Keeper
Active Member
Pretty sure is talking about the corners on the front of the frame.
Restoration / Rebuild Begins
- Thread starter sschutze
- Start date
Pretty sure is talking about the corners on the front of the frame.
deckofficer
Banned
There is a couple of easy ways to buy some oil pan clearance. Easiest is just going to larger diameter tires, each inch increase in tire diameter will buy you 1/2" more pan clearance. The other way is to go to a autocross oil pan, you can buy as much as 3" there. This works on bell housing, manual trans like what you and I have. I WISH I had 4" clearance. I've shorten the oil pan depth 3" and have gone to 2" greater diameter tires. Of course when I'm cranking and banking on the twisty roads, I'm glad my CG is so low.
Bob
Look carefully and you can see my drain plug in this picture.
Bob
Look carefully and you can see my drain plug in this picture.
sschutze
Member
I picked up some 7/8" aluminum round stock for my new windsheild frame this week. The local metal shop will only sell standard lengths so I had to buy 12 feet, but it only cost $36. They were able to direct me to a local machine shop that will mill the 3/8" channel for $50, and they will weld the corners for $20 when I get them cut to the right length. I could have tried to cut the channel myself, but for $50 I'll let them do it and make sure it is correct. I'm still debating if I want to include a bar across the top of the glass. I have the caps off the old windshield if I decide to leave it off, and I'm going to cut down and re-use the existing support posts.
Altogether (including the glass) I should only be into this for about $200.
Altogether (including the glass) I should only be into this for about $200.
putz
Member
The biggest reason to leave the top open is glass replacement is much easier . I also had tinted glass[not dark just a little] installed good choice in my book.
sschutze
Member
I figured if I added the top bar I would make the bottom bar removable for glass replacement. The joint would be hidden by the posts and a screw on each end would hold it all together. I like the look of the open top better, I figured I could make a nice bracket to mount a rear view mirror and weld it on the top bar if I decided to go that route. Also, I think Oregon law requires a windshield wiper, It would be easier to rig one up and mount it with the top bar in place. I will probably try to get by without it until I am forced to put one on. With no top on the car I wont be driving in the rain anyway.
Ted Brown
Member
No I was talking about the frame itself, the front square corners, by cutting off the corner itself, either with a torch or grinder, then welding a small piece if heavy wall pipe or tubing to round off that once square corner. Just makes it look better, no stronger, just looks... As far as the engine mounts go, what you made from the engine, looks fine, but only sitting on a rubber body mount, there is no complete rubber isolation of the engine to the frame, as it can work it's way loose easy that way also...
sschutze
Member
I've been trying to figure out how to mount front shocks on this frame all winter, and I'm at the pount in my rebuild now that I have to make a decision. Keep in mind if / when you reply, I am VERY limited on space. I have the radiator, shocks and headlights all wanting mounting space in the same area of the frame.
Anyway, here are my options:
Option 1 - Friction Shocks. I know these are not a very popular option here, and I've read all the posts I can find on this site (and quite a few others). If I mount these, they will HAVE to be mounted parallel with the front axle, but I'm very limited on space there too because of how close the front axel is to the frame.
I bought these from Bob's Rat Rod and T-Bucket Parts for $40 (turns out he is only about a mile from my house), they use 2 nylon friction discs.
I have 2 sets of these Pete & Jakes hydraulic shocks so I cut the upper hood off one to see if it helped.
Option 2 - Hydraulic Shocks. Not really an option. If you can't tell from the picture, the shock is hitting the frame It will drop about ¾" when it's
mounted to the lower hairpin rod but that's not enough to give it any more clearance.
I'm aware that I'll have to add a gusset between the upper and lower rod with this option.
Option 3 - Hydraulic Shocks. This could work, unless someone can give me a good (mechanical) reason why mounting the shock upside
down is a bad idea. I have about ½" clearance at the frame and the upper hairpin and I don't think it will move enough that it will hit anything.
I don't like this option because every smart @ss and his brother is going to snicker that the idiot who built this mounted the shock upside down.
The shocks are pulled out to half the length of thier travel for the pictures, so I know I have more than enough length.
Option 4 - I had one other idea that I haven't worked out yet, but it may solve this problem, that would be mounting the shock either
under or on top of the frame using a lever similar to this:
Let me know what you tink.
Anyway, here are my options:
Option 1 - Friction Shocks. I know these are not a very popular option here, and I've read all the posts I can find on this site (and quite a few others). If I mount these, they will HAVE to be mounted parallel with the front axle, but I'm very limited on space there too because of how close the front axel is to the frame.
I bought these from Bob's Rat Rod and T-Bucket Parts for $40 (turns out he is only about a mile from my house), they use 2 nylon friction discs.
I have 2 sets of these Pete & Jakes hydraulic shocks so I cut the upper hood off one to see if it helped.
Option 2 - Hydraulic Shocks. Not really an option. If you can't tell from the picture, the shock is hitting the frame It will drop about ¾" when it's
mounted to the lower hairpin rod but that's not enough to give it any more clearance.
I'm aware that I'll have to add a gusset between the upper and lower rod with this option.
Option 3 - Hydraulic Shocks. This could work, unless someone can give me a good (mechanical) reason why mounting the shock upside
down is a bad idea. I have about ½" clearance at the frame and the upper hairpin and I don't think it will move enough that it will hit anything.
I don't like this option because every smart @ss and his brother is going to snicker that the idiot who built this mounted the shock upside down.
The shocks are pulled out to half the length of thier travel for the pictures, so I know I have more than enough length.
Option 4 - I had one other idea that I haven't worked out yet, but it may solve this problem, that would be mounting the shock either
under or on top of the frame using a lever similar to this:
Let me know what you tink.
I still run the friction shocks on mine. I know that it would probably ride better with hydraulic shocks. For me it is about looks. I do check the every time I check the fluids, as long as they are tight they work good. When they loosen up the ride is crap.
sschutze
Member
It lookes like the bracket mounts the same way my headlight bracket mounts. Unfortunately it also looks like it is mounted in front of the radiator, that won't work because my radiator is mounted too close to the front frame cross member and I don't have room to move the radiator back. I might be able to mount a bracket like that on the front side of the cross member, but I have spring-over-axle setup on my car and there is only 1¼" of clearence between the frame and spring. My shocks have a 7" long body and 5" of travel.
Gerry
Well-Known Member
What about something like this.
Now there is an engineered solution. Gets my vote.
IMHO only.
Still see no reason for not going the friction shock route if maintained. Every race car gets (or should) a nut check after each run. Im afraid I treat my non standard cars the same way.
Gerry
Ted Brown
Member
Does anyone see the problems in this photo??? First the shock seems to be mounted with too short of a top mount, as the shock has very little travel left, before bottoming out, and that will tear up that bolted mount with not much of a bump, the shocks and their mounts are not made to be a travel stop... I also did not see any safety washers on that Heim joint for the steering drag link, a very needed item for safety... BUT! I do see that the spring is very short, and probably will not let the frame to move that far, so as to worry about bottoming the shock out... As far as mounting the shocks go, you can make a bracket that welds to the upper and lower tubes of the radius rods, if they are strong enough in the first place... and now with them pointed almost straight up and down, you should have plenty of room for them to operate correctly, making a combo headlight/shock bracket and this can be either bolted or welded to the frame in the needed location with no problem... No moving of radiator or anything else... This is how mine are mounted and they have been working GREAT for over 35 years on this car... Hope this helps you to decide on your shock mounts...
I will post a pic in my gallery pics, shortly showing my shock/headlight mount... Good luck with whatever you decide.
sschutze
Member
I'm sure I can find something that will work. But...
I have been mulling over what you said earlier about building a new frame. I stopped by a local metal yard today to see what they had and found all the frame material for $65. I came home and got the dimensions and he even cut it to length. This frame will be 6" longer than the old frame, 24" wide in front and 30" wide in the rear (the old frame was 26 1/2" wide front and back). The kickup in the rear will be 7" (the old frame was 10"). I'll have to get new radius rods for the rear axel, but otherwise I think this will solve most of my clearence issues.
Ted Brown
Member
What seems to be wrong with the rear radius rods that you have now?? Are they made with too small or weak of material? or?? OH!! I went back and found the pic of your old rear radius rods, yes they need to be changed also, good choice..
sschutze
Member
I am meeting with my welder buddy tonight, we are going to measure everything to determine if the extra 6" on the new frame will be enough. He say's the frame length was designed for a small block Chevy, we're going to make sure we have enough room for a '57 Oldsmobile engine. If I need it longer, now is the time to figure that out, before it's welded together. I think it will be fine though, I only need to move the engine back 1½" for the electric fan to clear, and move the body forward 3" - 4" inches to get the kick-ups out of the body. I think I'll still have room to set the radiator back from the front cross member another inch or so, just for asthetics.
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