Way to go Torchie, I'm going to use your idea one day. As we age and slow down a bit we learn to 'work smart instead of work hard', and you just taught us some of that. Thank you.
Keep on tinkering.

 

[Torchie]

That's a slick way of making a hard job easy.
I'd of never thought of that trick.

Way to go Torchie, I'm going to use your idea one day. As we age and slow down a bit we learn to 'work smart instead of work hard', and you just taught us some of that. Thank you.
Keep on tinkering.

It still takes a fair amount of downward pressure but it's the easiest and least messy way that I have found. Plus there is no grease to deteriorate the rubber and without any grease the knob end doesn't move around inside the ball so It does a better job of dampening.
Torchie.

 

[Torchie]

Arrrrgh........

Some days it doesn't pay to get out of the Lazy-Boy........
Torchie.

 

[Old Iron]

WOW, does that need to be that tight going in

 

[Torchie]

WOW, does that need to be that tight going in

They need to be tight to work correctly OI. But not this tight. Strange thing is that they started to go in fine and then not so much......
Ordered a couple of new ones and will cut out this one. Dress up the hole on on the spring perch and try again.
Torchie.

 

[Bamamav]

May be that they were not sized properly. Seen that in a lot of reproduction stuff, it looks right, but it a hair off of being the right size. Maybe you need to polish the next set with some fine abrasive to get them to slide in easier? Just a thought.....

 

[Torchie]

May be that they were not sized properly. Seen that in a lot of reproduction stuff, it looks right, but it a hair off of being the right size. Maybe you need to polish the next set with some fine abrasive to get them to slide in easier? Just a thought.....

And it's a good thought Bama.
Like all things Ford there was a K R Wilson Tool that was specific for this job but they run about $400 for a set if you can find them.
So I will go with a little cleaning and polishing of both the shackle stud and the spring perch eye.
New studs will be here in 5-7 business days.
Torchie.

 

[Bamamav]

Chuck the stud in a drill, get some emery paper, and polish away! [cl
Can do the inside with the emery paper inside a huge cotter pin chucked in the same drill, just not at the same time!

 

[Torchie]

Thanks for the cotter pin tip Bama. Never thought of that one.[cl [cl [cl
Torchie.

 

[Bamamav]

Your welcome Torchie. I've had to hone a few wheel cylinders before, and the cotter pin and emory cloth did the trick fast.

 

[smallfoot]

You might try putting the studs in the freezer and warming up the perch eyes right before assembly.

 

[Torchie]

You might try putting the studs in the freezer and warming up the perch eyes right before assembly.

Good thought as well smallfoot. The new studs won't be here for a few days so I have time to mull it over.[S
If it stay this cold I won't need a freezer. I'll just put them out side.
-5 this morning on the way to the Drs.
Torchie

 

[soltz]

Torchie, have you ever thought about Florida or the So. West [S

 

[Torchie]

Torchie, have you ever thought about Florida or the So. West [S

Funny you should mention that as the wife and I have talked about that very thing soltz But we would have to figure out the financial end of it all.
I used to love winter. Winter camping(In a tent)
Snow shoeing. River canoeing in the winter.(No one out there but me)
Winter black power shoots. Just plain being outside in the winter.
But after I lost my leg I found that the icy parking lots and snow banks just made my chance of falling that much worse.
Now with the current heart issues it seems that the cold just cuts thru me.
I have a Daughter who used to live in Vegas and now lives in Fla so who knows what next winter will bring........
Torchie.
ps It was -3 this morning here.......