You're doing a great job!
Andrew
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You're doing a great job!
Andrew
I got back to working on the truck today. Our hours were reduced at work, so I havent spent any money in awhile, but I decided to try something I have been wanting to do. I have 2 dashes , and both had huge holes for radios. Both also looked like they had been cut with a screwdriver or an axe. Just horribly jagged holes, with twisted edges and all. I had someone else weld the holes on the first dash, and it warped bad. Im thinking the metal I had for the repair was too thick, but he put too much heat in it, and it warped at the speaker grill and between the radio hole and the ash tray. So I wanted to try it myself. I got some 20ga steel, and went at it.
For you welders and body experts out there, be gentle on me. Im learning. This is the first time I have ever welded anything this thin. But, it didnt draw in too bad. It warped next to the coin patch on the lower portion, and only very slightly between the two large panels up top. I have more grinding to do, but Ill have to do it at work, because my air compressor at home is a piece of junk. Overall Im very happy with the results. Im going to take it to work, and strip it, then sandblast it. Then we will fill it, block it out and Im going to go ahead and paint it before install. I think it will give us motivation to keep going.
Sorry, the pictures are on reverse order from what I wanted. Oh well.
You did good. Anything you can hammer and dollie because of access to both sides will get easier. :)
Ive been doing some small things. Im still trying to reach the goal of having the truck move under its own power by Dec 31. I still need fittings for the clutch, brake and fuel systems. And I found out I have the wrong return spring for the clutch fork. You can imagine how difficult it is to find a clutch fork return spring, for a 67 dodge d100.
I did manage to get a starter and the exhaust kit and headers. We are still working 32 hours a week at work, so losing 20% of my paycheck had slowed progress. Im not complaining though, as some are still out of work completely. Im thankful to still have a job, a house, food and be able to still spend some money here and there.
I will add an H-pipe, and 40 series flowmaster mufflers next. Im also starting to venture back out, little by little, and get some of the fittings. The only big part I need is a driveshaft, and I think Ill source that locally. Anyway, here are a couple of pictures. Dont criticize the welds too bad. Im still learning. Ill wrap the exhaust where it exits the headers and goes under tha cab to keep heat away from the starter and oil lines and such. I might wrap the headers too.
Also in the drivers side picture, it looks like a bad transition on the exhaust, but it isnt. Thats a slip fit section that I welded up, so it was a little loose there. It is smoother than it looks, its just an odd angle.
So I have tried to stay busy on the truck. I got the seat in, the back window in, and the dash and steering column are in temporarily. Im checking a few things out. I had to clean the garage, because it was getting crazy, but then we set the bed on for the time being. I havent been able to check the rear 4-link for clearance yet. And it is into the bed area, at least the shock mounts are. I have considered raising the bed floor anyway, because the original is just gone. If I raise it 2" I could get into the clean metal, and make clearance for the suspension also. I still need to look into it more. The bed has me worried. It has some serious issues. Here are a few pictures showing how it looks today.
Don't let the bed worry you. It's simpler than many of the other tasks you have completed. Don't be concerned about asking questions. There are many of us that want to see you complete this truck. I will help in anyway I can. :)
I appreciate that. You guys have been very helpful on this.
After looking at the truck a little bit, the problem isnt the bed. The frame hump that goes over the rearend is into the bed area. This makes sense, because I dont have the 3 inch blocks that isolate the bed from the frame, so if I install those, itll raise the bed, enough I think, that it will clear the frame. Then I wouldnt have to raise the bed floor. The problem then would be that the cab is too low. I know the floorpans are bad in the truck now, and I noticed it sits a little crooked, but the body lines line up for the most part. If I raise the bed, they wont. I used the cab isolators from the parts truck, so they are correct, but they might be compressed.
I think the way to proceed is to lift the bed up until it clears, then see if I can line the cab up with that. Ill have to bolt the front fenders on also.
Im not either, but I would tend to agree. Except that the bed originally had wood blocks under it to isolate it from the frame. They arent in yet, so the bed is lower than it should be. This is a factory frame, which was originally a long bed frame, but that shouldnt matter. The rear hump has to be below the bed floor, and it isnt.
I just spaced it up a bit and took pictures, and Ill post pictures in a minute to explain whats going on better.
So, here are a few pictures. I hope it makes sense whats going on. The bed HAS to be spaced. Originally the bed had wooden spacers, I kept one, and it measures about 2-1/4" tall. So, I spaced the bed up about 1-1/2" and the frame hump and shock mount clears the bed floor (or what would be a bed floor if I had one). But this throws the body lines off. Its possible I installed the rubber cab isolators wrong, or they could just be that compressed, but I have two sets, and they look the same. I think I would need about an inch to fix this.
First picture is of the cab mounts. I did not relocate the cab mounts.
Second picture is the bed with 1-1/2" spacers, and the frame hump is below the imaginary bed floor. You can see the original wooden spacer in the back.
Third picture is of the body line.
Lots of things happen with time. I would make spacers to go on top of the cab mounts if that is what it took. I usually end up making bed mounts, also. Do whatever takes the least amount of work to get the lines correct. You have said you will need to install the fenders and hood also. It's more work but the best way to do it. Never assume that anything is straight on older vehicles, especially trucks that might have had an interesting life. LOL.
No kidding. When we went to measure the frame for the IFS, there were no matching reference points. Nothing was straight or inline. The rivets, holes, and bolts were all over the place.
I posted this on a sweptline forum, and we think we figured out whats going on. The bed is too high; its supposed to barely clear the frame. The cab is sagging because the floor pans are gone, and the rubber bushings are compressed. Ill lower the bed a little and set my bed mounts there. I can always adjust it with shims or bigger blocks. Ill shim the cab for now to straighten it until I get the floor pans done.
The goal is to get the truck running and work out the bugs, then fix the 67 f100 I have while we drive this one for a year or two. Then the Dodge is going under the knife to get body work done. Of course Ill probably do a few things to it in that time frame. I just dont want to take it all right back apart.
2.5 inches is actually quite a bit of wiggle room, and is very odd that wood would be used. Sounds like someone did a hack job in the past. I've never worked on anything older than a 79 where trucks are concerned, but every truck I have worked on has had the bed bolted directly to the frame mounts without even a rubber washer between them. Where the frame drops for the front bed mounts, there were what I'm going to call steel mounting towers welded to the frame.
This may or may not help, but when the time comes for me to put mine together I was thinking of contacting these folks to see if they have something better in the way of cab isolators. Stopping vibrations from transmitting through equipment mounts is their sole mission in life, and some of their mounts look like they'll isolate the cab from the frame better than the factory hockey pucks.
These trucks originally came with wood blocks in them. Im told if its installed without them it will make horrible noises. The original wood was still good, after 50+ years, but the rust from the bed bolts had fused it in place, and it ruined them. Some people use poly-bushings, and I might later on. The truck will come back apart when we start body work.
Wow, never would have thought they'd use wood in a hidden area as a support structure. At least when the wood was the bed floor, you knew it was there and knew to maintain it.
I put new wood (white oak) back in mine. If the original ones lasted 50 years of normal use, they'll last another 50....
I agree. Itll last just fine. Plus the truck wont be used like it was in its previous life.
Im waiting on parts, so I decided to practice my welding today. Ill be finishing the welding on the 4-link and the rear end of the frame with the MIG welder. Unfortunately Stephen, who did an outstanding job on the front of the frame, wont be able to help with the rest.
I ran across some welding videos, and they show people doing cubes, and I thought it was a good idea, so I made one myself. I think I did good, but still need work, so Ill keep practicing. I also tried the TIG, but its a little less user friendly for me. I was able to get a bead or two that might be okay, but for the most part, they were all bad. Ill keep practicing with both.
Tell me how Im doing. Just remember, Im not a welder, so dont bash me. Im learning.
The plate is TIG. Just ugly. Dont even ask about the angle. Ill keep practicing.
The cube pictures are all MIG. The bottom one was first, and I wasnt trying to close the ends. I started working on that, and making sure I get all the way out to the edges on the top picture. I think its much better. No clean up was done at all.
Atta Boy! Keep after it. I think if you work with the tig a little, you will be surprised at how fast you will learn.
First off, great job just picking them up and trying!
Tig needs more heat which will melt the filler into the parent metal more effectively. Just also be aware this often requires you to move a little quicker to avoid overheating the material and causing warpage. Your dabs seem to be spaced correctly so that tells me you have the overall process down enough. Little more practice will surprise you how much progress you'll continue to make.
Mig welding looks solid overall. I'd feel safe riding on something you welded like that.
Overall, NEVER be afraid to just grind off the weld and redo if it doesn't come out like you want/need. That's my favorite thing about metal...you can actually put material back and try again.
Keep it up!!!
Thanks for the kind words. Im working on it. Im going to make another cube using TIG, when I get more practice.
Got a lot done this weekend. About 10 hours total, but I got the bed mounts fabbed and installed. I also verified the cab is leaning, so that explains the body lines not lining up. So, I removed the bed and welded the mounts and the rear cross member. Ill finish boxing the frame, add a tow hitch and some other supports. I still have to finish the 4-link welding too.
Im still working on my welding. I think Im getting better, but I still need work. The vertical welds look like catapillars for some reason. They are penetrating well, because I ground a few out to look at them. They were good, they just look funky. Im passable on a flat surface, but the vertical welds look weird. Maybe Im going too fast, but if I slow down it sags. Anyway, here are the pictures.
1st picture- rough bed mounts. They were cut, and cleaned up before installation.
2nd- bed coming off.
3rd- bed outside. Its getting easier. I got it this far by myself.
4th- rear section. Bed mounts and rear cross member installed.
5th- another angle. Still lots of work to do.
6th- bed mount close up. The welds look funny to me. Im sure Im doing something wrong. Ill figure it out.
I'm no welder, but it looks like you need more heat in your welds. Thse look pretty sketchy to me.
Need more wire speed on that vertical pass and like stated maybe more heat
I have ground out a few, and they are penetrating, just not like I know they should. Ill grind these flush and do them again with a higher setting. I have had several say its probably heat related. Plus, I was using a triangle pattern like I saw in a video, but I think Ill try a lazy circle, where I go up, then quickly dip back down in the puddle for a second, then go back up. Ill post results when I figure it out.
I only took one welding class, but we learned the circle technique, also. I'm sure you'll figure it out.
I had a good 10-12 hours in the garage this weekend. Most of it was cleaning and welding. I went back and ground out some of the bed mount welds, and tried it again. But first I practiced on a spare angle piece I had, and tried a few things. Everything just looked like the caterpillar welds I was doing. I was talking to the welder at work, and he suggested I go top to bottom, and slow down. I felt that was counter-intuitive. Gravity would make the weld sag, but out of frustration, I tried it. And it worked. I turned the machine up a little hotter, ran the wire feed a little faster, slowed down a bit and went top to bottom. I think my nozzle angle was wrong also. They look much better.
So, I finished up the welding on the rearend, then I finished the shock mounts and the cross member, and the boxing plates behind the rearend. A lot of welding, but it turned out good, I think. Now I can clean it up, and paint the frame. I still have to get the tow hitch receiver and brace it up but thats almost all the frame work.
Top left- Caterpillar welds ground down. They were penetrating, but not good.
Top right- Better. A little fat, but this is with no gap. I feel better about these.
Middle left- Good position, a little gap between the material. This is what I think they should all look like.
Middle right-Rearend out for final welding
Bottom left-4-link brackets finally welded in place and ready for paint.
Bottom right- This i with the rearend bottomed out, and hitting the frame. It should never get this high.
That's more like it.
You're moving in the right direction. Is that an 8 lug full floating rear?
Thanks. It is a Chrysler 8-3/4" with 5 lugs. It looks funny because I have massive 2" spacers on it to space the rear wheels out so the rear track is wider than the front. Im not going to change them until I put disc brakes on it to see if it gets worse, or I get the hellcat wheels.
I took today off, and ran to harbor freight for a few things. I got the tow hitch and got it put on. Im only looking to tow a small camper, so itll be less than 5000 lbs. I think itll be good and sturdy.
Welds are improving, but I still need work.
1st picture- I tied it into the cross member at the shock mounts.
2nd picture-Better, but still working on it. Im learning
3rd picture-Bad picture, but if you look closely, you can see the upright supports I added to the hitch.
My 32 Ford pickup had a receiver for a hitch "just in case". Good planning. :)
No pictures today, but I have been ordering parts and getting things figured out. Its cold today in Tennessee, so Im not spending a lot of time in the garage. I got the rest of the exhaust today-mufflers, h-pipe, clamps and hangers. I also got the fuel line and the throttle cable. I should get the gas pedal, battery terminals and a few other small parts this week. The goal is to get the truck to start ASAP. I still need a few parts, so it might be mid January, but its progress.
I had to solve a few issues on the IFS also. The a-arms are too short and the rod ends only have a few threads inside the a-arms on the top, and the threads from the steering rack dont go far enough into the tie rods either. Ill show it when I get it done, but I finally spent the time measuring and figuring out how to fix this. Im going to modify the a-arms with a tube and tube end, and maybe add a support of some sort. The steering is a mustang II style, and they make extended tie rods that add 1-1/2". Easy.
Ill post pictures as I go, but with the weather getting colder, I wont be able to stay in the garage as much. Plus Im also waiting on welder wire, so I cant do anything until it gets here.
I got the rest of my exhaust this week, So, I jumped in and started installing it. 2-1/2", with an H-pipe and flowmaster super 40s, and it dumps right after the rearend. Should sound good. I only took one picture.
Spent a few hours in the garage. Got the exhaust finished and installed. I also got a lot of tiny details done. Made a few trips to the hardware store and picked up a few nuts, bolts and washers. So, I have been working on getting the engine ready to start. The throttle cable and bracket, the valve covers, the distributor cap and wires, the carburetor and a few other item are done. I also got the gas tank installed. The clipnuts for the top of the tank were broke, so I made some brackets and welded some nuts on them. They work, so I guess its good. Im still not 100% on the battery installation. Its going to stay here for now. I might move it later, again, but it stays for now.
Next Im going to finish the brakes before we try and start the truck. I have one line and two fittings left, but these brakes have just killed my motivation. I am so over the brakes. It has been a nightmare. But a friend told me about a place that probably has the special fitting I need. Ill try and finish them this week.
Im going to try and start the engine soon. I have a few more details to get done, but I have almost a week and a half off at Christmas. Im going to get e few more things and go as far as I can over the holiday.
Picture 1. Engine bay. I got a lot of details taken care of on the engine this week end.
Picture 2. Exhaust is finished now.
Picture 3. Gas tank installed, with new lines.
Picture 4. Battery installed. Still needs a strap, though.
Keep at it! You'll get there.
I would really like to get you excited about one of the single four efi systems. It would be easy to install at this point. :)
I wont be leaving the carb. I hate edelbrock carbs anyway. But its what I have. My goal is to swap in a 5.7 hemi later. But if that doesnt work out, then Ill build a 360 for it, which will get EFI. Im currently looking into it, but as it stands, I can get a used 5.7 hemi from a truck or durango that will make 400 hp with headers and a tune, for about $3k (with the headers and a tuner). To make 400 hp with a 360 isnt hard, but it would put me in the same ballpark, without EFI. Of course, the hemi is much more expensive to mod from there, so if I do that, Im probably done. Heads and cams are outrageous for these engines.
Nothing wrong with the battery location, in fact I plan to do something similar only mounted to the passenger side. But, I think I'd enclose it a little to keep road debris from hitting it. A thin metal or plastic shield can be screwed into the brace underneath, and a plastic cover across the front so road debris can't fly up into it. A thin piece of metal debris could conceivably fly up when you drive over it and cross the terminals together the way it is.
It will get some sort of strap and protection, I just havent decided on what. I got military spec terminals for the battery posts, and they come with silicone covers, that cover the entire terminal. I might end up relocating the battery eventually. Im just tired of worrying about it, so its staying here for now. Ive spent way too much time thinking about this battery mount.
Those milspec battery terminals are nothing to look at (much like me, hur hur hur,) but from a functional standpoint they can't be beat. When I replace a battery terminal they're my go-to every time.