before i cut!

[joehalford01]

Looks like i have everything ready to go, I didn't realize how bad my slab was until i started shimming the jack stands to make the frame level . I managed to get the front 3/4 of the frame perfectly level side to side and down the length of the frame but the last 1/4 on the end i couldn't get perfect. I don't know if this is because of the frame itself or the slab but everything i'm cutting is level so i think i'm ok there. I'm not sure how to get my sharpie lines straight on the frame though........the spot i'm cutting has no option of using a t-square and i tried some other methods that are so bubba i won't even mention (tripper knows ). What methods have you guys used to draw a true straight line on the frame prior to cutting? I think i'm pretty close but i can't say i feel super confident in my lines, which to me is a sign not to cut just yet. Help me out guys , thanks.

 

[luckyfasteddie]

When you say straight to you really mean plumb ? Where are you making these lines on top of the frame or on the sides?

 

[FlatBroke]

LFE is a wise man,
If you are concerned about lines on the frame being straight, drop a plumbob from the rafters. If you want to make straight lines on the floor, use a chaulk box and pop a line. Other than that, I'm not very wise...

 

[roddguy]

A few pics would make it a little easier for me to understand what your trying to accomplish. I wouldn't want to give advice when I'm not sure of what you need.

 

[Unkl Ian]

Low techlumb Bob,Bubble Level,etc.

High Tech:Lazer Level

 

[Unkl Ian]

I managed to get the front 3/4 of the frame perfectly level side to side and down the length of the frame but the last 1/4 on the end i couldn't get perfect.

Sounds like the frame has a slight twist on one end.

 

[joehalford01]

here is a pic from last week (i think), the frame is basically in the same spot except i made it perfectly straight (visually) and have gotten it as level as possible. I'm putting my cut lines on the top and sides so that i can follow them as i use the cut-off wheel. Tripper sent me a link to dons thread about alignment and it looked like a good idea. I managed to get a nice square made with a sharpie and a chalk line and a t-square all the way around the outside of the frame (about 15 min ago ). I then used the t-square and the sharpie to make a straight line across the box where i want to cut the frame. Do i drop a bobber off the side of the frame where the line is at and use that to draw my cut line on the frame? Am i on the right track?

LFE- I guess i do mean plumb, never used that term before

 

[joehalford01]

forgot the pic, here it is

 

[Bonehead]

Plumb is a term that means " a straight line from a point, to the center of the earth".
I think once I have a line from one rail to the other, and have checked it by measurements from the front and back on both sides, (I am big on measuring things several times from several places.) I would use a square if the frame is straight. *Tip, you can clamp a flat scrap to the top of the C channel and square off of it to mark the outside of the frame.

Also check your frame out well first. I have cross measured factory frames and found them off to start with. It makes it hard to figure out where YOU went wrong if it was not your fault.

 

[luckyfasteddie]

mo info

Picis too dark for my old eyes. What is it and why are you cutting it ?If you have all ready disclosed this info I have forgotten ,update for me? LFE In the old days when suspension mods were a hodge podge of what ever the rodder could do people invented the term channel they left the frame and suspension alone and dropped the body over the frame achieving as low a stance as they wanted. Up side factory suspension stayed the same.= your ride did not change. Down side you lost head room and coupled with the usual chop made it tight quarters inside for a tall or fat man. Now a days with so many bolt on suspension mods one can get a car or truck as low as you want with out sacrificing ride quality or inside head room even with a chop. My 47 -with air bags sits 2" from the ground in the front with the air out.In back I c notched the frame , flipped the axle and extended the shackles. Works good and was practicly a bolt on thing.No frame cutting was necessary.

 

[joehalford01]

Picis too dark for my old eyes. What is it and why are you cutting it ?If you have all ready disclosed this info I have forgotten ,update for me? LFE In the old days when suspension mods were a hodge podge of what ever the rodder could do people invented the term channel they left the frame and suspension alone and dropped the body over the frame achieving as low a stance as they wanted. Up side factory suspension stayed the same.= your ride did not change. Down side you lost head room and coupled with the usual chop made it tight quarters inside for a tall or fat man. Now a days with so many bolt on suspension mods one can get a car or truck as low as you want with out sacrificing ride quality or inside head room even with a chop. My 47 -with air bags sits 2" from the ground in the front with the air out.In back I c notched the frame , flipped the axle and extended the shackles. Works good and was practicly a bolt on thing.No frame cutting was necessary.

I'm z'ing the frame 3" inches in the front. I will have to re-work the transmission tunnel anyways so I'm also planning a one inch body drop. I figure if i'm going to do it all i might as well do it all the way. They do make a front crossmember that allows you to lay frame and is bolt in; it runs $1500 though. I want my truck bagged so i can lay it out, otherwise i'm not really into the idea of spending a lot of cash on an air-bag system. I'd rather put that money into the engine, brakes, etc. I'm also kinda using this truck as a catch all experiment, I want to use it for practice in a sense for future projects. I've learned alot so far. I appreciate all the help guys. I think i have the whole measuring thing figured out and will get it squared away this week.