I always wanted a sweet old truck

[tinydb84]

You can use a small torch to preheat and use the gas 110. I bought a 220 and regretted wasting my money ever buying my ****ty 110 flux core.

[JPutnam]

My flux core is an older lincoln. I paid $50 for it at a garage sale like 10 years ago. Once I finally got it dialed in(and learned how to actually weld, lol) it does real well. I can get some real good looking welds from it when I am not trying to fill in gaps. I use a nicer 220 miller at my friends shop when we build cages and stuff. its way nicer. Im pretty happy with my flux for smaller stuff that doesnt need to the prettiest looking thing.

this was with my flux. before using the wire wheel. just a quick wire brushed. its 3/8" thick you could see the penetration all the way through. but not out the backside. I welded both sides though.

not the best picture. I usually dont take pictures before at least wire wheeling.

[JPutnam]

Made this little guy this morning at 6am. was hoping to get it welded to the frame before work this afternoon. it didnt happen.











I might need to grind it down a bit to get the exact curve of the frame. there is a bit of a gap in the middle of it.

[JPutnam]

I kinda like full size vans. I daily a 98 7.3 E350 I have most of the stuff to make it 4x4. just need something else to drive and more time. anyway, sometimes I have extra time at work and dick around with mspaint. Ive been throwing around this idea for awhile now. So I decided to see if I could make it in mspaint. its a panel that I kinda made look more van-ish. the left pic is the actual length of the side(minus a bit on the front. the second is extended a bit. to try and make it not so wierd looking. then of course its been sectioned.. but like. section added to it. idk. one of these 4x4 would be pretty amazing.


obviously its way too big of a project for me to ever actually pursue. but I like messing around with these ideas.

[JPutnam]

jchav62 posted the original:

[JPutnam]

got a day off this weekend. did a bit of work.

this shows the weld just after it was done. fluxcore 110.


other side wire brushed.








paint



ok ok. I took way too many pictures of that bracket.

got a torch and burnt off a bunch of rivets. then ran out of gas.





and started the c-notch. I need to weld the two side plate the rest of the way. then cut the stock frame out. then weld in the inner side plates. I stopped because it started raining like crazy. been rainy since. I put out dog pool over it to try and keep it dry.





I started the c-notch with my flux welder and the metal was sputtering like crazy. I dont know what type of coating or metal it has/is. but I couldnt get any decent weld on it. so I got gas for my other welder and started doing some good looking welds. but they arent penetrating half as dep as the flux does. Im not too worried about it. just bugs me. ive welded inside and out as best I could.

[Grizz1963]

Love these notches.

Maybe one day when I do the next resto on my truck........

[JPutnam]

all things considered Im happy with the c-notches

[JPutnam]

I got the notches welded up. Every time I have had time to work on the truck its been rainy. So not much has happened.




its sitting on the crossmembers now.





this is pretty much how it sits when Im not working on it.


started raining on me last night.

[JPutnam]

its been slow to no work on this thing lately. its been a rainy year. every day I have time to work on the truck it rains. since the truck is outside and I am working with bare metal I am very liimited on what I can do.

here is the normal look lately(notice its all wet)


I did start in the rear 4 link though.








I made the brackets out of 1/4 plate using a portaband and a series of angle grinders. I need to find a laser cutter. bad.
upper bag mounts are welded on. lower bag mounts are just tacked but will be trimmed and changed alot. the link mounts are tacked. front mount is just sitting over the bar. I need to make the upper triangulated arm mounts and a crossbrace. then I can make sure I have the right pinion angle and weld it all up.

I loaded the truck onto my trailer last night so I can put it in the shop and move my rx7 outside. I need to get this thing going bad.

I usually post on instagram. @IGLEAMTHECUBE

[Coach529]

Following.......

[JPutnam]

Ive had a few other guys tell me this 4 link setup will only bend. the arm is 120wall 2in square tubing I welded in a pipe then grinded it down for the bushing. the tub the front of the arm is slid on to is 120 wall aswell. I plan to put 2 large triangle gussets angled up on both sides. I am a bit worried about the 4link rod end I put in. They are alot smaller than I thought they would be. but SPEEDWAYMOTORS claims they will be fine. the upper arms are going to be triangulated with the same sort of brackets but they will be on a crossbar connecting both sides. or thats my plan.

Anybody have any input on this setup? Ive seen a few kinda like this. Im using d2600 bags.

[tinydb84]

.120 wall would be fine if you were doing a bag over axel set up.
Here are my bars:

They are 29'' length .25 wall 1.5'' OD. I still put a truss on them and the bag bracket I am using will spread the weight out on the bar even further.

I would make sure your bag bracket on the bar is centered first. You will want a crossmember between the frame rails where your bag bracket is or the frame will twist in. The front mount will definitely need more reinforcement both vertically and horizontally.

If you don't want to replace the bars you can switch to a bag over axel set up or mount your bags to the inner bars if you haven't bought them yet.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by JPutnam

Ive had a few other guys tell me this 4 link setup will only bend. the arm is 120wall 2in square tubing I welded in a pipe then grinded it down for the bushing. the tub the front of the arm is slid on to is 120 wall aswell. I plan to put 2 large triangle gussets angled up on both sides. I am a bit worried about the 4link rod end I put in. They are alot smaller than I thought they would be. but SPEEDWAYMOTORS claims they will be fine. the upper arms are going to be triangulated with the same sort of brackets but they will be on a crossbar connecting both sides. or thats my plan.

Anybody have any input on this setup? Ive seen a few kinda like this. Im using d2600 bags.

I agree with tiny about the twist, center the bag on the bar. you will need a lot of gussets to make that front mount strong and not twist too.

I did a setup with speedway bushings years ago on a mazda, a nissan, a toyota, a couple s10s. its funny what some guys who have been doing suspension for years claim "isnt strong enough". Those speedway bushings were developed to use as suspension bushings on old hot rods, 5000 lb hot rods that run out of brakes before they would have problems with suspension bushings. its an engineering problem, meaning everyone thinks they are one and build the stiffest, hardest riding frames and suspensions with .250 wall tubing and 3" bushings that came from off road applications.

I will say that your advantage setup looks like complete overkill. looks like better than 2:1 and that means better than a foot of lift. there isnt really a need for more than a couple inches lift, I had sleeves on the axle on my 65 and there wasnt anything I couldnt clear with only about 6 inches of lift, even with a truck that laid on the rockers. there isnt anything wrong with extra lift, but you need to be aware that it works inverse of spring rate. because there isnt anywhere near the weight in the rear as the front, you will get full lift on those 2600 at a really low pressure, which means drive height will be at a REALLY low pressure. that means a low spring rate and a super cushy ride that will tax your shocks to keep from flopping around while cruising low. you might go down in bag size to keep from bouncing all over or bottoming out.

its amazing the same guys will also tell you to put x bag up front and then a BIGGER bag in the rear, because, you know, big and littles, right? like tires woooooo. but again, the inverse is true, you need the larger volume bags in the front where all the weight is, and less volume in the back. you will run a higher pressure in a smaller bag, but a higher spring rate too, and a better ride. using my truck as an example again I used RE7 slam specialties in the front, and little bitty sleeves in the back, and it was the best riding truck I have ever owned, and I have owned about 25 bagged trucks.

start thinking about shocks, you will need some with a LOT of travel to use all that lift, you can mount them close to the bag to use a smaller shock but remember that it multiplies the weight just like the advantage setup on the bag, and you could foam them or even break them.

cliff notes: stuff doesnt need to be built from 1/4 wall tube or have 3" bushings to be strong

[JPutnam]

Thanks guys.

I plan to make a crossbar going from bag mount to bag mount. and will be putting gussets on the front bar.

Maybe I will just put a large 1/4in gusset running the length of the 4link bar and see what happens. I was half thinking about it anyway. worst case it bends and I buy a thicker wall bar for it.

how should I go about centering the bottom bag bracket? If I drill the bar for the bag bolt I feel it will severly weaken the bar. Should I cut it and make some sort of box with extra tubing?

[joedoh]

looks like you can turn the bag mount sideways and it has standoffs. be sure and put the bolt in there first haha

[tinydb84]

Originally Posted by JPutnam

Thanks guys.

Maybe I will just put a large 1/4in gusset running the length of the 4link bar and see what happens. I was half thinking about it anyway. worst case it bends and I buy a thicker wall bar for it.

how should I go about centering the bottom bag bracket? If I drill the bar for the bag bolt I feel it will severly weaken the bar. Should I cut it and make some sort of box with extra tubing?

I agree with the gusset. A hole drilled vertically wont hurt the bar. Its removing material from the side that will. If you do the gusset then you may not be able to insert a bolt though. Make sure you plan ahead.

Originally Posted by joedoh

looks like you can turn the bag mount sideways and it has standoffs. be sure and put the bolt in there first haha

That is what I would do. It looks like you will need to move your bar outward to align it with the upper mount.

[JPutnam]

I might try and find some 2in I.D. square tube thats 1/4in or .250wall then slide these rods into it. and welding them together. then it will be way overkill as opposed to potential underkill. that way I can just drill the hole through it for the bag.

[JPutnam]

well since my daily blew up I decided i probably need to throw this thing together. Ive kinda been dragging my feet because of my kitchen renovation and I wanted to do some fancier welding on this. making gussets and whatever to make it more unique and artsy. But ive kinda thrown that idea out. I just need it to be drivable now. so Ive been pushing forward. hopefully get it together before the snow hits here.

made the upper link mounts. still needs a bunch of gusseting and a good amount of finish welding.




it doesnt seem like that much but making brackets and trying to figure out how to make everything work correctly takes alot of time. I made the upper arms level with the lower arms at driving height. both parallel to the ground at that height. had to make the crossbrace clear where the driveshaft will be at when aired out with the carrier bearing higher up. it will be close but I think it will clear. I wanted to get the cab off and the carrier bearing brace flipped before finalizing this but that thought kinda took the wind out of my sails before.

Still need to mess with the lower bag arms. make the mounts etc etc. once the rear suspension is done then I need to remove the engine trans and cab. cut out the carrier bearing crossbrace and trans crossbrace. then make them new. also make engine mounts that are higher, plumb up the new brake lines and the airlines for the bags. then put it all back together.
was going to take the frame to get sandblasted when the welding was all done and have it powdercoated. but now its going to get a good old fashioned rustoleum spray paint job.

[JPutnam]

Still need to do a bit more boxing on everything.

did the carrier bearing crossbrace chop to lay frame.






I didnt have a long enough piece so I had to weld a few pieces together. its flat enough for me.


flipped it upside down and we are set.


added an exhaust hole too


engine mounts













Still with the fluxcore welder. :/




the engine now sits exactly 4 inches higher. allowing the raised steering linkage to clear the oil pan.

Did the trans bracket.













Then some cleanup.











im pretty happy with it. I welded the back of everything aswell.

I took some of the scrap frame from doing the c-notch and made this little ditty for the clutch levor thing.






I also welded up the mounting holes in the trans bracket and drilled new holes in the right spot. I used real small bolts to hold the pieces up when I was making it. not thinking. then when I went to put it on after all the welding the holes werent lined up.

I need to remove the engine and trans one last time. clean the trans up a ton. do some finish welding on the frame and drill a few holes then paint the front half of the frame. I wanted to get all the welding done on the frame and get it sandblasted and powder coated but that takes both time and money and Im lacking in both areas right now. so rustoleum it will be.

Then put the engine and trans back in and drop the cab back on. box in the rear part of the frame and finalize the rear suspension/box the rear frame. then paint it all and I should be on the road fairly quick after that.

The cab is hanging from the rafters in my garage by ratcheting straps. its really sketchy and I want to get it down asap. thats why I dont just finish the whole frame in one go. I dont really have much help to move it either. I lifted it off by myself and have done all this by myself.

I sometimes post on instagram if anyone wants to follow me. @IGLEAMTHECUBE

[JPutnam]

whoa. I dont know how to make the images smaller. I tried all the bb code stuff. Its beyond my googling knowledge. sorry.

[forestb]

I thought you were just taking artsy photos of the garage floor

Originally Posted by JPutnam

whoa. I dont know how to make the images smaller. I tried all the bb code stuff. Its beyond my googling knowledge. sorry.

[coyn]

Originally Posted by JPutnam

whoa. I dont know how to make the images smaller. I tried all the bb code stuff. Its beyond my googling knowledge. sorry.

It looks like you're using imgur as your photo host site. When you open the webpage containing your image, to the lower right is a section showing sizes. Click on the "Large Thumbnail" size. This changes the "Direct Link" address just above (it adds an l to it just before the jpg extension). Copy and paste that link instead of the original.

For instance: http://i.imgur.com/W1CMr8D.jpg becomes http://i.imgur.com/W1CMr8Dl.jpg

[Palf70Step]

Lot of good work on your truck. Interesting build.

[JPutnam]

It wont let me edit it anymore. so here it is again. hopefully in a better size.




Still need to do a bit more boxing on everything.

did the carrier bearing crossbrace chop to lay frame.






I didnt have a long enough piece so I had to weld a few pieces together. its flat enough for me.


flipped it upside down and we are set.


added an exhaust hole too


engine mounts













Still with the fluxcore welder. :/




the engine now sits exactly 4 inches higher. allowing the raised steering linkage to clear the oil pan.

Did the trans bracket.













Then some cleanup.











im pretty happy with it. I welded the back of everything aswell.

I took some of the scrap frame from doing the c-notch and made this little ditty for the clutch levor thing.






I also welded up the mounting holes in the trans bracket and drilled new holes in the right spot. I used real small bolts to hold the pieces up when I was making it. not thinking. then when I went to put it on after all the welding the holes werent lined up.

I need to remove the engine and trans one last time. clean the trans up a ton. do some finish welding on the frame and drill a few holes then paint the front half of the frame. I wanted to get all the welding done on the frame and get it sandblasted and powder coated but that takes both time and money and Im lacking in both areas right now. so rustoleum it will be.

Then put the engine and trans back in and drop the cab back on. box in the rear part of the frame and finalize the rear suspension/box the rear frame. then paint it all and I should be on the road fairly quick after that.

The cab is hanging from the rafters in my garage by ratcheting straps. its really sketchy and I want to get it down asap. thats why I dont just finish the whole frame in one go. I dont really have much help to move it either. I lifted it off by myself and have done all this by myself.

I sometimes post on instagram if anyone wants to follow me. @IGLEAMTHECUBE