46 Ford rusty cab, my first build
- Thread starter Ratcrazy
- Start date
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racer135
Well-known member
Why not go with a Watts if you have the room? It will save expensive stress on your spring shackles/shock ends which will undo any advantages of having the pan bar in the first place.
Have you estimated/calculated how much sidewards movement your design will have?
Have you estimated/calculated how much sidewards movement your design will have?
Ratcrazy
Well-known member
Hey Racer135,
I wish I was knowledgable enough to give you a good answer to your questions but I am very new to building any supension parts. I am learning more as I go along and change things as needed.
I have tried to move the frame from side to side during the build to see just how much it would move and so far I cant get it to move at all sideways.
I have pushed it from the corners of the frame, jumped up and down on it along with a few of folks on the frame and it doesnt seem to move sideways at all.
The design was given to me by another fellow. What you see is pretty much a copy of his even down to using the same bushings. Check out the link I am posting and look closely to pages 1 and 3 of he supension.
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http://ratrodsrule.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3030
Thanks for showing interest in my build, I do appreciate your comments and concerns.
Larry
I wish I was knowledgable enough to give you a good answer to your questions but I am very new to building any supension parts. I am learning more as I go along and change things as needed.
I have tried to move the frame from side to side during the build to see just how much it would move and so far I cant get it to move at all sideways.
I have pushed it from the corners of the frame, jumped up and down on it along with a few of folks on the frame and it doesnt seem to move sideways at all.
The design was given to me by another fellow. What you see is pretty much a copy of his even down to using the same bushings. Check out the link I am posting and look closely to pages 1 and 3 of he supension.
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http://ratrodsrule.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3030
Thanks for showing interest in my build, I do appreciate your comments and concerns.
Larry
racer135
Well-known member
Yeah I'm pretty new to it all too. I haven't really heard of any problems from using the panhard design, but in theory it just looks like it would pull the whole rear-end towards the chassis rail the bar is attached to. I could see that it would work well on oval track cars with the bar hung off the chassis rail closest to the outside of the track (left turn).
Good luck on your design and hope to see more progress soon.
Good luck on your design and hope to see more progress soon.
Ratcrazy
Well-known member
Hey M. Havent heard from you in a while, I came by about 2 weeks ago....woke your dad up...sorry bout that. He said you were back in school now.
I was wondering if we might do some swapping back on the tail light for the rear window. The more I look at it the more I have been thinking about how I could do my top with bars and maybe something in a material that snaps on. Anyway let me know what you think about the swap.
Good luck in your schooling and hope to see you soon.
I was wondering if we might do some swapping back on the tail light for the rear window. The more I look at it the more I have been thinking about how I could do my top with bars and maybe something in a material that snaps on. Anyway let me know what you think about the swap.
Good luck in your schooling and hope to see you soon.
Ratcrazy
Well-known member
Front End Change Over
I decided to change my front supension to get a longer wheel base. The original wheel base only measured just over 100 inches. After doing alot of research on this forum and on KB forum I decided I wanted a suicide perch supension instead of the gasser style. The suicide perch will allow me to use the headers I made along with the rack and pinion. So I started this weekend cutting out what I have done and building some new brackets.
After doing some careful measurements and making a few cardboard patterns I final had a design I am happy with. I transferred the patterns to 1/4 inch flat stock and started cutting. On the batwing position of the brackets I drilled two 3/8 holes 5 inches apart to pick up the radius rods. I drill a 9/16inch hole to mount the spring boss to the brackets. I found a 2000 lb cap. trailer spring for 24 bucks at Northern Tool and Equipment that I believe will carry the load of the inline six just fine. I only tacked the brackets together just in case something needs to move or be relocated. I will weld it all solid after I have all the parts in place.
Here's a few photos of the steps taken in this part of my build.
I decided to change my front supension to get a longer wheel base. The original wheel base only measured just over 100 inches. After doing alot of research on this forum and on KB forum I decided I wanted a suicide perch supension instead of the gasser style. The suicide perch will allow me to use the headers I made along with the rack and pinion. So I started this weekend cutting out what I have done and building some new brackets.
After doing some careful measurements and making a few cardboard patterns I final had a design I am happy with. I transferred the patterns to 1/4 inch flat stock and started cutting. On the batwing position of the brackets I drilled two 3/8 holes 5 inches apart to pick up the radius rods. I drill a 9/16inch hole to mount the spring boss to the brackets. I found a 2000 lb cap. trailer spring for 24 bucks at Northern Tool and Equipment that I believe will carry the load of the inline six just fine. I only tacked the brackets together just in case something needs to move or be relocated. I will weld it all solid after I have all the parts in place.
Here's a few photos of the steps taken in this part of my build.
Attachments
Ratcrazy
Well-known member
Update on my 46 rustbucket
As expected in the last post the brackets had to be redone but made good use of the steel and fabed up some brackets to mount the rack&pinion on the front tube.
Got the old front end out and the old cross member cut away to make room for the rack.
Fabed up a spring perch and got it welded in solid and at 6 degrees rise. Still haven't gone after the new spring yet but went ahead and bolted the axle to the perch to get an idea of what the front will look like when all is finished.
This thing all but sets on the ground without the front spring on it. The cab is about an inch off the floor as it sets now. Hopefully I can get the spring in a few days and get this thing back up in the air where it should be.
As I said earlier I did get the rack&pinion mounts made and tacked in place for the time being. Still got to do some more work on the tierods to make it all work but its coming together nicely I think. I will be able to reuse the original tierod ends with the 88 Omni rack. Will just have to fab up a couple of sleeves and cut the rods to length to make it all work together. The rack gives it a 1 1/2 turn in each direction.
Thought I would post a couple of pic's to let you see what I got done.
Larry
As expected in the last post the brackets had to be redone but made good use of the steel and fabed up some brackets to mount the rack&pinion on the front tube.
Got the old front end out and the old cross member cut away to make room for the rack.
Fabed up a spring perch and got it welded in solid and at 6 degrees rise. Still haven't gone after the new spring yet but went ahead and bolted the axle to the perch to get an idea of what the front will look like when all is finished.
This thing all but sets on the ground without the front spring on it. The cab is about an inch off the floor as it sets now. Hopefully I can get the spring in a few days and get this thing back up in the air where it should be.
As I said earlier I did get the rack&pinion mounts made and tacked in place for the time being. Still got to do some more work on the tierods to make it all work but its coming together nicely I think. I will be able to reuse the original tierod ends with the 88 Omni rack. Will just have to fab up a couple of sleeves and cut the rods to length to make it all work together. The rack gives it a 1 1/2 turn in each direction.
Thought I would post a couple of pic's to let you see what I got done.
Larry
Attachments
racer135
Well-known member
What is the diameter of the rack/geared rod on that Dodge rack?
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Ratcrazy
Well-known member
The rack pushrods w/ the gear groves: diameter-.950 or +/- 24.25mm.
The toe rods: diameter-.570 or 14.50mm.
The R&P housing: diameter-1.600 inches.
The rack housing is 17 1/2 inches in length, not counting the length of the tie rods because they will be cut to length and sleeved to fit over the original tie rods on the 50 chevy axle.
Hope this helps and thanks for taking interest in my build.
Larry
The toe rods: diameter-.570 or 14.50mm.
The R&P housing: diameter-1.600 inches.
The rack housing is 17 1/2 inches in length, not counting the length of the tie rods because they will be cut to length and sleeved to fit over the original tie rods on the 50 chevy axle.
Hope this helps and thanks for taking interest in my build.
Larry
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Ratcrazy
Well-known member
I cant remember where I seen it but here's my take on building my own grille shell out of some window frames from a 46 Ford truck.
First pic is before the frames are trimmed.
Second are after trimming.
Third is the face frame after welding together and grinding.
Will still have to add side panels but will have to wait till I have the front spring on the axle and the car is at ride heigth.
First pic is before the frames are trimmed.
Second are after trimming.
Third is the face frame after welding together and grinding.
Will still have to add side panels but will have to wait till I have the front spring on the axle and the car is at ride heigth.
Attachments
Bonehead
Skull Master
Grill looks great. Good shape.
hotrod preacher
"Official RRR Chaplain"
that grill idea looks real good.......
i like the idea of build what ya can w/what ya got
.............ain't that what ratroddin' is all about
HRP
i like the idea of build what ya can w/what ya got
.............ain't that what ratroddin' is all about
HRP
Ratcrazy
Well-known member
Ratcrazy
Well-known member
that grill idea looks real good.......
i like the idea of build what ya can w/what ya got
.............ain't that what ratroddin' is all about
HRP
Thanks HRP.. maybe I found another God given talent....
Larry
ANNAMEL
Well-known member
Like the grill. Thanks for the detail pics. Been wantin to do that.
Ratcrazy
Well-known member
If you are going to build one also, start out by laying the window frames over your radiator and moving them around till you find the shape you like and to make sure they are going to fit the radiator.
I found the center of my radiator and ran a tape line down it so I would have a reference point to line the frames on.
Hope this helps.
Larry
racer135
Well-known member
Wow! I didn't expect a little hatchback to have a rack with a 1in diameter pushrod!
ANNAMEL
Well-known member
Thanks for the tip. Will do. Going to look for some ol doors this weekend.
