Plus Five

[Advanced Design]

Very nice details with the body and chassis. The caliper brackets had to take some time to figure out.

The engine mounts on the frame are interesting too. Will they fit a factory engine mount?

[donandal]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Very nice details with the body and chassis. The caliper brackets had to take some time to figure out.

The engine mounts on the frame are interesting too. Will they fit a factory engine mount?

The engine mounts I used are a corvette type I guess. I ordered them on
the recommendation of the Pace Performance gentleman that sold me
my connect and cruise package.

He said they would be easy to use, and he was right. I just made up those
angle brackets and bolted them thru sleeves that I welded into the boxed
frame area.

[donandal]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Very nice details with the body and chassis. The caliper brackets had to take some time to figure out.

The engine mounts on the frame are interesting too. Will they fit a factory engine mount?

The real work was finding rotors and calipers with the right bolt pattern that
have a parking brake thru the disc. I like that style. I spent a lot of time
on line looking at specs and dimensions. Brakewarehose.com had good info.

Making the bracket was pretty straight forward. I made a pattern from 1/16th
inch aluminum sheet. I used two driver side so I could stagger the mount, one forward, one back. That way I could stagger the shocks to control wheel hop.

[torchlight]

What's the details on your paint color? I think it looks amazing, but I might be a bit biased - I love red like that!

[Coach529]

Unreal metal work...........looks great!!

[donandal]

Originally Posted by torchlight

What's the details on your paint color? I think it looks amazing, but I might be a bit biased - I love red like that!

It is a Ford color... Ruby Red 2012 - 2017

interior color is a Lexus color...but interior is finished with FLAT clear.
Satin cashmere.

[torchlight]

Originally Posted by donandal

It is a Ford color... Ruby Red 2012 - 2017

interior color is a Lexus color...but interior is finished with FLAT clear.
Satin cashmere.

Wow, that's pretty crazy. Ford Ruby Red was one of the top 3 choices for my project - I ultimately chose a different color that was real close, but two-stage only. But that Ford color is incredible - great choice!

Here's a quick shot of my hood to compare:


Also crazy because for a time I was considering the Lexus Satin Cashmere for my accent color. You have great taste. Let's get these trucks together at a car show someday!

[donandal]

I've read your thread a dozen times..
you went with the Mitsubishi red didn't you?

I like that color too.

great minds indeed...

[torchlight]

Originally Posted by donandal

I've read your thread a dozen times..
you went with the Mitsubishi red didn't you?

I like that color too.

great minds indeed...

Yep, exactly - Mitsubishi Ultra Red Pearl. We did put some additional metallic into the paint for some extra "pop" in the sun, but the color works pretty well even with the stock mix. AD trucks look so good in red!

[Advanced Design]

Great ideas and execution! I appreciate the additional information on the engine mounts and brake brackets plus the reference to brake warehouse.

Appreciate your fuel tank mounting too. And the frame kick out just a bit where the exhaust manifold would intersect the frame....like I said great ideas and execution.

[donandal]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Great ideas and execution! I appreciate the additional information on the engine mounts and brake brackets plus the reference to brake warehouse.

Appreciate your fuel tank mounting too. And the frame kick out just a bit where the exhaust manifold would intersect the frame....like I said great ideas and execution.

Thanks,

I really get into the fabricating stuff...
Hope you like the rest!

[donandal]

I made the tranny tunnel removable for easy service.

The hole was cut out to about 6 inches diameter around
the shifter. I'll make a boot later.

The tunnel is bolted to the floor with 1/4-28 button heads in
the flange area. I put rivnuts in the floor panel and where the
clecos are in this picture.

[dug224]

Excellent execution on the gas filler door/assembly. Looks better than factory. Although I can't see as well as I would like, your detail at the back of the rear fenders and the bumper filler panels finishes off the rear nicely. Really enjoying the quality craftsmanship.

[donandal]

Originally Posted by dug224

Excellent execution on the gas filler door/assembly. Looks better than factory. Although I can't see as well as I would like, your detail at the back of the rear fenders and the bumper filler panels finishes off the rear nicely. Really enjoying the quality craftsmanship.

Thank you,
I'll be posting the rest so there will be better pictures of those areas too.

[Advanced Design]

Looks really good. Did you buy the exhaust from mandrelbends.com?

[donandal]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Looks really good. Did you buy the exhaust from mandrelbends.com?

Thanks,

I think I bought some from them...
I shopped around and mixed and matched, as long as it was cheaper
and stainless steel.

I think I got the x pipe kit from summit.

[donandal]

OK,
today's update...

It started with the realization that getting the gaps between the hood
and fenders to look good was next to impossible.

I thought if I could bolt the fenders to the hood with spacers of equal
thickness, that I could keep the gaps even and tilt the whole assembly and
end up with a nice front end.

Here is the original cut line I envisioned.

[donandal]

The metal by itself is too flimsy, so it needed a frame.

It was too heavy, with just the sheet metal and grill, for easy
lifting so it would also need to be powered. I searched the web
and found a nice overpowered 12 volt linear actuator that came
in various stroke lengths that could easily lift it.

I built the tilt frame around the actuator's dimensions.

It has it's own sub-frame and has shims in 1/16th inch increments
for final assembly alignment.

[donandal]

the frame extends back to the firewall and adjustable
stops with rubber pads limit the closing tension against
the firewall gasket.

the actuator just fits!

[FarmerSid]

Nice! That's too cool!

[Advanced Design]

Hitting the like button....

[MIKESAD50]

Enjoy seeing the fine craftsmanship. very nice.

[RockinKees]

This is some nice fabwork!
You had to spending a few hours to think this over!

One small question: If you're down on power, can you still open the hood manually?
I mean if the actuator has crashed, battery is under the cab I assume.

[donandal]

Originally Posted by RockinKees

This is some nice fabwork!
You had to spending a few hours to think this over!

One small question: If you're down on power, can you still open the hood manually?
I mean if the actuator has crashed, battery is under the cab I assume.

Thank you,

Yeah,

There is a manual disconnect.

Battery is under the floor passenger side.

If you look at the last picture in post #64, at the bottom below the lower
Pivot arm there is a knurled knob. On that linkage there is also a pin that
can be pulled ( after you release spring tension by twisting the knob counterclockwise)
that will allow manual opening of the hood. It's a little
heavy, but my wife can do it easily by herself.

When you lift manually, once it goes over center weight wise, it will fall to
the full open position. The springs on the limit rods catch it smoothly.

I did spend a lot of time figuring the linkage geometry of that lift actuator.
My calculations were pretty close though, so it didn't need to be reworked
too much after I tried it with scrap materials.

[RockinKees]

Originally Posted by donandal

Thank you,

Yeah,

There is a manual disconnect.

Battery is under the floor passenger side.

If you look at the last picture in post #64, at the bottom below the lower
Pivot arm there is a knurled knob. On that linkage there is also a pin that
can be pulled ( after you release spring tension by twisting the knob counterclockwise)
that will allow manual opening of the hood. It's a little
heavy, but my wife can do it easily by herself.

When you lift manually, once it goes over center weight wise, it will fall to
the full open position. The springs on the limit rods catch it smoothly.

I did spend a lot of time figuring the linkage geometry of that lift actuator.
My calculations were pretty close though, so it didn't need to be reworked
too much after I tried it with scrap materials.

Thanks for the info.
I was wondering, and what I said: really nice work!!