'95 F-150 track ready street beast

[Ddkeeler]

I owe you all a weekend update as usual.

Nothing huge, but good progress. I will drive this thing before the summer!

First up was focusing on making a trans mount so the drive train could all finally support itself. After deciding not to run the tranny cross member to the frame last week I had to get some more boxing plate in and layout my main X brace for the chassis.



You can see that despite stopping and starting multiple time (super awkward position for me) I am finally getting my neighbor's welder working decent. Still not sold on the inverter tech for heavy stuff, but beggars can't be choosers. Seeing the boxing plate in ended up making the frame just look nicer too. Can't wait to see it all cleaned up and coated!

Got the X all trimmed and positioned. I'm already getting back to being decent at fitting tubes for this so the cage should go smoothly when we get there fairly soon.





Bricks still holding the trans in place but that was about the be no more...





That's some heavy duty steel holding it all up, but I wanted more side support and to also tie into the frame in more places. Plus we all know that triangles are the strongest shape.



Then when I stepped back with the wheels removed I realized that this frame looks pretty wild and wide. And I might have been glowing with a slight bit of pride in my work.



But out back I needed to remove a riveted factory cross member that just sits under the bed, but doesn't bolt to it. It won't be needed and is really kind of in the way. Have I mentioned how much I hate these ridiculously tough rivets?! They are grinding wheel killers! Look closely and you can just see the tail of the trans in there. Driveshaft will only be about 50" total length. Now I just have to find a local shop that I can trust to build me one. Once that is in I can layout the fuel cell mounts. That's right. The fuel cell is going just behind the cab and as low as I can safely mount it with the drive shaft there.



Since you guys are so sharp I'm sure a couple of you are already typing up replies to say that my X is in the way of the drive shaft. Yes, you are correct. I am putting a drive shaft loop there, but it was much easier for me to build it this way to line everything up better. It wasn't really any extra work. I'll just build the loop from 1/4" plate bent into a circle and cut the tubes to weld to the outside. It will make more sense when you see it.

Next task is to redo my upper control arm mounts. I know, real shocker, I have to change something on my front suspension design...again.

Dude that rod end had to be super expensive. I’m trying to decide what ball joints to run. What are they?