3k-One Year-30's Ford-Rat Rod Build Thread

[Wolfco]

some pics of the chopped cab and windshield frame, rear window trim.June 08 Rat rod 045.jpg

June 08 Rat rod 046.jpg

June 08 Rat rod 047.jpg

June 08 Rat rod 049.jpg

[Wolfco]

I made some patch panels at work on the brake press....to fit the contour of the door bottom. I cut the rusty steel out of the door with the plasma cutter (borrowed from a buddy) and welded the door panels in...

[Wolfco]

I patched both doors and the bottom of the cab....the key is to remove the thin rust and get clean metal.

[Wolfco]

I bought 1956 Ford F100 brakes on Craigslist for $125. I bought the bearing kit from Speedway motors to adapt to the 1941 Ford Spindle. You dont need the kit, .....you can merely buy the correct bearings....i read this in an article of Ol Skool Rods...the kit is only $39.00 for the right bearings. This will give me decent brakes on the old car front axle.

[Wolfco]

I put new bearings in the hubs using an alum drift and hammer. I would love to buy a press for this rather that beating stuff with a hammer....

I found that the kingpin bushings were sloppy so i bought the SPeedway kit and installed them into the spindles with a special tool i made in my lathe...yes....i just picked up a used lathe.

[Itoldyouso]

Patch panels look good on there. Yep, the truck brakes are a nice swap and give a lot better braking. A little grinding on the top of the spindle is all that is usually needed to give you clearance, that, and the wheel bearings you mentioned.

Coming along really well. How are you planning on honing the kingpin bushings?

Don

PS: I see you mention a press. We didn't own one for years, then I bought a 12 ton one from Harbor Freight on sale. We use that thing all the time now, and don't know how we ever lived without it.

[Wolfco]

I used a pipe machined down to hold the bushing as an install tool......pounded the bushing in with a hammer....Now the fun part. I found out that you must "line bore" or ream the bushings to .813"...the pins are .8125". Keeping the bushing bores straight to each other is a task...SO i got a .8125" reamer and put it in my lathe. I then put a dead center in the tailstock and held the spindle in the lathe. This way the bushings are IN LINE and bored them with the lathe. I manually fed the tailstock to push the spindle onto the ream. The reamer wasnt long enought so i went from both sides... When finished reaming, i use a brake hone to get the last .0005"...the pins slipped in like BUTTER!! They fit snug but not too tight. just right.....

[Wolfco]

The reaming was the fun part. The pins fit nicely. I "snuck up" on the sizing using the hone for the last bit....only about 20-30 sec of honing to get the size just right. I suppose in 100 miles or so they will be broke in and loose...i thought of the needle bearing kit vs the cheap bushings, but that would blow the rat 3k budget!!!!! I thought about not replacing the bushings, but i want the car tight, safe, and roadworthy.

[Itoldyouso]

I've thought of the needle bearing kits too, but they are pricey. I have also seen some negative feedback on them on various forums. They aren't all that they are cracked up to be, according to some people who pulled them back out and put good old fashioned bushings back in.

Don

[Wolfco]

I bought this used lathe from a friend about a month ago....it is an ENCO 13x40". It is 2 yrs old and in exc. shape. I have made a few parts and bored the kingpin bushings with this machine. I pd $1450 for it, came with 3 jaw, 4 jaw, faceplace, quick change tool holder, boring bars, knurling tool, dial indicator and other cutting bits, along with 2 following rests for supporting parts. I like having the capability and it opens up design possibilities. Maybe a bridgeport next!!??

[Wolfco]

Don, i think the bushings will be fine, i think the key is a tight fit....just like an engine bearing. Once you get a thousandths or so of clearance, the parts can hammer with the slightest movement. Glad to hear bushings are OK..
Jeff

[Wolfco]

I used the oxy/propane torch to cut the unnecessary mounts off of the front axle, it looks a bit cleaner now, i ground on it with the flapwheel and now it looks really decent..

[Wolfco]

I chopped the wishbone in the chopsaw to get rid of the remaining forged spud....I will make a new bung and use a heim joint at the end of the wishbone to mount to the frame.....

TIRES!!-i went to the large car show in Mpls ..."Back to the 50's" is the name of it...i think it is the 2nd largest car show in the USA, 11,000 cars over the weekend...I went to the swap meet and bought tires...
3 bias ply White wall on ford hole wheels =$75 for all 3 (with beauty rings)
2 CHEATER slicks on 5 hole Buick rims for $220/pair (guy wanted $250) but he came down a bit due to my persistence...the new slick like this is around $275 from Firestone...I LOVE the oldschool look of these old tires!! I sandblasted some ford steel wheels and swapped them out on the tire machine at work. I repainted all the wheels ACE Regal RED, 2 cans @ $3.99 per can.

[Wolfco]

I bought this Ford 9" rear end from a friend...We spun the axle, it appears to be 3.50:1 gears. It is approx 59" drum face to drum face. it is out of a 1970 Ford Bronco...it is heavy but will work nicely and with the wheels and cheater slicks it leaves about 1" per side to the old Ford box (from sidewall to box). I wanted a nice narrow car, hopefully 1" will be enough clearance...i plan to run a triangulated 4 bar to hold the axle in place.
jeff

[Wolfco]

I read a bit on the internet about reversing the steering box....here is how i did my 1941 steering box....this box was FREE , it came on the frame section with the front axle i bought.....cowl steering is cool looking, i understand the loading that the box will need to endure and will mount accordingly.

OK, basically the steering input shaft must be installed from the other end of the steering box. I disassembled the steering box, drilled the steering box cap so the shaft could enter the other side. I spun a part in the lathe to retain a new seal and will pound in a frost plug to plug the original shaft hole. This is a simple thing to do....now the box is functioning in reverse operation.

I now need a steering arm that is about 12" from the box, using a pipe to extend the arm outside the cowl. I chopped the spline portion off the steering arm and ground/spun in the lathe to make a press fit into the steering tube. I used a dial indicator to make sure it was straight prior to welding...plug weld and fillet welding.