Dumb Tech ???

This might help somebody out - it’s NOT the caliber of some of the techs posted here and the pics kinda ****, but I’ll get some practice typing, if nothing else.

I usually work alone, although my pal Ford Freak has given me a lot of time, help & much appreciated advice on my ’46 1/2T project, whenever I ask for it. I was having trouble mocking up my front shocks as I wanted to compress them half-way to set up the lower mounts, but they kept wanting to expand…..go figure ! I didn’t want to ask for help for something so minor, so I decided to make up a “dummy” shock for mock up purposes and figured I’d make it fairly universal, so I could use it on future projects. I looked through my s**** metal and found a short piece of exhaust pipe and some cut-off “shorts” of bar stock…..I was on a roll. Since I actually thought this one out, I decided to take some pics.

This is one of the shocks I’ll be using for the front end. Mid-way travel is 12”, eye-to-eye.



I took the measurements of the top mount section of the shock I’ll be using – about 1-1/4” diameter, 2” long and ½” hole thru the center – and turned up two pieces in the lathe……



I drilled a 27/64” hole (for ½-13 thread) radially and in the center of the top mount only…..



I then tapped the part for ½-13 thread……….



I took the 1-1/2” exhaust pipe and notched one end of it with a hole saw (please Santa, bring me a pipe notching set-up for Christmas!)………




I welded the bottom mount (the one without the threaded hole) onto the notched exhaust pipe section……..



I then turned up a “bung” or plug to the inside diameter of the pipe and drilled and tapped a ½-13 threaded hole in the center of it, and welded it in the end of the pipe………..



I cut off a section of ½-13 threaded rod and screwed one end into the top mount and the other end into the bung, to the length I wanted. Here’s a pic of the real shock & the mock-up shock together……….



Finally (still awake??), here’s the dummy shock in place, with some cardboard cut-out tabs on the lower mount to get the angles, ect. set up. With the threaded rod, both ends can be rotated and shortened / lengthened, as needed and it can be mocked up with a minimum of effort.



Hope this helps somebody out.
-Bob

 

Very nice. Now you've got a useful tool that will be right at hand if you ever need it again. I've got a bunch of these little helpers ****tered all over my shop. I don't give them a second thought, just grab one and use it. Some I made over 30 years ago.
C9 is a great one for making fixtures and helpful bits to make a job go easier. In face there may be one of his threads in the archives when he posted about a bunch of useful ones.

Frank

 

That is an example of hotrodding at its best! Thak you for the inspiration.


jerry

 

That is an example of hotrodding at its best! Thank you for the inspiration.


jerry

 

That looks like a "King" drill press... made in Compton CA

I have one just like it.

 

Just love ingenuity...thanks for the post..



Damnfingers

 

good post. thanks

 

THIS...is decent tech. awesome thinking, thanks for puttin this up!

 

you can't make your own shocks, it'll ride real rough....

great idea.......

 

brilliant. A hell of a lot better than duct taping a few tall boy beer cans togther.