Weekend Project Step notching a 51 Chevy

I appreciate your input. The plan is to raise the inner wheel wells to the fender. I may have to widen them. I will definatly have a trunk floor, as I plan on using my trunk and hate the idea of not really having one.

 

Sorry, I think it got deleted. Trust me, you're not missing anything.

Bryan

 

looks like some good progress, is the notch material enough strength or will you have to add ribs to triagulate the notch to keep it parallel with the frame?

 

the notch is made of 1/4 inch steel plate. its much stronger than the original. but i am going to have a bridge spanning the notch to mount the bags from. That will give it some added strength.

 

What bags are you going with, sleeved or the dbl convoluted?
Also, are you doing the front? and if so what are you using for cups? store bought or home made?

 

The front is already done, with the exception of dropped spindles. It has Firestone 2500 dbl convoluted bags in the stock suspension that I did myself.

The rear will have firestone 2500s.

 

Ill post some pics on how I ran my shocks, seperate brackets on the rearend tied into the bridge. You might run into problems with the bridge since your notch is really high. maybe mount the bridge bars lower, like on the legs of the notch. You have to cut that brake line bracket off the rear anyway cuz it interferes with the bag mounts. And I didnt see a pic of whether or not you cut the tunnel yet, If you did dont cut to wide, nice and straight from the back all the way the front seat, about a few inches past the front seat brace.
One thing that I dont like is the the back legs of the notch arent grabbing that much of the original frame, Im sure its fine just somthing to think about, keep up the good work

 

I would love to see pics of how you did it. I may have to mount the shocks behind the axle. The tunnel is cut, but I need to cut it farther.

On your brake lines, did you just cut off the mound and tack it somewhere else? Any pics of your lower bag mounts?

 

Ya just cut it off make a new one (drill a hole in a little piece of angle iron) mount it anywhere as long it dosent interfere with anything, I'll get some pics up for you later

 

I'm gonna post this link on this thread 'cause it has great pics and tech of Rustypipes' notch and tunnel on his car. While we both achieved the same basic result, his attention to detail was much better.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123065&highlight=gambino+notch

I'll be doing my notch the exact same way, Phil, but I might use Slam Specialties bags 'cause my chicks are fatter

Bryan

 

I moved to Slam Specialties too Bryan, Looks like were gonna be having "Big Girl Battle 07" lol

 

hahaha...it's on. I'm lining up the Krispy Kremes in my package tray as we speak...

Bryan

 

Looks good man! just fill your trunk back in with sheetmetal and no one will be able to complain about your tall notch! HAH! easy fix huh? Here is mine on my 50...

 

Cool, thanks. I love the grille on that car. I plan on doing something similar with all the VW bumper guards I have...

 

Not to highjack the thread, but what is the best way to do up the front? Make your own cups or can ya buy them to fit?

 

Ok blown240, heres a few pics of when I was test fitting everything, I need to take some more recent up to date ones now that everything is all cleaned up and dialed. but these should help ya out!

Heres the tunnel I made, I used a piece of 16 gauge sheet metal clamped over a 5” pipe and rolled a mail box out of it. Pushed the mailbox up from under the car, marked it, cut it and welded it in, looks almost stock from top and underneath..




Also cut out and plug welded to sheets over the back seat opening, cuz Im leaving the notch exposed in the trunk and my girlfriend thinks the car stinks like fumes enough as it is



I made these brackets out of ¼” steel and welded them to the top of the notch so my bridge piece is bolt on, I want tons of room and easy access to work on the rear


Made my upper shock mounts on the top bridge piece out of 3/16” angle Iron, now gusseted




Since I went with a 2 link mounted on the underneath of the frame with link axle brackets mounted in the original leafspring pad locations and a panhard behind the rear, I mounted my shock in front of the rear tilting about 12 degrees inward. The shock brackes I made out of some four link s****s and also made them adjustable.





Hope this helps

 

Holy **** thats nice work! Very Helpful!!!

ON your 2 link. You just used the mounts for the leaf spring and made a mount for the axle? then got a panhard bar. I have been thinking about doung that myself, but wasnt wure if it would work.

 

Damn...very nice work Phil!

Bryan

 

What part of so-cal you from?? Im in orange county and wouldnt mind helpin out if needed. Anywhoo, if you are looking for Ideas here is the bridge I did on a 50 dodge business coupe

and a "behind the axle" brige I did on a 55 olds

I had an "X" phase...... Sorry

 

I am in Fountain Valley. Where are you at?

 

Thanks Bryan.

Ya, It will work. Im not sure if the bars will hit the bottom of the frame on yours b4 its fully dumped since ur running really big tires, evil1 did his links of the front hangers with a kinked link bar so this wouldnt happen. happyhoppy is also running 2 links but on the side of the rails. Im using brackets similar to the original front leaf hanger but I am mounting them up more foward so they are mounted up where the frame kicks up. This means that the car is laying frame and the rodend or bracket will never touch the ground cuz its on the kick. make sense? cut the old pads off the rear and mount the axle link brackets in that location. Then in the future when I do My V8 swap I will just add in my upper triangulated links. I got some sick axle brackets from Alex Gambino of Gambino kustoms. Pm him If you decide to do somthing like this cuz he is the only one who understood what I wanted to do and had a bracket that would work

 

Do you have any pics of the 2 link?

 

believe me, you want to replace all the lines at once, and you may as well put in new wheel cylinders. you can use 55-57 ones, they are about $12 each. I had that line "unscrew" from the t, and lost all brakes. I got a long 4x4 flex line with a built in T, and lots of other new stuff cause brakes are important.

 

Good Advice. This car got all new lines in the front and a dual master cylinder when the previous owner did a power conversion, but the rear is all stock, and OLD.

 

Ok time for an update. I have a problem with the axle being a bit too far forward. Actully about 3/4 inch. It was centered before I did the notch, but not that the axle moves up so far the Ubolt mound is hitting the notch. Whats the best way to move it back, or should I trim my notch? I need to get this fixed before I finish the inside of the notch.

In this pic I am pulling the axle back with a couple of tie downs:



Also I still need to cut the tunnel more. And I found that some idiot (previous owner) ran a brake line up and over the driveshaft by the ******. It needs to be moved too.

 

By the looks of the arc that the axle is coming up on, looks like you would have to trim at least a couple inches to utilize the full use of the notch.

 

Ya maybe, thats why I would just like to move the axle back. I need 4 more inches of drop.

 

Besides re-drilling the perches, I'm not sure...will the torque-tube allow that much play?

Bryan

 

it ain't gonna be easy, but the only viable solution i see is to cut the mounting tabs off the axle, refab them so the pivot is directly under the axle so you can move the lowering block back. i don't see how you can reasonably move a closed driveline back without moving the engine, or a lot of other work. a lot of work, but easier that starting from scratch again.

 

There isnt a certain amount of movement in the flex coupling? is it like a regular ****** yoke that can slide in and out some?

Something must be possible. I have seen these cars this low before.