'46 Chevy Shorty

[2kool4skool]

Just r&r my stock DS, did the strap thing too. Looking good.

I know two guys that did the pole vault thing, it was messy but amazing there where no injuries. RR tracks were involved...Great DS end catchers.

[Tango]

I probably took the safety hoop thing seriously from recalling a couple of pics I saw many years ago...one on a bus. Shaft dropped, dug in, then sheared off then came up right through the floor. Can't recall if anyone was hurt, but it was pretty spooky looking. The other was a pickup truck with its rear way up in the air. He got lucky cause it was a dirt road.

[Tango]

The pinion angle THING really had me worried. It was so far off that I was told by one individual (on another site) that I would have to cut the spring mounts off the axle and re-weld them. Not anything I wanted to take on right now and would eat up mass quantities of time & $$$. The highest angle wedges I was able to find over the past week were only 8 degrees...I need at least 10.

Just now found a source for 10 degree shims!
YeeHaw! They are "on the truck".

ONWARD!

[opus]

I made my own wedges many moons ago. Pretty easy...wish I could remember enough to tell you.

[Tango]

Even with the 10 degree units...I'll have to weld the 3 degrees I have to them to get close to where I need to be. Not looking forward to dropping the #@!%&# axle once again.

Vat fun!

[Tango]

While waiting on stuff in the mail (pinion angle shims, one final exhaust section, rubber flooring, etc.)...I went back to the engine. I had to modify (SURPRISE!) an already custom mount for the alternator and A/C compressor way back when. The return for the radiator hose had to be put at 90* to what it came. I thought (bad idea) I had just enough clearance to fit the alternator but it turns out , I was off...by about an 8th of an inch even after grinding away lots of otherwise useful metal. So...it went back to the machine shop today to rearrange that outlet once again. It is aluminum and I just don't have the gear to weld that stuff.

BTW...I am considering turning this thread into a novel. It looks like it may wind up as long as War & Peace the way things keep going. Amazon here I come!

ONWARD!

[Tango]

The 10 degree shims arrived so I can at least get started on realigning my pinion angle. Still having folks insist that the spring mounts need to be cut off the axle and re-positioned but for the life of me, I cannot see why welding the shims in place would be functionally any different than moving the mounts other than a minor difference in height. Once welded, they will become a fixed part of the axle, just like the original mounts (?). But I am open to any thoughts you Master Mechanics might have.

Either way, this is NOT going to be fun. That axle weighs over 500 pounds and is a bear to wrestle even a fraction of an inch. And since turning 71, I can only bench press 498 these days.

ONWARD!

[opus]

I never even welded mine. They had a hole for the center pin, I loosed the ubolts, slipped them in and with a bottle jack, twisted the axle an tightened the bolts. I dont see why you would have to cut and weld. Seems like a lot of nothing for nothing.

71...I was gonna say, you dont look a day over 70!

[Tango]

Hey Opus --- I don't mind getting old. I just don't like looking & feeling old.

So...while awaiting yet more machine shop work and gathering the strength to tackle the rear axle work...I re-visited my front disk brakes. That naturally led to yanking the 140 pound wheels off and re-working the calipers. After close examination, I decided that allowing a little more clearance between them and the wheels might be advisable. Especially given that they will grow a bit once they get hot. Seems my original, single sheet of onion skin paper tolerance might have been a tad optimistic, so, out came the grinder once again. I wound up removing about another 1/8th inch. Hopefully this will be enough, but I really won't know until I can get this old girl out on the road.

Those of you who have been following this epic journey may recognize the Ferrari red calipers. They are now just a little bit lighter...in weight, that is.


Driver side...


Passenger side.

Thank goodness Ford put a lot of metal into these big Super Duty calipers, cause I had to take off quite a bit around the outer edge. Hopefully there is enough left to hold them both together under hard braking. The rotors are from a medium duty International. Now if I can just figure out how to mount & plumb the master cylinder and run all the lines... it should have way more stopping power than anything it's size. The Dana 80 rear axle came with fairly large disks so they are now on all four corners.

ONWARD!

[sdwarf36]

You didn't weaken the calipers by grinding way out there. And I agree with with Opus-i've seen wedges used many times-and never once welded. Tack the 4 corners if it will make you feel better-but the pin holds it.

[Docsgsxr]

Tango, what kind of Ac system are you using? I want to install something to run off my motor to cool the driver's area when I am driving, but don't know what I should look for. I was thinking something off an SUV would suffice, but didn't know how easy it would be to have lines manufactured to go from the back of my MVP to the driver's area.

[ol trunt]

]The old skool after market a/c systems work great for this kind of thing and they cool really good. Because the fan is in the hang on unit, they are louder than a factory air--but I can't hear anyway so, so what. I just slapped a "hang on" under the dash after market evaporator and then used a/c hose barbs to connect it to the condenser and compressor that came with my chassis. This week I finished a snap in partition to keep the cold air in the drivers compartment while I'm driving. When I get to where I'm going, I just unsnap the partition and stow it until I'm ready to drive again. Cheap and works great. Jack

.

[Tango]

Sweet Jack --- Old school rules! Do what works. I'll second the efficiency of "aftermarket" A/C systems. I've put them on numerous vehicles over the past 30 years and every one worked great. On this rig, I am installing a Sanden rotary compressor but have yet to lock down what will go indoors. But whatever it is it will be a simple dash hanger of some sort. I am also looking into what it will take to run my 8,000 BTU window unit over-the-road off of the alternater. Since it is 250 amps, I think I may have enough output to drive it as well as the dash unit.

[johnbloem1974]

Trunt - Where/how did you get that partition? That looks great!! Nice! *drool*

John

[dowoplover]

Tango

check out "ratrods.com". I lurk over there also. There are many ideas on how to plumb under floor and firewall mount master cylinder configurations.

BTW: I love your bus!!

[Tango]

Thanks..but I couldn't find that site. Came up as a "This -URL for sale" (?).

[ol trunt]

John. (and thanks Tango), I made a pattern from light weight cardboard then cut the pieces from light weight awning material and the kind of clear plastic the Chinese restaurant owners cover their silk padded chairs with. I took the whole mess to an auto upholstery shop where it was sewed together, cut in half and a zipper added. Jack

[johnbloem1974]

Thanks, Jack - gonna have to steal the idea and do that on mine!

[dowoplover]

My Bad....try this one: "ratrodsrule.com" The webmaster lives in Houston BTW. Your project would fit right in with these guys.

[Tango]

Outstanding! many thanks, I will indeed have to track these folks down. There are more than a few radical Rats that run the streets here.