Printable View
I made my own rear suspension. This is a 3 link with upper link being a wishbone. The lower links are heavy .125 wall steel with long brackets welded to the axle to handle the rotational loads (torque from the axle wrap). I used rubber bushings in the 2 lower arms. The airbags will sit on the arms to get mechanical advantage and get 8" of lift from a bag that lifts only 6".
I fabbed some rear brackets from 2x4 tubing, 11 ga. This will be part of the frame and hold air so i can run each solenoid airbag valve close to the bag with short hoses!.....the bags sit low on the frame, everything needs to be tucked in tight under the short box area. I welded 3/8" threaded pipe fittings into the brackets for the air management.
a couple rear susp pics, 3 link wishbone using thick wall tubing and 3/4 inch heim joint....the tranny mnt supports the rear of the trans and sweeps up at the frame so i can run dual exhaust if needed. It is a frame draggin' SOB so there aint much room 'neath it. The trans mnt is e-z remove with the nut plates welded to the frame so you can merely run the power wrench from the underside...notice the holes in the frame were i am going to weld the airbag brackets?? these are air supply holes that i added with the plasma cutter...to get air into the bag brackets.
I mounted the engine last night after supper. If you read earlier in the post, i got a 1987 Ford 2 wh drive truck free from Craigslist. I took the cab mounts from the truck, they still had the rubber body mounts and studs and looked like a part i could use!:) Great for engine mounting! i got a couple used con-rods from work (at Victory Motorcycles) and with a bit of time with MR Torch and a bit-o-heat i bent the rods to fit perfectly. I welded the con rods to a triangle plate that bolts to the engine. One plate was existing (a shim from mounting this engine in the ambulance/camper thing)...the other was made from the old LH engine mnt using the plasma torch and a grinder (thanks Steve!)....my buddy Steve stopped by one afternoon to help out. I chopped the piston pin in the chop saw and ground it smooth, it had a center hole that fit perfectly over the bolt in the old body mount...looks cool, forged con rod should be strong enough!! i hope:eek:
A few pics of the front suspension components.
This is not a transverse leafer. It is a custom built airbag bellcrank front suspension. I wanted to be different than the other rods out there. I built the pivot bushings from Delrin, machined on a CNC at work (thanks Jordy!)...the rocker pivot shafts are 1" thick wall tubing, and the bellcranks are 1.75" tubing. The arms are 1/2" thick plate. I made paper templates to get the geometry correct. The 6" bag will lift the car 7.75" due to mechanical advantage of the arm lengths. it works quite nicely.
Here are some pics of the front end. The rod will LAY FRAME or run at 7.75" off the ground .....the frame will hold 100 psi of air for the air tank, on board compressor, 4 way air bag (individual control)....
The car is 44" tall when parked.
This should be a crowd pleaser at the shows....:LOL: :3dSMILE:
I hope it rides well. The shocks are the shortest i could find on the MOnroe website, they are 8.25 compressed and 12.5 extended...they were used for years like 1948-56 for light cars, Willys, VW etc....
Jeff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq0ZzzAoOnU
cut and paste if you want to see the video of the car lifting. thanks
Jeez, ya got me confused, that'll be neat to see when you're done. You seem very creative, I'm still trying to figure out how it all works**) .
Sean
NICE! Very Cool!
Oh yea, "Sick"
You, my friend, are a madman!!:D
You started this thread on 6/18 and now its 10/7, WOW!
I watched your video of the air bags. Very cool.
I especially like the way you did the front end.
You are an inspiration!!, but hurry up, would you?
Pretty cool concept, I like the way the shocks are intergrated with the rockershaft. That took some thought. Well done. BTW, the video shows it off quite well. :) Sniper
thanks for the generous comments. It gives me more reason to work on the car!
The plan is to have the frame as the airtank. this will probably be in the area of 3-4 gallons of air at 100psi. I plan to run 4 bags -each on 2 solenoids, I bought a 8 valve manifold on E bay for $130 bucks. I will have 2 guages, each with 2 needles. There will be a rocker switch for each bag, and a toggle switch to flip if i just want to drop the rear end and drag the frame and throw sparks. I plan on having a 1/2" steel pad to drag on, vs grinding through the frame itself. The rocker bellcrank suspension works great, as well as the rear suspension...i am working on the floor now and will keep the pics coming.
Jeff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alyf-tY_oJ0
This is a video of the airbags in operation, it is a 2nd video done with a better camera.....the airlines are still the small 1/8" so it is a bit slow on the up/down-this will greatly improve with the 3/8" DOT approved airbag lines ...still in chop/cobble/tack weld phase....give me some time, i only have about 6 months into this project.
:D
WCCS (wolf custom chop shop)
Awesome! Great work. She truly is a ground hugger/kisser! Perley
Here is the latest update on cost. I am missing a few things but i plan to go part by part on the car and make sure i am documenting everything. I have a folder with all the reciepts so this is pretty much the list right now. This doesnt include the expendable items like welding wire or argon gas, grinding wheels etc.... just the parts.
cost Description
630 $630.00 1930s Box and Cab E Bay
50 $50.00 radiator grill shell E Bay
110 $110.00 350 engine/trans (300-190 for scrap) Craigslist want ad
50 $50.00 2 front tires and wheels Swap meet
100 $100.00 front axle Craigslist want ad
7 $7.00 steering arm-chrome Swap meet
-120.4 $(120.00) Scrap Ford F150-bought for rear end Craigslist want ad
165 $165.00 airbags Ebay
9 $9.00 airhorn ebay
50 $50.00 radiator Craigslist want ad
0 $20.00 brake master cylinder Craigslist want ad
0 brake lines
220 $220.00 Rear -15" cheeter slicks Swap meet
125 $125.00 front brakes Ford F100 drums, hubs Craigslist want ad
20 $20.00 heim joints-front wishbones speedway motors
148 $148.00 Frame steel Winnick Steel
39.99 $39.99 Kinpgin bushing kit speedway motors
100 $100.00 Ford 9" rear end Kirk-friend
39.99 $39.99 bearing kit, F100 to Ford spindle speedway motors
0 seats-Free Polaris RZR buckets
0 driveshaft-from donor ambulance, shorted with new u-joints
30 Victory motorcycle headlights- from work auction
29.01 tail lights-ebay center STOP light from Rail road
12.18 $12.18 Red paint/primer for wheels 2 cans ACE Ace
3 $3.00 tire patch-removed a plug TMS
20 $20.00 2 tie rod ends speedway motors
30 B&M shifter and cable found at Snwomobile swap meet
3.69 brake cable for automatic drum adjust
13.06 nuts and bolts from Ace Hardware
38.49 2 new u joints for rear driveshaft
50.62 Monroe sensa track shocks for front end
227.97 Airbag manifold block with 8 solenoids
34.99 Airbag dual guages (2 gauges) with 4 switches
27.99 Airbag airline 25 ft of 3/8" DOT approved hose
11.9 airbag push fittings, 10 pcs
19.99 Speedway spring shackle kit
5.99 Speedway 5/8" steering heim joint
37.9 Procomp electric fan from E bay includes shipping of 11 bucks
13.49 more nuts and bolts from Ace Hardware
6.51 more nuts and bolts from Ace Hardware
4.99 seal for steering box reversal
2.9 more nuts and bolts from Ace Hardware
40 MAS Racing brake pedal and bracket
40 floor steel from Work. 50 cents per pound
23
2471.25 :D
Doin very well!
thats awesome man! great to see a fellow ebayer/craigslister/junkyarder ! anything i need, those are the first 3 places i go! keep up the good work, cant wait to see it finished
Very nice build. The piston airbag top hats are nice along with the con-rod mounts!
I needed to move the lower radiator fitting ...current location would run the hose into the airbag....
I used a propane torch to remove the fitting, and then hammered it to fit the radiator so the gaps are small ...(like solder sweating copper pipe)..I cleaned it REALLY good and used plenty of flux....then soldered the fitting into the MIDDLE of the radiator. it worked great. I just found an old radiator in a friends scrap pile that i cut a piece of brass for a patch for the old location.
The lower hose will now run directly between the airbags and into the water pump.
Jeff
Instead of the typical Beer keg fuel tank, i am probably going to use this old Camper water heater tank. If i split the tank and widen it by around 20-24+ it will look pretty cool. I used a jigsaw and sawzall to cut the outer shell, then a handsaw to cut the inner 3" aluminum tubing..:D..I love using wood tools on aluminum!!:eek:
I will post the progress later, but i think these parts will make nice tank ends. I can cut/roll/weld the center section to make this about a 12 gallon tank.
I used 1x1" square tubing for the floor support and structure. 16 ga sheet metal for the floor surface. The typical Rat Rodder likes to see/feel/and smell the tranny. (i dont get it?!) ....i am going to make a tunnel also to cover the transmission. The tunnel will be removeable (bolt in!!) so it will please the rat rodder or hot rodder at time of sale (if i ever sell it)..
The sheet metal was welded onto the 1" square frame. I made cardboard template first, then transferred onto the sheetmetal. This is like doing a linoleum floor and works GREAT. cardboard is easier to cut and prototype , then transfer to steel.:3dSMILE:
The center sheetmetal that is under the seats is welded UNDERNEATH the frame work to give an additional 1" of headroom for the driver and seat. REmember-this was a 5" CHOP.
There was NO firewall when i bought this cab....probably a good thing! I made a firewall to follow the curvature of the existing body. I held the firewall up to the body and traced from the inside, the plasma cut the firewall to be flush..not a lap weld..this fit nice and looks great.
I then welded a small section of tunnel and made clearance for the tranny dipstick. The tunnel sits close to the tranny and gives me the most room possible in the cab, there isnt much room for your feet so i wanted to maximize the foot area in the cab. It will be plenty of room for gas/brake pedals.
Some more pics of the firewall fabrication, welding, grinding .....it turned out nice. I made a small notch for the tranny dipstick tube. Notice the tunnel, it will not be welded in, it will be bolted and removeable for service and if i want to run without it.
I used .125 thick steel straps bent into a "U" shape for the driveshaft protection. Then wrapped 18 ga steel over the straps. Notice the car is dropped to the ground and i have a 1" spacer to keep a proper distance /clearance rom the driveshaft to the body. The driveshaft was made from the old camper donor vehicle, i chopped the ends off and rewelded them back on. The 2nd to last pic is me and my youngest daughter....i think she wants to go for a spin!
Instead of the steering column from the donor camper/ambulance vehicle..i am using the steering column from a POlaris RZR , which is like a dune buggy. I pd scrap price of .50 cents per pound for this stuff....basically it is a mini tilt steering column and my old VIntage steering wheel fit right on the splines!:D I have owned that cool steering wheel since high school...(25 yrs ago) ...i thought i had lost it, then my brother brings it to my house one day last year!! He had saved it for me! thanks Keith!! ...
I bolted the tilt pivot under the dash, cut the shaft to lenght and made a spacer sleeve to weld the shaft back together...i will wait until the cab is final mounted to get the shaft welded together, i might lift the cab about 1/2" with rubber mounts, so the steering shaft will need to be a bit longer...
a couple pics. steering wheel ....i am adding the tilt wheel shock, this will be a sweet feature.
The cardboard pattern is for the transmission tunnel, i made a flat patten then cut it out of 16 ga steel and bent it into shape, a bit of hammering with the rubber mallet and some weld/grind and there it is..
Wolfco
your project is really coming along. Nice job on the tunnel and floor pans. Are the pans braced underneith in front or is the metal stiff enough not to need any beads. I have old patch panels in mine and the passenger side has no beads. Everytime I step in there I feel it sag a bit. So I'm looking to make some panels and have a friend roll a few beads to stiffen it up.
I also like the tilt wheel with your old steering wheel. You seem undaunted to dive in and adapt old stuff, cut and reweld, etc. Very inspirational. Keep it up, Steve.:cool:
You are correct, i dont have any "beads" or coined areas in the floor for support, but i dont think i need it.
I used 16 ga steel, and the 1x1 tubing is spaced close together. The largest unsupported area is UNDER the seat, and there is very little area to actually apply weight to the floor when you get in the car.....it is so low you kinda crawl in there anyways. :cool:
I'm glad you liked the use of odd materials for my project, it keeps the cost down and makes for good conversation!
Jeff
I made a battery box pan/tray to hold the battery and we welded it into the corner of the Ford box. There is a 1x1 tubing underneath the pan for added support. My friend Adam is helping on this particular event. We are trading some labor and beers-he is also building a Rat rod...a 40's Chevy pickup. thanks for the help Adam.
OK, so i am building a Rat rod right? OPEN exhaust? a few feet of water pipe and make my own open headers? ....too easy, too loud, too much following the rat rod crowd....my theory is that you build the car the way YOU want it...dont follow everyone and copy every RAT rod out there!
That is what is so fun about this hobby...make it the way YOU want to.
That rant was my justification for putting exhaust on this car. I have an old set of SBC ramhorn exhaust manifolds that i have been saving since 1991 for a project....never had a project to use them on ...until now! so use 'em right?
SO i bought 2 lengths of exhaust 2" pipe for 20.00 each...i say to the exhaust dude.,.."whats the tax?" ...he says "just give me $40"...so $40 it is...then i buy 2 elbows for $7.59 each....so $55 bucks for exhaust. I drilled 2 holes in the rear bumper and there is NO bends in the exhaust-just 2" straight out the back!!:eek: hopefully it will "cackle" and snap and be nice and loud out the rear of the car...and quiet (a bit quieter) in the cab.
I used about 2" of the old exhaust flanges and donuts, welded to the elbows and then straight back. The reciever hitch in the rear bumper is so I can get a floor jack under the car....there is no other way to get under this car, as it LAYS FRAME AND BODY.....:D
Might want to think about a heat shield under the seat area as you built that down on to the exhaust.
This is looking good!
You are right.... it is what you want it to be...........
Like the way your going so far.YOUR WAY Great build and Keep up the good work.
thanks for the advice ScooterCO...the exhaust may get hot under the seat. THe 2" exhaust is approx 1.5" from the bottom of the seat area. I was thinking of a heat shield to prevent heat transfer...this is done in the oem world and works great on wood stoves in MInnesota!! If you put a piece of sheetmetal between the woodstove and the wall, the sheetmetal will get smoking hot, and the wall will be just a bit warm...great idea, i think i will add that to the "to do" list. thanks!
JEff
Hi Jeff.
I don't know how I have missed this build thread up until now... DUH!:whacked: Anyway, lots of nice work here. I like homebuilt stuff done with ingenuity and inventiveness. I haven't had time to read the whole thread in detail; I just scanned your entries. That firewall is beautiful...:3dSMILE: Did you give up on the cowl steering? In my roadster build I used the steering box from a 1985 Ford Ranger (they already work the right way and don't have to be reversed) and built an extension for the sector shaft to get the pittman arm outside the body.:HMMM:
Your bellcrank assembly on the front end is really cool. The use of the old pistons on top of the bags is pure genius.:cool: Keep up the good work!
Oh yeah, you can wrap the pipes under the floor with header wrap, too. That greatly reduces heat transfer. And for making sparks when you "pancake" the frame on the ground, try to find some scrap magnesium or titanium. Both make an abundance of bright white fire when they contact the road...
I like the idea of wrapping the exhaust with the fiberglass cloth wrap. I built a chopper a few years ago and bought a 50 ft x 2" wide roll of that stuff...and have some left over. I never thought about using it for this car! it would be great to wrap the exhaust directly under the cab and seat area to keep the heat from cooking the floor. I live in MN so it doesnt get very hot up here..but on those nice summer days it can hit 90 degrees or better.....thanks for the tip!
I mounted a couple of Fleet Farm shocks...they were $17 bucks each...i took some measurements on compressed and extended lenghts and found this set of shocks. Stroke is about 6 3/4" inch on the shocks and i need around 6 3/8"...so i mounted them so they have full travel and wont limit suspension travel. I disassembled the car so i can paint the frame...Yes..paint....it is a rat rod but i cant seem to allow myself to let new steel just get rusty! It only took about 1 hour to disassemble the car....there is no wiring yet so it was just front and rear suspension and pulling the engine.
Sonofa...!!!!!!
I was grinding some welds and had the bare frame on 2 sawhorses yesterday. I needed to remove a brace and cut a weld....the frame dropped off the saw horse and the rear bumper (2x4" steel tubing) dropped onto my left foot. I saw stars!:CRY::CRY::CRY::mad::eek:!! It was a foolish mistake and my workboots are NOT steel toe....
I went into the house and took a pain killer....and watched tv, had a few glasses of wine and off to sleep. Today i woke up and the toes were still sore, so i went to get x rays---confirmed 3 broken toes. cleanly snapped like 3 little twigs.
I was about out of welding gas so i went and exchanged the argon bottle.....might rest up for a day and then get back to welding...I have 2 weeks off for the holidays but need to go at this so i dont prolong the breakage....darn it. I plan to get a nice pair of steel toe boots this week. It wont happen again.
Ouch!:eek::CRY:
it'l feel better when it stops hurting. sorry but thats what I use to my daughter when she was little. always made her laugh and feel better...ted
Just got to read your build, your doing a great job. I hope to do one someday, got two other projects first and I'm not getting any younger.
Take care of those toes and keep up the good work..;)