1955 Ranch Wagon Cruiser

[MercuryMac]

All of the time that I've been looking at your nice gas tank, I've been thinking ahead to the time you have to change that internal gas pump. That anticipated horrible event was darkening my sky. Then you went and brightened my future, [and yours] by building an access whole to facilitate the dreaded fix. Good move. Keep on tinkering.

 

[AZRodDave]

That is one sweet tank, I'm really liking this build!

Oh yeah. Buddy and I used to say, when we were building the Miata racer, "Better than factory." This build is WAY better, by light years!!! [cl

 

[DJ3100]

Body off

Progress today - got the body off

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I forgot to get pics of it sitting on the horses. I'll post those tomorrow. I did get some welding done on the tunnel, firewall and floor pans.

 

[earthman]

Yep you are seeing it right guys, Dan has his own fork lift.

 

[DJ3100]

Frame and differential

Today looks like rain, so I didn't uncover the body and took the opportunity to work on something that wasn't sheet metal.

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Took some pics of Ford's welding - makes me feel like a very accomplished welder.

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And my favorite:

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[DJ3100]

Frame and differential

I want to get the frame at ride height so I can start working on the 4 link. The rear end is sitting way up in the air.

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I leveled the front and set it on jack stands a little higher than ride height.

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Then plasma cut the rear of the leaf springs. I'm a little concerned that the front of the leaves aren't compressed which would move the center line back. But I think it is 1/2" at most.

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With the frame level -front to back and side to side I dropped a plumb line, calculated and marked the center line.

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These lines are actually parallel

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I guess I'm ready to get that nasty differential out of there - maybe tomorrow.

 

[DJ3100]

I dragged out the 9" with my adjustable height work platform.

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Now it looks like this

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[skull]

rain??

us in the PNW ain't afraid of a little rain, [ddd

rearend look'en much better.

after you put in the 4-link will it change the driveshaft length?

friendy reminder, check and re-check tranny/driveshaft/rearend angles, on my four link it took a little fanaglin' to get it correct.

Later

 

[I-R-POPS]

I think the same welder worked on my Dodge. I guess the quality control
guy was drunk that day.

Looking good. That's going to be a sweet ride when you get done.

 

[DJ3100]

us in the PNW ain't afraid of a little rain, [ddd

rearend look'en much better.

after you put in the 4-link will it change the driveshaft length?

friendy reminder, check and re-check tranny/driveshaft/rearend angles, on my four link it took a little fanaglin' to get it correct.

Later

This is Arizona - we are scared of rain. Besides, when the sun isn't shining here we feel like we should just stay in bed.

It might change the driveshaft - I don't have the original, so it won't really matter. The 9" pinion is off center and it looks like the tranny is quite a bit higher than the pinion, so I think I'll able to use a digital level and match the pinion angle to the transmission. At least it sounds good right now.

 

[DJ3100]

I think the same welder worked on my Dodge. I guess the quality control
guy was drunk that day.

Looking good. That's going to be a sweet ride when you get done.

Thanks, Pops

I teach blacksmithing in the welding department at a community college. I see a lot of students' welds and listen the the instructors' critiques of those welds. Students can weld better on their second night. You really have to wonder about the QC and training at Ford and Dodge.

 

[jfg455]

You SW guys crack me up![cl

At this very moment our "Rain" is white and sticking to everything...

 

[DJ3100]

It was cold yesterday, too. Never got over 65.

 

[CORPO]

Yep you are seeing it right guys, Dan has his own fork lift.

that was the first thing that crossed my mind.. "damn.. he has his own fork lift"

It was cold yesterday, too. Never got over 65.

You guys are funny.. i think we topped out at 19 yesterday

The build is looking real nice!

 

[8literbeater]

This is Arizona - we are scared of rain. Besides, when the sun isn't shining here we feel like we should just stay in bed.

No kidding! I didn't do anything yesterday because it was cloudy. I mentioned it to my wife, and she said "Can you imagine living in Washington?" (We have friends there.) No way. I would never get anything done again.

 

[skull]

hey

"Can you imagine living in Washington?" No way. I would never get anything done again.

HEY! l resemble that remark

Later

 

[DJ3100]

I originally got the forklift after 2 400 pound gates got out of control and almost flattened me. I got an electric because I didn't want all the hassles that went with engines.

It turned out to be a very useful tool. It works as a variable height paint rack, and work bench. A lot of the forged work is heavy, I did a 100 foot railing job where each 3 foot section weighed 400 pounds. Really hard to deal with that stuff without a forklift. Of course it's really nice for lifting bodies off frames, putting motors on stands and even picking up a 50 pound differential housing.

 

[jfg455]

Don't try this at home with a rope and a bottle jack! They are handy rigs...

 

[DJ3100]

us in the PNW ain't afraid of a little rain, [ddd

rearend look'en much better.

after you put in the 4-link will it change the driveshaft length?

friendy reminder, check and re-check tranny/driveshaft/rearend angles, on my four link it took a little fanaglin' to get it correct.

Later

I thought I'd drag forward the friendly reminder. The only thing I would change is the "little fanaglin'". It has been a lot of fanaglin'.

And BTW I am probably responsible for all the rain for the last 3 days - I was planning on working on the body.

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[DJ3100]

Triangulated 4 link

I put a universal parallel 4 link on the '53 last January. The major brand kit I got was powder coated. I had to run a tap through all the bars to get the baked on cutting fluid out of the threads. By the time I got done the powder coat was chipped and scratched. I had to modify the brackets.

This time I decided the powder coat was more work than painting and I figured I would probably need to modify the brackets. I went with a much less expensive, no name kit. I'm pretty happy with it.

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Matched the link lengths and locked down the lock nuts,

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Mocked up the lower links.

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Located off the center section, measured the frame width and the flange to flange length, did some math and used a digital level to shim the lower mounts and tack them in place.

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The upper links are more trouble. If I use the bracket as is (45 degrees to the frame) the tube is too long.

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If I keep the links as is the bracket needs to change. But if I just cut a new angle on it the nut will be too close to the frame. The outside ear on the axle is too short to keep the pivot angle parallel with the lower link.

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It's time to tack the axle to the frame. So after measuring almost everything 5 times, it's locked down.

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