Featured Projects 34 Panel Truck

They’ll cut you any sidewall you want.

this is a set one of my brothers had made

 

Well drove the car about a mile with the new brakes. I'm taking out the flathead.

Spent some money on ch***is engineering stuff like parallel leafs, a rear sway bar and a trans mount. Also sourced a t5 from 1984 s10 with mech speedo. A good friend gave me a 350 and another friend is giving me an 8".

Think I'm gonna do split bones up front and parallel leafs in rear. Maybe keep stock steering, maybe do Vega.

Gonna pluck the flathead this week. If anyone knows of anyone that wants a nice 34 rear end let me know.

This is the 350 I got. My friend gave me this cool old air cleaner and fuel pump. He's also got some ported and polished ram horns and a powergen alternator. Gonna dress it up as a stock looking 327 with stock 4bbl intake and either painted scrip Chevy valve covers or 327 painted valve covers.



this is how it looks after pulling intake and valve covers. Gives ya somewhat of an idea of the direction.

Gordy

 

I might be interested in the valve covers that came off

 

I see you got the leak solved, but...

That combination is a nightmare. Crush washers **** and then add the switch into the equation. All hanging off a single master cylinder. Yuck.

I've lost one half of a dual master cylinder and that was a puckering experience. I'd never run a single. Use something from a late '60s Mustang or similar era F100 that also has inverted flare fittings.

A pressure switch is another leak point and if it fails hydraulically or electrically you have to bleed the brakes (again) when you replace it. Talk about a PITA. Use a mechanical switch mounted on the floor board.

 

I was taught when annealing copper . It is to be heated up until it looks like oil setting on water color flashes across it . Hope that helps someone. I’ve used this method on copper flat washers. The copper head gaskets on my 45 ci Harley

 

Did some cipherin. These are 8.5" wide with 4.25" BS on a 59" axle WMS to WMs.



The mustang 8" is 57.5" wms to wms.

Thinking of buying American rebel sprints and will be 8" with 4.25BS. So basically the wheels will be pulled in 0.75" each side and they're 0.5" less wide on each outboard side.

I'm thinking that'll be just about perfect. Anyone think my math is all messed up and I'm gonna run into issues?

I have about 7/8" from tire buldge to inner fender.

Gordy

 

Still waiting on Ch***is Engineering to ship the parts I ordered. They said they'd ship early this week.

I do have a question, anyone ever run parallel leafs and then have them more inboard? The CE kit calls for spring hangers to be 43" but was wondering if there's a way to run them inboard of that at about 40" or 41"?

the reason being I want to run trick 8 wheels which will work if I narrow my axle to 53.5" WMS to WMS. The only problem is that the 43" wide spring hangers from center to center will have the spring hangers and backing plates making contact.

Can I weld a bung inboard of the front shackle and rear shackle so I can move that spring hanger in?

I guess the other option is to just run a 4.25" BS wheel with my stock 57.5" axle, but I'm a glutton for punishment and want to run the deep dish truck 8 kidneys I have which have a 2.25" backspace and require a 53.5" wide axle.

I don't want to compromise on function all things considered. Just wondering if anyone's run a parallel leaf setup on a 34 ch***is with the shackles and leads inboard of the frame rails and what they did to accomplish it?

I think this looks so good.



Thanks!
Gordy

 

Found a 63 falcon 8" and spent an arm and a leg on some 90s aluminum halibrand sprints. They look good.

might run kidney fronts.
Thought about doing a 32 front end on my panel. But idk. I'm a hot rodder so I can see it that way but also I hate to pretend like it's a deuce when it's not. Either way whatever I'll figure it out. Modified the crossmember as such and mocked it up. Can still go 34 with this but might wanna hack up front crossmember to get her lower.

Put the rear in with the ch***is engineering parallel leaf kit. Heard great reviews, but not a huge fan. The stuff is good but not great. Maybe something has changed. The excuse I got for not having all the hardware was "it is an old kit so maybe something was missed".

anyway put the 63 falcon 8" in and it fits great. Have 4" between top of pumpkin and floor and top of housing and bottom of frame rail but it needs to be lowered about 2-3". So I'll probably end up c notching frame house. And cutting the wood floor above the pumpkin.



Gordy

 

Anyone know how this trans crossmember is supposed to go in? The bolts aren't really even close. Maybe it doesn't really matter, but what the kit specifies won't really work, given the width of the X member and where the trans mount is supposed to go.

The x member rails are too wide for the kit. Wondering if anyone had any similar issues in the past.



The rear end kit was nice. boxing plates were ok. But not really seeing how this goes together.

Gordy

 

I think you're going to find that the quality of parts from well-known manufacturers isn't what it should be. Several people I know have horror stories dealing with major companys.

 

I had heard CE had raving reviews. Everyone said they fit great. Maybe its the fact that they got bought out by Heidts and now are no longer really squared away or dont care? Kind of sad if thats the case.

Gordy