[Flipper_1938]

A Rally without the cool apron on the front.



With people in it, you can see how small those cars are. Mine is going to be a bit bigger (109" wheelbase)....but hopefully still have that same vibe.

[Flipper_1938]

Gene Neal sketched out an idea for a crossmember reinforcement, but had trouble posting it here. He emailed it to me so I could host it in photobucket and link it to here. I will let him talk about his idea.

[Gene Neal]

Thanks for posting the drawing! ( Flipper 1938 )

Well I was just thinking that if you are going to use a spring that is located Right to Left, under a high arch frame rail, then you must use a cross member of the type that you have chosen already. But now you must support it in some way to the high arch Frame rail. In the drawing is I tired to show a tubing attached to the lower cross member and and in front of the spring. The other end welded to an angle plat that is then attached to the top of the high arch frame rail. This also would give you a place to attach the upper control arm.The lower control arm would be attached to the lower cross member, by welding a pipe or tubing, at the far right or left end.witch would allow you to attach the lower control arm. The front spring would then be attached to the lower control arm by way of a link.

Just a thought!--------------------------------------Your Friend, Gene Neal

[Flipper_1938]

I kinda wanted to put the reinforcement behind the spring instead of in front, simply to have the spring out in the open. The only thing I can fit between the spring and the radiator would be a plate (with a strengthing rib on the top front edge).

Anybody think that will be strong enough? or will it flex and flop under load?

[Chevrolet4x4s]

How thick of a plate,1/2"? Is there anyway that you can triangulate the front of it or box the bottom of the croxxmember and bring it up and around the lower rail and tie it in to the top of the crossmember?
Shane

[Flipper_1938]

3/16 would be the heaviest that I would probably consider. I might consider a little heavier on the ribs...1/4" max

[Flipper_1938]

If anybody has any great ideas on how to mount the rack or how to make the bulkhead look cooler/be stronger, please tell me your ideas today.

In the morning, I plan on cutting some steel and welding this thing up solid according to my latest sketch (maybe with belled lightening holes. I have to try the technique suggested by one of the guys on RRT first).

[Flipper_1938]

I played with it a little this weekend.

The inner rod ends did come off quite easily.





I don't think scraper style seals will work worth a darn. It needs boots. I hope to find something that looks cooler than stock toyota though.

Did more figuring on how to get the rack inside the crossmember

[Flipper_1938]

And then went after it with a torch.





After a little grinding.

[Flipper_1938]

Then I remembered I still need to trim the crossmember more so it sits lower. The rack needs to go up more to clear the inner frame rails at that height.







The rack is not really hidden under the crossmember. This is where I stopped to think if this is really what I want to do.

[Flipper_1938]

I did a little more fitting this past weekend. I still need to make nests and clamps to secure the rack.

Oh yeah, the crossmember is upside down in these pics.







room for boots

[Flipper_1938]

Got a chance to put in a few more hours this weekend (after I cut dad's grass).

Worked on mounting the rack to the crossmember. I had to come up with nests to hold the rack in the proper location.

more cop car roll bar to the rescue.







a whole lot of grinding and hand filing







mocked up to the crossmember



little piece used for the other end. had to tighten up the radius to fit the rack tube.

[Flipper_1938]

both ends mocked up.



everything cleaned up



bzzzzzzzzz





This what it will look like on the car (I still need to make clamps to hold it in the nest).

[MARTINSR]

This build is so damn interesting, you have quite the mind for creating don't you! When I start looking at something you are doing I often think, oh no, I wouldn't do it that way, then after I look at the finished product I go, Hmmmm, that is pretty neat. I am not so sure how this whole front crossmember is going to play out, but I have learned to just sit and watch and keep my mouth shut on this one! Very cool, thanks for sharing a very interesting build.

It just goes to show you, you don't need to buy everything out of a Speedway catalog and you certainly don't need to build something ugly just to save money.

Brian

[Flipper_1938]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I am not so sure how this whole front crossmember is going to play out, but I have learned to just sit and watch and keep my mouth shut on this one! Very cool, thanks for sharing a very interesting build.

It just goes to show you, you don't need to buy everything out of a Speedway catalog and you certainly don't need to build something ugly just to save money.

Brian

I'm not 100% sure how this front crossmember is going to play out either

I am constantly trying to figure out what needs to go where to be 100% functional and still have it look elegantly simple while maintaining a 30's racecar vibe....that's not too much to ask for out of a car with a $2,000 cash budget is it?

I have designed and built this thing dozens of times in my head. The problem is that real parts aren't always the same size as my mind thinks thay need to be or I forget something important that needs to share the same space as another part.

It would be a whole lot easier if I didn't have to go weeks at a time without being able to look at it/ work on it.

....but it has been a really interesting project so far.