Quote:
Originally Posted by R&B51
Thanks for the great ideas from both of you. I’ve seen a lot of posts from both of you over time and trust your experience and wisdom.
We’ve got plastic fab shops and I saw a belt conveyor shop in Tulsa as well. I’ll make some calls next week days when I can. I guess what we’re really looking for is something to take up a little bit of the shock of impacts up through the frame into the body and prevent squeaks. I like the idea of something that compresses but has the resiliency to expand after crushing so you don’t end up with a loose spot. I was kind of shocked at pricing for body mount urethane and other materials online but I guess it’s just click and ship so could reduce your time hassle if you found what you needed.
I like to hear what people like you have to say and figure and fiddle and come up with a home made solution if possible.
I’ve got a lot of white oak in different thicknesses and might get a thin piece of conveyor belt for the squeak sandwich. Do you know approximate dimensions on the oak chunks? Wood can absorb moisture side grain and then it evaporates out the end grain so that might actually be a way of moving water out of that joint and helping to reduce rust if that’s even an issue at that connection.
Do you put rubber on both sides of the wood or just one side and if so which side? Probably use a piece of oak that is plain sawn versus quarter or rift sawn to try and reduce splitting lengthwise?
This discussion sounds like one fellas could sit in the shade and whittle and talk about all afternoon until it was time to quit and go get some ice cream since there’s so many things to consider and so many pluses and minuses for each material.
As I thought about it, I know that when I build furniture or repair it, if there’s a dent in the wood, you can steam it out with moisture and heat (Even just use a steam iron like you have for clothes) and it pops right back up. The wood chunks if compressed slightly and then with moisture later on probably would swell to fit the space and be fairly elastic overtime. Good point on the white oak, I found that it is at the top of rot resistance right up there with real teak wood. Maybe not as technical as modern man made materials but God usually has us beat with nature and that’s a pretty good material there!
I’m hoping the frame will be ultra rigid. I’m using the front and rear Corvette cradles, entire stock suspension and drive line with extended torque tube and propeller shaft (send to Gamel to stretch it right) with Dobbertin adapters bolted on top to pick up suspension points and mount the frame to. The adapters have a 2 foot long L-shaped channel that you lay your frame rail in - front to back - and then bolt in place. I’ll probably put an X Frame unit in the middle working around the torque tube and exhaust to stiffen it up as you suggested mr48chevy.
The kits came with stainless steel hardware for all of the connections including those to mount aluminum cradle adapters to the steel frame. I like the idea of bolting frame to suspension to avoid welding and weakening steel frame rails.
Leading up to related questions-
The adapters allow for 2“ x 3 1/2” tube but I can extend higher than the adapters if I need to and just not use the nice decorative top plates that he sends with the kids to enclose everything from the top.
The stock Corvette frame was about 3 1/2” x 6 1/2” but only barely over 1/8th inch thick and Hydro formed. The body was a large part of the stiffness of the frame the way it was attached.
This vehicle should weigh about 600 to 800 pounds less than the Corvette with all that I threw away (difference between the weight of the A.D. truck rolling chassis and driveline and the one that came on the Corvette plus a few other things). All I have is the all aluminum drivetrain/chassis and the body on top of some steel frame rails. Both the Corvette and the old Chevy truck rolled off the assembly line at about 3200 pounds I think. I got rid of everything except for the body on the truck and this driveline is super light. I’m going to lay the frame rails in the cradles front and rear and then have them bent at a local BendMaster to pick up body mount points and get it at the proper ride height. I will have to fabricate some running board attachments as well.
Another important point in the discussion as to the power and torque this truck will have to handle, I found a super low 5000 mile C6 Corvette with body totaled and driveline untouched to use for the swap. I’m just going to leave the stock 400 horse and 400 foot pound LS2 engine alone trying to keep this as trouble free as possible. Using the stock computers and just having it re-flashed. Not changing anything on the driveline from stock except steering attachment and radiator and length and torque tube. Oh, I did cut the front and rear transverse fiberglass composite leaf springs out and converted to adjustable coil over suspension all around. Will have to re-position frame mount points for front sway bar to clear coil over shocks.
I sure hope all this fits and works
I have taken a lot of pictures as I went along.
Someday maybe I will sit down and figure out how to send pics or start a build thread.
Not going to be at the dragstrip but might take it to the local Hallett Speedway if it all works out. Mostly just driving around and enjoying it.
Sorry I’m always terrible long-winded. Finally a couple of related questions,
First,
do you think 2“ x 3“ and maybe 3/16”or 1/4” thick frame tube is enough or should I go with 2 x 4 or 2 x 6? I have had a couple of people tell me that 2 x 3 is plenty for build that weighs about 2600 pounds.
Second,
do you have opinions on fasteners from the cradle to the frame and from the body to the frame - as to the materials used (stainless steel or high-grade steel Grade 8 type) for fasteners?
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I use ARP fasteners anywhere important. If you are going to use White Oak as you know it is open grain so I would soak it with boiled linseed oil or tung oil. You might be better off with something like hard Maple.