ClassicCar

jsrail

So that's the place you said was cheaper than Air Tech on that TRi 4 Link. Looks like the same kit to me too, I've bookmarked it future reference, thanks.

lsfirth

Okay, here's another partial update on the MII installation.

Now that the upper control arms have the needed clearance, I can make the airbag supports that attach to the upper hat where a typical coil spring would ride. After a call to JWRG, they said the installed height of the airbag (at least the ones they sell with the kit) needs to be 5 inches which gives them an opperating range of 3 to 7 inches. So, 4 inches at the bag would translate to ~ 8 inches at the wheel. 8 inch range of motion sounds pretty reasonable. BUT since I want this thing to "lay bumper" I thought I would give it 5.5 inches so I could drop it even an inch lower at the wheels. So the "bag kit" from JWRG comes with a lenth of pipe, the bags, and 4 circular plates. So, prior to starting I took a few careful measurements such as spring hat anti-dive angle, and overall height needed for the bag support. The anti-dive angle was 7.5 degrees and the height of the support needed to be 3 inches (on the higher fwd side). Here's a pic of that:

So with those measurments in hand, I set the bandsaw table to 7.5 degrees and c-clamped a bar to the table to guide the cut at 3 inches.

Here's where I tacked a piece of bar to the pipe so it wouldn't roll while cutting. This also helps guide the pipe through the cut. Believe me...you wouldn't want to "free hand" cutting a pipe like this. It MUST be supported like this when cutting:

lsfirth

And here's the rest of the update since you can only add 5 pics per post.

Next, since I had to modify the hats to clear the upper arms, a full circle upper plate wouldn't fit inside the hat, so I had to trim them and "hollow out" the middle so I can get the plumbing up out of the support when it come time for that. So I made a cardboard template of for the upper circular plates. Here's a shot of the template sitting on the top of the hat:

And here's the parts cut out. The one on the left is tacked together and almost ready to weld. I welded the nuts on the back side of the upper plate so I can simply bolt the supports in without trying to get my fingers underneath to hold the nuts.

And here's a shot of the partially tack welded support being test fit into the spring hat. Notice the bottom edge is nice and level. This will keep the ends of the bags level at normal driving conditions (ie lower control arm level).

So this is what it looks like with a wheel propped up there at about standard driving conditions....

This thing should be draggin' ass when it's aired out!!! Looks like there'll be no problem clearing the calipers with these 15" steelies either!! So this is the ride height you get with the fatman stub frame and 2" drop spindles with 15" wheels wearing 205 - 65's......I'm thinking there's about 4 inches of clearance.

jsrail

Nice work man! I made the mistake of ordering the Fatman's stub with coil overs, now I want airbags. I guess I may have to go your route or buy shockwaves for the front. At least, as I have their full kit, I won't have to go thru your fitting challenges. That said, wish I had your fabrication skills. Thanks for this thread.

46HudsonPU

jsrail wrote:

Nice work man! I made the mistake of ordering the Fatman's stub with coil overs, now I want airbags. I guess I may have to go your route or buy shockwaves for the front. At least, as I have their full kit, I won't have to go thru your fitting challenges. That said, wish I had your fabrication skills. Thanks for this thread.

Hey Jay,
Am SERIOUSLY considering a Fatman stub with coilovers for my '46 (No, not the 'Blue Goose'!). If I do go to airbags at any point (doubtful), The shockwaves would be a good choice.

Got any pictures of the stub that Fatman shipped to you? Did you order it with the MII suspension and rack & pinion steering? Power?

jsrail

Yes, Rick, I got the MII Stage II full kit, V8 coil springs, Ford bolt pattern, coil overs, power rack and pinion, the full boat. I'm happy with it theorectically, as it's been sitting on my workbench since late 2005! They usually reccomend shockwaves for the rear, but my thought was they may make converting the front to airbags easier than going the full on fab route, something I'm no good at and will not trust my family's lives on a crappy fab job. I planned to call Fatman's tech and ask them about using the shockwaves on the front and whether they are a bolt in to replace the coilover shocks. If it will work, that's my route.

The only thing unusable about my kit is a ordered the chevy engine mounts. I've got 60's style Hurst front mounts I got with the 331! I think with the Fatman stub, the Hurst mounts, and the rack and pinion, I should have plenty of room for headers for my Hemi.

Here's some pics of the stub, not great pics but here (looks like pretty thick steel to me):

I sure am hoping I get to start on the Hudson next year. It makes me sick, VP of our Chapter and doesn't even have his Hud running after 4 1/2 years! lol

Jay

jsrail

Rick, the one thing that is going to make it a bit more critical in the measuring dept. for me is that a good friend of mine needed a front end for his wife's 49 sedan after a woman hit her. So, I sold them the front suspension before I could make a jig to include the wheel mounting surface. But, as long as the rad core support and a couple other measurements on the original frame stay true on the Fatman stub, it's supposed to fit perfectly. I'm just goin to be measuring a million times before cutting and welding! LOL (actually someone else is going to have to weld it!)

Jay

46HudsonPU

Hmm - Jay, the pictures of your Fatman stub look identical to the one that Lee is using on his stepdown. In particular, the 'hat' that Lee has modified for his JWRG MII components...

Are you sure that stub is the correct one for those coilovers? What do those coilovers fasten to on that 'hat'? To me, it looks more like the 'Stage II' or 'Stage IV', and does not resemble the "Stage III" (as shown in the hub-to-hub kits, below).

Notice that with the 'Stage III' (coilovers) & the 'Stage V' (Shockwaves), the MII suspension is totally different where the coilovers or shockwaves fasten at the top - the 'hat' is replaced with a 'fork' that the coilover or shockwaves bolt between...

getimg.php?page=5

I'm probably totally wrong, and FatMan Fab has changed or modified that stub for use with the coilovers (?), but it sure looks like yours and Lee's are the same stub!

46HudsonPU

jsrail wrote:

Rick, the one thing that is going to make it a bit more critical in the measuring dept. for me is that a good friend of mine needed a front end for his wife's 49 sedan after a woman hit her. So, I sold them the front suspension before I could make a jig to include the wheel mounting surface. But, as long as the rad core support and a couple other measurements on the original frame stay true on the Fatman stub, it's supposed to fit perfectly. I'm just goin to be measuring a million times before cutting and welding! LOL (actually someone else is going to have to weld it!)

Jay

I think I know where that front suspension went... :rolleyes:

jsrail

Your right Rick, geez where is my head these days! It is the Stage II with the springs. But looking at the where the shock bolts up thru the center of the hat, I think the Air Ride Technologies Shockwaves (original and black series) bolt up just like a shock and thus would mean you just replace the spring/shock set-up with the Air Ride Tech Shockwave, and you have an air suspension without having to modify the frame stub.

http://www.ridetech.com/shop/index.php?dispatch=categories.view&category_id=1869

Jay

46HudsonPU

jsrail wrote:

Your right Rick, geez where is my head these days! It is the Stage II with the springs. But looking at the where the shock bolts up thru the center of the hat, I think the Air Ride Technologies Shockwaves (original and black series) bolt up just like a shock and thus would mean you just replace the spring/shock set-up with the Air Ride Tech Shockwave, and you have an air suspension without having to modify the frame stub.

http://www.ridetech.com/shop/index.php?dispatch=categories.view&category_id=1869

Jay

Jay - You might want to contact Fatman about this - according to the blurb on their Stage II, it is "Easily converted to Stage IV Airride with bold-on parts and a weld-on shock bracket". Probably something similiar to what Lee is doing with the large pipe, cut at an angle.

Unless you want to go straight to the Shockwaves (?) - I am unsure of how they would bolt onto that 'hat'...

jsrail

Okay guys, just spent time on the phone this morning with both Fatman's and Air Ride Technologies (Darren). As far as Fatman's is concerned, you can buy a bolt in kit to change the Stage II to their airbag system, about $485 for the kit. Of course, then you have to buy the airbags, etc.

But, seems to be an easier way.............

A call to Air Ride was very informative. Basically, first, I may try this to lower my coupe without the c-notch for right now (money and fab is a concern for me being disabled), and these are systems they have installed on cars. He suggested pulling all but 3 leafs and use lowering blocks. Then in place of the stock shocks, you use their Shockwave 7000's (which will hold 1600lbs total). These are about 4" in diameter, so I have to look at the shock mounts and see if there is enough room or they may have to be moved a bit, not a big deal. They have done this on '61-'66 Lincolns, which, having owned a '64, are heavier than a Hudson Coupe, so of course they won't do this if they would not warranty it.

Cost for the front system (w/o tank. vales, etc.) runs about $900 (for an adjustable shock, $700 for non-adjustable), while the rear using 7000's is also about $900. Then you have to buy the compressor/controller kit, which will run around $1,500 for their RidePro3 digital system, the analog is a bit cheaper, but a much bigger mounting area required for under your dash, or in a console vs. the didgtal, which is about the area of a credit card.

So, I think this is the system I will try first. Means I don't have to do anything to my frame stub but sell the springs and shocks. The rear as mentioned above should be a breeze. Now, the one issue is the ride height. Without a tri-four link and c-notch, I will not be able to know how low I can go right now, but it does save me cutting out the floor, the c-notch, etc. The Sjockwave 7000's I would buy, would still be the ones to use if I later decide to do the c-notch and tri-4 link.

Also, Air Ride will give you air valves for each airshock so you can install them and air them up individually and run your car, while you save up the cash for the compressor/controller kit.

Okay, my fingers are sore typing, so I leave you guys with this research, and I hope it helps.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

46HudsonPU

Sorry if I caused confusion Jay -

&

Back to your suspension work Lee!

jsrail

Rick, I was the one that made a mistake posting. I just thought that this info might help everyone in some respect that was anticipating doing what Lee and some other of us wanted to do. This might help you a bit though you are working with a frame and we have to deal with the unibody.

Lee, some fantastic work you've done there, I could only hope I could ever have your talent. I have ideas, but guys like you can put yours into action and I, like others, are following your mods here closely.

I guess since I have some down time here, I should buy a welder and try learning how to do it.

lsfirth

jsrail wrote:

Rick, I was the one that made a mistake posting. I just thought that this info might help everyone in some respect that was anticipating doing what Lee and some other of us wanted to do. This might help you a bit though you are working with a frame and we have to deal with the unibody.

Lee, some fantastic work you've done there, I could only hope I could ever have your talent. I have ideas, but guys like you can put yours into action and I, like others, are following your mods here closely.

I guess since I have some down time here, I should buy a welder and try learning how to do it.

Hi Guys,

Excellent discussion!! In a small way I hope I've given a "nudge" on some old projects. I'm a bit of a "hack", but if I spend enough time things ususally come out pretty good. Most of this stuff is pretty straight forward....if you're trying something for the first time, just practice on a piece of scrap until it's something you can live with. Welders are pretty reasonably priced these days and I've been using flux core wire and getting satisfactory welds. Using shielding gas would be better and give less spatter, but the flux core is so simple that vitually anyone can use it! For the thicker stuff like the frame, I've been using the thickest wire I can get (0.035"). This would be too thick for doing body work though. And a good 4 1/2" angle grinder is indispensible.

Anyway Jay, that sub frame of yours looks very familiar. If you want to go to a bag set up, that's one of Fatman's big advertising points is that you can "upgrade" easily. Now that I'm working with these airbags, I'm totally sold on them....I can't wait to get mine to the point of being a "roller"!!! Now that I essentially have my airbag supports finished, I'm about to start on my "external shock" mounts. I think I have it all figured out, so stay tuned for the pics in a while. The only thing on yours that might cause an issue is that the Fatman arms are usually stainless steel. So you might have to take your lower arms to a place that welds stainless in order to get your lower shock mounts welded on. Or as you mentioned, the Shockwaves would be the sweetest if you have the dough!!!

Rick - I really like how my Fatman setup is turning out, but at this point, I can't give you any feedback on how it all opperates since I'm a ways out on driving this thing. If definitely look like it should all work well!!

Thanks for the words of encouragement.....I'll need them in the next few years as I work on this beaut :-)

Jay - if you need me to measure my frame anywhere, let me know. Sounds like you don't have a good set of measurements anymore.

So here's how the airbag supports turned out. Both of them are now finished except final welding.

Here I bolted in the upper part and centered the bag and lower plate in the spring pocket in the frame. I then tack welded the plate in this location and traced the bag periphery.

Now I have to transer the bolt hole and air supply port hole to the plate.

So I made a paper stensil of the airbag upper surface and taped it to the center of the airbag markings on the lower surface of the airbag support and centerpunched the holes for drilling.

I made the drivers side exactly oposite of the passenger side. Here's a picture of the completed parts (except for final welding). Notice the temporary air valve plumbing I bought at the hardware store for a couple bucks. I'll have to bend the long pipe to get it to fit up through the spring hat on the frame.

And here's a shot of the completed assembly in the installed position. The bag is just where I want it and the installed height is right on 5.5 inches. I think it looks right with the upper and lower airbag surfaces parallel in the standard driving position with the lower arms level. I've seen some airbags with non-parallel surfaces and they look funny. On to the "external shock" mounts.....and painting!!!

jsrail

Tech at Fatman's said they sell the weld on kits for the shock mounts, said it was very easy to do, but I didn't ask about stainless welding, which is a good point. I was thinking hat the only weld on shock part was at the top along the frame and that there was a bolt-on part for the control arm, but I can't remember where I heard that, maybe when I was first ordering my kit. Anyway, it wouldn't be a problem for me as I know an awesome fab and weld guy that owes me some favors cause I traded some tax work to him. As far as a cup, there is a bolt on kit for about $485 to convert to their airbags, not sure if it includes the airbags, etc. I really like the shockwave idea, as it requires no add'l shock mounting, but will have to do some saving up for it, but it wouldn't require me to do anything to my current set-up.

As far measurements Lee, the kit comes with a complete set of instructions and where to measure for the cut-off spot just ahead of the firewall. I looked them over and they are almost exactly like the one I printed off that Doc Frommer did on a '52 Hornet install. I just printed them off to look over before I bought my kit. Fatman's install instructions do not require any measurements to the front hub/wheel mounting surface. Actually, the only measurement they give you is the cut-off spot, the rest are your measurements to the existing rad core support and bumper bracket holes. With these measurements and a plumb bob, you've got everything you need. If you don't mind, I may still ask you some questions as I go along, I appreciate the offer to help.

Basically, I'm much less worried about the job than I was before. Changing to airbags is pretty simple as is the instruction for the kit. As Lee is doing, measure. measure, measure before I cut and don't get in a hurry. I am really interested in Air Ride's suggestion on the rear suspension lowering and airbags. I've decided to try it before I get into plasma cutting the trunk and backseat flooring out and c-notching. If it gets me to a satisfying height, that's cool, if it doesn't, then I'll cry and start cutting!

Lee, thanks much for this thread and keep it coming. Wish you lived closer! lol Thanks Rick for the observations, now if only I could afford to fly you guys out here! LOL

Jay

lsfirth

Excellent!!! I'm excited to see you get started on the stub frame Jay!!! Yeah...it'd be fun to drop by your place and transfer any "lessons learned" from my project if I lived in the southwest!!

A "bolt on" shock mount to the lower arm would be nice.....now you tell me :-)

I think you're right.....you shouldn't need any other measurements than what you have there. If you look at my post, I think the way I did the cut off works very well rather than measuring from the rivets. I essentially lined up the new stub direclty below the old one and used a plumb bob to mark where I wanted the cuts leaving 1/8th to a 1/4" gap to fill in with weld. It worked great. It was quite liberating actually making the cuts!!!

Anyway, you got a good head on your shoulders, so just do what you feel is right and let common sense guide you. I definitely want to see some progress, so keep us posted!!!

Thanks,

Lee

46HudsonPU

jsrail wrote:

Rick, I was the one that made a mistake posting. I just thought that this info might help everyone in some respect that was anticipating doing what Lee and some other of us wanted to do. This might help you a bit though you are working with a frame and we have to deal with the unibody.

Lee, some fantastic work you've done there, I could only hope I could ever have your talent. I have ideas, but guys like you can put yours into action and I, like others, are following your mods here closely.

I guess since I have some down time here, I should buy a welder and try learning how to do it.

Np Jay, I think we all knew what you meant & what the thought process on your project is.
A MIG welder is something that every serious builder/restorer should have, whether or not they 'farm out' the major work - such as the stub, 4-link, etc.. I don't know if your work area is wired for 220v, so that would be a consideration when looking for a welder. I would stick with the major brands - Miller, Hobart, Lincoln. I have no doubt that you'll find something there that will suit your needs

You might inquire to your local Community College about classes on welding. Many CCs have low or no cost classes, or are have other specialized programs...

Also, some instructional videos on MIG Welding:
http://www.ehow.com/articles_2285-auto-mechanics_videos_videos.html?f=hasvideo%3atrue%2ctag%3amig

http://www.ehow.com/VideoSearch.aspx?s=MIG%20Welding&Options=4

More, on TIG Welding:
http://www.ehow.com/VideoSearch.aspx?s=TIG%20Welding&Options=4

And some on leading (body soldering)
http://www.carestoration.com/leading1.htm

Addendum: Even if you go with a 110v MIG welder, you'll most likely need to upgrade the outlets to be safe - depending on the AMPs the welder requires. That will require an electrician unless you are experienced & comfortable enough to do it yourself. Caution - This type of work can be very dangerous!
I've got a couple of 220v 30A outlets that I wired into my garage, ready for my Hobart 180... I'm also running a 220v 30A for my air compressor.

Back to the work on the IFS - :rolleyes:

jsrail

46HudsonPU wrote:

Addendum: Even if you go with a 110v MIG welder, you'll most likely need to upgrade the outlets to be safe - depending on the AMPs the welder requires. That will require an electrician unless you are experienced & comfortable enough to do it yourself. Caution - This type of work can be very dangerous!
I've got a couple of 220v 30A outlets that I wired into my garage, ready for my Hobart 180... I'm also running a 220v 30A for my air compressor.

I have a dedicated 220 line in the garage that was for a dryer that I use the gas instead on. I just need to wire a box to the wall. Though I may have to wait a little as the 220's are a bit more expensive than the 110v's.

jsrail

Lee, I forget, is "ride height" the distance from the lower control are to the ground? Or the frame bottom and the ground?

Those bags look good and the frane work seemless. Really nice man.

Jay

lsfirth

jsrail wrote:

Lee, I forget, is "ride height" the distance from the lower control are to the ground? Or the frame bottom and the ground?

Those bags look good and the frane work seemless. Really nice man.

Jay

Hi Jay,

I'm not sure if my nomenclature is right, but here's a picture of what I mean by ride height. I threw this picture together with power point so I could ask JWRG the same question. They told me 5 inches.....I ended up using 5.5 inches so I could drop the car another ~1 inch when all the air is out of the bags.

Lee

46HudsonPU

Per pg 4, FatmanFab:
"The other critical dimension has to do with ride height. Assuming stock non-dropped spindles and the lower control arms level for best travel and geometry, the center of the wheel will be the same height off the ground as the bottom of the frame rail. That means that a 26" front tire will set the frame at 13" off the ground. Common 2" dropped spindles will of course drop that to 11". All this info tells you how to build the front of your frame. A more detailed explanation of this â€œReverse Engineeringâ€ needed to properly design your chassis is in the Special Application Worksheet mentioned above."

I looked-over and measured my tan '46 truck with full clip, engine & trans in place, sitting on the ground - no modifications. It appears that my wheel (spindle) centerline is about 1 1/4" below the bottom of the frame rail - at the point of the frame rail where the center of the wheel would intersect.

See measurement "O" (below), as there is another measurement that indicates the distance from the bottom most point of the frame. The last column to the right is the '58-178', which reflect the measurements for the 46-47 Hudson pickup trucks. This indicates that the lowest point of the frame is a full 7 1/4" lower than the bottom of the frame where it transects the centerline of the front wheels.

index.php?option=com_community&view=photos&task=showimage&tmpl=component&imgid=1379&maxW=726&maxH=435

Now, if the same overall tire diameter is retained (critical in the height of the frame off the ground -currently right at 28" with the 6.50x16 tires) and going with a 2" drop, the lowest point of the frame would be between 9"-10" off the ground.

I think... :confused:

lsfirth

Hi All..........not even sure where I left off.....been a while.....holidays kinda got in the way of progress :eek:

Anyway, I did a bunch of fit-up work and clearance checking of the shocks etc. I needed to get some of the parts painted so I could assemble the rotors and the spindles and not have to take them appart again. Anyway, here's some of what I got done in the last couple of days.

First of all, I had to finish welding the airbag supports....they're ready for paint now!!

So now....with the help of a friend (for a small fee of pizza, beer and a brownie), we were able to finally settle on the mounting location of the external shock mounts.

Here's the lower mounts prior to cutting out of a 1/2" bar:

Here they are cut out and ground into shape....these will be welded to the lower a-arm:

After much measuring and clearance checks through the entire range of motion of the lower arm as well as turning of the spindle left to right, the lower mount is tacked into place. The compressed length of the shock is 10", so I made the mounts locate the shock to only compress to 10.5" when the airbag is bottomed out. I've heard that you don't want to actually "bottom out" your shocks....so the airbag should be the limiting component when the suspension is bottomed out. So, here's the lower shock mount tacked in place:

continued on next post.....

lsfirth

Continuing from previous post....

So, now to the top mount.....after much cutting, grinding, fitting again and again, here' the upper mount located and tacked in place:

Now, after a final clearance and range of motion check, final welding is performed (notice the damp rag to keep the ball joint from getting hot):

Then the other side is welded at the same time to make sure left and right are exactly the same:

Here's a final look at the lower mount welds for both left and right arms:

continued on next post......

lsfirth

continuing from previous post.....

Then the upper mount is finally welded into place:

Now I need to finish the upper shock mount on the driver's side and the shocks are DONE!!!

The shocks were one of the most time consuming parts of the build thus far, but I'm confident they'll perform well and not have ANY clearance issues.

There was another issue that show up with all the clearance checking. The steering rod coming out of the rack interferes with the lower surface of the frame when the wheel is fully turned and at the upper end of the wheel travel. The frame will have to be trimmed and a filler piece welded in. Here the frame is marked where it will have to be cut out:

So now, I need to finish making clearance for the steering rods, weld up some holes, add engine mounts, put it all together and paint it (actually that sounds like a lot)!!! Then I can start on the 4-link at the back end...stay tuned!!!

Lee

mrsbojigger

Hello Lee,
Nice Work!
Peace,
Chaz

rambos_ride

Wouldn't something like the ShockWave (shock/airbag combo) be an alternative? It would seem to simplify the installation.

I've never installed an air-ride system - Just curious as to your thoughts?

lsfirth

rambos_ride wrote:

Wouldn't something like the ShockWave (shock/airbag combo) be an alternative? It would seem to simplify the installation.

I've never installed an air-ride system - Just curious as to your thoughts?

Hi Dan....yep - shockwaves would make it easier in all departments except the wallet :-)

I guess you gotta ask the question "what's my time worth" .....my time obviously isn't worth very much otherwise I would've paid for it 3 times by now :-)

It's all about "the journey" ....at least that's what I keep telling myself!!

Lee

davidhugo

I enjoyed seeing your Avitar

[ATTACH]7411[/ATTACH]

lsfirth

davidhugo wrote:

I enjoyed seeing your Avitar

Hi David, Looks like you and I are about in the same boat :-)

Have you made any progress lately???

I'm about 1/2 way through making clearance for the tie-rods to the bottom of the frame, then I need to weld in the engine mounts, paint and re-assemble...then I can get to the 4-link in the back. Here's an old post of mine with a few more pics and what I had to do to fix and strenghten my frame:

http://classiccar.com/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=62&jfile=showthread.php&t=17943&highlight=lsfirth

lsfirth

Okay....got a little more time in on the Hudson yesterday.

Trying to get clearance for the steering rods at full suspension travel. So I trimmed out the lower side of the frame in front of the suspension and welded in a piece of box tube.

Here it is all trimmed out:

Next, I marked the piece of tube to trim out:

Here it is trimmed and tacked in place:

Here it is welded in and cleaned up.....then for extra strength to replace the area I sliced out, I added a piece of 1/2" bar next to it. Here the bar is tacked in place and ready to be welded:

And here's the picture from above after welding in the piece of bar stock:

So, now I need to do this to the driver's side, weld in the engine mounts, paint and reassemble, and I'll have the entire front suspension installed!!!! Then on to the triangulated 4 link in the back.

Lee

lsfirth

Okay....here's a little "status report" on my brougham. I finished "channeling" the frame for the tie-rods coming out of the rack on the driver's side. Then a buddy came over and graciously lent a hand to get the engine positioned for welding in the engine mounts. So we put the oil pan on the block with a few bolts and set it on the crossmember, then bolted up the bellhousing and the tranny. After some leveling and sliding around we had it located where we wanted it and I could then trim the engine mount tabs and tack them in. Here's a few pics....

We tilted the engine back at 5 degrees.....here's an angle shot:

Here's a shot from the back seat!!

Here's the tabs trimmed and tacked in:

So I then pulled the engine out and finished welding in the tabs:

Then I gave it all a "once over" with some sand paper, wiped it down with lacquer thinner and gave it a fresh coat of RUST BULLET. Its almost ready to "final assemble" the front suspension.

All for now......I really love the Rust Bullet. Its super sticky and seems to totally seal the surface. So now, I need to finish painting a few things, then assemble it all....then move to the triangulated 4-link in the back!!!!

Take it easy!

Lee

essexcoupe3131

there is some very nice welding there

going to look clean and crisp and have nice lines

Mike

lsfirth

LOOK MOM....NO JACKSTANDS!!!!

Okay....the front is all final assembled!!!! Here's a few pics of the assembly process.

First I had to sweat some copper fittings and get the airbags "air tight"....still not sure if they're air tight...

Then I put the bag assemblies into the spring hats and bolted on the lower arms:

Here's the complete right hand side:

Here's the whole thing:

And here it is supporting it's own weight with air in the bags!!!:

Now it's time to finish removing some of the remaining trim inside, roll it out in the driveway and pressure wash the whole thing. Then I can turn it around, push it back in the shop and start on the triangulated 4 link!!

And with that, I'm concluding this "stub frame" post. Thanks everyone for the input and comments. Stay tuned for the 4 link install :-)

Lee

jsrail

A real class set-up Lee! Wow! Beautiful!

Jay

hudsoncustom

Looks great Lee! Before you conclude, how about a shot with the bags delfated for us?

lsfirth

hudsoncustom wrote:

Looks great Lee! Before you conclude, how about a shot with the bags delfated for us?

Sure....sounds fun. I might be laying frame with these smaller tires, but we'll see what it looks like! I don't smoke, so I won't be able to set a pack of camels down next to it for reference....how about a beer can :-)

rambos_ride

lsfirth wrote:

Sure....sounds fun. I might be laying frame with these smaller tires, but we'll see what it looks like! I don't smoke, so I won't be able to set a pack of camels down next to it for reference....how about a beer can

Only if you crush the beer can with the car while its lowering

lsfirth

jsrail wrote:

A real class set-up Lee! Wow! Beautiful!

Jay

Okay Jay....it's your turn :-)

Your's should be a piece of cake since you got it all from Fatman!!! Too bad we don't live closer we could team up on it :-)

I wanna see some progress!!!

Lee

lsfirth

hudsoncustom wrote:

Looks great Lee! Before you conclude, how about a shot with the bags delfated for us?

Okay...by request here's a few more shots with the bags in action

showing the clearance at ride height and aired-out.

yep....this one's for Dan....that's a can under the frame in the lower picture!!

And here's a couple more shots of the suspension at max drop.

Okay......on to the back end :-)

Lee

jsrail

I'm still trying to finish my son's Dodge! But yours is sure encouragement for me to get going on the Pacemaker. Sure a great job Lee, maybe I can fly you out here for one or two days to help me get the Fatman stub on? Or will your wife kill you? LOL

lsfirth

jsrail wrote:

I'm still trying to finish my son's Dodge! But yours is sure encouragement for me to get going on the Pacemaker. Sure a great job Lee, maybe I can fly you out here for one or two days to help me get the Fatman stub on? Or will your wife kill you? LOL

That's a killer Dodge....your son is gonna be proud to drive that around some day.

Yeah Jay...too bad we don't live down the street from each other....That would be fun teaming up on your pacemaker!! With our 4th kid due to be delivered in a week, I'm not going anywhere soon :-)

WildWasp

HUDSON 308 askss a question

By the way... there was a guy running around St. Paul with a '52 Hornet a few years ago with the front chunk of a '69 Cadillac frame grafted in. He claimed the size and location of the frame rail stubs were just about perfect. I'd love to know how a Duster/Aspen/Volare clip would fit.

The answer is the ASPEN clip does fit. Check with Charlie Harris of Springfield NE. He is in the HET roster... his 1950 Pmaker convertible was clipped with an Aspen clip. The car is running a 318 with mopar automatic. Check with Charlie for details

faustmb

WildWasp wrote:

HUDSON 308 askss a question

The answer is the ASPEN clip does fit. Check with Charlie Harris of Springfield NE. He is in the HET roster... his 1950 Pmaker convertible was clipped with an Aspen clip. The car is running a 318 with mopar automatic. Check with Charlie for details

I saw that car a few years ago, very nice setup. The 318 fit well, looked very clean, fit well. He drove from NE to FL and was having a blast!

WildWasp

faustmb wrote:

WildWasp wrote:

HUDSON 308 askss a question

The answer is the ASPEN clip does fit. Check with Charlie Harris of Springfield NE. He is in the HET roster... his 1950 Pmaker convertible was clipped with an Aspen clip. The car is running a 318 with mopar automatic. Check with Charlie for details

I saw that car a few years ago, very nice setup. The 318 fit well, looked very clean, fit well. He drove from NE to FL and was having a blast!

Matt: Charlie purchased that car during the 1976 Youngstown Ohio, HET Nationals. My family and I also attended the nationals and stopped at your parents place on the way to my parent’s home in NY. You, and your siblings and parents also attended the HET nationals and had just returned in the 1950 Hudson.

Later that week, on Charlie's behalf I picked up the convertible from the late Jim Many in Delmar. Driving the car was an exciting in the least, scary at the worst. It needed lots of front end work and as I drove the hi-crown roads the car constantly jumped one side of the road to the other. After discussing the condition of the car with Charlie via telephone, we mutually decided to park it at my parents awaiting his retrieval.

On our way back home to Nebraska, we stopped again to visit your family. As we drove home we encountered Charlie, his son and brother at the first west bound Ohio toll booths. Driving Charlie’s Caddy convertible and carrying a tow bar they were making a three day round robin run from Omaha to upstate NY to retrieve said errant convertible.

After much effort, Charlie could never get the car to handle like he wanted and finally elected to swap the drive train and frame stub to Mopar.

The last time I saw Charlie and the car were at the Sweet Hearts and Orphans meet at Waxahachie Texas several years ago... he was returning from the Florida meet you mentioned in your post. Funny how these cars get around.

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