I'm sure getting antsy for the shop owner to get back in town and get his engine hoist back from a relative. Clearly I need a physical task to get my mind focused on instead of imagining what all I could be doing to this project.
All I used was a floor jack and stands to get it in the air if you are talking about moving the rear forward.
Not sure I have stands that hold up 6000# That's the vehicle weight. I'm waiting until the owner gets back and we decide to do or not do something next.
Not sure what you have in mind. Why do you want to cut it down? You say you want to tow a trailer, this will work better with less overhang behind the rear wheels and the hitch receiver as far forward as possible. If it is straight rails I would not cut and weld. I would cut the back off with a Sawzall or cutting blade circular saw, what's the difference. If I wanted a shorter wheelbase I would remove the rear axle and other parts, drill the appropriate holes farther forward, remount everything and cut the frame off then get the driveshaft shortened.
Pics, now the plan makes sense. Agree with others, move the axle forward and torch off the frame. I like the idea of ramps that double as bed sides, never seen that before.
You ask about using an angle grinder with cut off disk....the danger is the weel can snag or pinch and no matter how strong you are and how good you think your hanging on your grinder can "take off " like a top fuel dragster leaving the starting line and cause you to be known of in the future as STUBBY. or ONE EYED LEOH.....have fun, be safe....
If you don't want to run "historic" or similar license tags and you don't want to pay manohoy pieces of gold for tags and insurance register it at a much lower gvw than the max allowed by the manufacturers MAXIMUM GVW......
Good stuff from metlmunchr. Back in the 60's I worked in a truck shop and part of the job was repairing log trucks that, quite often, left the road...and not in a good way. We regularly had a frame that needed something welded and running 7016 and 7018 up-hill was the only viable repair in that shop. Older frames were not exotic alloy stuff like today. As others have noted, if the frame rail allows just move the axle/springs forward. Much less work. .
Thank you for the warning. Don't want either of those things happening and with my chicken wings, I'D easily be the one flipping over the jammed grinder than the other way around.
My Makita has settings to vary the amount of oscillation using the lowest setting allows a very controlled cut in this kind of work without the risk of a cutting wheel coming apart and sending shrapnel thruout the shop.
No, I wasn't planning on hauling a trailer, actually the idea of the flatbed is appealing to me in that, you have the use of a large trailer space without having to register a trailer, as I see it. I am considering chopping it down because I may well use that much length occasionally, but frankly, most of the time that extra truck length won't be necessary, so initially the idea came to me of just lopping off the last 4' or 5' and remounting the current backplate up closer. 2 things were suggested after I mentioned this, dovetailing the end, which I might consider, but it depends on whether I can network with someone who has the skills and equipment to help me make that happen. It's a significant construction, going that route and although I'm inexperienced and don't know any better, I know I need to be sure whoever I work with has some skills. I don't plan to haul a car up the dovetail, but I also imagine I'd do it once in a while, so I do need to be sure it's done fully ***ed. Then all the ideas about how shortening the truck is better done by removing a center section of the frame, than lopping off overhang. Again, if I go a center frame chop, it'll only be if I can network with someone who has some frame construction experience. Initially, I wanted to know what tool might work better cutting into the frame, when I first asked my question. Where I'm working at the truck, he has a sawzall, but I don't think he has a heavy grinder, although he might know people who do, if it comes to that.
That 6000 lbs refers to the combined weight [truck and load] legally driven on the road...not the actual weight of that truck empty....a quality pair of stands will suffice.
Um, sorry, I double checked and that is the actual weight of those trucks empty. This one likely can tow over 10,000#, although with the 245ci Six, it wouldn't be very fast and I have no plans to carry anywhere near that weight, but it is rated for that originally.
A torch and a welder = a dovetail I'm into leaving the axle where it's at, make friend with someone who has a torch and a welder, upside down "V" cuts on each frame rail and each bed rail...not cutting the top of either rail.....do the frame first (support it) and the grind for good clean welds, then heat the top and lower the rail slowly...weld..once both sides are down and leveled, then do the bed rails. I take a length of 2x4 for the amount I want to dovetail and clamp it on the side at the angle I want...take care and notice what type of ground clearance you'd have if rolling a car up and over it...sometimes no matter what, you'll still have to improvise with boards and shims/etc, to get the back end up so you have clearance loading. I've dovetailed several trailers and trucks, so to me seems like an easy thing to do, but I'd rather cut and weld, than drill big holes
Knew an old time mechanic who built trailers, tractors, repaired trucks, etc. He had a war surplus machine gun barrel he used to drill holes. Cut a hole with an acetylene torch, drive the machine gun barrel into the hole, done. The barrel was tapered giving different size holes.
Volvobrynk, I'll try to take some engine photos this weekend. It's likely too overcast today for decent ones. Well, shortening the frame is out. I knew there was this additional frame brace plate someone had put in the truck at some point decades ago and looking at it last night, it's 3/16" thick and riveted on to the frame from the front of the rear spring perch to the back of the front cab mount. Basically, almost 12' long. It's 10" wide and they cut out notches in the plate so the U-bolts that hold the 6x6s onto the frame can secure the bed. The width of the plate is close to 2" wider than the original frame. Way too much h***le for my skillset and energy and resources. When I get to that point, it'll either get bobbed some, or if I can line up the experienced helpers, I'll do the dovetail. I'd like to make that happen, but it's low on the priority list.
The Jalopy Journal
