First time custom frame building

[Justin51]

I have been snooping around on here and have finally made an account as I am looking into building a rat rod. I don't want to jump into anything yet as I am trying to gather as much info as possible. I know I want to build a coupe or tudor style rat rod. My main concern and it's a HUGE one for me is building the frame. I know I need to get my body, tires, transmission and engine all together and set up in the garage then decide from there on what to do with the frame. But that's where I think I am going to get stuck and lost. Where do I go from that point Is there any books that give guidance to this? I have never built a rat rod or street rod. Ask me to completely dismantle a asphalt late model and put it back together and put a setup in it and head to the race track I can do that no problem. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[soltz]

This da Place

First welcome to the Triple RRR. You can ask mostly any thing and some one or more will answer. Cruise the bud threads and something you like start asking. Don't be a stranger[cl

 

[Torchie]

There is that type of info all over the net.
You have the right idea. Get all your stuff together first then do the frame.
Here is a link to a typical set of Rat Rod frame plans. Hope this helps
Torchie.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RAT-ROD-FRA...Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a32a6a08f&vxp=mtr

 

[Yankee Transplant]

are you a welder if so you wont have a problem ... I can read a tape and get things squared up and I can weld some ... so I got my truck cab and took it off the original frame it was on ,, (it already had a sub frame welded into it ) I cut that frame in two behind the cab and lowered it down 7" to me this level was right for me,,, and then tacked it all back together with some 4 " channel I had around .. then set the cab and bed on to see how it looked ... turns out it was just the look I wanted .. so now I have the measurements for my 2x4 tubing frame I'm going to build for it .. which I will tack it up and let a welder do the final welding so I know it will be safe ... Mine will end up being the (Z) frame High in the back and front low in the middle .

 

[sneakysnake]

I recommend carrying a tape measure with you at swap meets and car shows so you can get an idea of measurements of things you like when you see them.Widths,wheelbases,firewall to grill, wrong proportions can screw up a good project.

 

[kenny c]

One thing I did when I built my frame was to mock it up with wood 2X4 lumber with 1/4 inch plywood plates screwed to it at the jonts so I could see were things fit and have paterns of my pieces before I cut them.

 

[Sam_Fear]

Your best tool is a bucket. Get some 2x4's, cardboard boxes, and a couple tires and mock something up with your cab. Sit on that bucket and stare at it for a long while to get your proportions right. Think through where everything needs to go and how you're gonna do it. Figure a minimum of 4" ground clearance. Unless your front suspension is something off the wall, you can probably worry about all that geometry detail later. The rear should be fairly basic for you. DO NOT forget to make space for the driver!

 

[Bonehead]

I did this one like this, and then sat on a bucket. Bucket time is very valuable.

[/QUOTE]

 

[Justin51]

Great info here guys I really appreciate it!!!!! I have a lot more questions but maybe a lot will be answered by just getting everything I need and start taking measurement. But how do you go about knowing how much kick up will need in the rear in regards to where the rear end will be sitting? or is it trial and error type deal? Get it all mocked and tacked up and the rear end is sitting too low or too high or am I over thinking it at this point?

Thanks

 

[Old Iron]

That's what the 2x4 lumber is for. Easier to cut and nail than to cut and weld and cut and weld.
If you're baggin it, then level the 2x4's
Set the rearend with the same height tires you're gonna use where you think it goes
Set the frontend where you want it.
A good starting point is Z the front of the frame 4" and the rear 16"
This one is 6" front and 16" rear with bags on the back only
The link is at the bottom of my post 35 Dodge Pickup with step by step pics.

 

[kenny c]

What I did for my frame was set the engine,trans ,driveshaft and rear end all in place with the engine and trans at ride hieght and made the lower rails of the frame out of wood, leaving them a little long.and then sat the cab over them leaving enough room at the firewall for clearance. after that I decided what I was going to use for rear suspension,(coil over from speedway)estimated thier length with the weight of the vehicle, decided where I would mount them at the axle and then set my top rear rails of the frame as to where they would mount.From there I connected the rails with another 2x4 in this case at a 45 degree angle. In the front I did the same thing with that axle and buggy spring. As a side note I built the front section of my frame a little too short and had to struggle a little to fit the radiator, hoses and steering linkage.I didn't have all the parts at the time and it would have been better if I had. Sorry this long winded. I hope it helps. If you want to see how I did it search tetanus tornado, It's my build.

 

[Calgarymale86]

I'd suggest Finding and putting together all the big components together on the ground using 2x4s first just so you can figure out your wheelbase and width. I spent a lot of time sourcing out parts and then finding new parts that would work better before I made a single cut. I found that the wheels you choose make the biggest impact on the frame (I've gone through 3 wheel/rim combos before finding one I was happy with) it also dictated how big my kick up was in the front and rear to clear all the suspension components.

In the end it just comes down to a lot of sitting, staring, and thinking of how you want it to look in the end.

 

[RPM]

Way way back I drew it all out on the garage floor with side walk chalk. Also you can get big cardbord from appliance places and draw it all out on that.

We now have the luxury of drawing it all out in a CAD program. There are some free CAD programs online that you could get and play with.