DozerII
Well-known member
That's some real quality work you are doing . [P[P
My 40 Dodge Truck Build - Maybe a 41 LOL
- Thread starter Couper
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rods Rule:
Old Iron
Well-known member
^^^I agree^^^
bob w
Still crazy after all these years!
I'm impressed that a person with your skill set is willing to ask questions and take advice from others. You will end up with a fine hot rod.[cl
Thanks and another question.....
Thank you for that compliment Bob! I can weld and fabricate but have never built a hot rod from scratch like this. I'm so glad you guys are here to help me thru this. On the other side of the coin is that I find it amazing to have a group of guys like you willing to share their expertise to help me build a better hot rod. Truly means a lot to me!
So....another question! Has to do with the caster again. So my cross member has 7 degrees or so built in the the x-member. At the x-member I have the 7 degrees but on the king pin boss I'm showing about 12. Now this is with the axle hanging from the U bolted x-member. Not on the ground or loaded with weight. I do not have my radius rods connected because I sent them back for a set of longer ones. I feel that with the front end hanging, that the angle is the natural angle. Once loaded it's going to be pushed one way or another and give me a reading not worth anything with out the radius rods in place.
So do I ballpark the reading on the x-member, weld er up and then make final adjustments with the radius rods. Pushing or pulling the axle for a max of just a few degrees?
Sorry....I'm stuck on this
(
Thank you for that compliment Bob! I can weld and fabricate but have never built a hot rod from scratch like this. I'm so glad you guys are here to help me thru this. On the other side of the coin is that I find it amazing to have a group of guys like you willing to share their expertise to help me build a better hot rod. Truly means a lot to me!
So....another question! Has to do with the caster again. So my cross member has 7 degrees or so built in the the x-member. At the x-member I have the 7 degrees but on the king pin boss I'm showing about 12. Now this is with the axle hanging from the U bolted x-member. Not on the ground or loaded with weight. I do not have my radius rods connected because I sent them back for a set of longer ones. I feel that with the front end hanging, that the angle is the natural angle. Once loaded it's going to be pushed one way or another and give me a reading not worth anything with out the radius rods in place.
So do I ballpark the reading on the x-member, weld er up and then make final adjustments with the radius rods. Pushing or pulling the axle for a max of just a few degrees?
Sorry....I'm stuck on this
(
Thank you Dozer!
MercuryMac
Builder Junky!
Coup, I can only offer opinions as I have not had to do a front axle like yours yet. I wouldn't weld the x-member in just yet. You could probably pull the axle six or seven degrees of caster with the wishbones, but there would be a lot of binding and wearing on the spring when you were driving the car. Maybe try and find out what the cause of the extra five degrees is and change that. I think the wishbones would twist the axle two or three degrees without any worries.
Good luck, and I hope someone else with some real experience chimes in.
Good luck, and I hope someone else with some real experience chimes in.
Skip
Well-known member
NOTE: I am not an expert either.
Axle and radius rods should ideally be level, at ride height with no binding on the spring. The built in caster in the axle should give you what you need. Caster adjustment (+ or -) from there, if needed, could be done by adjusting the angle of the radius rods, without adding much stress to the spring. I would think that the point where the spring attaches to the cross-member should be level at ride height for all this to happen.
Axle and radius rods should ideally be level, at ride height with no binding on the spring. The built in caster in the axle should give you what you need. Caster adjustment (+ or -) from there, if needed, could be done by adjusting the angle of the radius rods, without adding much stress to the spring. I would think that the point where the spring attaches to the cross-member should be level at ride height for all this to happen.
Thanks for your idea's guys. I cut the 2 forward tacks an slightly changed the angle. I have it at about 7 degrees so the radius rods will only have to push or pull a degree or so. I have the frame now sitting on both the front and rear suspension. Rear coil overs not adjusted or loaded up but the full weight in on both the front and rear. I have 2 ratchet straps connected to the radius rod attachment points to pull it a bit.
I think I'm ok unless I'm really missing something....
I think I'm ok unless I'm really missing something....
Thanks for your idea's guys. I cut the 2 forward tacks an slightly changed the angle. I have it at about 7 degrees so the radius rods will only have to push or pull a degree or so. I have the frame now sitting on both the front and rear suspension. Rear coil overs not adjusted or loaded up but the full weight in on both the front and rear. I have 2 ratchet straps connected to the radius rod attachment points to pull it a bit.
I think I'm ok unless I'm really missing something....
I think I'm ok unless I'm really missing something....
Geeeze I said that twice....lol
Old Iron
Well-known member
Just keep in mined that the spring perch and caster angle are set with the vehicle at it's natural resting ride height.
Thanks OI. I have her at ride height, motor and trans in place. The only thing that is not loaded is the cab because I don't have the height to get the cab on the frame on the rack. I'm going to estimate my cab weight and some other items like radiator, alt, starter, headers ect and place a few garbage cans full of water on the frame to see where that gets me. The bottom of my frame is about 4 3/4 off the rack (ground) right now. I can crank my rear coil overs to maintian that, but in the front I'll have no adjustment, although my cross member is not welded in, just tacked, so I can adjust that before final weld if need be.
28sawrig
Well-known member
You can use a big C clamp to compress the spring to ride height rather than piling thing on 🗜
Old Iron
Well-known member
Hairpin front ends don't have a lot of caster gain so you should be fine.
bob w
Still crazy after all these years!
Ya know Couper, if your hot rod doesn't work out, you'll have a lot of us to blame.[ddd
[ddd
Never!
Old Iron
Well-known member
Ya know Couper, if your hot rod doesn't work out, you'll have a lot of us to blame.
[cl[cl[cl
Back on my build thread.....I was lost on that other thread and thought I was in the twilight zone.
So.....back and forth on what to do with that steering input shaft / motor mount obstruction. Spacer, no spacer, spacer, c-notch. Nothing like over thinking stuff. OCD is a terrible thing.
So I decided to c-notch the mount....did it twice. Yep...twice. First time with 1.5 3/16 square tubing, looked great but once installed, too tight. It would have rubbed or bound up my shaft if the poly cushion settled. I opened it up another 5/8 of so and it will be fine.
Welded my steering box plate in and have everything hooked up. Drag link level, pitman link 3/4" higher on the pitman arm side like the directions said and I can steer with a ratchet. Houston we have steering. [cl
Welded some 1" tubing in to support the fuel cell. My son's gona aluminum tig some angle to hang it from. And I started working on the trans mount. Not sure if I'm going to have a bolt in or flange the center section for a drop out in the middle.
BTW....do you see that ****ty crushed washer holding the damper on?? What kind of engine rebuilder sends something out like that? I'm gona turn up a nice thick stainless washer plate for it.
So.....back and forth on what to do with that steering input shaft / motor mount obstruction. Spacer, no spacer, spacer, c-notch. Nothing like over thinking stuff. OCD is a terrible thing.
So I decided to c-notch the mount....did it twice. Yep...twice. First time with 1.5 3/16 square tubing, looked great but once installed, too tight. It would have rubbed or bound up my shaft if the poly cushion settled. I opened it up another 5/8 of so and it will be fine.
Welded my steering box plate in and have everything hooked up. Drag link level, pitman link 3/4" higher on the pitman arm side like the directions said and I can steer with a ratchet. Houston we have steering. [cl
Welded some 1" tubing in to support the fuel cell. My son's gona aluminum tig some angle to hang it from. And I started working on the trans mount. Not sure if I'm going to have a bolt in or flange the center section for a drop out in the middle.
BTW....do you see that ****ty crushed washer holding the damper on?? What kind of engine rebuilder sends something out like that? I'm gona turn up a nice thick stainless washer plate for it.
Attachments
Thanks for that 28. I've done that with ratchet straps as well. With the barrels of water I can match the cab weight, with the straps or clamp I'd be guessing.
I should be able to maintain my desired ride height by adjusting the coil overs in the back. The front... not sure.
Even though I have a transverse leaf spring I'd like to add some adjustability in the front as well. The shocks I got from Pete & Jakes look like the belong on an RC Car.
