68 shortbed frame up rebuild (dropping it) - pics

[VA72C10]

:doh:

who needs that crossmember anyways what are your plans to go in its' place?

[SATownChevy]

i think i will run two 2x3 tubes across the top. now the frame is sitting on the trailing arms.
one buddy said that we can notch the fame above the crossing of the arms and frame.
another said to angle the arms from a 'V' to a '||' so that the arms stay inside the frame. not too sure what is going to happen.

[VA72C10]

Or support the economy and a board vendor and buy Porterbuilt's trailing arm crossmember and/or his adjustable trailing arms that do allow you to lay frame. I have read where the other ideas mentioned are far from ideal and a 4 link would be preferred at that point....but I would just go with the arms and/or crossmember from Porterbuilt.

[SATownChevy]

sure i wouldnt mind supporting the economy by buying from them but you will have to support me by giving me the money.

i have already spent way more than what i first told my wife when i got her approval to work on the truck. the guy who is helping me along the way has been doing stuff like this for years and im sure that we will figure something out.

[VA72C10]

yeah, I totally understand that...I was giving you a hard time because of what you put in your signature...

[SATownChevy]

yea, thats what i figured.
im supporting my local metal recyclers by buying their 2x3 steel tubing and steel plates.

im also supporting my local CVS by buying some medical supplies, pic to follow

[SATownChevy]

quick update:

I have been busy these last few days grinding on the welds to clean them up. also, i trimmed more of the frame so that the frame does not rest on the trailing arms. going to be boxing the frame to add the strength back into the rear end after all the cutting. i want to finish the frame in the next week or two and then start working on something else.

i have about 2 more months to finish this truck off

[SATownChevy]

more pics to add

my finger got in the way of the grinding wheel
also, most of the welds have been ground down so it looks a lot cleaner. just need to touch up a few welds and i plan on having the whole frame fully undercoated this saturday

[68GMCCustom]

subscribed.

[SATownChevy]

here are some shots from the work this last weekend

[SATownChevy]

more pics

[67cheby]

keep up the progress !!

[VA72C10]

definitely moving along nicely!

[oldblue1968chevy]

sweet truck man!

ps, if you stay with the stock trailing arms please weld em together, their just rivited and they WILL split in 2. (check my build for carnage pics). Im pretty sure others will tell you this too

[rickerwill]

That is sculpture, man! I am impressed by such "shade tree" engineering and the initiative of just diving in and doing what it takes to make everything work. I am assuming, of course, that all this work is custom, one-off, fab-as-you-go stuff. Keep it up . . . I am subscribed!

[SATownChevy]

: oldblue

thank, yours too, i was keeping track of it when i first got on the board but things got busy at work so i had less time to surf the board. it was around early april the last time i saw it, imagine my surprise when i went looking in your thread to see the trailing arms. that sucks dude. nobody has told me to weld them but i have seen a few out there do it. it was my daily driver for 5 years and i dont know how many miles. They are kinda welded because of the lower bag plate. ill see if i can throw a few more into it when i have the welder out and if i remember.

: rickerwill
yup, all custom work. most of it is just steel 3x2 tubing and 3/8 steel sheet. its pretty fun doing it from scratch but it takes a long time to do it. i could have gone all out but i dont want to cut into the bed too much as i still want to use it as a truck now and then.

I will start working on it again tomorrow. need to buy the air bag fittings and drill the holes in the plate to mount the bags. might have a rolling frame sometime soon.

still planning on having it done by mid july but we will see how that turns out.

[SATownChevy]

got some updates, bags are in and the frame is painted. the front shocks are on as well. dropping the engine at the machine shop today, i hope.

t-minus 38 days until completion

[SATownChevy]

oh and oldblue, take a closer look at the last pic. took your advice

[SATownChevy]

re-doing the engine. just a little dirty in there

[SATownChevy]

took apart the engine and starting to clean it up.

[SATownChevy]

worked on the engine again. got the pistons all cleaned up along with various bolts and the crank. once i was able to get all the carbon off of it, noticed a few things. the pistons were 40 over and the crank was 30 over. and according to the serial numbers on the heads, the valves are already 202s. thank you previous owner

also got the block painted in 500f semi gloss paint and new freeze plugs put in.

[SATownChevy]

got more work done on the engine today, nearly have a complete short block, just need the oil pan.

[kvn1011]

subscribed!!

[68GMCCustom]

you missed some cork on top of the valley walls...

[SATownChevy]

talking about the front seal between the block and intake manifold? i guess the pics look like there is cork there but someone actually dimpled that area so the RTV had something to grab onto.