Thread: Bad Ast Astro Van Build

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Lots of good progress, the interior is going to be very nice!

The weekend prior Mel and I worked on the rear enclosure. I spent some time spreading seam sealer on the tubs and getting all of the joints packed. This is messy stuff.
{img]http://images52.fotki.com/v726/photos/5/904975/11902235/MVC006F-vi.jpg[/img]
http://images12.fotki.com/v216/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
We also made up some flanges to rivet to the tubs to carry the bottom of the front enclosure panel.
http://images61.fotki.com/v545/photo...MVC011F-vi.jpg
We made these out of .090 aluminum sheet. Bent them up on the 3 n 1 and ran them thru the stretcher dies to make the curve.
http://images49.fotki.com/v1508/phot...MVC020F-vi.jpg
Me workin' hard...
http://images16.fotki.com/v301/photo...MVC022F-vi.jpg
The template...
http://images57.fotki.com/v1613/phot...MVC021F-vi.jpg
The fit...
http://images20.fotki.com/v1590/phot...MVC023F-vi.jpg
The final product...
http://images46.fotki.com/v297/photo...MVC012F-vi.jpg
We got both sides in, seam sealed and riveted...
Trial fitting with a few clecoes
http://images49.fotki.com/v606/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
Setting them in place with a smear of seam sealer underneath. This is a clecoe going in prior to riveting.
http://images12.fotki.com/v616/photo...MVC005F-vi.jpg
The passenger side from the front.
http://images60.fotki.com/v778/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
The drivers side.
http://images12.fotki.com/v213/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
Had a good day in the shop. Got a lot done and, at this point, I was hoping to be painting this stuff next weekend...
http://images54.fotki.com/v514/photo...MVC008F-vi.jpg
Thanks for looking
Mark

We got all of the minor brackets for the enclosure panels done today. Mel did the brunt of the work on these while I was dinking around smoothing out all of that seam sealer I put in last weekend...
Building brackets for the end panel closeouts.
http://images55.fotki.com/v608/photo...MVC005F-vi.jpg
The sealer smoothed out nicely with the stripping disc. It took me a couple of hours to get them ready for paint.
http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
Passenger side.
http://images52.fotki.com/v640/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
Mel got the end closures made up. We put a nice roll at the top. I think this looks so much better then sharp corners... The Carbon Fiber panels will have this same roll.
http://images43.fotki.com/v398/photo...MVC013F-vi.jpg
The new closeout and the top panel in place. These will get painted black before being riveted in.
http://images20.fotki.com/v106/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
From inside the enclosre. A couple of clecoes holding the pieces in.
http://images15.fotki.com/v1624/phot...MVC005F-vi.jpg
The drivers side panel getting fabbed.
http://images54.fotki.com/v461/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
http://images108.fotki.com/v613/phot...MVC011F-vi.jpg
This is what paint looks like...
I cleaned the two top panels with some ScotchBrite and shot them with Eastwood Gloss Chassis Black.... Very Nice.
http://images16.fotki.com/v301/photo...MVC013F-vi.jpg
They turned out nice.
http://images108.fotki.com/v1629/pho...MVC007F-vi.jpg
I did the same thing to the rear suspension panel.... It started snowing big fluffy flakes right after I started spraying thing... There are a "few" boogers in the paint from the snow...
http://images50.fotki.com/v1558/phot...MVC009F-vi.jpg
Mel had left for the day when I prepped the back for paint. here is the passenger side ready to be sprayed.
http://images59.fotki.com/v112/photo...MVC014F-vi.jpg
I used Rustoleum Satin Black. Mixed it with about 15% Mineral spirits and shoot it thru my touch-up gun...
http://images43.fotki.com/v398/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
The paint is still wet in these pics;
http://images14.fotki.com/v219/photo...MVC017F-vi.jpg
http://images61.fotki.com/v432/photo...MVC018F-vi.jpg
After it had cured fo an a few hours... I also sat the other painted panels in place for the pics...
http://images59.fotki.com/v684/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
http://images57.fotki.com/v283/photo...MVC004F-vi.jpg
http://images54.fotki.com/v514/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
Tomorrow I will put another coat on the tubs.
Mark

These are the final designs as it stands today. I ordered some parts from McMaster Carr and got a selection of 1/2-20 rod ends off eBay to build the end links. Now I just need to pick up the DOM tubing I will use for the actual bar.
Here are the 3D CAD pics
http://images60.fotki.com/v361/photo...ARREAR1-vi.jpg
A close up of the adjusters
http://images49.fotki.com/v1539/phot...ARREAR2-vi.jpg
The drivers side mounting tower. The angled plate provides a little additional clearance for the bar in jounce. I have the bar ends tucked in close to the rails so i had to move the bushings inboard a bit and this created a clearance issue with the mounting plate.
http://images12.fotki.com/v236/photo...ARREAR4-vi.jpg
Here is the passenger side. You can see another issue with the track bar bracket. There wasn't a lot of room to get this thing packaged...
http://images16.fotki.com/v388/photo...ARREAR5-vi.jpg
Here are the actual adjusters and rod ends...
http://images16.fotki.com/v387/photo...MVC001F-vi.jpg
I got a very good deal on this set of rod ends from QS Components on eBay. 42 bucks and free shipping. Saved me about 35 bucks over Speedway with shipping added in.
This is enough to do the front bar also.
http://images12.fotki.com/v531/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
Thanks for looking
Mark

Mel and I decided to remove the old fuel filler bump on the inside of the van. This not only cleans up the interior but will make interior panel fab easier.
http://images46.fotki.com/v372/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
Didn't make sense to leave it as the fuel fill will be in the back now.
http://images108.fotki.com/v191/phot...MVC014F-vi.jpg
We used an air chisel to get the old seam sealer out. Couldn't get it all so using the plasma cutter was just making a mess of it. We ended up cutting it out with a cut-off wheel on a die grinder.
http://images57.fotki.com/v1354/phot...MVC017F-vi.jpg
This left the flange spot welded to the body so we used a spot weld cutter and the air chisel to get that off.
http://images50.fotki.com/v1572/phot...MVC019F-vi.jpg
http://images43.fotki.com/v398/photo...MVC020F-vi.jpg
Bump is all gone...
http://images59.fotki.com/v112/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
Made a pattern and cut the patch panel out of some 22 gauge.
http://images20.fotki.com/v422/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
http://images12.fotki.com/v155/photo...MVC008F-vi.jpg
Used the rotary shear to trim off what we didn't need.
http://images12.fotki.com/v254/photo...MVC017F-vi.jpg
http://images51.fotki.com/v278/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
Mel laid out a pattern for spot welding and punched the holes with the "bench" punch...
http://images55.fotki.com/v608/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
http://images61.fotki.com/v53/photos...MVC003F-vi.jpg
Put on a 90 deg bend in the 3 in 1 and set it place.
http://images54.fotki.com/v627/photo...MVC005F-vi.jpg
After a few welds and a touch with the flap wheel it's ready for seam sealer.
http://images52.fotki.com/v729/photo...MVC007F-vi.jpg
Laid in some sealer and it's ready for primer when this is cured.
http://images15.fotki.com/v587/photo...MVC011F-vi.jpg
With that done I shot a few coats of the satin black on the middle floor section. This is ready to go in now.
http://images14.fotki.com/v218/photo...MVC012F-vi.jpg
Mel and I were talking about how hard it would be to work on the back of the van with this piece installed. It's MUCH easier to work standing up then trying to do all of this on your knees...
http://images14.fotki.com/v219/photo...MVC013F-vi.jpg
That's it for van work. Thanks for watching...
Mark

Haven't gotten a lot done on the van until today. Been real busy at work and the early hours and long drive is starting to wear on me. Have been real busy with house stuff, you know spring cleaning, yard work and a lot of honey do's.
Have gotten a few things done though. Last Saturday we spent building a "bender stand". This will hold my Pro-Tools tubing bender and the HF tubing roller all in on stand. Got the plans off ebay and it went together well.
http://images55.fotki.com/v1618/phot...MVC004F-vi.jpg
Built from reclaimed 2 x 2 x 1/8 th wall tube for a total cost of about 14 dollars...
Here it is with roller mocked up on top and a HF furniture dolly for a rolling base.
http://images60.fotki.com/v778/photo...MVC005F-vi.jpg
I am waiting on an air over hydraulic bottle jack I ordered to arrive so I can finish putting it together. The jack will mount to these two ears.
http://images55.fotki.com/v509/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
I don't want to weld them on till I have the jack so I can verify alignment to the bender.
We did get some van stuff done today.
These are all of the brackets for the rear sway bar. The axle brackets. The first one made on the right and the second one (on the left) in all of it's flat plate glory....
http://images50.fotki.com/v1513/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
And both of them complete. These will get welded to the housing during fitment.
http://images56.fotki.com/v714/photo...MVC008F-vi.jpg
[img]http://images50.fotki.com/v1522/photos/5/904975/12064735/MVC009F-vi.jpg[/img
These are the frame brackets. The will carry the ES bushings out on the frame. They are being bent along the dashed line on the SWAG bender.
http://images61.fotki.com/v138/photo...MVC011F-vi.jpg
http://images60.fotki.com/v661/photo...MVC013F-vi.jpg
This is a nasty pic with the flash on. I'll get better ones tomorrow. The little brackets in the middle will get welded to the ends of the sway bar and the link will run between those and the L bracket on the axle.
http://images58.fotki.com/v696/photo...MVC016F-vi.jpg
Thats about it. It's hard to believe it's been exactly two years to the day that this started... It's time to get this thing running...
Mark