Project: Bad Bagged '68.5

[abadsvt]

Looks Sick!!!! These trucks looks so good low like that! I will be watching this build thread for sure!!!

[jlaird]

a little progress, actually it looks like I went backwards, because I took the cab off, but had to to chop the trailing arm crossmember. So that is what I finished (except for the exhaust cutouts). She cant go any lower, shes on the ground! Heres some pics. Next up is to make a crossmember that goes between the trailing arm x-member and the axle.

[LUV2XCLR8]

Looking awesome, can't wait to see the body on that frame

[jlaird]

Got the driveshaft loop x-member finished as well as the exhaust cutouts almost done. Some pics:

[BigShoe24]

Very nice work, keep it up. How did u determine the drive shaft loop height? Without transmission in.

[jlaird]

Originally Posted by BigShoe24

Very nice work, keep it up. How did u determine the drive shaft loop height? Without transmission in.

I've got a two piece drive shaft which means it's at a fixed height at the carrier bearing.

[72BlckButy]

Nice looking truck!

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by jlaird

I've got a two piece drive shaft which means it's at a fixed height at the carrier bearing.

That's good, becuase I was gonna tell you that I had to raise the upper "hoop" on the TA X-Member for my one-piece driveshaft + 8" notch. With that notch you definately would too, but a two pice DS takes care of that! Nice work

What's the dia. on your exhaust cut-outs?

[jlaird]

They have a 4" inner diameter, so will be good for something like a 3" exhaust pipe.

[impala_631]

i know its a little bite late but heres a crappy pic of my steering linkage made from 2 astro van linkages

[IvelDesigns]

great work man. glad to see some progress.

on the topic of the split drive shaft. Are you concerned at all that the travel of the axle will pull on the carrier bearing? obviously normal up and down is fine, but with the extra travel that you'd get with air bags, i'm curious if the axle will put more preasure on the CB.

in my application (bagged with a split shaft) it didn't seem to put any additional pressure on the CB, but i only have a C-notch, not a step. Also, my bags are mounted on the T-arms, so my travel is not much.

[jlaird]

Originally Posted by IvelDesigns

great work man. glad to see some progress.

on the topic of the split drive shaft. Are you concerned at all that the travel of the axle will pull on the carrier bearing? obviously normal up and down is fine, but with the extra travel that you'd get with air bags, i'm curious if the axle will put more preasure on the CB.

in my application (bagged with a split shaft) it didn't seem to put any additional pressure on the CB, but i only have a C-notch, not a step. Also, my bags are mounted on the T-arms, so my travel is not much.

I'm really not worried about that at all. I set up the driveshaft and CB to work properly with the frame rails only being 5 inches off the ground. This truck is not going to see a lot of vertical travel(especially at cruising speeds) that will be putting any sort of stress on the CB. I'm not suspension expert, just seems like common sense to me.

[SBCustoms]

wheres the progress??????????????????

[jlaird]

frame and all the suspension parts are going to the powder coater tomorrow. It will be nice to see something in my garage that is one color! Cant wait....

I will post pictures when I get it back. They said two weeks.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by jlaird

They said two weeks.

Uh oh... that's a notorious statement. Do you know how many times I've heard "two [more] weeks" from body shops and "body shops?"

Hopefully your powder guys can handle it.

[jkade]

Couple questions, how long is your 4 link? How big of a notch did you install? Keep up the good work.

[jlaird]

Originally Posted by jkade

Couple questions, how long is your 4 link? How big of a notch did you install? Keep up the good work.

If memory serves me correctly (can't go out and measure because everything is at the powdercoaters), the 4link bars are 32 inches long and the notch ended up being about 9-10 inches.

[Sweet 85 C10]

Nice! I havent been up here in a while I must say! Real Clean work!

[onetonk5]

why leave the trailing arm crossmember in if your not using the trailing arms?

[jlaird]

Originally Posted by onetonk5

why leave the trailing arm crossmember in if your not using the trailing arms?

Two reasons: Strength and holds my two-piece driveshaft bracket.


So I decided to have a local engine builder build me an engine over buying a crate. I think I'm getting a pretty darn good deal. He's building me a mild 350 with vortec heads for a little more than the cost of GM's 290 horse crate. I should have that by end of December.

XXL was right on the money with the damn powder coaters. They said it should be around two weeks. Two weeks was yesterday. Their yet to call me with my final quote. I hate dealing with people like this... I guess I just have to be patient.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by IvelDesigns

Also, my bags are mounted on the T-arms, so my travel is not much.

Just re-reading this thread and I stumbled on this... you're probably getting MORE travel than jlaird. With his bags coming straight off the rearend, he's getting pretty much 1:1 lift. With yours on the trailing arms (assuming at the stock spring location), you're getting a little leaverage since you're "up the lever" a bit from the rearend.

If you're not getting any carrier bearing issues, he should be just fine.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by jlaird

They said it should be around two weeks. Two weeks was yesterday. Their yet to call me with my final quote. I hate dealing with people like this... I guess I just have to be patient.

Makes you want to show up with a trailer and load your stuff up... but they've generally got us by the... uh... throat. So we have to put up with stuff like that. One day somebody with a keen sense of customer satisfaction is going to open a shop to do this stuff, and he's going to grab much of the market. Until then Bastages!

[OLDIRON69]

Very nice build! I love lowered trucks, mine is a worker so laying frame is out of the Q. One day when I retire the truck from working........ AGAIN, GREAT JOB!

[SBCustoms]

how bout the powder coating? still havent got it back? any word?

[jlaird]

Got it back on wednesday. What a PITA. These guys took their sweet a$$ time with it. They had it for 2 months. And listen to this, they called me Monday at about 10am to say they were going to start it and to confirm I didn't change my mind on anything which was nice. I actually ended up having them do just the frame and blast everything else for me to paint myself.(I wanted to save some $$) They called me back at around 2pm to tell me it was done. They made me wait 2 MONTHS for about 4 hours of work. They have some workflow/timing issues to say the least.

The frame came out good though. I will post pics soon.