I dont know what kind of time line this build has taken place....but dang, I'm GREEN with envy.... I'm at one year of build (almost to the day ) of a total frame off and am not near that close.... You **** The truck on the other hand is AWESOME....smooth work (even though you used a 350...bet your using an auto too huh....) BTW the dude that wrote that comment....go play in traffic, it wont hurt, I promise...
Looking good! glad to see that you only had the front cross member tacked when you figured that mess out. Like the primer color too. Is that finish color or just on the way too....
Wildearp, I hate to highjack your thread, but since parts stashes were mentioned I have to ask. Do you know anybody in that end of the state that has a '54 or '55 1st series bed that needs a new home? My girlfriend just bought a '55 1st series that is lacking a bed, and I can't find anything up here. Thanks Chip Quinn
^^I sent a contact to you via email for parts. He is a newer HAMBer. Timeline: I picked my truck up after the TSRA event in Tucson, February. It was rolling under its own power in August, 6 months of weekends and evenings. The hood is done and should go on tonight. The rear fenders will need a few more hours.............
I absolutely agree with second-guessing the TCI instructions. I put the same independent suspension kit into my 55.5 Chevy truck, and the wheelbase would have been off by 1.5 inches if I followed their instructions (appear to have been written by an elementary school drop-out). The guys that answered their help line were of no use either. I figured it out myself. Sorry if this has been posted already, but with these "strut eliminator" kits, I highly recommend adding a gussett plate to pick up the lower pivot bolt where it cantilevers behind the crossmember. The gussett should be designed to transfer the twisting 'moment' force from the lower pivot, directly to the frame. This will reduce the chances of the lower pivot tearing out of the crossmember on a hard brake or pot-hole encounter. Just some added safety. See the attached pic for an idea of what I'm talking about. I built my gussetts with more beef though, but you get the idea. By the way, I love the work you're doing, the truck looks great!
It's your truck, you are building it, do it the way you want it. What old1946 says means nothing .... but what I say does, good job keep it up.
Can you show more shots of the hood open? some from the inside? The website doesn't show the forward tilt on th AD.
very nice truck! id like to see some pics of the tilt hood also if you can that would be great, thank you
Here is a link to the custom cl***ic site where they show the install of the No Limit flip kit. I must caution you that the kit barely fits. I had to modify it quite a bit to get it to close, to include t******* 1/2" off the upper bracket, and slotting the heck out of the mounting holes and modifying the rear mounts. For the price, it should fit perfectly, but it is far from that............ I had a BMW type kit on my '56 and installed it in about an hour before I went to work one morning. That is the way it should work........ http://www.customcl***ictrucks.com/..._engineering_flip_hood_kit_install/index.html
I see how this can be of benefit to a kit that has the strut eliminator kit. However, new TCI crossmembers have a continuous solid steel tube with approximately 0.250" wall thickness that goes all the way through the crossmember from a-arm bushing to bushing. If you manage to bend that, you will have bigger issues than just that tube. Some kits and new cross members have this part as an add-on. As far as the hood, you can make a longer support, or a shorter one. I am a big guy and easily crawled under that hood to install an electric fan inside the radiator.
hey WILDEARP...man i love your WORK, and the truck too! ha! that's doing the right way. and i was putoff by that *****s remark myself. you have a p/u to be very proud of. 1st cl*** workmanship! i'am so glad your here, we need more people like you, and less of that WHAT? call me POP...or the old FART!
I have a 47 3/4T. the frame is rotted below the cab, was thinking of changing it out over an S10. I have a 126" wheel base, does anyone know which S10 has the 117" WB?
Thanks for the kind words. My 48 Ford Truck build thread will get rolling good around February. I have a bunch of the parts for it already. (Sure need a 33" GM tilt column............) Big 3 in San Diego is coming soon.
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