Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed

[Katrina/10]

Nice work, looks rock solid!

[oldman3]

Entire rear set-up looks great, nice finish work on caps, braces, etc...Jim

[Steve-W]

Damn Kees, thats some mighty fine construction work man!

when the frame is all welded up, will you be powder coating it, or just paint?

[Kim57]

That looks really nice and stout.
Kim

[Advanced Design]

Excellent work and finish detail Kees! Love it!

[RockinKees]

Thanks for the compliments guys!!!

Steve, no powdercoat, just paint, low budget build you know

After some braintraining this evening, I came up with an extra x-member to mount the Radius rods to.
This will be bolted to the framerails about 3 foot before the IRS.
I took what I had left of a 10 ltr scuba dive tank (the rest became an oiltank for my Harley project ) grinded it through the middle. That piece fits right under the driveshaft.
I welded it between two 2x3", put on some gussets and we have a new x-member!

My welding jig:





Tacked it and looked if it fits...





Fits like a glove!!
Next welded on the gussets, unfortunately I ran out of steel strip so I couldn't it finish it today.





I also put on the shocks to look at the angle. This must be the rideheight, if it is on the ground. The half shafts should be almost level then.

[ChuckDriver]

Nice and strong and very thought out!

[oldman3]

Looking great, nice job...Jim

[Kim57]

You're doing a great job on all the fab work.
Kim

[RockinKees]

Thanks again guys!

Had a little done today.
Finished the extra x-member



Bolted the member in place and made the radius rods.
I grinded the eye off an old shock, took two big nuts and a piece of thread and welded an adjustable new eye





I then made some new ears for the rods out of 2x3" and tack welded these in place



I saved the original Jaguar rubber bushings that goes onto the lower control arms. I had two halfs of these reaction rods of which I took the rubber off. I did the same to these rod ends as with the shocks, so I have two rubber bushings. Welded the rods to the Jag bushings



Finished welding the eyes and the rods and mounted them in place.







The eyes are at the same width as the pivots of the lower inner control arms. This way you get no binding of the half shafts.
I tested it without the shocks mounted, and boy, that went great
No heavy points, no binding, just up and down without some sort of force!!
I'm a happy dude

Next on the program are the torque bars, so stay tuned!!

[Advanced Design]

Nice work Kees! Really like the creativity.

[RockinKees]

Thanks Doug!!
You must be a little creative when you're on low budget

[Steve-W]

I now understand the dual shock on each side..that's a lot of extra steel you're adding

I was going back through the pages and wondered why the overflow bottle has 2 hose connections? (I'm considering steeling that idea)
and does the capacity of the overflow bottle have to be a specific measure compared to the complete amount of cooling fluid in the truck?

[Clarance J]

RockinKees, You have done a great job installing both suspensions. Reading your posts you have made it look logical and easy ( I'm sure it wasn't) and I wouldn't be afraid to do the same install following your lead. Your fab work is great. On to the next stage.

Earl

[RockinKees]

Thanks for your compliments Earl!!

Steve, I want it to be as heavy as a real Jag
So there's gonna be much more steel

The overflowbottle was a first try. Motor kept spitting fluid.
It works great thou.
I dont know if it has to be a specific measure, don't think so.
It has two connections, one is from the radiator, that goes all the way to the bottom of the tank in the fluid, the second is the overflow for the overflow bottle, The Release
I don't know if I need that one either...but it works, no more fluid spitting out of the motor, it just goes in the bottle and back to the motor.
I'm gonna make a new one out of stainless steel and a size bigger, this one is 1 ltr, going to about 2 ltr.

[Kim57]

Looking real nice.
Kim

[reaper71]

Looks really good Kees...beefy!!

[RockinKees]

Thank you Kim and Mark!

A question for you guys:
I have to modify my cabcorners to get the large propane tanks at the side of the framerails.
I must loose quite a bit of it, but there's an inner cab corner behind.

What for purpose had these inner cabcorners??
Are they structural needed or are they there only to catch dirt

I want to delete them and close it inside the cab.
Is there anything else I should watchout for?

After I have the torque bars done this is next on the list....

[Kim57]

I took out my inner cab corners and made these to go in the cab.
I think the original design is what led to the rot in that area.
I just tacked them in and will use seam sealer to finish them off.
I was afraid too much welding would warp the cab in that area.
Kim

[RockinKees]

Thank you Kim.
That's what I needed to know.

The inner cabcorners do collect a lot of dirt and that's sure is not what we want.
I haven't looked real well, but I think I have more repairs in that airea...
We shall see, thanks again!!

[ChuckDriver]

Me too!

[RockinKees]

Are they tacked from the inside of the cab or from the underside of the cab?
Looks factory new Chuckdriver!

[Kim57]

I did mine on the inside. When it's all carpeted they wont be seen.
Kim

[RockinKees]

Okay, from the inside it is, easier welding too
Thanks Kim!

Today I reached the first big milestone:

IRS is ready

I'll show you the last bits, first how I made the ears for the radius rods and torquebars, that's easy:





Pics speak for themselfs, I suppose?

The torque bars are basicaly the same as the radius bars:
First made the bars again from old shocks, big nuts and a piece of thread:



Then I welded the new ears on the framerails and on the front tie bar:







The torque bars are mounted at 45 degrees out and tilted up, to prevent that the diff rolls up or down by the force of accelerating or braking. This should work according to plan

Now I have to clean and paint the frame, take the axle apart for some new parts, paint it also and it's ready for its new home.
I also did get a tow bar, but must wait for it until the break up that car....
Then on with the tow bar, in with the fueltank, and, and......


Next week I'm gonna try to get the propane tanks mounted and modify the cab corners. The tanks are gonna be mounted at the outside of the framerails, left and right.
Let's see how that goes

[Kim57]

You're doing some great fab work.
Kim