37 Ford Build

[YoungBlood]

Okay, here is a few weeks of progress that I haven't had a chance to upload yet.

Homemade driveshaft loop that I made with some scrap bar stock I had and the tubing bender

The finished product

I needed to get an X in this chassis, so I took what was left over of my 2x3 tubing scrap and decided to use it. It might look ugly but it totally works. I put the loop in the middle of the joining 45 degree cuts and braced the insides (and welded the outsides) to make one full piece. Its in there very well. Wish I had more money to do something a little more legit, but this will work

 

[YoungBlood]

Now its time to get rolling on my 4 bar set up using the Jeep TJ arms.

Heres the steel I set aside to get the job done (3/16")

And the $33 in Grade 8 Hardward

Got the lower chassis holes drilled and mocked up the lower bars

 

[YoungBlood]

I figured getting the lower bars mounted first would be the easiest route. Here are my hand fabricated brackets that go under the axle. I am using the relief cut method as I don't have a Hole Saw bit big enough for my 3" axle tube

Finished product

 

[YoungBlood]

When you don't have anyone around to help, you can always rely on bricks!

 

[YoungBlood]

After it was tacked I flipped it over to finish the welds

Then I did the upper axle brackets. The middle bracket I welded into a 'V' for strength.

All bolted together

 

[YoungBlood]

I am working on the Upper Coilover mounts this week, and I am going to buy the lower ones that weld to a 3" axle tube from Speedway for $10/piece just because I can't even make them for that cheap. I am also trying to figure out how to mount this swaybar

Some pics with the cab back on

 

[YoungBlood]

Also, here's the injury that made me take a week and a half off from the car in early November. I stuck myself in the thumb with an .045" Cut Off Wheel. I couldn't grab any thing with my left hand for a few days. I seriously could have cut my entire thumb off

I am a puss when it comes to Narcotics. My GF gave me 1/2 a Vicodin and I passed out. I guess the dog crawled on me and she snapped a pic haha

I could have used a stitch I guess, but I am all good now. NEW LESSON: Always wear gloves

 

[Oldrodder43]

bricks

Yup, bricks are good, and indispensable! And lots of wood blocks. These things NEVER talk back, never complain, and NEVER ask for PAY. Sorry for you cut. Got news, they cut through gloves too..............Perley

 

[bob w]

Youngblood, Looks like you lost some of that young blood! I think if we started an injury thread it would be the biggest one on RRR.
Oh, by the way, I like the work you are doing. Gonna be one nasty looking truck, and, well built too.

 

[dmw56]

Take care of you thumb man. I think you can actually get Kevlar glove that are cut resistant.

Just a thought, if you could put 2 more hoops are some gussets in the center section it would strengthen up that area considerably.

Everything else looking great.

PS- your dog is getting big, huge, very large....fast!

 

[YoungBlood]

You're right Perley, bricks are the best and gloves are merely just an extra layer of skin to cut through.

Thanks Bob, I appreicate the support. We should start an injury thread. I can't seem to figure out why I have 7 scars on my left hand and only one on my right LOL

DMW, thats not a bad idea. I could add a loop in front and back of the existing one. Yeah, and the pup, he's 4 months 3 weeks and the vet weighed him in at 51 pounds last week She said to start giving him adult dog food already

Thanks again guys. I will get pics of my front suspension once I get a call from the parts store.

 

[Gastrick]

Looks like you are doing some good work Youngblood. The truck is looking good.

 

[YoungBlood]

Thanks Gastrick. It feels like you spend so much time on something then realize that you haven't really gotten that much done, you know? Makes me a bit concerned about hitting my 1 year personal goal on this baby (January 29th)

 

[YoungBlood]

Hey guys, some more progress to report:

I had been trying to figure out how to make the twin I beam trailing arm work as a regular I beam hairpin, so I bought some materials and did some research on the exact end link bushing that would work. Energy Suspension provided the needed set up.

Anyone thats seen an end link knows that there is a bolt with a sleeve it goes through and bushings on each end of the sleeve. The problem I was having was how I was going to mount the set up to an I Beam that previously had parallel leafs. Obviously I needed to make a bracket that would bolt through the 4 holes of the existing pad.

So first, I bought some 5" wide 1/4" plate and cut it into two 6" long pieces.

 

[YoungBlood]

Now I had to figure out how to get the sleeve for the end link to fit inside another piece of pipe to give rigidity. I found some pipe that was really close to the sleeve slipping in, so I picked it up.

First, I figured if I ran a rat tail file down the pipe long enough I could get it to slip in.

No dice. I filed and filed and I was going nowhere fast. So I thought running a drill bit through it very carefully would do the trick.

Again, not working very well...

 

[YoungBlood]

...then I whipped out this bad boy, thinking surely this is the best way

Again, NO. I cut the pipe in half to take a look at the inside and all did was mangle this thing.

It dawns on me then, why not cut the pipe in half, press it with the vice around the sleeve (forming it) then weld her together as one piece?

 

[YoungBlood]

Here is the end of the trailing arm with the end link and bushings bolted in to give you an idea of what it will do.

Now I needed to get this new sleeve into the 1/4" plate. So I drilled 4 holes to mount the plate to the I beam, then a 5th hole to run the sleeve into. Here is the top of the plate with the sleeve welded in.

Also, for anyone that might try this, I would run a spare bolt through the sleeve between each weld just in case there might be any kind of warpage.

Then I got the bottom welded with a little gusset.

 

[YoungBlood]

After some clean up, I got it it ready to fit in the hole I made on the I Beam pad

 

[YoungBlood]

I had to do some clearancing on the bottom arm of the Trailing Arm, but nothing major, to get it to clear the idler arm

Here it is bolted in. Not as ugly as I thought it would be.

 

[dmw56]

That is really slick great idea. Should work out great. I bet they are practically giving those I-beams away at the salvage yard.