Thread: Bad Ast Astro Van Build

Tweet

And more good lookin' brackets!!! Anxious to see the entire assembly setting in place, Mark! Definitely going to be a some nice working and looking suspension!

Man, you build some great looking parts. This thing is really going to be sweet when it's done!

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the comments. I hope it lives up to mine AND everyone elses expectations...
The rear suspension is well on it's way. I have a few things to tidy up so I can get the rear hung and the frame brackets finalized. i am hoping to have a full suspension under the van by the end of the day Sunday.... we'll see how it goes.
Last Saturday was spent in Kawkawlin wrapping up the housing mods. This time Pat and I finished up the narrowing, getting the bearing ends welded back on and figuring out axle lengths. Pat wasn't feeling very well so I really appreciate him taking the time to get this wrapped up. Thank You Pat.
I will be ordering axles from Moser this week.
http://images58.fotki.com/v510/photo...00_4276-vi.jpg
We also borrowed his neighbors lathe to bore out the upper bars to except the weld bungs I got from Currie.
Bored out bars and bungs... The upper bars are 1.5" OD
http://images108.fotki.com/v191/phot...MVC008F-vi.jpg
Brought everything home Saturday afternoon. Finished housing and brand new Yukon 3rd member.
I stopped at Withers steel on my way home and picked up a 24 x 36 piece of 3/8ths steel to start building a "Big Boy" welding bench. I also picked up a 4 ft piece of 1 " OD x 1/8 wall DOM for the panhard bar.
Sunday I spent hurting my back unloading all of that steel. (If you have never juggled a freshly built 3rd member you are missing out on a fun time) I got the upper bars built. Cut to length, fishmouthed and tack welded.
Fitting the bushing sleeve.
http://images51.fotki.com/v103/photo...MVC004F-vi.jpg
Tonight I got the lowers cut out, fishmouthed, beveled and tacked.
http://images116.fotki.com/v618/phot...MVC009F-vi.jpg
That's a tape measure for scale...
http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photo...MVC012F-vi.jpg
Tomorrow afternoon I am taking the bars out to EVI so Brett can weld them for me. I REALLY need to learn this TiG stuff better...
Thanks for looking at my junk
Mark

Anxious to see the whole thing all welded up and ready to go!!!!! Nothing beats a really nice rear end!!!!!!!!

Nothing beats a really nice rear end!!!!!!!![/QUOTE]
I have to totaly agree

I wholeheartedly agree! Who doesn't like a nice rear end? This one is taking shape.
Got some work done on it this past weekend. We were making more brackets... Lower shock brackets and a couple of extensions that I added to the rear axle shock brackets so I can use my 6" inch travel Vari-Shocks in the rear.
We also got the rear axle mocked into place. Clamped some scrap tubing to the frame and set the axle on that to get the height established.
http://images58.fotki.com/v156/photo...00_4385-vi.jpg

http://images57.fotki.com/v256/photo...00_4386-vi.jpg
I cleaned up and painted the 4 link bars Monday night. I used Rustoleum primer and "Hammer" gray. I think they look pretty good for a rattlecan job.
http://images59.fotki.com/v683/photo...00_4367-vi.jpg
I masked off the monoballs rather than take everything apart.
http://images57.fotki.com/v81/photos...00_4368-vi.jpg
I'll get some better pics when they are dry and I can lay them down.
Thanks for looking
Mark

I got a UPS notice last night! My axles will be delivered "by end of day" TODAY! Odered them from Moser Thursday morning and they were shipped Monday afternoon!
I am going to start finishing up the welding on the chassis tonight and should be able to wrap that up tomorrow night.
I hope to have the rear suspension set up this weekend (painting the Bars so I can install the poly bushings is part of the plan). She is coming together, slowly. I am in the process of planning fuel, brake and battery lines. I need to get the chassis under the van to get the body brackets placed. That will start this weekend. Once that is done I will get a heavy coat of primer on the chassis and start building anti-roll bars. Lots to do! No lollygagging allowed!
Thanks for looking at my junk.
Mark

How about a quick update? I have no pics from today as BOTH of my camera batteries decided to die at the same time. I just ordered new ones tonight.
Mel and I got the rest of the rear suspension put together today. Here is some of the stuff we worked on.
* Made the upper 4 bar frame brackets.
* Tacked on the upper bar brackets
* Built the panhard bar housing bracket and tacked it to the housing
* Tacking that to the housing we could finish up fitting the PHB frame bracket.
* Tacked and then finish welded the PHB bracket.
* Once all of that junk was in place we could fit the upper shock crossmember.
* We used a piece of 2" x 1/8th wall DOM for that, drilled holes for the shock mount sleeves, notched the ends to fit over the rails and tacked it in.
* I cut a piece of 1" x 1/8 wall DOM to make the panhard bar. Got that weled up and in the chassis.
I will be making some filler plates for the ends of the shock crossmember and doing a lot of welding this coming week.
Got a lot done today! There is a functional rear suspension in the van right now. That is HUGE!!!
I will get pics as soon as I get batteries.
Thanks for reading about my junk
Mark

Sounds like a productive weekend! Anxiously awaiting the pics!

Glad somebody is making progress, I'm on that piddly stuff where you work all day and can't see where you did anything!!!!

Hey Dave,
Thanks, progress has been good all along but, as you know, the little things take time.

Mel and I hit it hard again this weekend! I got the new battery for the shop camera Thursday so I got a few update pics from last weekend.
This is a pic of the housing panhard bracket tacked in place. With the panhard bar mocked in.
http://images108.fotki.com/v205/phot...MVC008F-vi.jpg
Another angle.
http://images54.fotki.com/v627/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
Here is a pic of the whole suspension hanging in the chassis.
http://images57.fotki.com/v256/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
This is the outer gusset for the panhard bar frame bracket tacked in place.
http://images58.fotki.com/v132/photo...MVC001F-vi.jpg
The upper shock xmbr tacked in. I will be making gusset plates for this to tie it into the rail better and it will also carry a set of down tubes for the cage.
http://images39.fotki.com/v1291/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
Mark

This is a pic of the custom decals I had made for Bad Ast Motorsports.
http://images108.fotki.com/v191/phot...MVC002F-vi.jpg
I am putting the stickers on all of the suspension parts as they are finished.
http://images44.fotki.com/v301/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
Storage for the 4 link and panhard bars.
http://images59.fotki.com/v684/photo...MVC004F-vi.jpg
Today and yesterday the chassis saw the light of day AND the underside of a certain Astro Van... We started marrying the chassis to the body Saturday. Cleaned out a LOT more of the crossmembers (all of them to be exact) made a few notches in the forward rail sections and got the chassis shoved up in there...
http://images54.fotki.com/v77/photos...MVC012F-vi.jpg
Making way for the new chassis... There were 8 of these "tabs" left, spot welded to the old rails that we cleaned off today
http://images15.fotki.com/v235/photo...MVC012F-vi.jpg
After hitting them with a plug cutter and chisel...
http://images54.fotki.com/v627/photo...MVC016F-vi.jpg
Cleaned up with the grinder...
http://images50.fotki.com/v1523/phot...MVC014F-vi.jpg
Rail notches for frame clearance. I will plate these in over the winter. The drivers side is a bit more "notchie" then the pass side.
http://images44.fotki.com/v301/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
http://images59.fotki.com/v683/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
After a couple of days worth of cutting and grinding we got the frame up in a near semblance of it's actual position.
http://images59.fotki.com/v683/photo...MVC008F-vi.jpg
http://images57.fotki.com/v221/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
http://images59.fotki.com/v684/photo...MVC011F-vi.jpg
I found this...
http://images54.fotki.com/v627/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
INSIDE the right hand rail section... WHY would a bird want to get in the rail? Probably to make a nest but it couldn't get out... Sad, very sad.
Thanks for looking.
Services and funeral are next Thursday at 11:00AM.

Nice work on the project, good to see them come together finally, isn't it? Neat looking decal, too!!! Should draw some interest.

PS--Is there a prayer service for da bird prior to the funeral, I have an appointment Thursday.....

Thank you Dave. There is no planned prayer service but you can send money to the "Birds the Words" charity.
I hope your grand-daughters are okay... Sorry to here about the strife.

Originally Posted by astroracer

Thank you Dave. There is no planned prayer service but you can send money to the "Birds the Words" charity.
I hope your grand-daughters are okay... Sorry to here about the strife.

"Granpa's Girls" just keep gettin' better every day!!!!

\Sent a great big cheque to the "Birds the Word" charity, gonna be a big funeral I bet!!! Was the bird Irish, thought maybe there might be a wake!!!! Irish wakes are fun!!!

Hey Gary,
There are body mods planned, but those will wait until the van is running good and all of the suspension is sorted out. I hope to have it drivable by spring and will spend the summer working out the bugs.
Cage work is already planned and will progress as soon as the body mounts are in (this week). There is a lot of work to do to the front inner fender structure for tire clearance and the dog house area around the engine. I will be building a whole new dog house and will be re-building the entire floor to accomodate.
The cage will be built inside the van while it is off the chassis. I built a body cart to hold it over the winter and that is where I will build the cage. The cage will actually drop down thru holes in the floor so I can finish weld all of the tubes. It will then be raised into position while the chassis is re-installed this spring.
There is still butt-load of work to do. We have actually just scrapped the surface so far...