48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by CHIZZLER

progress is looking very good.

Thanks Chizzler. We are staying focused here.

Originally Posted by faribran

My spouse says "BAD boy!! ". For having a quilt in the shop. She is a quilt designer, maker,lover. ..btw I love the 56 on the rack.

Well faribran, wife and I checked out the quilt in the shop. It was one of the items "repurposed" by the wife for shop use. We were thinking it was a cheap store bought thing that became old....and now we are not so sure. Please let your wife know we are not heartless quilt haters...maybe careless in this instance... Thanks... We like driving the '56 now after we did an LS update on it.

Spent some time figuring out the rear floor, made a materials list and plan to start with that fabrication next week end. To make sure we place the 3rd & 4th body mounts in the correct location, the body will go back on the frame.

[99 to Life]

48' thanks man. I'm rooting for ya on this build. Its crazy how you can't imagine being in certain states of your life, then they come. Its all a journey and you will be driving her soon. When I built my 51' I had zero mechanical skills, well could change my own oil!!! Huge transition in my life, now almost 5 years later I'm stacked to the brim with projects.

Nothing more satisfying than building your own ride, its nice to have forums like these to post your progress and give and take great information from.

[Iceburgh]

you found out like I did the floor is a ***** to get out any way you look at it.
You did better then I did getting it out in one big section.
I ended up using a hole saw above all the bolt heads....lifted it and cut it in two with a sawzall.
Then went back and cut the bolt heads where I could get leverage on them.
All the more reason I am going above the side strips that hold it down.

[Advanced Design]

Thanks 99. My plan, when we started in April, is to swap the body to the new chassis, install powertrain then hit the pause button while we finish up the 35. Really want this one on the road so will see. It is very good to share ideas and kick them around....especially since I am winging this part of the build.

Iceburgh, you went midieval on yours too. Cool. You told me they were a ***** and you were right. Here is a Burb with the wood on top of the flange and it looks good. http://www.tricktrucknrod.com/hh/Pro...?productId=282

[Advanced Design]

Ever have one of those days in the shop where things just don't flow? Yep, that was today. Had goals for the day and didn't really get to the starting point. And that is way OK as I enjoy about any day in the shop.....mower surging, diagnose fuel solenoid, ordered, get home Friday night, wrong part came in.
Power goes out today and that really stopped progress, found some rust...still a great day.

Cleaning under the body flange came across said rust. Patched that. Then patched some more...thought I had gone big enough.

One interesting item I learned today while using the Cleco's to hold the small patches for sanding, the heat doesn't transfer to the center pin of the Cleco.

The pieces for the floor were fabricated this week and they made it to the shop. Still in the back of the truck though.

[youngrodder]

Any progress is good progress.

Marc

[99 to Life]

the floor sills look sweet. I feel you on those ironic days. Today I sliced my finger twice, big blood blister and a huge slice on my leg, one grinder died and the typical "where is it" screaming....ya know all you tools play hide and seek.
all those days, hard work and time, money, stress goes out the window when the project is done and your pounding the pavement.

[oldman3]

Patch looks good and so do the braces...Jim

[oldman3]

AD, sweet looking shop, body on frame looks great...Jim

[Advanced Design]

Thanks Guys, we are pretty fortunate on the shop. And we planned, budgeted, worked hard to have a nice shop. We did it a little at a time over 30 years...cause with my humble skills I need all the help I can get. I remember a build thread couple years ago where a guy was building a 67 to 72 Suburban in a gravel driveway. He wanted that Suburban so bad and I was so impressed / humbled with his determination. So as everyone knows what really makes the difference on a build is the effort, skill and determination of the builder.

Marc - I've followed PB's development of the AD drop member and look forward to seeing the install in your truck. And I will take pictures of the rear floor fabrication on our Suburban. Hopefully can get a good start on it next week end.

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Thanks Guys, we are pretty fortunate on the shop. And we planned, budgeted, worked hard to have a nice shop. We did it a little at a time over 30 years...cause with my humble skills I need all the help I can get. I remember a build thread couple years ago where a guy was building a 67 to 72 Suburban in a gravel driveway. He wanted that Suburban so bad and I was so impressed / humbled with his determination. So as everyone knows what really makes the difference on a build is the effort, skill and determination of the builder.

Marc - I've followed PB's development of the AD drop member and look forward to seeing the install in your truck. And I will take pictures of the rear floor fabrication on our Suburban. Hopefully can get a good start on it next week end.

Thanks AD, me too. I look forward to seeing your rear floor fab.

Marc

[Advanced Design]

Here is where the floor fabrication was on Saturday morning. A clean slate.

Decided we wanted the extra 1 7/8" on each side for tire clearance, so wife and I removed the wheel tubs on Friday night.

[Advanced Design]

Here is the direction we are going for the floor fabrication. Can't recommend this approach for anyone else as it is unproven. Will probably be more stable than a wood floor though.

We are installing the cross channel pieces up under the original perimeter floor flange and plug welding through the flange.

Under we fabricated some support brackets with four 5/16 holes on each surface for plug welding.

[youngrodder]

Ad-

Looks good. One question I have is how did you suppor the body while making the mody mounts? Did you use the hoist to support the body as you removed the original mounts?

Marc

[Advanced Design]

Thanks guys.

Marc, the body is supported on the first, second and fifth body mount on the frame. Hope it didn't sag!

[oldman3]

Posting late today, damn nice work AD, 99 is correct on hours they just keep adding up...Jim

[Advanced Design]

Thanks Jim, trying to do it right. Have learned a lot over the years and still have tons to learn.

Marc, I will string the body flange to check for sag this coming week end. If there is any I will correct before welding in the floor. And we will know the support on the first, second and fifth mounts wasn't enough for when you get to yours.

99 to life, I took a quick stop by the welding and manufacturing business that has provided the steel for the floor and took these pic's for you. Really busy place in a town of about 400 people. The press brake is massive! Apologies for the quality.

[99 to Life]

I just love those pics. I really dig old and new machinery that makes all this fabbing possible. I was just thinking this weekend how nice it would be to have a huge sheet metal sheer. My oh My its cool to see small business like that still around.

[Advanced Design]

Marc - Used a string front to back along body flange on both sides and there was no body sag.

Wife made a pattern for the flat floor section from wrapping paper as this section widens from front to back. The paper was lined in a grid pattern on the back so that was useful for cutting to size.

Transferred the pattern to the sheet for trimming to fit then completed the lay out for the plug welding holes.....again 1/2" from the edge spaced 3" apart.

[Advanced Design]

Drilled a large number of holes and before welding this front section in place we used bottle jacks to bring the three cross channels up to flat. Like the front floor these too were dipping in the middle.

Did end up using self tapping screws in every other hole on one of the rows to bring the cross member and the floor together.

Son-in law made quick work of the job.

[Advanced Design]

Fabricated the fourth cross channel piece the same as the third, made the mounts, welded in the anti crush pipe, hit the channel with weld primer, and welded the top plate on.

Wife made a pattern for the rear section, we cut it out and have it in place for marking for layout tomorrow.

Really good day with our Daughter, her Husband and the Grandkids here.

[Iceburgh]

AD...what is your rear out of?

[Advanced Design]

The rear is a new housing and came with the chassis. Believe it came from Johns 9 inch factory.

[99 to Life]

looking real good, thats real cool you can spend time with the fam and work on something so cool.

[oldman3]

AD, super nice job, looking great...Jim