I've been asking a bunch of questions, here's the project...

[whitewallslick]

I started collecting parts to build a t-bucket when I was in high school (late 80's), even made a little book back then with sketches of all the details I wanted to incorporate. Over the course of several years, my plans for the bucket changed several times while my taste in cars developed. It got to the point where I had a mess on my hands. A lot of the problem was the learning curve my poor bucket endured. I've decided to tear the thing back down to bare frame & start over to fit where my tastes & style have settled.

Here's a before pic:
http://simoncomputerservice.com/t/bucket1.JPG

After stripping the suspension down & removing the pickup bed, one of my buds gave me the leftovers of a '37 Ford project he recently sold. I slipped the '37 front & rear suspension under the frame to check things out.

Plans for the front are to scrap the stock spring, split the wishbone with Ford tie rod ends, convert to a spring over the axle setup, suicide perch under the spring, & juice brakes.
http://simoncomputerservice.com/t/t4.JPG

Plans for the rear are to swap the axle tubes side for side so the spring is ahead of the housing, convert to an open drive, juice brakes, & I'm still unsure about the radius rods.
http://simoncomputerservice.com/t/t3.JPG


Steering will be drag link starting with a '54 F100 box & stock ball-type pitman arm (thanks Trailer-Ed), tied to a hoop style steering arm. The F100 drag link will be hacked off & mated to longer tubing & a ford tie rod end.
http://simoncomputerservice.com/t/tbox.JPG

The body is from Speedway, I've glassed in a 3/4" plywood floor & a total performance trans tunnel. Grille shell is an original steel piece, the first part I bought back in 1989.
http://simoncomputerservice.com/t/tbod.JPG
http://simoncomputerservice.com/t/tgrille.JPG

Wheels are stock '37 wide-5, haven't decided on rubber yet. No caps for sure.
http://simoncomputerservice.com/t/wide5.JPG

Also started on the open drive conversion, $300 is too rich for me, I'm gonna figure this out myself. Took measurements, drew up the profile in Autocad, & cut out the plot for a test fit. If someone can take a measurement of the id of a torque tube, I'd appreciate it. Since I've broke the 200 post mark & everyone's so dern helpful here, I'll make an extra conversion kit for a HAMB auction.
http://simoncomputerservice.com/t/t1.JPG

That's enough for now, I'll post more pics as I progress, time to get back out to the garage & get those dang rear drums off .... WWS

[Unkl Ian]

HAMBer Smokey made his own open conversion.
If it's not in the TechOmatic,someone else might have saved the info.

[atch]

whitewall,

you might want to read this: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=78277&page=0&view=col lapsed&sb=5&o=14&vc=1

unfortunately, the pix are long gone on posts that old.

fortunately, i've got the thread saved as a file on my hard drive, so here's the pic that goes with smokey's explanation:

oops, i can't separate the picture in the file from the rest of the file.

i e-mailed the file with smokey's post to you using the addy in your profile.

[atch]

looks like unkl and i were typing at the same time...

[whitewallslick]

I'm not going to mess with any torque tube pieces. I called my local spicer dealer & he's going to work with me to find a yoke & seal. The seal support shouldn't be too bad to fabricate. This is Speedway's kit, looks like a simple sleeve presses into the machined plate. Tig the backside so no welds show. Anybody have the part number off the seal in Speedway's kit? WWS

http://simoncomputerservice.com/t/smodc.jpg