Projects Modified Lakester Build (THUNDERCASKET)

Something does look odd...

Here's mine for reference.

 

Yeah, your shackles look about half the length of mine. Though as it sits, I'm not sure if a shorter shackle would sit close to 45º under load with this spring.

What are you running for a spring in yours?

 

Model A pack, with about three springs removed.

Rich

 

I ordered out for shorter brackets to try and address this issue.

I'm also on to considering using the other frame I picked up in a trade. however it's about 1/4" out of square upon initial inspection, so that's up in the air for now.

I've got some initial drawings made up to fab motor mounts and some biscuits en route. Hopefully I'll be able to get all this together and load my build soon.

 

Got some insulation up in my shop over the weekend so I don't lose most of the winter in there like last year. Nasty stuff, fiberglass, but it needed to be done.

As for relevant, meaningful things, I got my motor mounts off in preparation for fabricating a set of flatmounts. Once I get a set i like made, I'll post my design here. I haven't found any other than the coordinates that the Frenchtown Flyer posted, which I'm using.

I also purchased a 48 rear track bar to see if I can incorporate it in my rear suspension design. I've got some pictures attached here. It looks like it will fit and not interfere with my driveshaft or frame, as long as I locate it properly and do my kickup cut far enough in to clear it.

Opinions?

 

subscribed. Enjoying the build & the story. Don't give up, if it was easy everyone would do it. I'm in the same boat, one rusty body with no doors on a stock frame trying to shoehorn a 300 straight six into a 27 coupe & a pile of parts in the corner! good luck & I'll keep watching.

 

Just wondering here...did you need to stretch the spring to reach the shackles?
Seems like all the problem relates to the shackles being too long.
Of course, I'M not there with it in front of me so I have no way of really knowing!

The Panhard is a bit of a question mark.
With the spring spread to reach and the shackles preloaded there is really no need for it, and the angle its on seems like it would thrust the frame sideways when you hit a good bump anyway.
Panhard pivot points need to be the same height to prevent that.
(Parallel to the ground...although really the bends in the bar are meaningless. It's the pivot points being the same height that makes the difference.)
The later Fords used them because the springs weren't preloaded and the shackles basicly hung free, which allowed for a softer ride but no side to side sway control.

In my mind, those radius arms are gonna need a torque arm as well.
I would use the heavy 36 style as they are, but the ones you have are known to be weak and I've seem many pics of them cracking at the mounting holes etc.
Better to build in the strength you need now!

Wow...a real messenger of joy I know...but I think the build is awesome and I'm just trying to help out a bit.

 

Thanks! Sounds familiar! Are you trying to use the 27 frame or are you using something later? Also check my thread, Ford 300 to Model A Motor Mounts. They're not finished, but it will be and I'm sure it will help!

I've actually gotten a lot farther since my last post, though not much of it is evident when looking at the car. I got a repro 28/29 grill shell finally so I can at least start seeing the car a little closer to what I'm going for.

Other than that, I pulled the old, rusty, cracked and de-arched spring pack and bought a brand new one. I'm still fighting the old metal bushings in the spring perches however. I didn't have much luck with the hacksaw method but I'm gonna give it another go.

I also fabbed up some motor mounting fixtures per blasted's post. My flux welder throws copious boogers and ugly welds, so I didn't take any pictures of them. I wasted the last of my time Sunday so they didn't get used. It was raining anyway and I gotta open the bay door to get my hoist in there anyway.

Thanks! Yeah, I've given up on the track bar and the 40 bones for this build. I'm leaning heavily towards a set of Ladder Bars from RJ's since they're Alliance Vendors and can help me with the sizing if I need them shorter, which I likely will.

As I said above, I got a new spring and I also got a set of shorter shackles. I'm still fighting the old bushings so it's not on there yet.

I just didn't get as far as I wanted to this weekend. So, installing new kingpins up front, the new rear spring, and test mounting/locating the engine are still on the TO DO LIST... hopefully for 2013...

Anyway, here she is with her face on. The hood is going to be long, just not THIS LONG; the engine is going to come forward a few inches.

 

looking good. yes, I'm using the 27 frame. I boxed it with 1/4 in. plate. Are you going to box yours? The hood may just be that long on yours. The engine is 36 or 37 in. long from front to back & then theres the fan. I had to remove the stock firewall on mine & push the body back 6 in. on the frame to get it to fit. Up & down measurements are important too. Are you going to channel the body or leave it on top of the frame? thanks. Keep at it.

 

1/4" plate eh? That seems pretty thick. How did the welds take? Do you have a build thread with pix?

I'm going to order my boxing plates drilled, dimpled, & EZ weld. I'm not 100% committed to this frame yet since I can't find any numbers on it and it's a little rusty (needs some repair). I also have another frame with a visible number but it needs to be straightened a bit (over 1/8" out of square). I also need to locate my motor mounts and where the K member is going to go so I can delete the holes accordingly on the boxing plate order.

I think I got 33" when I measured but I think that was just the back of the head to the water outlet. When I get the engine off the ground I can get the fan up closer to the front crossmember. Right now the placeholder for my tie rod is in the way. Since I'm moving my grill shell forward, I may locate my radiator forward as well, which may allow the fan to locate above the crossmember.



I'm planning to channel, yes, but I'm not sure if I'll go down the whole 4" or not yet. Right now where the cowl meets the frame, the sheetmetal skin is right at the edge of the frame. If I can get a couple inches forward, which I think I can, it should be a little easier. I'm going to have to cut my firewall to let the gearbox in and probably at least some of the bellhousing. I'm stretching the back of the cab about 4" to 6" as well. I'm going to fabricate a new subframe and box tube skeleton inside the cab.

 

hello patmanta, Yes, 1/4in. plate is probably overkill but it was what I had. I do have a pic on post # 1072 of the "Who's building a T thread?" but no build thread. Some of the things I've done aren't HAMB friendly, I don't think & I don't want to offend anyone. The welds are fine I think. It's just practise & not being afraid. cut,weld,grind cut,weld,grind. The channel amount is important , cauce so many other measurements come off that as well as actual engine placement. Make it your own its your car. Keep on Trucking

 

Doesn't look too far out to be in the Traditionally Styled section. I don't see a Turbocharged Coyote 5.0 pushing down on MII IFS in that pic. Your front hairpins are interesting. Where did they come from? Are the rears off a Ford 9N? Are they bushing mounted?

Also, of extreme interest to me is what you did to mount your engine. Did you fabricate them? I can't see enough to tell what's going on in the pic.

 

Thanks man, its pretty low budget. The front hairpins are stock Ford pickup truck. I don't know what a Ford 9N is? Yes, those are stock bushings in stock frame mounts I welded to the original frame. The motor is just tacked in place with scrap steel for deminsions. I'll build real mounts later. Are you gonna run a steel floor or a wood one?

 

They are? What year? I think that's a pretty creative idea and certainly a unique look. Would you mind posting/sharing a few detail pics of your suspension setup?

If you're sheepish about starting a build thread on the HAMB, there'a also the DOGFIGHT forums, which are more of a free form build environment.

I have a thread with designs going for Ford 300 to Model A Motor Mounts which you may want to follow. The designs are in rough draft right now, so don't expect to put them to immediate use. The hole patterns on there should be solid though. I've got some locating fixtures made but I haven't gotten to hoisting the engine and locating it yet. Once I do that I'll revise the drawings. I'm planning for a couple degrees of rake, so my final design will reflect that.

If you're just gonna run the stock mounts to the frame, it won't be much help to you other than entertainment however. All I've got for that is rumors that the Ford FE frame mounts work. You're probably on the right track if you've just got scrap made mounts in there. I'd be interested in pics of what you've got in there regardless.

Oh, and I was referring to a Ford 9N Tractor, like this one.

 

Holidays, travel, etc have resulted in little progress.

I'm still stymied by the corroded bushings in the banjo bells. Heat and wax next maybe?

Once I get those awful things out I can finally get somewhere.

 

I was rereading the thread & this picture is just AWESOME! ( I can see it all gloss black or a model T green color) Any updates?

 

I'm going black with grabber blue scallops actually.

I'm recovering from having my wisdom teeth out currently and vicodin doesn't mix with power tools so this weekend I'll mostly focus on housekeeping in the shop and light duties on the car.

I did get one of my spindles cut and ground though!

 

yeah! take it easy dude. you know that old joke " These are the hands of a master craftsman" ain't no joke. I almost cut a figer off once & the only thing that saved it was the fact that I was so dumb I didn't know I was holding the tool backwards while using it & only got stiches! Keep on truckin'

 

VICTORY!

I finally cut, bored and BEAT those bushings out of the spring hangers on my rear end. I also mounted the new spring and got the assembly under the frame!

It looks like I'm going to have to add a washer of some kind under the lip of the bushing on the hanger side though. There's a little gap there. It looks like the hanger is about 1/16" narrower than the spring and the bushings for the shackle. Should I use Steel or Nylon? I'm leaning towards steel.

Regardless, now I can get this build moving again!

 

It feels good to win ! Can u show a picture of where the gap is? It may need to be there to allow the shackle to swing thru its arc on the hanger? I'd move ur panhard bar too. that may not work. If u go ladder bars then trianglate them it will ride & corner better than parrallel ones on the street. congrats

 

[/URL][/IMG] Awhile back you asked for some pictures & I finally got to send them. sorry it took so long.

 

http://s1298.photobucket.com/user/chessterd5/slideshow/

sorry about that, lets try this.

 

That's an interesting build for sure (though I see why you're shy to put it on the HAMB).

Those radius rods still fascinate me. What is that up front, an old Plymouth axle? What's going on up there?

 

Hello Patmanta, no, its a 2wd factory tube axle out of a 1988 Jeep Cherokee with homemade batwings, spring perches, & the original Model T spring. I haven't cut the old spring mounts off the axle yet, so it looks kinda goofy. I've done more work to it since those pictures. Anything new when I do it will be on the link. I like your modified man its gonna be a cool little car!

 

OK, back in the shop all weekend. Started getting my tie rod and steering arms on. I've got 2 pas side F1 spindles with the stock arms chopped and ground off. I've got a pair of deep drop steering arms on them now. I think they will just barely clear the wishbones.

I've also encountered a little trouble mounting that hoop steering arm to the F1 backing plate. One side can be done, but the other side, the bolt won't clear the brake cylinder. Right now it's just in there with one bolt and no grease shield. I'm going to have to take the whole thing apart and assemble it with the hoop first.

I got my wishbones opened up, drilled for plug welds and got one bung tacked in before I ran out of time yesterday. I'm hoping to put things back together and see what I've got this weekend.

I have a set of weld on "shock mounts" with the 7º taper that I'm trying to figure out if I can use for tabs to mount the front wishbones. At a minimum they give me something to clamp to the frame for mockup until I figure out if they're sufficient or not (Pic below).

Here's where I'm at:

 

Nothing monumental to report. I did get the other wishbone's bung tacked finally. The plug welds just didn't want to take to the bung for some reason so it was a lot of welding, re drilling, re-welding, re-drilling, grinding, etc. But it's tacked together well enough for mockup now. I'm planning to weld them proper with a better machine.

I scored an aluminum Corvette driveshaft and a yoke for the transmission. Once they get here I'll be able to see how the drivetrain has to fit and it that's going to be feasible or if I'll need a custom length shaft. Hopefully the 27.5" vette shaft will be sufficient; it's within the fuzzy band of 'might work' measurements right now as the engine isn't mounted yet. If it works, it'll be the only non-Ford/non-aftermarket part in the build so far.

I also scored this Tach that I'm all excited about.

 

I didn't get very far this weekend despite having lots of shop time. I got frustrated with trying to figure out my engine lifting and mounting situation.

Sunday I got it figured out but not completed. I did manage to get the crane in position and the engine lifted and pulled up closer into the 1.5 ton range on the hoist. This was more challenging than it sounds in my small, cluttered shop.

 

More mockup progress this weekend.

• I received the Vette driveshaft and it looks like it's going to be a good fit.
  
  
• I reworked my temp mounts that I'd constructed based on blasted's thread, since my mounts are likely going to be near level with the frame.
  
  
  
  
• As far as mounts go, I found a set of Ford mounts that are unlike most all of what I've seen. They're flat and centered. I can't find them anywhere online, but they're supposedly from an 87-97 application.
• I managed to inch the hoist in there and work it and the engine into position. I've finally gotten the frame sprung and weighted. I just got new windows, so I ended up with some weights that came in handy.
  
  
  
• My front shackles are looking good at 45º but the rear is still a bit shallow. I may pull a leaf out back and see if it settles a bit better.
• The front crossmember is sitting at about 14" and the rear is at 19" with 2º of rake. It's still a bit much for my taste so I'm thinking a 2" to 2.5" kick up is in order if not more. I'd like to get lower overall but I'm not sure what my options are beyond what I've done up front with the dropped crossmember, axle, and reverse eye spring.
  
  
• I'll be doing some cutting on the wishbones; they're pulling the caster back to about 2º from the 7º it was at naturally.
• 

 

I've got a scaled drawing together to help figure things out a bit.

The wheelbase to ride height is something I'm pondering hard right now. This drawing is representative of where I will be with a 2.5" drop in the rear and without removing leaves (measured 14" at front and 16.5" at rear crossmember top rails).

The wheelbase is @112" and I'm not sure how much that can change with the parts I've got without cutting on or replacing them. I can shift the engine forward a bit still if I pie cut the rear to drop and pull it in potentially. But that might also dictate a shorter drive shaft. I could go buy an un-cut set of 37 wishbones and pull my front axle behind the front crossmember and drop me down, but then my frame horns would be awful close if not protrude beyond the wheels.

 

hello Patmanta, more important then caster at this point is to make sure the rear axle is in line with the front axle to the centerline of the car so it doesn't "crabwalk" going down the road. How did you get your wheelbase measurement? If you can roll it outside & get some profile shots that would really help to see whats going on. It looks like the body is toofar back & the engine is still too far forward. Don't worry about the driveshaft it's usually the last thing just follow the rules on driveline phaseing, pinion angle, etc., & you'll be fine. lookin' good.