Hot Rods The "Whatever" project

Now that's an even different setup. Notice both sides have the bolt-on steering arms. It looks to be from a larger truck, maybe a ton and a half. Lots of different setups were available by the look of things.

I've also been looking for a set of 35-36 1-1/2 ton spindles, they look like this:

They look somewhat like 37-40 passenger car spindles, but bigger. Notice in the picture a couple of differences. There's a spacer between the thrust bearing and the bottom kingpin boss of the spindle. And there's an extra brake backing plate bolt hole visible. In fact there's 6 instead of 4 like a passenger car spindle would have. Kingpin inclination matches the era passenger car axles. The spindle pin/axle is larger diameter at least on the inner bearing. And like the passenger car spindles they have forged on steering arms.

 

Hey, now you are getting DEEP in the weeds. I admire a man who knows all these different parts and what he wants. Bigger, stronger, but similar. Sounds just like the circle track guys I used to hang out with and help out during the week.

 

I was just trying to answer your question. Now you have even more rabbit holes to follow.

 

I've been down so many rabbit holes since starting on the whatever project, you don't know how many hours spent looking for information and part numbers. But each little bit of information adds to my files. Now if I can survive long enough to take advantage of all of the information...

 

well, you made it another year!
Happy new year, and I hope to see more progress on Whatever!

 

Your project is coming out great. You have a very fertile mind so no stone is left unturned. Years of training your Grey matter is paying off. If it was that easy everybody would be building from scratch.

 

Thanks guys. I'm trying. SWMBO would say that I'm very trying. Was looking for my large tap handle. It's needed to run that adjustable hand reamer thru the axle. It's still amongst the missing. We've had so much stuff that appears to have gone walkabout, we think that our new house was built over a micro black hole.

Friday is hopefully finally the day! What day is that you ask? Why it's the day that the 327 gets to the shop! Weather permitting...

 

Well it's been 2 Fridays and the 327 is still in my garage. Good thing I have that 283 stand in. No pictures because the progress is soooooo small. Still tinkering with headers. And I still have to find the big tap handle for the adjustable hand reamer. I really want to finish getting the V8-60 tube axle ready for the Whatever project. I'm going to plaigerize frames' hairpin/radius rod bracketry as best I can. I've sketched out the way I'm considering doing it, and have to just decide on coilovers still, or something else. TBD

 

I have all the templates for the spring brackets for my kustom tube axle. I don't think you can use them on your tube axle. They are .090 smaller than the finished piece. I have a flame cutting machine that I bought back in early 70's. It follows a metal template. For one offs like this 32 I am able to use cardboard for templates. Can not download pictures right now. Camera says " No connection " I need help with that problem. PS; I don't want to do customer work. Too many projects of my own.

 

I have 3 chassis with Ford tube axles. One spring over [ sprint car chassis ] and two spring behind to get the cars low.

 

Well if you consider copying as the ultimate form of a compliment, I'm going to copy your design, with bits and bobs to fit axle and current suspension mounting points, so similar but not identical to yours. They are a great inspiration however.

Like your setup, I already have a hairpin on one side and a single bar on the opposite side of the axle. I did have a cross spring early in the process, but dropped it on my left foot, so out it went! Well, not really in that order, but it makes the story sound better.

If I don't use the coilovers, and can fit them in, I have a set of Reese load leveling bars altered to be adjustable. We used them in the 70s with the modifieds, one of my cars was sprung on all 4 corners with them. By going to the V8-60 axle, I think that I'll have the room for them on the front suspension. Here's one with the start of the bracketry. And like a leaf spring, it's sprung weight is approximately the half of the bar from the midpoint to the axle end. These things are nicely tapered, so I'm guessing that they are about the same weight as the coil spring on a coilover. And will look very different!

But first I have to get the new to me lathe up on its stand, clean up the garage, finish one of the header systems that I started, find the big tap handle so I can resize the axle for F100 kingpins, get the F1 spindles refitted with the bushings and honed to size...

And my body is really not cooperating with me! Amongst other things that keep getting my attention.

 

Finally ran this thru today. Bought a new tap handle that fit the reamer. Adjusted the reamer to just under the size of the F100 kingpins I'm going to use (0.859 final dimension, so about 0.857 as reamed). And as soon as I get the garage cleaned up so I can get to the Sunnen honing machine, I'll hone the bosses to final size. And then fit the bushings as well.

Progress!

 

Does anyone else have the problem that when going out to the garage, that side projects get in the way of the thing that is really the next project, but it keeps getting pushed back? Yeah, it happened again. Got the new rotary drum switch for the lathe today, and now I have to make a support for it and figure out how to wire it.

I'll get the garage cleaned up so I can get back to the Whatever project soon...

 

ALL the time. This past weekend I went out there and opened a drawer to see a fully disassembled Holley 4bbl that I guess I walked away from 6 months ago. Decided to spend the time to clean it up and finish what I was doing so parts didn't get lost. Ended up spending two evenings on it, then with the super bowl.... there's the weekend gone. Sigh... at least I finished building a 4bbl that I can use for testing and initial break-ins I guess?

 

Here is how it usually goes around here..........when I finally decide to get off my ass, my wife thinks "he's found some energy", and says "hey, before you go do your thing will you fix" (fill in the blank).
Hard to say no to her on Valentines Day!

 

How about them Chiefs!!!

 

I'm a Steelers fan... oh well, maybe next year!

 

Wow! A month has gone by, and the only difference is that I can get around the Whatever project now! I almost have the new to me lathe up and running, only need 1 more gear, which is slated to be here Saturday or Monday. And I cleaned up half of the garage. And yes, I'm still getting little things done on the Whatever project, tasks that need to be do, but make for really boring reading. Not that I'm capable of really riveting prose that keeps you clamoring for more...

So here's the garage as of yesterday afternoon:

Still haven't gotten to the back corner where the Sunnen honing machine is. But it's on the list. Next is to get new wheels on the rolling workbench right behind the Whatever project. Then the corner. Meanwhile, I'm working on the suspension, in particular the front suspension, fitting in Reese load leveling bars for springs. I want something different and they certainly qualify as that. And I have a friend in North Carolina who is sending me a set of Armstrong lever shocks from an MGB. Could be an interesting setup! Time will tell...

 

You're just going to tease us with that big yellow metal contraption in the front and not fill us in on your plans for it? For shame!

 

Well today I did something with the yellow thing in the garage. I made a base for it!

2x6s bolted together in a T-shape and sticking out past the wheel end a couple of inches. I just need 3 pieces of plywood 5.5x5.5 square for footpads on the 3 corners. Now to finish cleaning up the garage and figure out where the best spot for everything is...

But you know I'll get another toy, er that is another tool, and have to shuffle the garage around again! Oh well

 

Latest update: compound gear came in yesterday, and it fits and works just fine. Set the lathe change gears to almost the finest feed rate, and everything seems to be working as designed. So I have some practicing to do in my future, as I need a couple of parts with left hand threads for the Whatever project.

So, alright I'm back to the Whatever project! Well, not quite. Still have to finish cleaning up the garage and rearrange the stuff in there to fit all of the recent purchases in...

It'll never end.

 

Got a pair of lever shocks from an MGB from a friend, Dan, down in NC, today. And a set of fresh links as well. He bought 2 sets of the links, by mistake, and I think he said the return shipping was as much as they cost, so I got them. So they aren't Houdailes or those other neat lever shocks, they still look period correct. More importantly, they should clean up the look of the front suspension once I get those Reese load leveling bars on for the front springs.

However, this week I've been cleaning up the garage and rearranging stuff in an attempt to make the garage easier to work in and walk around in. Hopefully I'll be successful. If not, I'm not going to tell...

 

Don't FORGET where you stored those new parts after your cleanup.

 

Have I mentioned that scientists say that as we age, we lose 3 things? They say the 1st is our memory. And I don't remember the other 2 things.

 

Wait, what? Was I saying anything important?

 

I can actually walk around the Whatever project! Woo hoo the garage is almost cleaned up and rearranged! Tools are in new homes out there, and the only thing still to do is clear off one bench and organize the stuff on it. Oh, and get ratrodder's lathe stored somewhere out of the way but easily accessible. And the 327 to the engine shop. And the large top box somewhere. And the short cuts of metal stored neatly...

Yeah, it never ends. At least now I can find the parts recently acquired to get on the Whatever project. Maybe...

 

Spring will be here before you know it... you need at least 1 running engine for Whatever, we can't be Fred Flintstoning it!

 

Chop Chop!