Project Special K

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Originally Posted by rspears

Steve,
Not trying to jump on you at all but two things jumped out at me from your picture. First, I agree with Pat that directly above the axle is not a good place for that fuel filter, regardless how much clearance you think you have to spare. An unexpected trip through a ditch or over a curb at speed might change a bumpy ride into an inferno - not a happy thought. Second, your shocks seem to be leaned forward a bunch! I know that someone posted a neat link about how the angles affect response, but absent that I found this little table that seems to be about right:

Attachment 56233

In your discussion on tacking your motor mounts, do you have your engine and tranny bolted together as a unit so you can set your drive line angle and deal with all clearances at once? I would think it would be a lot easier to triangulate supports with the pieces joined, allowing you to establish not only the motor mount locations, but the tranny cross member, too, all with the chassis at ride height?

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I think that discussion may have been us on the 67 to 72 truck board Roger, the `64 to 66 and actually up to the`72 GM trucks are notorious for for bad shock angles, stock height without load they are 38 degees, lower it and it drops to 42 degrees, put a load in it its worse, this all came about while I started my rear tank install. Time to move them to the out side. Steve might benefit from another shock if he relocates Monroe part number 32207 or the kyb 343144 ..these are both shorter shocks if moves them to the outside of the frame rail..sorry if I hyjacked this thread... http://www.monroe.com/assets/downloa...engthSheet.pdf
http://www.kyb.com/technical/documen...onsSecured.pdf

I wonder if the OEM ran a larger piston in the shock to compensate for the angle?? Just thinking out loud and curious about it now! LOL..

34-40 -
I was on the ford trucks website quite a bit when working out what used rear end to buy. What seems to be the universal (" rear for these trucks was a 60's to early 70's ford 9" rear off an F150. The junk yard I bought this off of, had a 9" off a 68 Ford econoline van, which he stated was the same as the F150 as far as width and shackle mount placement. The only thing I can see that is different is the wierd exagerated angle the differential points down. Not sure how much this will effect the drive line angle, but Roger has been helping me out in that area!

Like I said, just thinking out loud.. Since Ford knew the angle was a bit extreme.. maybe they compensated by using a shock with a larger piston for a higher capability? It really doesn't matter I'm thinking. It's not a rally vehicle / road racer / drag racer! The shocks carry no load, just help control "the ride".

Roger should be good at spending your money!:eek::LOL::LOL::3dSMILE::whacked: rofl.....

.

LOL
Yeah this truck won't get too much use other than local shows and maybe parades. It's mostly a fun project that will end with me having a functional older truck, with a few mods! :)

Spent last week and a half getting front passenger lower fender off the truck, and passenger running board off. Amazing how strong old steel really is. All of that stuff was bolted on with rusty old bolds making it so much more work to remove. In the end, the sawzall and 3 inch cut off wheel won! Next remaking tranny mount to fit where motor now sits, and then relengthening the driveline!

Well spring is here, rain is hopefully done for a while, so today I unpiled the winters worth of junk off the truck and moved it out into the yard where I can work on it. I pulled the bed off the frame to get access to the chasis. I figure while it's opened up I need to box the frame and while I'm at it moved the fuel filter away from the rear axle, as well as mount the new rear leaf springs that are waiting to go in. So time to reread all of the advice I have asked on this thread. For frame boxing I found a source of precut steel pieces, but imagine it would be cheaper to just cut my own sheet metal. The precut pieces come in 10 gauge metal so wondering if that's what I should look for? Also need to track who sells the shims for the leaf springs to change the angle of the differential more towards straight parallel to the ground and frame. figure rolling it downward might buy me the inch I need I the drive line length, worth a try. Nice to be able to get around it now and to be able to move in the garage too.

10 ga. is just right for boxing plates. Think I saw the wedge shims for the housing on the Summit site once, make sure you check your pinion angle before getting too carried away on the shim angle. Lots of different advice on pinion angle, I generally run mine about 3 degrees down.

Here are some pictures of the cleared off chassis, and some of the front, minus the cut off lower fenders from the passenger side. What a pain to get those off! I hate rusty old bolts!
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps5b104349.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps8c001dd9.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...psda6b7145.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps5b5c513d.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...psc5f07de4.jpg

Thanks Dave I think I'll start with 2-3 degree shims which hopefully will get the angle to 3 degrees upward.

Good to hear your back on it! Been away for to long... 8-)

I`m really jealous of this truck, I had just fiquired out how much I like the old F-1, nice job your doing....

Thanks. Late yesterday did a bit of research on how to get the old leaf springs off. Even reading the original service manual was a bit crytic as far as poor small pictures pointing to black blobs on the reprinted manual. Then I went to the Eaton springs parts box and found these funny looking cotter pins like on bicycle cranks, and then it made sense. The orinals all so corroded and covered in paint and grime as to be almost not recognizable. I then remembered Kim at Eaton telling me their kit came with everything but one of the bushings that they couldn't get anymore. That sparked a senior moment of been here had a solution from Sacramento Vintage Ford, and sure enough in the same box was another smaller bushing from sac vin ford.
The front of the rear spring goes directly to a shackle. But the rear spring shackle hangs down from a hanger style shackle that pivots on the top as well as where the shackle mounts to the spring.(Picture here is worth a lot of words)Here is the front mount for the rear spring
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps635fca87.jpg
And here is the hung shackle rear mount of the rear leaf spring

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps2bf7d31c.jpg
So logic tells me the Sac Vintage Ford package labeled Hanger Bushing, must be the upper rear pivot bushing on the second picture. So we will see once it is all apart! Like anything on this rust bucket add 2x the time and three for busted knuckles removing old and replacing with new! :)

While out there I also noted the rediculous shock angle and figured I could probably weld a cross bar closer to the axle to the top of the frame for a new shock mount and make the shocks a little more efficient. Will request advice when I get there! Thanks, Steve

I haven't done one of these since my kid was in HS he's 45 now. Don't you remove the retainer bolt and grease fitting then put slide hammer in grease fitting hole and remove pin?? I know it won't go that easy but I think that's what we dai.

Looks like once the pin is pulled you hammer it out from the back side through a small access hole! Upper one might be more of a pain to get to!

Rust Bucket??? :eek: Where? Not in that photo!!! Come over here to New England and I'll let you work on some real rusty things! LOL..:LOL::LOL:

Just teasin' ya Steve... and honestly, I wouldn't sweat the shocks, not for what you've got planned for that truck! imho.....:)

Worked a bit yesterday on the truck. Got one of the rear cotter pins out, then the pin out of the rear spring eye, fairly easily! The problem lies in front where Old Henry Ford thoughtfully drilled an access hole in the frame so yo can using a punch drive the foward spring pin out. But then Henry covered any access to that hole with a cross frame member and bracket. I decided to hold off drilling a hole in the bracket for access, since I need shims before I can mount the new springs anyway. Went to Summit and found some 6 degree shims, with 3/8 inch center pin holes. I will have to drill these out to half inch as the new springs from Eaton have 1/2" pins where the mount to the axle.
I re-measured the pinion angle and got 10 degrees, so hopefuly 6 will help reduce that. If not I might have to add a 2 or 4 degree to it too! Biggest problem may be needing to extend the pin length from the shackles if too much wedge is needed. Anyway just thinking aloud.

Got the front access holes drilled and pins removed then punched out upper hanger pin, just not sure how to get bearing out without messing things up? Any suggestions? here is a photo of the bearing in question(the New springs already have their bearings in place.
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps6a463e55.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...psecb697ab.jpg

Got a machine shop close by? Or a friend with a press?

A socket and a piece of pipe underneath?

There's always a way. Of coarse the press is the best method.

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Press out the old, press in the new, replace old pin with new, grease and your done.

34_40 My thoughts exactly. Yeah there is a guy down the blvd with a machine shop that rebuilds engines. I'll give him a call and see if he's willing to do it. If not several other options mentioned might work, or just leave the old bushing in and move on!:eek:
We'll start with a call to Norm!

Norm said to drop them off and he'd see what they could do. Works for me, as I have 10 projects on the burner right now, so one down nine to go!

Yes, things like a short piece of pipe and a socket slightly smaller than the bushing and some all thread with 2 nuts can also force out a bushing with enough patience and time. But a press / hydraulic preferred but an arbor type will work / is just so much easier and faster!

Well got the hangers back from Norm who cleaned them up for me(nice guy) and repainted them over the last week, in between wind storms here. Will try to get moving on this tomorrow on my day off. Before and after shots!
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps174a24dd.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...psc3e1473f.jpg

I just love seeing something done so well, even if it's just a couple of chassis bits. Those look great.

.

Thanks, figure might as well take care of stuff that has to come off and be upgraded.

YEP! Good stuff there Steve!

In my migraine stupor I drilled the holes in my shims larger to accommodate the the pin on my leafsprings. It wasn't until I was done that the foley of my mistake cost me a pair of shims. Since they don't come with instructions for the feeble minded(me) I didn't realize you are suppose to run the pin bolt on the springs through the shim effectively bolting it into place on the leaf springs. So now I get to wait for a new pair to arrive from summit! Stupid stupid stupid! Well I guess the dogs get that walk they've been waiting for!

Are you certain Steve? My (weak) memory is thinking that the shim drops over the pin... But I can be way off base...

The shims shipped with two really long bolts. After realizing the shim is as thick as the current stud is long, it dawned on me the foley of my ways! No big deal they will make nice door stops!

Sounds like "Wall Art" I' ve done that before

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stovens

the shims shipped with two really long bolts. After realizing the shim is as thick as the current stud is long, it dawned on me the foley of my ways! No big deal they will make nice door stops!

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Attachment 58110

We Need Pictures!!

Hey Roger here yah go:
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps0e1065af.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps5ae5c732.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...psd1ab19a0.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps126cb742.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps11a01d57.jpg

So what you're saying is that you drilled out the shim to fit over the rounded "head" of the bolt, which is the "pin" that fits into the mounting plate on the axle, and that with the shim in place the "pin" is now hidden within the shim, leaving nothing to lock the spring to the axle mounting plate to prevent rotation, right? If that's the situation then I'd agree that you shouldn't have drilled out the shim, and instead it would be added beneath the "pin" as part of the spring pack.

you can weld up the hole and drill again.

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Originally Posted by cffisher

you can weld up the hole and drill again.

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That'll work, but that's some tough drilling through weld material!

put a sleeve (bushing) in the hole and gas weld it in.

send me your old shim measurements i will cut and mill you out two in cold roll steel ship them to you for 20 bucks