Guys, I'm planning the frame for my 38 Chevy truck since I have opted to build a new frame from 2x4 tubing rather than use the original frame. I have already purchased a speedway 4" drop axle front end and my plan is to stack the 2x4 right in front of the firewall for a small kick up in the front then kick the frame up right behind the cab for the rear. I have a GM rear axle out of a cutlass with the factory trailing arms, I already know the lower mounts on the axle will have to be moved inward so they aren't too wide for the frame width. Has anyone used the factory trailing arms for the uppers and just built mounts on their frame. If anyone has, some pics of what they done would be a big help. Thanks in advance.
GM 4 link??
- Thread starter 38_Rat
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smallfoot
He's rockin' the "Nuttin Special"!
My advice would be to check the builds section and look for similar builds done by these guys. One of the new problems we have on guiding people with help is the fact that photobucket, a site that used to be a popular hosting site, got greedy and has been responsible for lots of the pix disappearing from posts that all these guys took serious time putting together. Anybody that used them for hosting now has missing pix.
Maybe you can gather some info from the posts without pix. Or just wait and some one will offer some advice on what you are trying to do. These guys are good. If you like to build, they'll show you there's more than one way to skin a cat...
Hang in there, ask questions and if you really need visual perspective, ask, and somebody will put one up.....we can post directly from the board with pix now.
Maybe you can gather some info from the posts without pix. Or just wait and some one will offer some advice on what you are trying to do. These guys are good. If you like to build, they'll show you there's more than one way to skin a cat...
Hang in there, ask questions and if you really need visual perspective, ask, and somebody will put one up.....we can post directly from the board with pix now.
Old Iron
Well-known member
Maybe these will help get you started.
I installed a Ford 9" in a 79 Malibu. It'll give you the mounting points on the frame.
These install real easy in a custom frame. Obviously you need an upper cross member to mount the upper control arms to.
I installed a 90 Trans Am rear end with factory control arms in my 48 Chevy shop truck but, I don't have any pics, at least on this computer.
I installed a Ford 9" in a 79 Malibu. It'll give you the mounting points on the frame.
These install real easy in a custom frame. Obviously you need an upper cross member to mount the upper control arms to.
I installed a 90 Trans Am rear end with factory control arms in my 48 Chevy shop truck but, I don't have any pics, at least on this computer.
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Skip
Well-known member
If the lower bars are not too much wider than your frame, maybe some brackets on the outside would serve. Or make the frame wider in the back to accommodate them. Some of the guys here have used 2x4s to design a frame before cutting up the steel. That would give you an idea of what it would look like in different configurations.
Have fun with it!
Have fun with it!
Thanks for the advice guys, on the lowers I am hoping to mount them just to the outside of the frame. My speedway front axle has a width of about 25" between the radius rods where it will attach to the frame so I'm not going to be able to get the frame real wide at the back without making the frame rails toe inward in front of the cab. I would like to keep the rails straight front to back and then just make the cross members wider at the back to widen the rear portion of the frame, just for the sake of being a little easier to construct. My main concern was making sure doing the rear suspension the way I was planning sounded like it would work good to you guys. With trying to keep a reasonable budget I would like to use as much of what I have as possible. And as long as the width of the uppers isnt too wide for the frame i was gonna try to build a cross member to mount them to. I have been around race cars for years but this will be my first rat rod build so I would always like to get others opinions on it.
phil cottingham
Well-known member
I'm doing something similar. I'm using a 85 El Camino rear end. I cut the frame of the El Camino right in front of the bottom trailing arm mounts and kept springs shocks and trailing arm all intact. I squared up the frame ends and welded metal in to attach the new frame from there to the front. I've still a got a long was to go but it looks like that part will work fine. This is going to be a bobber pickup. The old frame will all be hidden. I hope to get a build thread started soon. I haven't mastered posting pictures yet.
Stonebird
Active member
phil cottingham
Well-known member
That's exactly what I did but my frame tapers all the way to the front. I am bolting the new frame to the old so if I want to change it I can just unbolt it. If ever did it again I would not taper the frame all the way. It was really hard for me to get everything square because of the taper.
Thank you guys for the responses, I have looked all over trying to find builds that have used this setup and came up empty. Thankfully after asking I see it's been done several times. I have a g-body frame but I hate to cut it up for just the rear section so I think I will mock the rear end up behind the cab where I think it looks good and mock the frame rails up to see if the mounts will fall in right places. Thank you guys a ton!
Old Iron
Well-known member
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phil cottingham
Well-known member
What I first intention was to get in the open so I could get accurate measurements and angles to build by. After getting it out and looking I decided it would save a lot of figuring and work to use it all together.
After seeing pics of the frame using the factory rear section, that looks really appealing to me. That way all the suspension points are intact and usable. After remembering I have access to another old g-body frame with a good rear clip that eliminates the concern of cutting up a good frame. So I think I will do some measuring on a factory frame to see how wide it will be in relation to the cab and see if the bed width to hide the frame will look good with the cab
Stonebird
Active member
In those frame pics you might see where I had to widen the rear frame section. I was using an A-body rear end and had a G-body frame and arms available. I needed to add a few inches to get suspension mounts to line up. Anything is possible with a little ingenuity.
