The rod from the Ag. Shop

[Ag.Shoprod]

I started with 40ft of 2x4 3/16" steel tubing and cut and welded up my frame in 2 days. [ I took a Dana 35 rear axle out of my Cherokee and cut the spring perches and shock mounts and re welded them where i needed them. I took the Dana 30 front axle and cut off those spring perches and cut the tubes so i had 5" of pipe on each knuckle. Then i took a 3"o.d. pipe and shoved it over the smaller tubes all the way to each knuckle and welded everything up. Using old leaf spring shackles i made tabs to go on the front axle for my custom radius arms made of 1.25" solid steel bars. I went to tractor supply and got three trailer leaf springs and threw them on front and back. Today i made my motor mounts for my 307 Chevy and my transmission mount for my 3 speed Saginaw. This is what i have so far...

https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&...ttid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_gsxmk3z00&zw

https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&...ttid=0.2&disp=inline&realattid=f_gsxmk3z61&zw

https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&...ttid=0.3&disp=inline&realattid=f_gsxmk3za2&zw

https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&...ttid=0.4&disp=inline&realattid=f_gsxmk3zp3&zw

https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&...ttid=0.5&disp=inline&realattid=f_gsxmk3zs4&zw

 

[Dirtyrat]

sounds good, pics are not available

I'd like to see the pics, but your linking to gmail where you have to be logged in.

 

[Ag.Shoprod]

sorry about that. I thought it would have worked how do i post pictures then?

 

[RRR Mod]

sorry about that. I thought it would have worked how do i post pictures then?

I'm glad you mentioned this. Here is the best way to post photos besides using a exterior photo service.

Under the text box is the "Manage Attachments" button (see attached). Click on that & when the next screen pops up add photos with the "Browse" buttons & then hit the "Upload" botton. Then hit the "Submit New Thread". This allows vBulletin to use the built in viewer like the 3 photos below!

Rat Rod Mod

 

[Ag.Shoprod]

Thanks for the information. Other sites forums I've visited are no where near as helpful as that just was.

I'll try this again.

 

[Dirtyrat]

Couple of questions, with no front transition back up, I imagine the motor mounts will be rather tall in order to have some ground clearance for your oil pan?

Back looks good from what I can see!

What body is going on this frame?

 

[Ag.Shoprod]

I made my motor mounts out of the same 2x4 tubing as the frame 5"tall. It is a little higher than i wanted, but there's no turning back now. As for the body: I'm making it too.
Here's the look I'll be trying to achieve. I built the model from scratch.

 

[Sam_Fear]

You are ambitious! It looks like you have a bit before you get to the cab, but keep your eye out for curved metal - especially stuff with compound curves. That stuff can come in real handy when you start in on the cab. If you only use flat sheet (like your model) it is going to look primitive. If you use curves in as many areas as you can manage, it will make a huge difference.

 

[Ag.Shoprod]

I finished welding everything on my motor and transmission mounts and replaced my leaf spring bushings with new metal bushings. I got one hole cut in the frame for the sleeve for my radius arm bolt.[ I realized when i started welding the sleeve in that: i cant weld the inside because the motor is set back in place I tacked my pivot point (tractor lift arm ball joint) to my radius arm to give an idea of my suspension. I feel like with my welding, it will be strong enough to do since my radius arms are solid round bar.

 

[PA41]

I've done quite a lot of JY/unconventional suspension fabbing, and theres always a little doubt about it. If you just gotta do that sort of thing don't butt weld the pieces--overlap them and run a lotta good weld. Overbuild 2-3 times just to be sure--notta place to be marginal. No room for errors.

RPM will fab you up a set of radius rods with Heims the conventional way for about what you'll spend for materials--worth considering..

I've used old bumper jacks for radius rods, so I can't tell anyone not to do that, but in hindsight I kinda wish I hadn't.

PA41

 

[Sam_Fear]

That picture about gave me a heart attack - then I realized it was mock-up. PA41 is right, don't go 'good enough' on that front suspension - the the fact it's called a suicide front end should make you think hard about doing it the best way not the cheapest.

 

[Torch]

Untack the radius rods

grind the ends back

fill the vee with weld bead making sure your melting rod metal is mixing with melting part metal...not just piling up bead over unmelted part or over the top of slag.

What you have going on right now is only going to be welded at the surface, not to the center

second thought... if your radius arms are 1" rod front to back they are going to be pretzles first time you dynamite the brakes

but if you are using 1/4 eliptic leaf springs up front to locate the axle and these 1"rods are just under foreward-aft force to control axle wrap the design might be fair to middlin

 

[Dirtyrat]

DOM tubing is your friend...

 

[Jimmy Wallbanger]

did you say pipe

cant say I never used pipe on a vehicle. but I wouldnt for a front axle. I`ve always seen it break right by the weld under stress. and I would give rpm that call on your rad bars I did and no regrets. if you do use those cut them so they slide into to the pipe then I`d drill a hole to plug weld it before doing a full weld.

 

[Ag.Shoprod]

Thanks for the information and suggestions, I was kinda in a rush to get things done lately but i did un-tack the rad arms and v them at the end and had a buddy that's a certified welder weld them up solid for me. Tomorrow is the last day i get to work on it at school and i needed to have it rolling so we could trailer it home Tuesday. It is now sitting on all 4 tires (about 2 " lower in rear and 2.5" lower in front than I had planned :/ ) I had a drive shaft made for 80 bucks and put my old shifter out of my truck so it would cram it in gear to keep it from rolling around. I was planning in the near future to talk my neighbor out of his 59 Chevy Apache rolling chassis for the axles so that the pipe and the puny Dana 35 wont take much abuse at all. And my radius arms are going to get beefed up more. They kinda have a y shape and the v in the ends will have plate welded on both sides of each arm for more strength (maybe that will cause less heart attacks now).

 

[Snake Farm]

You are ambitious! It looks like you have a bit before you get to the cab, but keep your eye out for curved metal - especially stuff with compound curves. That stuff can come in real handy when you start in on the cab. If you only use flat sheet (like your model) it is going to look primitive. If you use curves in as many areas as you can manage, it will make a huge difference.

Sam's right, use all the curves you can find. I'm always looking for shapes in metal whether it be in a car or truck or an appliance or something. This thread is cool http://ratrodsrule.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20701 and caught my eye because my daily driver is a GM Van and I have a couple of my old ones sitting out back that I use metal out of. Keep your eyes peeled, there's shapes everywhere [P[P[P

BTW Love the theme of this build! [cl[cl

 

[Ag.Shoprod]

It lives???

Okay. I got my rod home and now my build slows down. I have almost no resources in our personal shop. I did manage to find a few welding rods and some 10" pieces of angle iron that i could make a battery box with. I made the box and stole the battery out of my jeep for the test fit. Fits like a glove. I wired up my starter and my coil to two switches one for power to coil and one for power to starter solenoid. I pulled the plugs, soaked each cylinder in oil overnight, and spun it over today to blow the oil out(keep in mind this motor has sat over 20 years)..... In the oil that got blown out was crud like carbon and mouse crap and leaves! I kept pouring in and blowing out oil until no more crud came out when i spun it over. So i put my plugs back in after cleaning them, and tried to crank it. If fired a few times and cut off. I kept trying and the same thing. I cleaned the plugs again and tried again. It ran for a second![cl At this point I still have hopes for it. Then It ran out of gas oh well. It lives!? atleast somewhat

 

[Sam_Fear]

Plan on cleaning out that crank case soon too! Glad you are open to suggestions - about safety! Some guys are too pig headed to listen.

Any chance you can get ahold of a good mig? Body building won't be easy with a stick welder. Maybe look for a 70's panel van - lots of sheet metal and curves that could come in handy. The older the vehicle, the thicker the metal, the easier to weld. Trucks and vans are heavier gauge than cars.

If you have local scrappers that come through often, ask them to keep an eye out for stuff you can use - may have to pay them by the pound though.

 

[Ag.Shoprod]

change in plans

I'm going tomorrow to get a 46 Chevy stake bed $500 Its complete minus floor boards cause they're rusted out. But..... The cab will look great on my ride. Its saving me money and trouble cause now, ill have a title, wipers, no inspection, glass, windows that close, and a steering column and the add on turn signals as well as lights
I'm gonna use axles and steering to make it safer, and hopefully the radiator

wish me luck tomorrow

 

[earthman]

Good score AG.I would like to find a '46 cab myself.