Project: Recycle

[MacAttack]

Very nice work, Scoti.

[SCOTI]

One step forward, 2 steps back.

I've still been @ it but haven't really made 'progress' because I'm doing stuff twice. I was reading through various threads & came across one for "c-notches".... http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=393867

There was some excellent info being discussed & shared & board member Lakeroadster helped several of us out w/an engineering perspective. With his input, I realized the c-notched area of my frame was much weaker than stock (which is much weaker than I anticipated).

I figured that modified area of frame would be about the same strength as stock w/the thicker .250" material for the home-made notch & the inside boxing. After running the specs through some calculations, the results were scary.

So, I asked more questions & started contemplating various options. I went ahead & cut up the same area on another frame to get the contours necessary to build a 'truss' section above the c-notches. This will add the much needed height for strength while keeping the flow of the frame.

I did a bunch of measuring, cutting, measuring, cutting, grinding, measuring, grinding..... well you get the idea . After all the effort, I have the outer portions of the trusses complete & tacked in place. I started cutting some re-inforcement plates that will be welded in between the original frame & the new sections to help tie things together better. Hopefully I'll get them trimmed down for a good fit & start welding things up during the week.

All the various clamps & steel is to ensure the new sections are square w/the top of the original frame while remaining square to each other. The proof is in the pics....

[SCOTI]

The new trusses add 2.5" above the top of the c-notch plate yielding a total 4" of reinforced material above the notched area. I left .500" room to be able to install a rubber strip that will be under the shallow bed floor cross-member that is in that area.

[lakeroadster]

Lookin' good Scot, man you jumped right on the modification didn't ya!

Using the other frame for the truss was a great idea.

[Alan's Classic]

Great work.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by lakeroadster

Lookin' good Scot, man you jumped right on the modification didn't ya!

Using the other frame for the truss was a great idea.

I was really hoping to be posting up pics of a rolling chassis @ this point in time. This set-back prevented that so I'm really pushing to knock the repair out so I don't grow stagnant.

I was going to PM you about the updates because I didn't know if you checked in on the build section very often. Thanks again for your perspective & suggestions. If there's ever anything I can do to 'pay it forward', please let me know.

[smashingchuck]

Awesome build!

[aggie91]

Scoti - DID you know that you are taking this truck to Goodguys Dallas in October of THIS year? At least that is what I was told by another board member...

[LOW DOUGH]

looking good Scoti

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by aggie91

Scoti - DID you know that you are taking this truck to Goodguys Dallas in October of THIS year? At least that is what I was told by another board member...

The plan is a shakedown run much earlier than GG's/Ft.Worth. But, a good plan is alot like a marrige....sometimes it works; sometimes it don't .

[n2billet]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

The plan is a shakedown run much earlier than GG's/Ft.Worth. But, a good plan is alot like a marrige....sometimes it works; sometimes it don't .

and they also say, talk is cheap ........you've been a spectator long enough, time to be a participant!

[SCOTI]

A little progress tonight on the pass side truss.

I started welding the inside of the new 'truss' to the top of the original frame. I welded the areas where the reinforcement gussets were going first, then put the gussets in place to help keep the truss as square as possible w/the frame rail once the heat is applied.

With the gussets in place (& a couple of bolts/nuts for the extreme corners), I welded the remainder of the inside. I started prepping the outer edge but it was getting late so I decided to let things cool down & will try again this weekend.

There will be two additional gussets added where the 60° transition pieces will be from the top of the truss to the top of the OE framerail....

[my67chevytruck]

looking good.

[aggie91]

Looks good Scoti. Are you going to use pieces from the other frame to make the 60 degress transitions back down to the OE frame? I would think that using them with the radius for the bend (top edge of the frame) would be consistant and would "flow" into the OE frame really well. Just a thought for you...

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by aggie91

Looks good Scoti. Are you going to use pieces from the other frame to make the 60 degress transitions back down to the OE frame? I would think that using them with the radius for the bend (top edge of the frame) would be consistant and would "flow" into the OE frame really well. Just a thought for you...

No.... Just going to use flat plate for the end pieces. I'll round the edges to mirror the inside corner of the notches (as much as possible anyway).

[N2TRUX]

Scot are you making templates? Maybe you could offer this as a kit...

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Scot are you making templates? Maybe you could offer this as a kit...

The compound curves of the frame does not lend itself to being a 'kit'.

The main reason I took the route I did was @ the time this started, nobody offered a 'small' step-notch. I don't plan to plant the frame rails & didn't want to step the bed floor (and still wanted bed depth). The bolt-in c-notches could have worked for the heights I planned but they're not engineered for the additional rear-end set back that I now have.

After discussion w/Nathan @ Porterbuilt, he now offers a 'small' step notch that basically allows the notch to be the entire depth of the original frame w/the 'step-notch' portion being directly above it. IIRC, they're 4" above the top of the original frame.

The ones in my pics are 2.5" above the original frame rail which yeilds 4" rail height above the c-notched area (which is only .500" less than the original frame rail height).

[SCOTI]

Ok . . ..... I now have about 50% of the fab work done on the frame 'trusses'.

The gusset plates (4 on each side) are welded in; the length of each truss was welded to the frame on the inside, & the 60° angles are trimmed on the ends of the outer portion of each truss.

I also trimmed the inside edges of the trusses & gussets. I will start making the inner boxing plates & the end transition pieces next time I head to the shop.

This should make things as strong as stock.....

[LOW DOUGH]

Very cool!

[SCOTI]

Got after it again today! I rarely get multiple days w/several hours of work time. They killed the power to our plant yesterday to install an upgraded transformer so we got out a little early. Since power was out yesterday, today was slow as we played catch up. So I took advantage & bolted early again today.

I got both sides completely welded & started the clean-up grinding on the driver side. I'll mount the bed floor again asap just to make 100% sure nothing interferes (nothing should).

Prob won't get much time on it this weekend since I hope to be helping a fellow board member (Jonboy) drop his truck on my 'free day'.

Pics, pics, & more pics.....

[lakeroadster]

Looks bullet proof Scot. You do great work, and using the donor frame was a great idea! A textbook example of form following function.

Now you can still use your truck, like a truck, without worrying about a weakened frame.

Neat Stuff!

[FEA (Finite Element Analysis) models shown below showing the effect of Scot's modifications to frame strength safety factor]

[MattA]

Very impressive, looks even better than what I had pictured in my head. Let me know when you want to try the bed floor.

[narx66gmc]

great work and definitelt keep the pix coming. your work is great and i really like the step notch idea. i'm putting that on the list of things to do.....

[SCOTI]

Not much done but some pics anyway. We threw the bed floor on & one wheel to make sure things cleared as expected....

[VA72C10]

Nice. That cleaned up well and looks great!