That is looking real good Kels - cant wait to see it at one of our gatherings!!!!!!! Oh; and go for a ride in it.... trucks rule - cool..............
Looks great, I love your welding skills and fab skills. Doing a good job, keep up the good work.YRUHOT....Doug
Thanks. I've followed your Willys build and that's looking really good. Shouldn't be too long now and you'll be driving it aye. Makes me think I've got to get off here and out to the shed...
For sure mate, we should all do that Thanks for the comment on the Willys, I prepped all the frame yesterday so hope to paint it today, a big step Nice neat welding by the way.
Progress is never as quick as I'd like but there's been some. The pickup has had it's first certification check (something we need in NZ to make them legal), which was all OK so all the tacked in chassis engineering has been finish welded. Brackets have been finish welded to the diff housing and then the housing straightened. Diffhead has been assembled and a driveshaft made. The plan now is to sit the cab back on the chassis and finalise the steering setup. Ive got both a side delivery and cross steer box that I think will work so with the cab in place will see which looks like the better option.
I somehow missed this. This is in regards to the watts link being mounted so high up? where as most factory installations have the pivot point about the same horizontal plane as the centreline of the axles. I've been told the same (about roll centre) by a circuit racer who saw it and we came to the conclusion that I'd try it in the real world and if need be change it to a panhard rod or something else. I have my fingers crossed it won't handle like a dog, but if it does it'll get changed.
I guess it depends what you want from it Kelzweld, with a gasser being much higher than normal it will suffer more body roll and having the watts mounted so high may contribute further magnifying the problem. I hope its ok but I think you may end up altering it. I intend to fit front and rear anti roll bars (sway bars) on mine as my panhard is mounted quite high also. I know its not always possible to mount them low on gassers.
i really like the way you set up that watts link,i can tell you 100% if you can do a cross steer go that route my j bump steers bad, as far as roll factors, i think you should be fine i'd run at least 1 sway bar anyway. they are a good idea for a street car/truck a tortion type are easy to fit in just about anything
Thanks for the steering info. Cross steer definitely appears to be the preferred way from what others have told me too.
Being that the truck is a ladder bar / 3 link I don't think body roll will be much of an issue. 4 link is a totally different animal and I can see where body roll would come into play. Also you are dealing with a very upgraded design of ladder bar compared to what most gassers had or try to duplicate in thier build process. The new bars are much more rigid in design, have less flex compared to the old 42-60" stuff that was pretty flexible. Now for the comments ...........Very nice build and looks well thought out. Glad to see you do it your own way and factor in the new technology without taking away from the integrity and coolness factor of the gasser style. Just imagine what the old timers who ran these gassers could have done with the new technology that is out there in suspension and tires alone............ Props and I will be following this build also. Travis
It will probably be fine for the track BUT that style of ladder bar is not ideal for the street as the rear axle becomes an anti roll bar.
Not overkill at all, its quite clever as its part of the chassis which is also a prop safety loop, and dont forget the ladder bars are mounted on that member too, great build thread
Reason for the size of material of it Jamoke is as 296moon says, it's part of the chassis Kmember and with the ladder bars hanging off it they'll be trying to push that member upwards and out of there. Unfortunately, for asthetics at least, it's too far rearward to be my driveshaft loop for compliance here. I need one within 6" of the front universal so I've made the one in this pik which at the moment is just floating. It'll get permanently attached later when I start looking closer at a floor subframe and both harness and road going seatbelt attachment points. Sorry guys, am having issues uploading piks ATM so I'll try again later.
Yep, there is, and even piks to go with it. Have just tried uploading them and it doesn't want to happen. Sorry. Will try again later...
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