'46 Chevy Shorty

[Tango]

Howdy Jack --- Eaton can pretty much engineer whatever you want. My new springs will be about half the originals spring rate of 4000 pounds before the overloads kick in (the old are WAY too stiff & bouncy) but will also drop the rear about two inches (it was about 3 inches high in the back). Of course I am guessing at all this, but hope it will ride softer and sit closer to level when all is said and done. I am also adding shocks to the rear which it never had. When I ordered the front springs, I had them compensate for the Cummins weight by upping them about 300 pounds. Who knows where it will all end up, but here's hoping for a little better ride. What can I say...I'm just not an airbag kinda' guy.

The window inserts will get riveted to the inside, then the flange mount windows go in with some seam sealer on the outside. Might add a couple of screws through the window frames into the outer skin to firm everything up. We'll see. I wish the HD windows were the flange mount type, I'd be all over them. So much easier to make weather tight.

Just picked up six new rims to go with the new rear axle. Dropping them off manana for sand blasting and primer. Still thinking through what their color scheme will be. Plaid? The the new rims will also fit the front axle but I need to make a couple of small spacers since the center pilot hole is bigger on the new rims than the old. The new rear spring mounts should be ready for pick up from my sheet metal shop on Friday and ready to weld on. Then...it's a couple of weeks before the rear springs arrive. Guess I'll be back on bodywork till then.

Onward!

[ol trunt]

Hey Tango, the HD shed windows (now called series 2000) actually come with the flanged edges. I had to special order them without as though they were to be installed in a block wall. They'd be a snap to puit in those nice rectangular openings on your bus. Jack

[Tango]

Really ---- Hmmmm, I may have to take a look after all. Are they aluminum frames or vinyl? And it seems I recall them available in double pane glass. Ya...I definitely need to check them out, thanks Jack.

[ol trunt]

Yup, all the good stuff. 1/8" glass (rather than 3/32" standard residential), "e" coating, with or without venting between the panes, aluminum frames with white powder coated finish and screens. I have to laugh. I feel like I'n trying to sell an ice cube to an Eskimo I know what ever you choose will be a class act. Jack

[Tango]

Thanks Jack --- I WILL be checkin'em out.

BTW...I just ran across a "sale" item at Northern Tool that got me to thinkin' (dangerous...I know). But I went ahead and ordered 6 rolls of the open type tool box liner. It is non-absorbent and mold & mildew resistant. No, I don't have that big a tool box. I'm gonna try it as underlayment for my floor. Don't have the headroom for a bunch of insulation but dead air just happens to make a pretty good thermal break. Might even help a bit with sound. Yet another adventure in the Land of Misguided Science Experiments! But hey, stranger things have gone into homemade RV's. A few of'em even worked.

[Tango]

Hey Jack --- the Depot here has never heard of "shed windows" nor could they find anything designated a "1000" or a "2000 Series". They looked for a half hour under Anderson and every other maker they carry. Yours might be a California thing (according to HD). They may be somewhere in their system but the local yokels just can't find'em. Had my hopes up as the "Real RV" windows are over $300 bucks apiece! Gotta' wonder if I could get them through the store you went to and have'em shipped. But I'm still not clear as to whether the brand you found is available as a "clamp ring" type. The inner and outer frames being separate and screwed together to pull in and "clamp" the wall all around. (?)

[ol trunt]

Hey Tango. Your local HD guys are sandbaging you according to my local guy. I'd asked about remote delivery to you from my HD store and it should be possible. What is the thickness of your walls where you capped over the original window opening? From your pics it looks like the edges of the opening are flat like mine are. That makes it simple to just screw the block wall style shed windows into the sides of the opening and seal the outside edge with Silkaflex 220+. That way you can remove the entire window, frame and all without messing up the finished interior should the need arise. As I mentioned before, you can get the windows with a standard mounting flange like you'd use on a stick built house. I'll stop by HD today and get some measurements for you as well as talk to the sales guy some more about shipping. Don't buy those $300 windows just yet--lets see what else can be done. Jack

EDIT: The HD window guy will be back from vacation 10/31/14 at 0800. I'll catch up with him then. J

[Tango]

Muchas Garcias Bud! --- no rush. My heirs will likely have to finish this project anyway.

BYW...my window measures are:

23-1/8" wide x 18-11/16" tall x 2" deep

[ol trunt]

Hey Tango, You probably ought to get on the stick and finish your bus! Perhaps your heirs are more open minded than mine, but mine have no use for an ancient Skoolie as best I can tell. That's part of why I busted my hump to finish the thing up. I'll try to wear it out so "they" don't have to deal with it . Wiffey is good with it but not really up to accepting the baton once I'm gone--Oh well.

Our next trip is to Lake Mead In the middle of November. The "real" bus folks are having a non rally and I sort of inserted myself (and Honeysuckle Rose). Though I am assured that my Skoolie will be welcome, because of its lack of "big dog" pedigree, I'm a little shy. But then I've spent most of my life being the t--- in someone's punch bowl, so why should this be any different?????

But, as Lost ranger would say, "I digress". That 2" measurement seals the deal. I'll get the info for you on Fri. Jack

P.S. How many windows do you need and did you leave a little wiggle room in your measurements--I left 1/8" in each direction--perfect! Jack

[Tango]

I hope you plan on coming back from Mead with lots-O-pix! --- Never was much on pedigrees myself. Rescue mongrels make the best dogs. But then, maybe it just takes one to know one.

I'll be needing 4 windows, all the same size. And I could probably take another 1/16th off the height making it 18-5/8" tall, width should be fine at 23-1/8". I'll just buy another tube of Seam Sealer.

[Tango]

Dang! Glad the board is back...I was having withdrawal! Meanwhile...a few more baby steps --- In the process of installing the new Dana axle in the rear, I decided to go ahead and replace the rear springs as well. They arrived today from Eaton Detroit. I had them keep the ride height the same but cut the load by half. The originals were so stiff the bus bounced along any bumps, and when finished, it won't be anywhere near the rated load they were built for. Finally found some shocks for the front which should be here in a few days. Having lots of fun building proper mounts for the front shocks as well as re-locating the rear spring perches.


Rear axle set for a fitting and the old springs out...after lots of oxy acetylene heat and four hours of beating with a ten pound sledge.


Oddly enough, the original rear springs were a little further apart than the new "Wide Track" Dana axle so the "new" perches are being moved out to accommodate the difference. In the process, some metal had to be moved to make way for the U-bolts. The arched piece will weld to the axle tube and a new 3/8 plate will go on top of it all.


Kinda like this.


The old front shock towers were so jury-rigged and wonky they were scary, so I made some new ones. Will have to wait for the shocks to get here to make certain everything clears everything else.

Onward!

[opus]

Boy, I sure wish you lived closer. I'd really like to help with this project. Everyone needs someone to sit, drink coffee, offer advice and point.

[Tango]

You are more than welcome any time Opus. Very often I could use some company...just to keep me awake.

[ol trunt]

Looking good Tango. I ended up taking 3 leaves out of the original 18,000 GVW rated Isuzu set up and the weight of the empty bus body still wasn't enough to settle the springs. Now with all the build out done, the rear springs have dropped the body height one inch so still a bit stiff .

I met with the HD guy about your windows and we are now waiting for a fax from the manufacturer regarding pricing. Not that it would change the price, but I figured you were going to put two windows on each side. If you were to want something different we'd have to order more left (or right) slides--you know, XO or OX and all that stuff. Jack

[Tango]

Hey Jack --- many thanks! Are yours horizontal sliders? If so I failed to notice. Are those windows available as drop downs or raise ups? That's what I was originally looking for.

[ol trunt]

Hey Tango. Looks like only bad news. The state of Kalifornia is in the process of banning aluminum framed windows due to their high heat conduction for use in new construction. The mfg is to be allowed to sell any existing stock but no new special orders are allowed. Looks like you don't even have to live in Kalifornia for the state to screw you. Sorry about that. Jack

[bansil]

glad to see her getting a pimp rearend

[Tango]

Thanks anyhow Jack, I very much appreciate your efforts --- and roger the wacky-ass liberal, uber-government, entitlement agenda spreading faster then zombies all over the country. I just have to keep reminding myself...They know what's best for us. Really they do.

Next...check points on all roads going in and out of Kalifornia. Wouldn't want anyone sneaking in that might go questioning what's real.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch house...

The actual pads that the springs rest on appear to be cast iron that was welded to the steel Dana axle. I have to move the mounting points outboard by 7/8" on each side by adding some 3/8" steel plate on top of them. I've been told (and read) that the best welding means for attaching steel to cast iron is to use 308L stainless wire to connect the two. I can get the right wire & gas for my mig, but...the cast iron MUST be properly annealed or it winds up as brittle as glass. Keeping the heat in for at least 8 to 12 hours appears to be ideal. Smaller work is typically tossed into a bucket or tub of sand overnight. That ain't gonna' happen with this axle. Blankets and such would do little and keeping even a small torch going that long may not be possible and I doubt a sun-lamp would do that much. And (naturally), we just got our first chill of the season. Down into the upper 30's at night.

Any suggestions, experience or ideas will be greatly appreciated.

[ol trunt]

Yup, don't weld that s$#@! It will crack. Just make up new brackets and never think about it again. Jack

[Tango]

Hey Jack --- I've seen cast iron front axles successfully cut & welded but they were smaller and light enough to bury in sand for a day. It can be done and given that this load is all in compression, should be doable if I can figger out how to anneal the bugger properly. I have almost as many concerns about torching off the existing mounts as I do fabbing steel onto cast, so I'm still going back & forth. The original cast iron pads were welded onto the steel axle tube at the factory, but they probably sat in an oven for a day or so.