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Removed my front clip yesterday...

Zeus33rd

Zeus33rd

Smarter than you
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Unbolted the front clip and set it on blocks. No more hood/fenders etc for me. Surprised me how easy it was to remove. The hood was already off, so it took less than 45 minutes or so. Thats including a call to a freind for help to get it on the blocks. I got the whole thing off the truck by myself though. IIRC there's only like 8 or 9 bolts holding it on. Now to start dreaming up some sorta tube creation fo the front... /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif /forums/images/graemlins/pimp1.gif
 
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Did You ever finish that rear driveshaft...
with the 1/4" thick tube??? /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 
here was my plan.
fb99bbcd.jpg



things to consider are placement of the radiator--where mine is placed my truck overheats on the highway so i need to make a shroud of some sort. the bar going across the front of the windshield is real clost to the firewall---so close i had to take off the wider motor cause it looked funny when placed outward of the motor.i am still going to cut the hood to fit and make some inner fenders. oh, and i made it completly removable or be able to flip foreward or back incase of a motor replacement.

dan
 
Right on Dan. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I have seen the pic's of your truck before, and had planned on modeling mine after yours. The radiator is the biggest issue that I haven't worked out a plan for yet. Do you have any pictures of how you mounted it? My idea was to use the factory upper mounting plate thing, and cut out the center part of the lower support that holds the rubber mounts- and fab some kinda bracket to mount those to. Did you mount the top of the radiator to the horizontal tube accross the front just above the radiator? Kinda looks like it, but can't tell from that pic. Gotta get a tube bender now. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Did You ever finish that rear driveshaft...
with the 1/4" thick tube??? /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I ran into some problems trying to find a lathe in this town big enough to accept 2.5" DOM all the way through. I need to machine a bit off the inside diameter of the tube to fit the yokes. The one at work isn't big enough. And every shop I've been to in town doesn't have one big enough either. Still got a couple places to try though- Got kinda put on hold doin the 1 ton swap. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
I'm pretty happy with the way mine turned out. I don't have any good pics, but here are some from BB03. They are on Web Shots so you'll have to copy/paste the URL.
One Two Three Four
 
Thats pretty damn sweet Russ. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

This is Russ's rig-
94017051dxawna_ph.jpg

93695565McPaWM_fs.jpg

93696129VMhuSM_fs.jpg

94017022DYNIEC_ph.jpg


Is there anything mounting the front part of the cage to the firewall at all? Or is it just tied into the cage around the cab? Is there any chance you could get some better pics of all of the mounting points? /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
The cage mounts to the sub frame, which in turn mounts to the factory body mounts on the frame. The cowl is actually bolted to the cage/subframe using the bottom hinge mounting points and the upper rear front fender mount point. There is no longer any direct connection (except via the roll cage) from the cowl/firewall to the frame.

As for better pics of the mounting points, you can see them in my old build up pages.
 
Here, I went poking through Eric's old pic albums and found a shot that shows the mounts pretty good. It's big, and you'll have to copy paste again, but take a look at this.
 
Damn you Russ....I just spent some time browsing your build up pics...Argghhh! I gotta get a damn bender! This blows...lol. If I had the bender I could be building it now..... /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
my truck overheats on the highway so i need to make a shroud of some sort.

[/ QUOTE ]

You drive that thing on the highway?!!?!

The cops don't mess with you?
 
gotta love Texas baby. i even asked a cop

"what is illegal about this truck that i can't drive it on the road?"

he asked " does everything work?"

"yep, except turn lights in front"

"fix the turn lights and get side marker lights in the front and its perfectly legal"

this coming from a DOT certified cop.
 
Thanks for the props guys! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I'm pretty proud of the newest incarnation. It works great (well, except for the damned locker) and I've started putting at least a small amount of effort (5-6 rattle cans and some Herc mostly) into making it look decent...
 
[ QUOTE ]
ran into some problems trying to find a lathe in this town big enough to accept 2.5" DOM all the way through. I need to machine a bit off the inside diameter of the tube to fit the yokes

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep...I have the same problems...
But there are other ways to bore-out the tube...
I'll post some pics...and post...when I get that far...
It's been busy here at work.. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
You know where to find pics of mine, it's the same basic idea as dan and russ's. My radiator is mounted directly to the frame using some window shims as isolators, that way it's dropped down a couple inches which let the whole hood slope more. It all tapers to the width of the radiator too.
The biggest problem I see is where to tie in with the cab in the way of a direct connection to your main cage structure. If you lose the door pillars you could cut the firewall and floor board down to size and tie it all in but that also mandates that you lose the factory windshield too. That's basically what I did after I mashed the doorpillars flat.
Otherwise, you have to penetrate the firewall to tie into the rest of the cage.
 
I think if I were to do it, after I roll it (never have come close /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) I would loose the windshield in favor of two sheets of speedy glass, one on either side of widshield bar (remember the "unnecessary" center bar on my cage) that would join with the cage at the center bar. Then ditch the door pillars and tie everything into my cage witch would be the widest point of the rig.
I think if you couldn't use the doors or top any longer due to a rear pinch job or rollover etc. then you might as well go all the way and get rid of the extra width.
 
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