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and they also say, talk is cheap :lol:........you've been a spectator long enough, time to be a participant!

Re: Project: Recycle
 

A little progress tonight on the pass side truss.

I started welding the inside of the new 'truss' to the top of the original frame. I welded the areas where the reinforcement gussets were going first, then put the gussets in place to help keep the truss as square as possible w/the frame rail once the heat is applied.

With the gussets in place (& a couple of bolts/nuts for the extreme corners), I welded the remainder of the inside. I started prepping the outer edge but it was getting late so I decided to let things cool down & will try again this weekend.

There will be two additional gussets added where the 60° transition pieces will be from the top of the truss to the top of the OE framerail....

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looking good.

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Looks good Scoti. Are you going to use pieces from the other frame to make the 60 degress transitions back down to the OE frame? I would think that using them with the radius for the bend (top edge of the frame) would be consistant and would "flow" into the OE frame really well. Just a thought for you...

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No.... Just going to use flat plate for the end pieces. I'll round the edges to mirror the inside corner of the notches (as much as possible anyway).

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Scot are you making templates? Maybe you could offer this as a kit...;)

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The compound curves of the frame does not lend itself to being a 'kit'.

The main reason I took the route I did was @ the time this started, nobody offered a 'small' step-notch. I don't plan to plant the frame rails & didn't want to step the bed floor (and still wanted bed depth). The bolt-in c-notches could have worked for the heights I planned but they're not engineered for the additional rear-end set back that I now have.

After discussion w/Nathan @ Porterbuilt, he now offers a 'small' step notch that basically allows the notch to be the entire depth of the original frame w/the 'step-notch' portion being directly above it. IIRC, they're 4" above the top of the original frame.

The ones in my pics are 2.5" above the original frame rail which yeilds 4" rail height above the c-notched area (which is only .500" less than the original frame rail height).

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Ok . . ..... I now have about 50% of the fab work done on the frame 'trusses'.

The gusset plates (4 on each side) are welded in; the length of each truss was welded to the frame on the inside, & the 60° angles are trimmed on the ends of the outer portion of each truss.

I also trimmed the inside edges of the trusses & gussets. I will start making the inner boxing plates & the end transition pieces next time I head to the shop.

This should make things as strong as stock.....

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Very cool!

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Got after it again today! I rarely get multiple days w/several hours of work time. They killed the power to our plant yesterday to install an upgraded transformer so we got out a little early. Since power was out yesterday, today was slow as we played catch up. So I took advantage & bolted early again today.

I got both sides completely welded & started the clean-up grinding on the driver side. I'll mount the bed floor again asap just to make 100% sure nothing interferes (nothing should).

Prob won't get much time on it this weekend since I hope to be helping a fellow board member (Jonboy) drop his truck on my 'free day'.

Pics, pics, & more pics.....

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Looks bullet proof Scot. You do great work, and using the donor frame was a great idea! A textbook example of form following function.

Now you can still use your truck, like a truck, without worrying about a weakened frame.

Neat Stuff! :thumbs:

[FEA (Finite Element Analysis) models shown below showing the effect of Scot's modifications to frame strength safety factor]

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Very impressive, looks even better than what I had pictured in my head. Let me know when you want to try the bed floor.

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great work and definitelt keep the pix coming. your work is great and i really like the step notch idea. i'm putting that on the list of things to do.....

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Not much done but some pics anyway. We threw the bed floor on & one wheel to make sure things cleared as expected....

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Nice. That cleaned up well and looks great!

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Nice work Scoti

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I picked up a couple of parts @ the Pate swap meet this weekend that were needed. I got the BBW sheet metal needed to get the conversion process under way.

I got the bulk of a rear cab section & whittled it down to a more manageable size. From there it was the drill, pry, & split routine (over & over.... & over again :lol: ). A couple hours later I was done.

I hope to get started on removing the small window sheet metal this week & my buddy has cleared a spot in his shop to get some fresh interior color sprayed....

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Cool!!!

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Nice can't wait to see the BBW install!

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I suppose I am just a pervert from way back, but BBW means something completely different to me.

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:lol::lol::lol::lol:

That's funny right thar, I dont care who you are, that's funny!

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I'm just saying if you do a google search on BBW you will find what I'm more familiar with and it doesn't mention old truck windows anywhere.

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Hhmm.... Is it just me, or does TX seem to know an awful lot about this 'other' BBW definition?? For some people, "way back" means last week when the bar closed on Sat night :lol: .

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Hey I'm an old chubby chaser from way back.

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:haha:

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I think your sharing a bit too much Kevin...:)

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Geez , I'm not saying I am a trench coat wearing perv, I just dated a few fluffy girls over the years.

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:haha:

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Wow, totally the wrong (or maybe perfect) time to open up this thread for a read.:lol: SCOTI, very nice work so far, with so much attention to detail the end result is sure to be stunning. Subscribed for the ride.:smoke:

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I got a little more done tonight but didn't take any pics.

I wanted to add some reinforcement plates for the R&P notches which requires some 're-work' the pass side front frame rail where the OE idler arm mounts on 67-72 frames (earlier frames don't have the dimples for the idler arm).

My plan is to sandwhich the original portion of the frame immediately surrounding the notch between 2pcs of .1875" steel. This requires the frame to be as flat as possible so those 'dimples' had to go. I removed that portion of the frame & replaced it w/some flat steel (I used a section of the scrap frame for the flat piece).

While re-working the area, I re-shaped the area on the top of the frame rail where it curved 'up' (I believe this was OE for fuel pump clearance on 292's & 396's). I flattened the top portion of the frame to be symmetrical w/the driver side. I also trimmed the rails up a little for a nice clean edge when transitioning from the upper a-arm/bag mount to the radiator core support area of the frame rails.

I got the outside portion of the rail cleaned up after the welds were cooled; still need to do the inside. I also made my templates for the plates that will sandwhich the notches. I'll get some pics up tomorrow.....

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You guys are too funny
I've had to explain my board name once or twice
Looking great Scoti,Am I to assume that you'll be bonding the inner pinch weld or ?
T

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Yes, that's the current plan.

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Hey Scoti... crazy question, but what steel/scrap yard are you using? I have always used Garland Steel, but man..last time I left with 64lbs of drop steel, I paid like $60. Alum would have probably been more.

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Garland Steel is the closest to me so I do get most metal from them. I recycle my old scrap w/my GF's family owned company as they have a scrap container. They also supply me w/some certain parts/pieces if timing & inventory allows. They made my rear c-notches & my air-ride control panel FOC..... Well, I live w/their daughter so not exactly free ;) .

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You guys need to come on over to Fort Worth. My steel yard gets 30 cents a pound for drops. Westex off North Main in Ft Worth.

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Thanks man...I will check them out. Much closer. Im in Southlake. Garland Steel is 35 miles from me. I think Im going to just build my notch for the frame with the last bit of steel I bought from Garland.

edit/// They are 28 miles from me...little closer. Im in NRH all the time at the woman's place.

Thanks for the reply Scoti...

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Alright.... A little more progress.

Friday I got the truck loaded up & got it moved over to a friends shop. He'll be letting me utilize some shop space to do the small to big back window conversion. We'll also be painting the interior while it's there & his glass guy will pop in some fresh front/rear glass.

I still had a couple of things that needed to be finished on the frame. I needed to weld in some .500" solid rod on the rear bend of the rear c-notches. With the insight of Lakeroadster, the rear bend was determined to be the 'weak-point' of the re-worked c-notches. The solid rod will help re-inforce this possible stress point. While I had the frame flipped to do the rear, I also finished welding the bottom edge of the R&P c-notches in front.

I'm in the process of making re-inforcement plates to help strengthen the frame area adjacent to the R&P notches & will try to get those finished up in the next couple of days.

Pics of the solid rod welded to the rear bend of the rear c-notches....

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Haha know when to say when on the frame stregnthing it gets addicacting! Looks good!

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The strength/stress analysis he did indicated the rear would still have a stress point @ that rear bend so the solid rod was needed.

The front notches are what 'everyone else' is installing w/their Dropmember installs. I decided I would prefer the frame around the notched area to be re-inforced. That's about it.

I meant to take a couple of pics from where I smoothed the side of the frame rail & 'removed' the curved portion on the top of the frame but forgot....

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That is certainly going to be a stout notch! I'm interested in seeing the finished product.

As for the BBW conversion, I'm still pondering mine and am anxious to see step by step progress pics on yours. Don't forget to take the pics...