Projects Rancho Deluxe '32 pick up shop truck build.

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Thanks Ben. I guess i need to figure out all the bits i need to mate the open drive tranny up to the torque tube???

The stance in the pics with your front fenders mocked up is perfect.

Have fun!

 

Ben, I did look at a spare 32 truck cowl yesterday, and to me, it looks pretty easy to drop the W/S down an inch.

The only thing that might be harder to get to, is the dash bracing? that is tucked up inside.. where there is one rivet per side going into the W/S posts. These rivets point outwards to the right and left sides of the car.


The rest looks like a walk in the park

But, as I mentioned, it does not need lowering with a less drastic chop. IMO... or, I was also thinking that a light color makes it more obvious.

 

Well here's the last few days progress, handbrake mounted , and I cut down the original brake rod pivot, and made it just a single shaft, then fitted the correct levers to work the handbrake. I'll have to get custom brake cables made up due to the way the rear backing plates are, also had to reposition the cable guides on the backing plates, As the 32 axles have the backing plate pattern clocked back about 15 degrees compared to later bells. Once all that was fixed, I decided the rear crossmember had to get raised, getting the rear to sit right with a stock crossmember wasn't happening, so I cut some wedges out, and squeezed it about 2.75" flatter, then welded and dressed it all up so it looks factory still. happy with how it's going, lots of little jobs done, front spring main leaf replaced with an original that I reversed, so I can use the original style shackles, 32 perch pins all fixed up and shackles pressed in, all that kind of stuff. Fun.

 

Photos didn't work ? Maybe now?

 

Hi Ben, great looking project, will bekeeping an eye on this one, if its anything like your roadster you bought down to Tassie its gonna be awesome. Cheers Ash

 

very cool truck project and great inspiration. makes me want to kick my 37 pickup project into gear.

 

Coming together nice and quick. I suppose you are getting to know your way around those things by now.

Pete

 

sweet man. pretty awesome

 

heres todays progress,

I want this thing to be pretty strong and have a stiff chassis, but dont want to box it, so I had some C channel bent up, to 'double' the front of the chassis rails, and tie the front crossmember to the K member, and provide a solid mount for the steering box.Im using the original 32 engine mount points on the front crossmember, and to me, thats a pretty big load to be transferred through a 3mm channel back to the middle of the car where the gearbox mounts, hence the following bit of fabrication..


first cut the two halves out of the channel, and cut out the sections around the front crossmeber and K member leg.





These are then fitted into the rail,tacked,then removed and welded together.



here it is prior to final fitting, first i cleaned up and painted inside the rail, and the back of the channel.







and here it is installed, I drilled holes through the top and bottom of the outside rails and plug welded it in, and welded it to the K meber leg, and front crossmember.

It moves the steering box inboard 3mm, but i think that will be fine.
I like that it is for all purposes invisble , but really stiffens the front rails up a lot.
Im also making a pair of rear legs that attach to the K member gearbox mounts and then go back to the rear fender front holes. it will be a bolt in piece and will clear the master cyl and handbrake system. I'll get that done next week I hope!

 

Hey Ben
Great info/photos as always.
your not at your collingwood digs anymore?
do you still do the sat coffee thing at your new joint?

 

Hi Harry, Im in sunny heidelberg now, the saturday cafe is having a hiatus for a little while, but will be back as a monthly soon, probably in August.

Okay, to todays (and yesterdays ) progress..

Made the rear legs to strengthen the K member and rear half of the chassis, some credit for the design should be given to Industrial Chassis, I saw their setup in Austin at the Roundup, its nicely done and priced really well, just wouldnt fit in my luggage!! so i built my own.

47x 147 x 3 mm channel, to fit into the original frame rails.
the front end mounts to the four gearbox plate bolts, the end plates are 5mm .



the rest of the shots are pretty self explanatory. the rear ends bolt to the two fender mount holes in the chassis, and then an additional bolt in the top and bottom webs to alleviate some twisting. the straight section at the front is to clear the master cylinder.











I made them so the angle would match the radius rods. the belled holes are done with dies i had made and a 20 ton press.



The chassis is ready to come out of the jig now, just a few hardware parts still on the way and it will be on its wheels!

 

sure does! a thirty dollar one from texas! chop it up and stick it in a post tube..

you remember where to cut it? just inboard of the cups.
can you operate a hacksaw?

 

excellent! thin is good. maybe I can make it like that green roadster Troy built, everything just a little thinner than its supposed to be..

 

Looking good Ben....great progress !!

 

Nice work Ben. The offer stands if you need a hand with anything I am just round the corner.
Andy

 

It's the details like this that take things from strong and functional to Awesome. Nice.

 

Awesome!

This thing makes me want to build a chassis..... & that doesn't happen often.

JH

 

These trucks are entirely too cool. Great looking fab work, looks well planned out and executed. I love it!

 

Great detail Ben as always. Will be great finished. Look forward to swinging by the shop to see the progress..

 

How did I miss this thread? This will be a killer truck.

 

Awesome work, really dig your chassis ideas!

 

Todays job - Rear shock mounts.
I got a really nice pair of F1 front mounts with this chassis, and as I'm using original type shocks on the front, I thought I had better chop em up and use them on the rear, and run tube shocks there.

This is when I discovered a happy coincidence that may not be common Knowledge, but is now.. a 32 diff has stright lugs for bolting the rear radius rods onto, and as I decided to change mine to the much stronger '40 radius rods that bolt to the backing plate flange instead, I has these two lugs on the diff tubes sitting there unused.
I offered up the F1 shock mounts to these lugs, and to my amazement they were exactly the same hole spacing and bolt size! so the F1 mounts just bolt on to the diff like they were meant to be there!

I cut up the mounts and shortened them about 1 1/4" and TIG welded them back together with the arm at 90 degrees to the bolts. Also made a little web piece to strengthen them. the top mounts are just 1" rod drilled and tapped 7/16"UNC welded to the crossmember. very simple setup, took me about four hours start to finish.Ignore the wierd shock, Im getting new ones, this one was a covered one cut up for clearance on another car.

Ill just roll the photos out in order..should make sense.

























And thats about it for the chassis fab stuff, next weeks installment, runnning brake and fuel lines, and fab front engine mounts (bolt on ones like 32 originals). Cheers!

 

Very nice!

 

C Channel Boxing idea much like how they did 35-40 frame is perfect!!! That's the kinda thinking that sets you apart ya know? And the the Extra K member legs matching the radius rod angle.....damn that's beautiful!!!!

I love it dude, you're doing an awesome job!!!

 

Man I love these trucks!
You're doing really nice work there.
Can't wait to see it finished.