Just joined? Please introduce yourself.
Page 3 of 27 FirstFirst 1234513 ... LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 262

Thread: C4 Frame Project

  1. #21
    Registered Member Custer55's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2015

    Member #:2442
    Location
    Custer, WI
    Posts
    636

    Progress update 5-20-15

    It's been a while since the last update, Springtime comes with lots of extra projects!!
    I have the front section of the cross member about done and tacked in position, ready to finish welding to the frame. The last step to finish it up is to make up some gusset plates for the center drive shaft hoops at the bottom. Those will just be tacked in until the engine and trans get mocked up. Also trans mount will need to be built.

    100_2005.jpg 100_2007.jpg 100_2008.jpg
    Tacked up and in position to get the angle for drilling the exhaust cut out hole.

    100_2010.jpg IMG_20150512_222136.jpg
    Hole sawed out and 4" tubing tacked in.

    IMG_20150517_200456.jpg IMG_20150517_200517.jpg
    Trans mount brackets ready to tack in position

    IMG_20150520_215508.jpg IMG_20150520_215537.jpg IMG_20150520_215719.jpg
    Progress as of tonight, 5-20-15. The total weight so far is about 57 pounds (I've been weighing the pieces on the bathroom scale as I go) so the whole thing shouldn't be more than 65 to 70 pounds when it's done.
    Brian

  2. #22
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011

    Member #:115
    Location
    Fort Collins, CO
    Posts
    10,826
    Looking good. The AME center section weighs about 75 pounds, fyi.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  3. #23
    Registered Member Custer55's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2015

    Member #:2442
    Location
    Custer, WI
    Posts
    636
    Thanks, I'll be pretty close to the AME center section weight wise then

    Did you get your frame painted yet? Looking forward to seeing pics with the paint on it.
    Brian

  4. #24
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011

    Member #:115
    Location
    Fort Collins, CO
    Posts
    10,826
    Brian, the frame is getting painted on Tuesday, if the schedule sticks. I may take it over on Monday evening so it's ready to go on Tuesday morning. It's on the rotisserie and I had a helluva time moving it on my recycled asphalt driveway, so today I got some 10" "off-road" pneumatic casters for it. That should make it easier to roll.

    Can't wait to see some color. I'm having him paint the frame, radiator support, transmission support, and a paint sample panel that I can carry around and use to pick my other colors.

    Meanwhile I've been doing a little work on my console.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  5. #25
    Registered Member Custer55's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2015

    Member #:2442
    Location
    Custer, WI
    Posts
    636

    Progress Update 6-14-15

    Not a lot of progress for this post. Just not as much time to work on things in the summertime.
    Next project was to repair a section of the frame where the original front leaf spring mounts attached to the frame. These were already off the frame when I bought it and the previous owner wasn't to careful how they removed them leaving a small tear/hole, and the frame had a bulge where the hole for the spring bolt is located.

    The bad section cut out ready for a patch, and reinforcement pieces plug welded in place.

    Repair section fitted and tacked in place, and then welded in, I found some steel in my scrap pile that was pretty close to the same gauge as the original frame. (about .090)

    Backtracking a bit, Here is the lower braces for the center section trans hoops tacked in position. I'll finish welding these in place once the engine and trans are mocked up to make sure every thing clears.

    Next up is to finish the rear sway bar mounting. Once I had the sway bar link bracket made it was pretty obvious it wasn't going to work. It was going to bind as the suspension moves, especially on down travel, so back to the drawing board. The plan is to move the sway bar forward so it clears the hub carrier when both are at their lowest travel position, and make a bracket so the end of the sway bar will be about where the bracket is now with the link going up to a new design bracket.
    That's it for now. Back To The 50's Weekend in St. Paul coming up. For anyone who's never been there it's well worth the trip. 11,000 + cars 1964 and older on the Minnesota State fairgrounds, which is the best grounds for a car show I have ever been to. Lots of tree lined streets to park on! (Tons of tri-5 Chevys at the show too!!)
    Brian
    Attached Images Attached Images

  6. #26
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011

    Member #:115
    Location
    Fort Collins, CO
    Posts
    10,826
    Nice progress Brian. I had those same issues when I tried to mount the swaybar in front of the IRS. I got it to work with some tweaking but never really liked it mounted there. I know that's where Newman mounts his though, and I know people have had problems with the mount rotating.

    I notice you have the same picture posting issue that I have too.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  7. #27
    Registered Member Custer55's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2015

    Member #:2442
    Location
    Custer, WI
    Posts
    636
    Thanks, I don't know what happened with the pictures? Everything looked normal until I went to the preview post, That's when it went goofy.
    Brian

  8. #28
    Registered Member Custer55's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2015

    Member #:2442
    Location
    Custer, WI
    Posts
    636

    Progress Update 7-6-15

    Just a little progress to report. I finished the rear sway bar link mount brackets with a new and hopefully better design. I will have the sway bar more or less level with the frame with the link going up to the bracket.

    I made an L shaped bracket when combined with the lower shock mount sandwiches the hub carrier where the original shock bolt was located. The bracket follows the angle on the hub carrier which along with the shock should prevent the whole thing from rotating.

    The sway bar link bracket that I made then bolts up to the lower shock/sway bar bracket. There should be enough clearance now to prevent any binding through the full range of travel.

    View from the inside with the shock in place on the drivers side. The passenger side I have my mock up shock in place.
    Next up is to fab up the front sway bar links. My plan is to make a bracket to bolt to the A-Frame and use Heim joints to make an adjustable front link.
    That's it for now. Iola car show and swap meet coming up this weekend.
    Brian
    Attached Images Attached Images

  9. #29
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011

    Member #:115
    Location
    Fort Collins, CO
    Posts
    10,826
    Wow, that looks almost exactly like what I did for Wade's Nomad....

    Attached Images Attached Images
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  10. #30
    Registered Member Custer55's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2015

    Member #:2442
    Location
    Custer, WI
    Posts
    636

    Progress update 9-16-15

    It's been a while since my last update My son bought a pair of 1960 Thunderbird project cars after the Iola car show so most of my time has been working on setting up a work space for his project. I'm almost done with that so I have little progress to report.

    The white one is a pretty solid car from Oregon. The black one is pretty rusty but very complete. We should be able to build one good car from the pair and maybe a 2nd rat rod type car.

    One the C4 project, I bolted on a set of wheels and tires from my 95 Trans Am (245/16/50's) to check alignment. I used the string to make sure the front wheels were pointed strait then made sure the wheel base was right. Everything looked good so I went ahead and welded up the rear end mounts etc. solid (they had all previously just been tacked in place) PS I decided to just use the stock front sway bar links for now to save some time.


    The next step was to unbolt the frame from the jig/table. Place the frame on jack stands and remove the table from underneath. This was fairly easy as I built the table so everything was bolted together. I then made ride height adjusters from 1" tubing and bolted them in place of the shocks to keep the frame at ride height bolted the wheels and tires back on and lowered it down to the ground. So now I have a rolling chassis
    Next up is to build a 4 post body lift to get the body off my running car to switch out the frames. Still lots of work to do but at least I'm working on it again.
    Hopefully it won't be so long before the next update.
    Brian
    Attached Images Attached Images

Page 3 of 27 FirstFirst 1234513 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •