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Projects New Front Engine Dragster Build

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by blender, Jun 16, 2013.

  1. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    I wish I wouldn't have slept so much in math class. Can anyone check my math. 26 wide OD shoulder hoop. 37" center line to rear end axles. 4 3/4 back spaces on wheels. Tires 1" away from frame rail = 34" wide rear end flange to flange.
     
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2013
  2. dreracecar
    Joined: Aug 27, 2009
    Posts: 3,476

    dreracecar
    Member
    from so-cal

    Ford or Olds axles (bearing offset is different)
    Modern Willwood (brake hat over flange) or Airheart (hat behind flange)
    Whats the sidewall dimention (width)
    whats the wheel width
     
  3. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    ford
    willwood
    12
    10" wheel 4 3/4 bs
     
  4. dreracecar
    Joined: Aug 27, 2009
    Posts: 3,476

    dreracecar
    Member
    from so-cal

    Flange offset Ford 2.360"
    Hat thickness .375"
    tire section width /2 8.00" (not to be confused with tread, this is tire bulge)
    wheel 10" BS 4.75"

    draw this out
    Centerline of tire to sidewall bulge is 8"
    wheel c/l to bead lip is 5"
    subtract BS 4.75 towards wheel c/l from bead lip + .25 Rim thickness
    that leaves you with .500 from wheel c/l or from tire sidewall to wheel flange @7.500"
    Ford axle flange + brake hat to wheel bearing flange 2.75" (approx)
    subtract 2.75" from 7.5" which leaves you with 4.75"
    Add 1" for frame to tire sidewall = 5.75"
    26" + 5.75" + 5.75" = 37.5" housing flange to flange
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2013
  5. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    Thanks Mr. Bruce, the side wall bulge is what I didn't figure in I was using tread width.
    I hope everyone has a Happy 4th of July.
     
  6. rd martin
    Joined: Nov 14, 2006
    Posts: 2,463

    rd martin
    Member
    from indiana

    i purchased a strange box for my slingshot project, in stock. happy with it, i had a friend make a new pitman arm for it, all good.
     
  7. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    Today was a long day, after messing with the line up for a few hours I decided to make a rear end jig that I could bolt to the housing bolts. I used a set of equipment levelers on the bottom and got my rear end height pretty close to were I needed it and used the levelers to finish it. I is level every direction you can think of. I got the motor plate bolted to the block and the line up bar through 4 of the 5 journals. To test how steady it is I went ahead and bolted up the rear end housing and nothing changed.Took about a hour to grind and weld it together and do all the fitting so everything was fitted tight. On the passenger side of the center section I had to grind a little smile in the metal so it would mount flush. Keep checking in on the progress.

    Thanks
     

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  8. dragsled
    Joined: May 12, 2011
    Posts: 1,975

    dragsled
    Member
    from Panama IA

    Looks good , glad to see you used an alinement bar, alot more accurate fit,,, Tim Jones
     
  9. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    Today started off pretty easy I was looking at my lower frame rails and decided to get bold and re-bent my lower hoop and after I got my 90's bent on each side I was still feeling lick so I went ahead and bent the up angles at in the lower hoop at the rear end mount. Once all the bending and sweating was over it was all perfect, I was going to miter cut the angles but the way the tubing bender was working this morning I said what the hell! I now have the 1 3/8 lower hoop 4 " in front of the rear motor plate. I have 1 of the rear end uprights fitted and working on the other side that is going to take a little longer because it looks like it is going to mount on the axle tube and rear end housing due the angles I am using. Bottom rail measured 20" OD. So far its been a pretty good day. I think the biggest thing I have overcome was second guessing myself. I am fixing to make a fixture to hold the shoulder hoop in place so I can adjust it and see how I can cut down on the wide shoulder hoop and streamline the upper and lower frame rails. Also if you see the short rail in rear 2 and then the longer rail in rear 3 I have a 6" sleeve inside that rail and a upright also goes there.
     

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  10. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    I uploaded the wrong pic this is a better pic of the lower rail with the double bend.
     

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  11. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    Well I have the rear end brackets ground and tapered to fit. Came out pretty good, but may have been THE most boring thing I have ever done. It was like watching the grass grow. It will give me a better layout of how the shoulder hoop is going to fit. I still have some wiggle room with it for final fitting but all in all looks good. Thanks David Beard for that extra 1/4" on the inside hole it save me a lot of time.
     

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  12. dreracecar
    Joined: Aug 27, 2009
    Posts: 3,476

    dreracecar
    Member
    from so-cal

    TIP: in this first stage of build, the holes for the mounting brackets should be 3/8", then after everything is finnished, you ream the holes to final 7/16" for that perfect fit. Also since you plan to PC the frame & rearend, unless you plan to mask off the two mateing surfaces, make a shim to go between the two- one buisness car per layer.
     
  13. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    Well today I had a little time so I started mocking up the seat and to get a idea of upright positions..I have he shoulder hoop run longer than they are going to be. I am going to cut them ahead of the upright in front of the rearend mount and run my 1 3/8 inside of it all the way to the bend in the shoulder hoop and run perimeter welds in stead of rosettes so there is no doudt that there is tubing inside of it. I may move the shoulder up a little once I get some tacts in place so I can see how it fits me. Rear end looks a little high but the bend on the bottom rail may have me looking at it wrong.
     

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  14. dragsled
    Joined: May 12, 2011
    Posts: 1,975

    dragsled
    Member
    from Panama IA

    Looks like your rolling right along,, Looks Good,,, Tim Jones
     
  15. dreracecar
    Joined: Aug 27, 2009
    Posts: 3,476

    dreracecar
    Member
    from so-cal

    When sitting in the seat , the "PIT" of your Knee should be directly above the rear end axle tube
     
  16. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    I will be updating with photos later, just want to put up some progress on the project. I have started coping the uprights around the seat and have the rear end uprights tacked into place. Thank you Mr. Roger Lee the grease did the trick now I cant mess up a bend if I try. Since I used a 1 1/2 .058 shoulder hoop and a 1 3/8 .058 lower hoop I have been doing all the uprights around the seat and rear end with 1 3/8 .058 It may be a little more weight but I'm thinking safety and I had a couple of extra sticks of it. I am using a carbon fiber seat and it looks really good. Started work on the engine and really starting to get the bug back!
     
  17. afaulk
    Joined: Jul 20, 2011
    Posts: 1,194

    afaulk
    Member

    Looking good!
     
  18. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    If you are the kind of person that want to build a dragster take this advice if you see fit, I had a tubing notcher for making my project and jumping back and forth from 1 3/8 to 1 1/2 hole saws got tiring so I went to harbor freight and got a second notcher so I could have 2 holesaws set up at one time while making my uprights. It made things so much faster once I got started. Now the reason I say once I got started, It was off and needed to be shimed out "thanks to China QC" So I tool it apart and made a plate that went under the tubing holder and once I did that I flew. I cut our 6 uprights in less than 20 minutes and with just a little touch-up on the bent sander they were perfect. And my attitude went from bad to hap hap happy! I have 1 setup in the drill press (which took a little work getting it right) and one on my cordless drill in a table vise. Life is good and project is moving along much faster I should have the drivers compartment finished in the morning except for the roll bar and as hard as I try I just can do that by myself, So one of my lucky shop guys will be helping with that in the morning. If you buy one of these and need a shim plate I made several extra so let me know. Not a huge fan of Harbor Freight but sometime they are the only one that have what you need.

    Thanks
    Blender
     
  19. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    Well a few ups and downs but I am moving forward. I have most of the upright tact in place and have cut my shoulder hoop for my 1 3/8 reinforcement tube. I am running a tube inside all the way to the bend of the shoulder hoop and I am going to drill a 1/2 hole on each side and do a perimeter weld so inspectors can see that the reinforcement tube is in there and not just a fake rosette. I have seen rosette welds that were just on the surface and no tube underneath. I did have a few setbacks. The most annoying was when I tacked my rear end uprights in tact must have blown out a little and I had a little bump that was catching the interior tube so I have made a 2 foot long rod with a dremmel sanding drum on it and shoved it inside and working the die grinder back and forth to knock it down. Just a bone head move on my part. I'm sure it wont be the last!
     

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  20. dragsled
    Joined: May 12, 2011
    Posts: 1,975

    dragsled
    Member
    from Panama IA

    Looks good Blender, I quit counting all the bonehead moves I did building my car,, Tim Jones
     
  21. dreracecar
    Joined: Aug 27, 2009
    Posts: 3,476

    dreracecar
    Member
    from so-cal

    Before you get further, install seat bucket and fit foward seat uprites and rear spine uprite if you plan on running a single tube. The possistion of the rear uprite (shown in pic) should be placed where you can run a straight edge across tube to tube and not contact the seat. These are refered to as kidney bars. You can also do 2 rear spine uprites (instead of a single)and space them out to acheive seat clearence.
     
  22. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    I did a little scrounging today and came up with a few parts. Need a barrel valve if anyone has a extra for sale. Riceman has got me thinking blower,"Evil Man for putting such thoughts in my head". So it looks like I have a ton of small block stuff to get rid of so if anyone needs anything let me know I have plenty.

    It was just to hot in the shop today 105 to get much done so gave everyone the day of, when it cools down tonight I will get back on the chassis.
     

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  23. dreracecar
    Joined: Aug 27, 2009
    Posts: 3,476

    dreracecar
    Member
    from so-cal

    I have lots of BBC parts (blown & injected) call me before you buy anything
     
  24. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    This evening I got my back uprights in (Mr. Bruce) I checked the seat clearance and its close because of the type of seat I am using. Tomorrow I will finish up tacking all of these and the start running the rail throught the engine compartment,Since my shoulder hoop is so wide I am going to have to bend the upper tube out as well as up to keep the upper rail from running into the front of the block. Not 100% positive how I am going to do it, but I will see what happens.
     

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  25. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    Looks like the CF seat is out, the angles of the chassis and the seat are to wide on the chassis at the bottom and it just feels like my ass is to low, so I am going to need some info on building a aluminum seat and getting it covered so any help would be great, I hate coping tubing. 1 angle on the bottom and 1 angle on the top, no problem, 3 angles, PROBLEM!
     
  26. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    Work has been busy so progress on the dragster slowed down. Last 2 days have started working on the diagonal bars and they have turned out to be fun. (NOT) But they are coming together.

    While looking for a Ross steering box is there a special kind to look for? I find them in everything from Fork lifts to VW's and 18 wheelers, tractors, jeeps you name it I have searched it and found a ross box in it. Let me know if you have any input. Thanks
     
  27. dreracecar
    Joined: Aug 27, 2009
    Posts: 3,476

    dreracecar
    Member
    from so-cal

    Buy a new one from Strange and quit clowning around
     
  28. afaulk
    Joined: Jul 20, 2011
    Posts: 1,194

    afaulk
    Member

    x-2 :d lmao
     
  29. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

  30. blender
    Joined: Sep 24, 2006
    Posts: 56

    blender
    Member

    Got a call today from a old friend that saw my posting on the build and told me he was bringing over a old Ross box he had in the shed for the dragster he started years ago and never finished. So steering is handled. And I save $500. A good day! In the process of looking for my jig saw to cut out my motor plate. I am going with a half plate and a bar under the bottom. I plan on making that part of the belly pan assy. It will also help me add i little width to the frame for the big block. I needed a extra inch on each side. This also looks like it is going the help the overall looks of the chassis because of such a wide shoulder hoop. I am removing the pinion support bar and that will let me add half the width I need there and the rest at the motor plate. Got all my bracing fitted and if you are building a car remember to drill a small hole in the tubes to help vent the gases when you tig things together. I have found that the uprights need to be moved around when putting the diagonal bars in if you corner them, This causes a little problem when welding so what I am doing is cornering the bottom part of those and dropping the top parts down a little so I can I can get to the uprights to get a good weld on them and could weld on those supports. Don't know if its right or wrong but that's what I am doing.
     

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