'46 Chevy Shorty - Page 35

chocolatetoothpaste · 06-19-2014, 08:03 PM

That's the same axle I was planning to put under my bus! Great minds think alike! Now if i could figure out a disc brake conversion for the front i-beam, or something else to swap in I'd be a happy camper. I'm considering a 4wd conversion even, so that would simplify the search. Have you had any luck sorting out the allison wiring?

GreyEagle · 06-19-2014, 08:46 PM

Hey Tango??? Did you ever find a rear end for your bus?

ol trunt · 06-19-2014, 10:42 PM

Hey Tango, glad you had some time to play with your bus. The axle and the sheet metal look great. I don't recognize the radiant heat barrier material--whats it like? I am not clear as to where you are going to use the HyTech product. Will the final exterior finish be applied over the coating and if so what kind if a surface texture will it produce? Jack

Tango · 06-20-2014, 12:15 AM

Howdy Guys --- Thanks for the encouragement. I need all I can get these days.

chocolatetoothpaste --- there is a chap named Randy Domeck on the Stovebolt forum that is fabbing up a disk brake conversion kit for '42 - early '47 1-1/2 & 2 ton Chevy front ends. I have my order in. And the new gen Allisons only need input via a TPS (Throttle Control Sensor) so there isn't much wiring to deal with.

GreyEagle --- see the pic in the post above. It is a '98 Chevy 3500 Dana 80 HD.

ol trunt --- Hey Jack, the HyTech material consists of ceramic beads that were developed for NASA to use on re-entry shields and such. Pretty danged amazing stuff. I have seen it in action and was very impressed. You can get it as raw beads and add it to any kind of paint or buy it pre-mixed. They make a great product for roofs called "Bus Coat" as I recall. I am using it to coat the inside surfaces of both the exterior and interior skin then will use the Bus Coat on the roof. I also opted to add a layer of the aluminum faced "bubble-wrap" type material to the inside of the interior skin as well. That is the shiny stuff (from Home Depot) you see in the last pic. I am hoping that between them it will cut the heat transmission pretty substantially. Course I don't have any thermal break on the ribs but hey...I'll just see how it goes.

Tango · 06-24-2014, 01:05 AM

After reading mu own post, I have decided to apply the insulating paint to the side ribs inside & out as well before I cover them up. Can't hurt and might actually do some good as a thermal break given how effective this stuff seems to be. As for the roof area, I am going with the old school safari model Range Rover trick of simply keeping the roof in shade. They added a second skin a few inches above the actual roof to ward off the Serengeti sun and it made a huge difference. Me? I am putting a roof rack up that should do the same. But hey...only time will tell.

Onward!

Tango · 07-12-2014, 01:00 PM

Still WAY behind but still at it --- Howdy All, had a few days a couple of weeks ago where I could try and get a few things done. Like a lot of folks here, I probably have too many different "projects" going at once and when you only get to work on them once every few months...well, just figuring out where you left off is half the battle.

Anyhow, at least I did move ahead a little. Got the brackets fabbed and welded on for mounting the rear deck. Had my local sheetmetal shop put together the interior can for the fuel filler...and...mounted the altered brackets for hanging the little Manchester propane tank. Did get a few more odds n' ends advanced but nothing to crow about. With any luck, I should be able to spend a little more time on this never ending story during the Fall & Winter.

Modified LPG tank brackets

Through wall box for fuel filler neck

Frame extension for rear deck prepped for bracket

One of the deck mounting brackets welded on (the deck frame will bolt up via these brackets. I have decided to go with a fold-up rear deck to limit hangout when on the road). They are angled out to accommodate hanging a 145 pound, 36" in diameter spare under the deck

Also located what appears to be some well engineered motor mounts for the little Cummins engine I am installing. Look to be a b!tch to bolt onto the motor, but should save a heck of a lot of custom fabricating. I'll know pretty soon.

Onward!

opus · 07-12-2014, 02:27 PM

You have all the fun! I just changed out a couple heater motors......

Tango · 07-12-2014, 10:10 PM

Not to worry Opus...there is WAY more "fun" to come. I keep asking myself..." what in tarnation was I thinking when I took this project on!?

opus · 07-12-2014, 10:20 PM

I look back on mine and think the same. Wouldnt do it again but glad I did it once.

browncrown · 07-19-2014, 07:26 PM

Love following along with your creative genius

Tango · 07-19-2014, 09:16 PM

Thanks for the kind words BC --- I just hope I can eventually complete it without setting the record for the longest thread in Skoolie history.

ol trunt · 07-19-2014, 10:15 PM

Hey Tango. All the fabs look FAB! I like the idea of the swing up--down? rear extension. It should make it easy to build a trailer hitch without having to worry about tongue weight. My bus is pretty much done--except for paint and a bagillion little time burners like LED interior lighting, a front brake job with the pads costing $183!!!! Now that my sunken garage floor is complete and I don't have to let the air out of the tires to get in and out, I bought six new ten ply tires (sitting flat ruined the ones that came with the bus but they were old anyway) and feel like I got a deal. The out the door price all mounted and balanced was $750! Of course my whole garage now smells like Harbor Freight

. Jack

Tango · 07-20-2014, 09:04 AM

Howdy Jack --- glad to hear (as well as jealous) that you are getting close to launch. On the road again teaching another round of classes to buy parts but plan on focusing on my bus for at least a couple of months once I get back. Limited internet has kept me off your "other" forum but hope to see some pix of your rig soon. BTW...has a name been officially applied to that wonder wagon as yet?

And roger the "deal" on the tires. Thats 6 for way less than what I paid for 4 on my Toyota 4-Runner!

bansil · 08-01-2014, 07:52 AM

glad to see progress

Tango · 08-04-2014, 10:37 AM

Howdy All --- Been away a few weeks teaching some sculpting classes in Tennessee. Hope to get back to work now on the bus on a fairly uninterrupted schedule...but, we'll see how it goes. Did get new front leaf springs, hangers and such ordered before I left which should arrive any day now. Anyone looking for springs should check with Eaton Detroit. They were fantastic to work with, even on my relic. New stuff is a piece of cake.

Also looking into adapting new rims to fit my axles. The rear is the '98 Chevy Dana dually and the front will remain original so something has to be done to make all the wheels common. Adapting the "new" type that fit the rear to work on the front is fairly simple. Just a small spacer is needed to accomplish a proper fit on the center axle hub. The big advantage would be tire availability. The new rims can accept modern, radial tubeless tires, but...I want/need to maintain a tire height (diameter) within about a half-inch of what the originals are which is right about 36.5". That is the issue I am researching at the moment. Smaller tires not only look funny in my opinion, but will result in a big change in the actual final drive ratio, reducing highway speed or turning up the RPM's and down the MPG.

Ah well...just part of the joy of revamping an antique, right?

Onward!

ol trunt · 08-04-2014, 12:35 PM

All right Tango. Put on the blinders so nothing can keep you from looking at your bus and lets get going--chop chop and all that

Oh, and don't forget the pics every day! Jack

Hvbuzz · 08-04-2014, 08:24 PM

Hi Tango,
I haven't been on the site for a long time, but this weekend I read through most of your whole thread. You are doing an amazing job. Not only are you doing a conversion but also a restoration the same time. Great job!! So if I'm understanding, you want to go to a newer style wheels now? If you are, wouldn't the easiest answer be swap the front axle? That chevy Dana 80 axle should have a front strait axle to match it. You then would have front discs also. Should be a pretty easy swap. The 3500hd trucks had them. Unless the width is to much. We have one of those trucks at work if you want a measurement. You could then run 19.5 wheels with a 285/70r19.5 tire. Which measures out to about 35.3 - 35.4 inches. Just a thought.
Nate

Hvbuzz · 08-04-2014, 08:39 PM

Just looked over the page before. I see you already have an order in for a disc brake conversion. Maybe you could just get by with the 19.5 rims? The 3500hd only uses the five lugs on the front and all 10 on the rear D80.

Tango · 08-05-2014, 12:03 AM

Bless You Hvbuzz!!! --- spent a good part of the past two days trying to find a 19.5" tire that was close to the diameter of my originals (36") to fit the new Chevy rims. Your info put me on the right track as I had not found anything larger than about 30". Seems most tire salesmen don't have a clue other than "make & model". Just what I needed...thanks again. Is this a great forum or what!?

And thanks for the kind words but there is still plenty of room for me to screw this project up.

Hvbuzz · 08-05-2014, 08:44 AM

After a little internet reading last night, you may want to do some more research on the 285/70r19.5. Just from reading, it sounds like it has to be mounted on a 7.5" wide wheel. That may be an aftermarket wheel, I'm not sure. Sounds like you can mount a 265/70r19.5 on a 6.75" wheel which would be more common. But that tire is only 34.4" tall.

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