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No waterjet but they have laser equipment. It's also a whole different ballgame grabbing a piece of drop material off the shelf myself vs. getting an employee to make me a part/some parts. I just can't ask that of them.

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Dang it, you are right. I ran across them while looking up the T-Clamps. I didn't research the tube size when I posted it this morning. Looks like the Single place T-Clamp will be the one I need.

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My a-arms are also the 1st design where yours are a revision. Your arm have one main 'hoop' that attaches to the BJ plate. Mine has 2 separate 'legs' that attach to the BJ plate where you considered drilling/tapping.

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I'm freakin' burning out on this stuff..... I'm trying to finalize everything that's bolted to the frame so I can disassemble for color. The latest hickup? The lower ART arms had the shock bracket re-worked so it wouldn't be the lowest portion of the arm (this was done w/the notched OE c.member when it was on my 68). Now the arms are being used w/a Dropmember.

My shock brackets won't work; not enough travel distance. Nates shock brackets won't work either. I guess his lower mount is spaced farther out-board vs. where I welded my lower mounts so the shock is contacting both the upper a-arm shaft nut & the side of the frame where it 'dimples' @ the OE shock stud location.

I going to have to modify one upper mount or the other to create something that will work....

:waah:

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Scot- Would it be easier to buy a universal weld on upper bracket? It might give you more travel, and save some time.

I got my shocks yesterday, and I am worried they are not long enough. With the truck in the air and the suspension fully extended it's about 7/8" too short.

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Did you use the relocators supplied w/the Ride Tech front kit?

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There were no relocators supplied. I don't think that is necessary with the new arms.

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They list a p/n for upper shock brackets on the front Cool Ride kits for 63-72's & 73-87's. I wonder what the deal is there?

For now, my solution will be to chop off the existing dbl shear upper tabs from my fabbed brackets & create new, taller versions. Since the 'base' of the bracket bolts to both the top & side of the frame, I can get that part accomplished & weld the tabs on later when final ride height is established (verified).

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Any new progress?

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I got some 'clamps' made to retain the brake hoses. No progress on possibly making a run of them to help others though. This week (well, 2hrs last night is the only shop time I've gotten in the last 1.5 weeks), I made the side & top plates for my new front shock brackets. I'm hoping to get some additional time out there before the end of the week to make the uprights that will actually connect the shock to the bracket. Pics of both to come once the shock mounts are closer.

I got my missing fuel line in. Of course, it still isn't quite what I need so it's going to need a little tweaking but I have to get a decent tubing bender (I'm tired of using the cheap, POS, 3-in-1 combo bender).

I did sell some parts on C.list to helpfully aid in my PC'ing hopes. But like you, life seems to be butting in the way. The inconsistent sprinkler system @ the house, the kids Hummer H3 a/c woes, & that yearly ins. premium are a few things challenging for the rights to that $$..... :lol: .

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I feel your pain brother.

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Don't tell me about the pain......just show me the baby! :lol:

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My 'latest' version of front shock brackets are 1/2 way there.

To recap.... I had to make new uppers because I modified the ART lower shock mount (one of the 1st batches of these a-arms). Even tweaking my lower mounting tabs wouldn't work w/PB's DM shock recommendation (either than shock angle would be in a bind situation or the shock made contact w/the a-arm or frame rail).

Since I had to remake the upper mount, I decided to use the Bilsteins I already had on the shelf as they offer a slightly better stroke ratio for my combo. I set the mounts up so the 15.5" fully extended shock is @ 13.5 @ ride height (6.5" bag height). Then, if aired out, the shock will be @ its 10" limit on compression.

I did these w/some basic poster-board templates & copied them to .187 steel. They were gross cut w/a 4" angle grinder & whittled from there so they're not perfect. The pics don't show but I made boxing plates for the front, back, & top.

Sorry for the crappy cell pics. I figured something was better than nothing....

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Looking good IMO.

Ratty 46

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Looks good to me as well.

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Nice design work Scot.

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Looks Good. I wish I could work on mine...

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Well... One step foward, 2 steps back. I worked on the front shock brackets Friday after work & Sun afternoon, but ran into issues.

Because each of the brackets is hand cut & trimmed independently, there were subtle variations on each. Those variations were causing problems w/alignment or positioning when trying to determine the optimum placement.

I could tweak their position, but then when I placed the top covers on them, the covers were not consistent from side to side & looked like butt (not very square & didn't 'flow' well). I was going to try & have my GF's company laser cut some consistent brackets based on my template but they're busy & I didn't want to be a wrench in the works. Instead, I'm going to use some of the RideTech 'universal' weld-on units & I'll tweak from there. They will be a more consistent starting point so I'll end up w/a better finished result.

So.... Sunday evening I played around w/my vent window frames. I wound up grinding the 2 rivets off the pivot bracket which will allow installation of the window frame seal. I used small beveled seat machine screws in place of rivets for re-assembly (just verifying they'll do the job). I still want to blast the vent window frames & get them in black epoxy before re-assembling everything.

After that, I started making a reinforcement plate for the gauge lens I used in the modifed cluster. The OE lexan/plastic gauge lens was a bit flimsy w/all the holes poked in it. When installed in the housing, it was 'ok', but I felt it could be improved upon (cheaply). I used some steel (0.060 I think) & made a backing plate for the lens. I'll panel bond the 2 together & it should work well (seems more solid just flexing them when not installed). A little more weight, but not so much it will be an issue.

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Its been 2 weeks, anything new? Are you still trying to make the Goodguys show at TMS Oct 1-3?

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I just got the Ride Tech shock brackets in today (I actually just opened the shipping box on the couch while watching the 2nd game tonight). I had arranged to have them brought to the GG's Kansas show last week. I inquired about them @ the show & although they did remember to bring them, he left them w/his personal belongings in the 'shop' dually . . ..... which was apparently being used by Bretts wife for a 'shopping' excursion. By the close of the show Sat, they still were not available. He suggested I return to get them on Sunday @ some point but we bounced back to DFW bright & early Sunday morning....

While I'd love to drive this truck into the FtWorth event, I know what it takes to get one together & it's highly unlikely. I'll still be @ the show, sans the 64.

I did finish the gauge cluster. It's very solid now so the steel 'backing plate' was a good decision.

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I got a couple minutes of shop time & verified the Ride Tech universal shock mounts will work w/a little tweaking for my application. I'll move forward on them as soon as I finish some necessary attention toward the 74.

They're doing major construction in my area & the service road into my subdivision is fubar BAD. Well, navigating through the work zone as carefully as possible yielded a solid THUNK (as in you stopped moving THUNK).....

The result? Two broken manifolds & 2 tweaked OE a-arms. I gotta get the exhaust corrected. The a-arms are drivable but look pretty ugly.

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that sucks i myself ruined a 4 day old low profile tire and a rim on a pothole once and the one responsible for maintaining that road paid the costs for replacing them ..... this was in europe
i think you can get the construction company for the road or the city lyable for the damage as they didnt closed the road or made an alternative for that road to youre company , might be hard to prove the road responsible for the damage unless you make pictures .
as long as you stay reasonable in youre expences they shouldnt give you too hard a time

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Well that sucks. I know what you're sayin though ,that construction going on over in your neck of the woods is pretty brutal.

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Well.... I ordered 1ea pass/driver manifolds for the 74 & got 2 pass units. Since that was definitely the worse of the two, I swapped it out & I'm back in business. The driver side isn't leaking for now but it definitely is cracked.

I'll be working on shock mounts this weekend (Sat).

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they can be welded with a special weldingrod , i heared sumting of a vibrating table where you mount it on during welding and let it cool inside sand to keep the moleculair structure close to cast iron and prevent stresscracks

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I would just swap to headers before that.... just didn't want to go that route @ this time. Patch it & return my focus to the 64!

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I got some time in today to work on the front shock mounts. I spent about half of that time running back & forth between local auto-part joints, Home Depot, & my house. Frustrating to say the least but I pushed on....

The shocks are C10 spec'd Bilsteins, 15.5" extended length w/5" of travel. I set them @ 13.5" length @ 6.5" bag height which = my ride height. This should allow 3" compression w/o fear of bottoming out yet still allow the bag to 'air-out' if desired.

I cut off the dbl shear shock brackets I had previously welded on the Ride tech lower a-arms (I was concerned the upper/lower shock eye orientation @ opposing 90° angles would cause a binding condition). I welded some 'new' shock tabs on the side/top of the a-arms (just like how they sell them now). After some intial measurements, I trimmed the universal Ride Tech upper mounts to yield the correct distance between the upper & lower mounts while clearing the upper a-arm shaft hardware & the frame.

In these pics, I haven't welded the upper mount yet because I'm still working on the driver side. I want to ensure both sides are the same (placement, angle, & appearance) before final welding of the upper portion. I still need to do the fit & finish on the driver side upper mount & then I can weld both sides up.

I also picked up some vent window setting tape @ the swap meet yesterday to start reassembling the vent windows & got my Hush Mat 'kit' for the cab.

I think I nailed my target dimensions for the shock length looking @ the last pic ;) . . .....

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Nice work SCOTI!

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:agree:

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The new lower mount looks much better. Good work.

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Progress is good bro. Glad to see you got this obstacle resolved.

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Nice work

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Welding on the front shock towers is complete....

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Nice work!... Nice shop setup.....

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It the maint shop @ my job. Nice stuff; but even after 22+yrs of employment, I have to semi-covertly work on my 'goverment projects' which usually means deep nights.

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Nice work on those shock mounts. I know what you mean about those "government jobs".

It was good meeting you today.
Posted via Mobile Device

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thats clasified information

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Funny, but true. I can give my friends/family a tour of the plant where I work. You can see everything except the main area where I work..... it's pass-key access only (even for internal employees).

The funny part is I'm nobody..... Just an average maunfacturing employee.

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More progress but no pics yet.

I set-up my extra swb frame w/a DM main crossmember on my trailer. It's just the main rails, front DM x-member, & T/A x-member sitting on some 2x4's & spare wheels. This allowed me to put the sbc/700r4 in place for determining the tranny x-member needs.

I have several x-members for consideration & decided to use an ECE x-member as I feel it will offer better torsional rigidity vs. a tubular unit (it bolts to the top & bottom of each frame rail vs. just the sides).

Because the DM relocates the drivetrain slightly, I'll need to cut the mount 'flange' off the x-member, flip the x-member 180°, & re-weld the mount flange. This offered the best alignment of the 'puzzle pieces' & should work well. I'm actually going to place the mount flange w/a little fudge factor in the dimensions & use a shim for dialing in the level (to set the carb flange @ 0°).

I ran out of time tonight so I'll try & get @ it earlier tomorrow. I had to wrap the drivetrain in towels, cardboard, & plastic to keep moisture @ a minimum until I can get it back in the garage tomorrow.

I'm crossing my fingers we won't see any sudden 'scattered showers' before then....

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Scoti

For the front shock brackets you got from RideTech, how thick is the material they used?

After this past weekend, I think that I might shoot for getting mine rolling/driving for the spring show.

Thanks,