Scott's '51 Build

[reaper71]

Also you have to remember (this will be under a load) when your driving so when you check for smoothness right now it's probably off the floor so it will be really smooth.

[Scott2]

With help from Reaper and 74project I think I figured this steering linkage out! I moved the column down and to the left a couple of inches from the original hole. This actually squared up the column to the floor as well. It may have been out of square originally or got that way due to me centering the column between the gauges. This move gave me enough room to clear the motor, make the steering linkage work far better and also got more clearance from the brake pedal. I now have a bigass messy hole to fix in the floor, but that's just sheetmetal. You guys were a great help - thank you!!

[solidaxel]

As straight as you have the column now, do you even need the U joint on the end of the column

[Scott2]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

As straight as you have the column now, do you even need the U joint on the end of the column

That's a great question! I'll have to take a closer look - I probably don't need it.

Thanks!

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

As straight as you have the column now, do you even need the U joint on the end of the column

Moving the steering column was a good solution Scott.

If you do reconfigure your connections at the column, please keep the information in this video from ididit in mind. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8M1aR4...ature=youtu.be

[Scott2]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Moving the steering column was a good solution Scott.

If you do reconfigure your connections at the column, please keep the information in this video from ididit in mind. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8M1aR4...ature=youtu.be

This site is great - I learn something new everyday! Thank you!

[reaper71]

Much Better!!
For the column mount what we normally do is take a piece of exhaust tubing that slides over the column and weld a flat washer to the end and drill the hole out to fit the steering shaft of the column. Then you set the depth of the column as needed and weld the tube to your floor. (this will act as a stop) so what you end up with is a tube protruding from the fire wall and your column slides into this tube. To lock it into place you drill a hole and weld a nut to the very top of the tube (inside vehicle) and put a 1/4 20 bolt in the nut to lock it down.

The pic here shows what it would look like installed (hope I explained it good enough) This way you have a really clean look to the firewall and a solid mount.

Mark.

[reaper71]

I found a pic of the inside as well. These are shots from my personal Build "orangepeel"

Mark.

[74project]

Wow that looks much better.. nicely done my friend!!!

[Scott2]

Originally Posted by reaper71

I found a pic of the inside as well. These are shots from my personal Build "orangepeel"

Mark.

Mark,

That's really clean and looks great! Thanks for the pics too.

[reaper71]

Anytime.

[reaper71]

If you use stainless wire for the welding portion of it you will be ok.
Drill holes for spot welds on your angle pieces and clamp in place, then do your welding shouldn't be to painful of a chore.
If you can't get stainless wire just use your normal wire for carbon and use some panel adhesive to help it out a bit. (drill out your spot welds as stated before on the strips 1/4" holes and also drill holes in the bedside 1/8" so weld will flow through) Meaning the holes are all lined up large over the small (if that makes sense) also on the stainless wire YOU WILL need straight Argon to weld with stainless wire

Hope this helps
Mark..

[Scott2]

Originally Posted by reaper71

If you use stainless wire for the welding portion of it you will be ok.
Drill holes for spot welds on your angle pieces and clamp in place, then do your welding shouldn't be to painful of a chore.
If you can't get stainless wire just use your normal wire for carbon and use some panel adhesive to help it out a bit. (drill out your spot welds as stated before on the strips 1/4" holes and also drill holes in the bedside 1/8" so weld will flow through) Meaning the holes are all lined up large over the small (if that makes sense) also on the stainless wire YOU WILL need straight Argon to weld with stainless wire

Hope this helps
Mark..

Mark -

Yes , all your advice is really helpful- thank you!

I decided to do some test welds first using a cutout of the bedside and a piece of the SS angle. Of course, I had to go buy a tank of argon and some SS wire so I was pretty committed at that point! I used the standard MIG gas for the 28 wire and the argon for the 309 and welded a couple each from the front and back. All actually turned out OK.

For the actual welding to the bed I ended up using the argon and 309 wire, drilling holes from the bedside since it's rusty and I wanted to keep the SS angle looking good. For the same reason I did not drill the 1/8 holes you suggested (although I think it's a great idea and will use it elsewhere) plus I didn't want to risk getting mild steel in the weld pool that would end up a rusty spot in the SS. The welds seem good and the angles are in place.

Thanks again!

Also attached my cut down later model inner wheelhouses. I initially thought I would bolt them to the wood floor and use RTV for the joint with the bedside. I ended up deciding a tack or two wouldn't hurt, and then a couple more... I think I may stop here and RTV the inside.

[Scott2]

More progress! Got the chassis and parts back from powder coat and assembly is starting. Discovered a few issues - no surprise I guess. I had the wrong spindles from TCI and somehow lost a few of the 4 link rod bushings. I WILL find them - immediately after the replacements arrive!

TCI (chassis builder) has been great - they've sent whatever parts I needed ASAP and replacement spindles are on the way.

Got the gas tank painted and installed. Now that the weather is better I should be out in the garage much more.

[Scott2]

After I made all my repairs to the bed and got the tubs and angles in, I decided to tackle the tail light mounts. I have the stock replacements and turned them up and down and they really just didn't do anything for me. I made some simple brackets and got my lights ('55-'59 LED lights) mounted. Still need to repaint the tailgate with some rust brown primer so it "matches" a little better - or just clashes less!

[Scott2]

Latest - have a big pile of parts for the cab work to commence. Corners for rust replacement, Vintage Air, new wiper motor, new CPP booster and brake pedal setup, Dolphin gauges, my Flaming River column, bench seat and three point seat belts, primer and Lizard Skin, etc. Started to mount the seat and my three point seat belts, and then I got grounded from further work.

Last October I had a bad bicycle wreck and got a compression fracture of a vertebrae. The latest scan showed it's still collapsing. I always thought the vertebrae were chucks of solid bone - not so. They are more like swiss cheese with a lot of holes and marrow and goo in the spaces. When you put enough pressure on one the bone structure around the holes start to break and the vertebrae compresses. I am now officially 1-/1/4" inch shorter with the effect of the break to this point! Crap!

Last week I was reaching for a tool and felt a big snap in my back which means another piece of bone in the vertebrae gave way. I'm now on "BLT" watch - no bending, lifting or twisting. Crap again!

There is a fix - i am going for another MRI shortly which will support a procedure called a kyphoplasty during which the docs inject some kind of cement into the busted vertebrae to expand it back and stabilize it. Good news is it's outpatient surgery, has very few side effects, and I should be as good as new afterwards. Oddly - it's also good news that the break comes from an accident because if it came for more natural causes like osteoporosis I'd be done with any physical work for good. In the meantime I guess I keep collecting parts and will also direct the gamily on yard work from my rocking chair!

BYW - I also bought a willing harness from Affordable Street Rods. There's a local guy here in Colorado who parts out and build AD trucks and I've bought a bunch of original parts from him. I checked out one of his builds last time I was at his shop and he was using this harness. It seems very well done and has great instructions and he said he's tried them all and swears by this one. One cool feature is that Affordable Street Rods' phone number is printed on every wire about every foot so if you have any issues or questions you can immediately call the owner - Rex - for help. When I'm back at it I'll let you know how it works out.

[solidaxel]

............. and just when you were getting to the fun part!

[Advanced Design]

Chassis coming together is looking really sharp! Sorry to read about the vertebrae collapsing. At least Doc's have a fix and hopefully you can get back on the truck soon.

[oldman3]

Sorry to hear about you being sidelined. Hope the doc can get you cemented and back at it...Jim

[Scott2]

Thanks everyone! It will get fixed, I'm just in rest mode for a bit. Of course, that doesn't mean I can't order parts!

I am getting close to a wheel/tire package. Looking at a couple of wheels in the American Racing Heritage series but I really like the Hopster. I'm thinking 20x10 and 20x8 with something like either 295 or 305/30-20 and 225/35-20 tires (brand TBD). Based on my measurements I think I need about 5.5" BS in the rear and 3.625" in the front.

Any thoughts on sizes and BS that I may have missed?


Thanks!

[Scott2]

Time for updates - I was really slowed down for a while with back issues. I finally got the insurance company to agree to cover the needed procedure and they injected cement into my T6 vertebrae a couple weeks ago. Almost as good as new!

so - on to current events. I did manage to get some work done while down with my injury, but it was slow. I worked on getting the floors welded and all the firewall holes filled. Still some work to do there....

[Scott2]

Also spent time sorting out the wheel and tire package. I finally settled on Foose Legends in 8.5 x 20 and 10x 20. I got Nitto 245/35-20 and 305/30-20 tires. I actually ended up buying them from Discount Tire and saved some money. They also gave me a front and rear wheel and tire (unmounted) to go try on for fit. Seem to fit fine - of course - no sheetmetal!!

[joedoh]

no matter how hard you think those rolled edges are, believe me they are harder. I tried to knock out a dent in one, like a fence post crease just getting it too close to the tire and whew! it was like pounding on a train rail. I dont think a baseball bat would touch it honestly, but might be worth it to try instead of narrowing a rear 2"

[Scott2]

Originally Posted by joedoh

no matter how hard you think those rolled edges are, believe me they are harder. I tried to knock out a dent in one, like a fence post crease just getting it too close to the tire and whew! it was like pounding on a train rail. I dont think a baseball bat would touch it honestly, but might be worth it to try instead of narrowing a rear 2"

I wasn't going to whack the fender with the bat! The method I'm referring to is to slide the bat or a hardwood dowel in between the tire and the fender and roll the truck back and forth, letting the bat roll along the fender inner lip stretching it out. Generally start with a guy or two in the bed and keep adding guys while you work the flare. It works really well but I always had more sidewall. I'm worried I could crush the wheel edge.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Scott2

I wasn't going to whack the fender with the bat! The method I'm referring to is to slide the bat or a hardwood dowel in between the tire and the fender and roll the truck back and forth, letting the bat roll along the fender inner lip stretching it out. Generally start with a guy or two in the bed and keep adding guys while you work the flare. It works really well but I always had more sidewall. I'm worried I could crush the wheel edge.

I should have explained I know how fender rolling with a bat works, I was a minitrucker in the 90s, did it a lot.

I was saying no matter how flimsy you think the wheel edge is, its not. you COULD whack it with the bat and it would probably laugh.