Merc front-end finally supported on it's own

I hope so Frank, I really hope so... Glad you didn't entirely write me off...

 

BUT, how THICK is it...as in, bolted to the front pulley and all. Less than 3 inches total? I don't think it will work. I can fab a shroud and all, but...I can't work miracles!

I WILL let you buy it for me though...

 

Hey,

Glad to see you've not walked away from this one! I've helped two
friends unload unfinished projects jus' because time got away from
them, and life took its' tole! Just about anyone can bolt parts to a
vehicle, squirt a little finish on it and say, "yeah, I built it"! but a pro-
ject like this isn't anything like that.

And don't let BadBob bullshit ya 'bout California....... other than the
weather, ya also get to pick from fires, floods, earthquakes, riots
and over zelious politicians, all with an eye for gettin' your kustom or
hot rod off the road. In the city I live in, according to the fire depart-
ment, we speak 67 different languages. Just going to the gas station
requires a translator!

Swankey Devils C.C.

"Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"

 

Your Fender mount bracket looks like it took some thought to get it form the fender to the frame. Neat work too. However, if I can add some advice...... that bottom plate looks like 12 GA cold rolled (not very thick). With the weight of the fenders and when you start driving, I think it will sag in no time if you dont gusset it (unless of course it just sits and never gets driven). I provided a picture of my thoughts and even added a couple of little holes in it just for a little style. Hopefully its helpful.

 

Excellent point! I was wondering if anyone was going to think out loud at what I had been thinking about the brackets. Your picture is exactly what I was working out in my head after I bolted it all together.

Before I bolted in the radiator & core support, and tightened down the bolts that go thru those rubber mounts, you could flex the front end if you grabbed it by the headlight openings and shoved it up and down. It's a little better now that I have the core support bolted in spanning the two inner fender wells, and the bolts tightened up on the mounts, but your post was exactly what I was thinking of doing once I pull it all back apart again for final welding. I realized they needed the gussets.

See the pic for what I was thinking of doing, in green. Problem is, I want to still be able to access the hold down bolt.

I really appreciate the thought that went into your post.

 

Thanks man. I appreciate it. Unfortunately, I think I've created such a Frankenstein of a car that it will be with me unless I die. And I hate to have someone try to sell it on my behalf.

 

Ive been working on making new running board brackets on my 35, and this is the shape I came up with, which is actually pretty similar to the stock Ford Bracket, but Im making mine out of 1/4 inch plate so they can be walked on w/o sagging.

Im my uber CAD drawing (MS Paint) I also tried to show where you can bend them to get better access to the bolt head.

 

As long as you make the gusset extend beyond the outter edge of the bolt hole, I think it will spread the load up the verticle bar. And you can add a curve in it for style.

FWIW, I had to learn this the hard way. I made my 1st set of motor mount brackets similar to my drawing above, but ended the gusset in the middle of the hole (cause it looked neat like that). It ended up cracking along the side of the hole up to the end of the gusset. I tried to show this in yet another Uber Dirk CAD Drawing. Please enjoy.

 

Yep, that's why I wanted to do it, at least on one side of the gusset to extend to the outer circle of the mount, to eliminate the stress crack area.

Originally, I was thinking about making a "cage" arrangement, (see my attachment pics), that had rods dropping down from the mount above, but I figured if I just triangulate it, it should work out fine, now that I've seen the added strength by bolting in the front radiator support, which ties the whole front end together. Pic 3 shows what I am thinking about doing as of now.

Tex Smith said in one of his books "...make it about twice as strong as you think it should be, and it should come out just about right..." That's what's always in the back of my head now.

 

when we made the rubber mount area on my buddys 50 chevy on the regal chassis we just took some 2x2 1/8" wall and cut it was 45* angle or so. that way you have a flat to bolt to and your gussets built right in. i mean the mount doesnt have to be round a square platform can sit on a round bushing no problem. the 2x2 size may change depending on how wide you rubber bushing is. we used 55 chevy motor mount biscuits so 2" was perfect. and the motor mounts are only 1.99 at autozone.

 

Girlfriend out of town.......

 

Swim night at the Y with Cara.