First truck build '49 3100

[joedoh]

pretty! you will be light years ahead not removing the bracketry, in my admittedly biased opinion.

[Brads49]

Originally Posted by MNchevy

Awesome build! Cool that your wife is helping out also. Is the Mustang 2 from TCI as well? Are you going with coilovers?

Thank you. The rear is TCI with coilovers, the front is the Mustang II IFS sold by Southern Rods, it is just a coil spring front end. I didn't go with coilovers for the frontend. Right now my main focus is to get the frame done and get it back to a roller before I make any more orders, ( I need to clear out some boxes in the shop). Yes I got lucky with a wife who is willing to help out with this stuff.

[Brads49]

Originally Posted by joedoh

pretty! you will be light years ahead not removing the bracketry, in my admittedly biased opinion.

I was hoping to have all of the stock suspension brackets off before blasting but I figure I can hit those small areas with a flap wheel once they are off and I'll be good to go. I feel that I saved a ton of time just having it blasted rather than going the wire wheel route to clean up the frame.

[Advanced Design]

The frame looks great and is really nice to have a clean one to work on. You have a good plan going and I am enjoying following along.

[Matt_50]

It took me a long time with wire wheels. And a few wheels too, wires got in my clothes covered in a layer of dirt and rust.... and I couldn't do it all at once either. Next project I'm copying you. Frame looks awesome!

[Brads49]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

The frame looks great and is really nice to have a clean one to work on. You have a good plan going and I am enjoying following along.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Matt_50

It took me a long time with wire wheels. And a few wheels too, wires got in my clothes covered in a layer of dirt and rust.... and I couldn't do it all at once either. Next project I'm copying you. Frame looks awesome!

Thank you! Yea just cleaning up the rearend I'm using made enough of a mess I could only imagine the mess I'd have cleaning up the frame.

[Brads49]

It's been a couple of weeks since I've been able to get in some good time on the truck. Winter decided to show up around here so I spent some time playing in snow with the kids. Then since I had been working on the truck so much I thought it was important to take the wife away for the weekend.
I was able to get out and work some more this weekend. I cut the old shock mounts off of the rearend I'm going to use and got it ready for the new brackets to be welded on
Then started on the front......boy am I tired of drilling rivets out! I mocked up the boxing plates and the new crossmember.... I have a little trimming to do on the plates before I can weld them in but I finally feel like I may be getting somewhere with this.

[Advanced Design]

Looking good Brad!

[joedoh]

looking great!

[Brads49]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Looking good Brad!

Originally Posted by joedoh

looking great!

Thanks guys!
What is the best method of addressing the raised part of the frame where the old steering box was located? Lower it by beating it into submission? Or heating it up? Or just leave it alone?

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by Brads49

Thanks guys!
What is the best method of addressing the raised part of the frame where the old steering box was located? Lower it by beating it into submission? Or heating it up? Or just leave it alone?

I would leave it alone, especially if it isn’t in the way of anything. It won’t be very visible, if at all when the truck is done.

[Brads49]

Well I made some progress this weekend. Of course I made a total bonehead move and welded the first boxing plate in backward......... I got done welding the top and thought "hmmm I shouldn't be seeing primer on the outside, it's supposed to be on the inside". I had put the right hand side on the left hand side. At least I hadn't done the top AND bottom so it wasn't as big of a deal as it could have been. Just welding practice right?? Haha . So I got that fixed and continued getting the front crossmember in.......don't beat me up too bad about my ugly welds I don't claim to be a professional. I figure as long as it's stuck, that's the point right? Doug, I took your advice and left the raised part of the frame alone, I was able to get it closed up with the boxing plate and then just had to grind a little off the top piece for the front end to make it fit better.

[Brads49]

Once I got the front installed I turned my attention back to the rear and got the new brackets installed and the rear axle installed. I have some adjustments to make still before I pull it apart again for paint. But I'm happy to be at this point at least. I even got some paint on the front of the frame!

[Advanced Design]

Good progress Brad! Glad it is working out well.

[joedoh]

welds look good, I think you were being facetious but I will let it slide haha.

[Brads49]

Originally Posted by joedoh

welds look good, I think you were being facetious but I will let it slide haha.

Thank you. I actually don't think they look that good especially comparing them to the beautiful welds from the factory on the front brackets.

I went out to put together the rest of the front suspension and found that I wasn't quite done and shouldn't have painted it yet. The holes in the crossmember that the lower A-arm bolt goes through needs to be enlarged to 5/8" (kinda makes you wonder why it's not 5/8" already???). Then there are a couple of spacers and a gusset that need to be welded into the gap of the crossmember for the bolt to pass through so that the whole thing is rigid when you tighten the lower bolt. So.... looks like I have to grind a little paint off and get all of that done before I can finish the front suspension assembly. My hope is to get all of that done this weekend.

[slammed57]

comin along very nice bud.

[Brads49]

Small update, still moving forward slowly. I got the rear of the frame boxed in, then pulled all of the rear suspension off and started painting all of the new parts. I could not make it as a body/paint guy! I'm too impatient haha. I got it all painted and then started re-assembly of the rear end. I got new brake rotors and brake pads put in the 8.8 but I still need to rebuild the emergency brakes. Next is moving on to the front suspension and then I can put some rollers on it and get it off the jack stands. Most of the frame is painted now but I will still have to get underneath and make sure I've got all of it coated. Last week I picked up a '66 C/10 that was too good of a deal to pass up. The plan is to clean it up and flip it quickly to help out with financing the '49 build.

[8man]

Nice. Hope the flip works out well.

[Lokin4AReason]

looking good and GLWTS on the 66 ....

[Brads49]

Well guys, I decided to place the bed on to make sure the rear axle is where I want it to be. I figured that if I need to make any adjustments, I need to do it sooner rather than later. I had a set of rallys and drag radials off of my Nova to use for rollers. I'm pretty happy with where things are placed. The wheel/tire that's on it is a 15x7 and a 26" tall tire. I'm thinking I can go with 17x8 wheel and a 28" tall tire easily and have it all fit pretty well

[oldman3]

Looks good to me...Jim

[Nut Case]

Brad

You're having to much fun. Strong work. Just a heads up, measure diagonal and level many many many times as you box the frame and add the fixtures needed for your suspension.

Helped my son in law with a frame off on a 52 F-1 reminded him about square and level, and when it was time for front clip, radiator support things got dicey. He had to redo some stuff not much. So just a heads up on squaring and leveling frames and suspension as you move along.

Keep on keepin on

Nuttz

[Desert1957]

Great work, Looks good!

[Brads49]

Thanks all! I definitely could not do this project without the wealth of knowledge that is available on this site! I still have a long way to go with this but I'm confident that I'll get it done (with help from all of you along the way)