Shop truck build

[MP&C]

Well it's been a long hiatus from the projects in the shop, The day job has sent me to UK quite a bit this past year, and things are just now starting to settle down. So while I was in the shop changing oil in the wife's vehicle today, I did find time to get a couple of the u-bolts fitted up.

Here's the new ones:




The ones that came with the rear would have had an interference issue with the frame when dumping the rear bags...




So here is the fix.... two changed, two to go.



Here's the truck, eventually it will get a ramp bed..

[milner351]

You're my hero.

Spectacular.

A similar build has been in my head for years.

[Beagle]

6bt?

[MP&C]

It started out with tandem Rockwells, but those wouldn't work well with a ramp bed without adding too much length to the bed.



So some replacement parts off a 2007 Freightliner school bus are presently being installed, air ride and air brakes, front and back. It still has the original Lincoln Y block engine, underpowered, and yes,will likely get a diesel transplant after all the axles are situated.

[BOOOGHAR]

so the rear is now the factory 2 link with the air bags behind the axle and a "dog bone" for a pan hard bar ?

[AFFORDILLAC]

Damn...jus love old trucks. Very kool build!

[MP&C]

so the rear is now the factory 2 link with the air bags behind the axle and a "dog bone" for a pan hard bar ?

Yes, here it is as removed from the school bus....



Using the JD rear removal tool...







Bare frame...



fit up...





The old rears were also 8.50:1 ratio, so about 45 mph downhill (and too much $$ to change 2 r&p's). The new rear is 6.14:1, so it should help out a bit with top end. It has a Clark 5 speed (pto) and White Aux direct/over/under..

[Deaf Bob]

The White aux.... From the old Ford itself?..
Connects by s short shaft?
Could you snap a pic? . I'm sure it's massive?
Thinking of something for a one ton..

[MP&C]

This had a fire truck conversion done shortly after new, don't know if the Clark was original but judging by the looks of the aux trans mount, I'm fairly certain that was added by the company who did the fire truck conversion. Would be quite a beast hanging inside the frame of a one ton...

[Deaf Bob]

Ooooh yeah.. Quite the beast!
Saw a smaller unit in an International pickup.. Guy took it apart to get new synros.. Left it in a place where water got init..by the time the synros arrived, the steel was junk.. It was about the size of a car manual tranny..

[MP&C]

I did get some more accomplished on the shop truck, this is from yesterday evening. The bracket for the passenger side was drilled for the compressed bolt pattern and then the old holes welded in. I learned from the last time, welds are tougher to drill, so weld afterward. Looks like I forgot pics of the final welded up version.....








Then, back to the crossmember that bolts between these brackets, the original frame rails on the donor school bus was 11" high, where the factory rails are about 6.. This requires a slight mod to the crossmember, and explains the compressed bolt pattern..








Modifying the final end...here's the cut line....











Welded in........








All ready for install.

[MP&C]

Then tonight, I went to my BIL's and borrowed his plasma cutter to put the new holes in the mounting flanges of the crossmember. After all that welding, drill bits do not play nicely. Holes added....





Used a washer with a 1-1/4 hole, which worked just about right as a template for the plasma torch to provide a 3/4 clearance hole....





And now some progress you can actually see, the crossmember installed. Still need to lay out and drill the other passenger side.











And now, just to show some eye candy, here's a truck that a high school buddy is restoring, it was his father's as we were coming up, and he inherited the truck a few years back when his father passed. He and his brothers have been working the past couple years to get it back together, and this weekend marked the start of its shake-down season...

[CDNtech]

Love the build!!!
Thats the type of truck I wanna build in the future. something big ugly and mean!!!!!

[quick 52]

here is my 52 with the box off looks like a mini semi

[MP&C]

Looks good, 56 star cab?

Got tired of looking at the shop truck in pieces, so I finally got the other frame rail drilled....









Next on the list, to install the air tanks and run the lines...