50s Ford F1 Build

[sgtpontiac]

Just keep forging ahead....

won't be long now.....[cl....wish I could say the same....

 

[Dirtyrat]

Thursday night progress, start of spring mounts

Found some 6mm scrap steel and cut it up to make a couple rear spring mounts...
A bit thicker than needed, but hey, free scrap I'll take....Just all tacked together until I get a chance to fit them to the frame and make sure they are what I want. I'm going to weld a thick wall tube on the inside to keep the spring centered, and I'll probably add a piece of urethane above the spring so its not seated against the steel.

These will mount on the outside of the frame in the rear, I need to add one more piece, and a couple of gussets onto the top of the frame rail possibly...

Probably weld shock mounts off this base as it is plenty strong enough...

 

[gold03]

Nice job!

I love free stuff

Gold03

 

[Neverdone]

Ya know what they say, anything free is worth saving up for! Everyday I am at work I walk by the scrap bin 5 or 6 times to see what gets thrown away, I hall more stuff home than any five other people in the plant combined!! Their joke out there is "One mans trash is Clay's(me) treasure!"

Looks like those ought to be plenty strong enough for a couple springs!!

 

[Dirtyrat]

Ya know what they say, anything free is worth saving up for! Everyday I am at work I walk by the scrap bin 5 or 6 times to see what gets thrown away, I hall more stuff home than any five other people in the plant combined!! Their joke out there is "One mans trash is Clay's(me) treasure!"

Looks like those ought to be plenty strong enough for a couple springs!!

Indeed, I'm always trolling for scrap steel and tubing....

Yea, I plan on possibly mounting my shocks off that as well... yes overkill but the steel is available and so I used it =)

Probably use some for the front spring mounts and such too...

 

[38fordtruck]

i have never really cared for the car trunk rear ends but i really like the way you did this one nice work [P

 

[gold03]

I still like the idea of a rumble seat. [P

Gold03

 

[Neverdone]

I still like the idea of a rumble seat. [P

Gold03

I'm with you..........

 

[Dirtyrat]

I know you guys both like the rumble seat idea, but when we are BBQing in the car show and having a cold beer, I think the rumble seat idea will be a distant memory =)

 

[Dirtyrat]

Just had a quick moment to test fit the spring mounts, and I'm about 1/2" from where I want to be without the spring rubber, so that will be perfect once I get some 1/4-1/2" upper spring rubber.

(Estimating 2" compression at load, maybe a little more, estimate 200+ lb./in on these springs, hoping for about 800lbs or so over the rear wheels... it will probably be more, so I may be making shims/adjusters later, all a part of the game right?)

So as it stands, I may take some more out of the bracket to move it further down on the frame (which allows more spring compression and keeps my ride height in the event I under estimated total rear sprung weight)

Or I can also add shims to the upper, as I will be adding heavy wall tube to keep the spring centered in the mount.

Also off the back corner where I have the 45 degree cut, I will be mounting the shock...

 

[gold03]

Your putting a BBQ and beer cooler in[cl hell yeah, who Needs a rumble seat!

Gold03

 

[Dirtyrat]

I'm itching to get this thing to be a roller... seriously... I will for sure have the rear rolling this week, and hopefully I will start on the front mounts for the spring and axle... I have some sketches already, just need to put some dimensions to them and cut out some more pieces....

Yup, I plan on this truck being functional for sure... hoping for a slide out BBQ, and a propane/AC/DC fridge eventually so we can have some fun at events, and camping...

 

[I-R-POPS]

Looking good there DR!!

What's on the menu?

Keep on Keepin on.

POPS

 

[Dirtyrat]

Thanks everyone!

Small change of plans, I didn't like the preload I had figured, so I went with an estimate of 1000lbs on the rear suspension which equates to about 2.5" of static load with a 200lb/in estimated spring rate. Just had to trim out a little of the bracket to lower it on the frame (this will account for the increased weight estimate)

I'll be adding a spring rubber, so that will gain me a bit more lift in the rear as well.

Tonight I welded up the mounts, tomorrow they get tack welded on the frame, and I'll be making the shock mounts which will line up to the top of the spring mount.

I'll get some pictures tomorrow when things are tack welded in, probably have to trim out the body more to fit it back down on the frame.

 

[sgtpontiac]

Well Alrighty then.....

I'll just sit here and wait......[P[P.....

 

[phillip-r-s]

I'm with ya[P[P
It's like camping out for star wars without the costumes

 

[sgtpontiac]

Can I be the Wookie???

I'm with ya[P[P
It's like camping out for star wars without the costumes

I'll bring the marshmallows and the graham crackers.....you bring the Hershey bars....[dr..... (nobody better say anything about the Hershey bar thing either).........

 

[Dirtyrat]

[S[S

Well... I guess I should have researched a little more on the spring rate that I am using.
Just looked it up after the initial mock up, the truck compressed the springs 2.25" with the rear body sitting on the frame (so I still have a ton of weight to add with the tank, floors, interior, glass, etc..

Mustang rear spring rate for a GT mustang is 156LB/in... WAY lower than the 200+ I estimated.
(Every 300lbs yields 1" of static compression, compression measured 2.25" = 675lbs over the rear axle right now)

So, tonight I tack welded on the spring mounts and put the weight on them... It was a good learning experience I guess.. so now I have to decide if I can get the mounts low enough on the frame to get the static ride height where I want it.

I have at least another 200lb to add with sheet metal, bumper.
I'm sure I have some more to add to the cab: glass, interior, etc...
I have 500lb to add for a full fuel tank....

Figure 300LB+ for passengers... so I'm guessing at this point fully loaded 1700lb over the rear axle, and probably about that on the front axle... seems high...

So now, do I get heavier springs, or go with the springs I have which I know can support a mustang easily and just move my mounts down from where I was about 3.5"???

 

[jfg455]

Look at your rear springs and see if they are progressive coils (tighter wound at one end than the other). Most mustangs actually weigh in around 3400 - 3800 depending on options. Also are you remembering to split the rear static load in half for each spring? Also are you springs on the axle itself or on the control arm? on the axle is a 1:1 ratio. On the swing arm it is a 2:1 ratio meaning 1/2" compression on the spring = 1" drop on the body. I would put the mounts in so the body sits 1" high with the weight you have in it right now. after you get it "loaded" you can always adjust ride height or sag with spring rates / lengths down the road. aftermarket spring sets are cheap for mustangs and they come in all kinds of rates and lengths. [P

 

[Dirtyrat]

Side note, stock mustang has almost 1700lbs on the rear axle...

Yes, I accounted for the per spring... 150lb/in per spring is 300lb/in overall...

2012 mustang springs sit on the axle, not on a control arm.

I'm going to do some more calculations and estimate the total weight and tack weld in the mount again after I cut the lip off it, I think I want to keep the softer springs and try to use them in the same type of capacity(static load) as the mustang does..