workingdog
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- #21
I'd love to see where the box sits and the pitman arm.
1953 Dodge M37 wheeler conversion (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter workingdog
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I would say the box bracket and the steering wheel flange and bearing. Find a GM column in a wrecking yard and port the box for hydro assist. Like you said, the rest you can source. GM columns have a lot of aftermarket support and switches are quite common for headlamps, ign, wipers, etc.
Not the best, but hopefully you can see the adapter? plate used.
workingdog
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- #24
So, that's still running the push/pull steering?
yes and it works well for around the farm. Mine doesn't go over @ forty, so no worries of road manners.
workingdog
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So, last time I did this, not having a good dolly for the axles was a PITA. So this time, I was thinking of building one, but decided to save a day of my life I'd never get back and buy one from Eastwood.
Well, it would have worked for the dana 44's I used last time. which are heavy but ... not horrible. But the Ultimate Dana 60 is just way too heavy. I mean, the dolly holds it up - mostly. But there's no way to get them to sit level. The diff housing too heavy and which ever way you rotate the hubs, the entire axle goes that way. The rotor and caliper assembly must weight 100 lbs all together.
So, going to just go to 3 jack stands and use the gantry when I need to move it. And, I need to get a tie rod on the thing just to keep the turning assemblies from shifting and killing me.
Well, it would have worked for the dana 44's I used last time. which are heavy but ... not horrible. But the Ultimate Dana 60 is just way too heavy. I mean, the dolly holds it up - mostly. But there's no way to get them to sit level. The diff housing too heavy and which ever way you rotate the hubs, the entire axle goes that way. The rotor and caliper assembly must weight 100 lbs all together.
So, going to just go to 3 jack stands and use the gantry when I need to move it. And, I need to get a tie rod on the thing just to keep the turning assemblies from shifting and killing me.
Yeah, Dana 60's no joke. They're heavy, especially the later model ones. The newest AAM axles are almost comically huge. They aren't really any tougher than Dana, they just have 4" tubes and giant casting chunks to make them look enormous for no reason. I use finger racks for storing axles. For moving axles I like to use a pair of straps and a forklift or crane. The straps seem to curtail the tendency for them to flip and flop around.
If you build a cart look at 8" scaffolding casters. They're about $100 for a set of four. They have a 1-3/8" shank on them that fits into 1-1/2" pipe or DOM tubing easy. They will roll a 1000 lb engine across gravel. They have locks and brakes built in.
For storing axles finger racking is the best thing I've found.
workingdog
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- #28
But I'm guessing you still have the push/pull steering which I'm trying to get rid of and the Vintage kit locates the box for push/pull.
I've been talked back into full hydro. 10 degrees of caster and it should work well enough. This is not going to be a road queen, just enough to get around.
I've been talked back into full hydro. 10 degrees of caster and it should work well enough. This is not going to be a road queen, just enough to get around.
workingdog
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- #29
Okay, had to pull off this for a LONG time. but ... I was able to get back to it a little. I reinforced the axle stands so they are safe and will hold the differential at the right angle and the axles are at least under the frame.
Also got the clutch and trans attached to the LS3 (and now I know what's wrong with the clutch on my EV45). I lost the alignment tool, so I had to make one out of a bolt. It worked!
going to start test fitting the engine and trans into the frame soon and put together some basic mounts so that I can work on the suspension with it in place. And ... Atlas shows up in a week or two, I'll get that on too as front drive shaft location is always a tricky thing when figuring out the front suspension
Also got the clutch and trans attached to the LS3 (and now I know what's wrong with the clutch on my EV45). I lost the alignment tool, so I had to make one out of a bolt. It worked!
going to start test fitting the engine and trans into the frame soon and put together some basic mounts so that I can work on the suspension with it in place. And ... Atlas shows up in a week or two, I'll get that on too as front drive shaft location is always a tricky thing when figuring out the front suspension
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LS3 and tr4050, damn fancy Peter
workingdog
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- #31
Okay, got to spend an entire day on the M37. I had a friend coming over to help swing the engine/trans into the frame and I had a lot to get done.
Put temporary cross member in up front and remove the massive stock cross member that was very in the way of the steering.
I roughly figured out the curve of the frame and cut some boxing plates out on my plasma table. Got pretty close.
And removed to more brackets that held the rear motor/trans mount, I hate rivets
And then we were ready to swing the engine/trans in.
It looks like it's going to fit nicely. We lowered the cab down to check and it will require some modification to the floor, but nothing very serious. Atlas shows up next week and we'll know for sure.
Put temporary cross member in up front and remove the massive stock cross member that was very in the way of the steering.
I roughly figured out the curve of the frame and cut some boxing plates out on my plasma table. Got pretty close.
And removed to more brackets that held the rear motor/trans mount, I hate rivets
And then we were ready to swing the engine/trans in.
It looks like it's going to fit nicely. We lowered the cab down to check and it will require some modification to the floor, but nothing very serious. Atlas shows up next week and we'll know for sure.
workingdog
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- #32
I also reinforced and beefed up the axle dollies and the Dana 60 and 14 bolt and in position at the right height. Which is progress. With the frame level and what I thought might be ride height, I get to see how it looks.
And it's not nearly high enough. Bottom of center of frame is 19" off the ground, which was my goal. But looking at the rear axle, the links would have to run down hill get to the frame. My math says the frame has to go up 5" to get the upper links to run flat and the lower links to have a little uphill travel - or 24" at the center of the frame.
So, back out, lift the frame 5" and start to test fit link brackets and links on the rear and figure out some way to temporarily put coil overs in so that I can have a roller.
View of top link angle. 0 up travel available.
View of lower link angle to frame. It doesn't show here, but it's downhill to the frame.
And it's not nearly high enough. Bottom of center of frame is 19" off the ground, which was my goal. But looking at the rear axle, the links would have to run down hill get to the frame. My math says the frame has to go up 5" to get the upper links to run flat and the lower links to have a little uphill travel - or 24" at the center of the frame.
So, back out, lift the frame 5" and start to test fit link brackets and links on the rear and figure out some way to temporarily put coil overs in so that I can have a roller.
View of top link angle. 0 up travel available.
View of lower link angle to frame. It doesn't show here, but it's downhill to the frame.
Some good work going on and a lot of head scratching.
workingdog
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- #34
So, moved the frame up 5", then down an 1", and I'm close. Upper links look like they will be dead level and the lower links have close to 10 degrees of up angle - if I rotate them down as much as I can. and not quite 10" of vertical separation at the axle. And maybe 5" of vertical separation at the frame. I haven't done the link calculator yet, but I think I'm okay.
I quickly realized that the rear upper links would go through through the big back cross member, so it had to come out (the beefy new transmission cross member will make up for it) along with several more brackets. Did I say I hate rivets?
And, after cleaning, painting with POR 15 and welding 20 nuts in the holes in the frames that removing all that stuff exposed, I cut two more boxing plates on the plasma table and fit them, bent them and tacked them in, along with doing a light tack on the upper links that sit on top of the axle truss. And I rotated the differential down to 5 degrees to match my expected down angle on the engine and transmission.
So, now I have a clear field to work in and a place to mount the frame side upper links - which I have. I'm waiting on the axle side lower link brackets, and then I can start tacking link brackets in place - at more or less 38" long.
I quickly realized that the rear upper links would go through through the big back cross member, so it had to come out (the beefy new transmission cross member will make up for it) along with several more brackets. Did I say I hate rivets?
And, after cleaning, painting with POR 15 and welding 20 nuts in the holes in the frames that removing all that stuff exposed, I cut two more boxing plates on the plasma table and fit them, bent them and tacked them in, along with doing a light tack on the upper links that sit on top of the axle truss. And I rotated the differential down to 5 degrees to match my expected down angle on the engine and transmission.
So, now I have a clear field to work in and a place to mount the frame side upper links - which I have. I'm waiting on the axle side lower link brackets, and then I can start tacking link brackets in place - at more or less 38" long.
workingdog
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- #35
Links tacked in place. Angles look good enough. About 38" long (on 40" tires)
workingdog
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Okay, here are the trans mounts already posted when asking about the bushings.
And now here is the transmission/front lower link cross member in it's first/prototype incarnation in 5/16 plate (because I had some left over from a smoker build).
By just sitting in the C-channel for now. I can slide it fore and aft. And I don't have the holes for the trans cut yet because I'm not sure on how far to passenger the drivetrain is going to sit. So with this. I can just set the transmission on this plate and play with both height and side to side.
Eventually I'll box the frame and build a stout bolt on end flange for the crossmember. And box the bottom of the lower links in forming a very stiff total unit. But, that's a ways off. For now, it's just a plate holding a load.
And now here is the transmission/front lower link cross member in it's first/prototype incarnation in 5/16 plate (because I had some left over from a smoker build).
By just sitting in the C-channel for now. I can slide it fore and aft. And I don't have the holes for the trans cut yet because I'm not sure on how far to passenger the drivetrain is going to sit. So with this. I can just set the transmission on this plate and play with both height and side to side.
Eventually I'll box the frame and build a stout bolt on end flange for the crossmember. And box the bottom of the lower links in forming a very stiff total unit. But, that's a ways off. For now, it's just a plate holding a load.
workingdog
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Okay, got all the brackets off the axle and it's ready to back under and the new lower link brackets attached. That was some filthy work.
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workingdog
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- #38
One of the challenges of all these builds is the need to have the cab present to figure out fitment, and have it out of the way so you can work. the last project was not done in the bay and was an aluminum cab and I just rigged a chain hoist to the trusses in the ceiling. But, this time I'm in the lift bay and I tried to use the lift arms to lift the cab in the air so I could work. But the hoists would not raise the cab very far and it meant the lift arms were in the way all the time along with the lifting fixture. So, I decided I needed to get the cab much higher up out of the way and the lift arms down on ground and out of the way.
I got a scrap 4"x8" I-beam at my local steel supplier that's more than stout enough. I looked at electric chain hoists, but they are very expensive, so it finally occurred to me that I could use an ATV winch instead for less than a 1/4 the price. I fabricated a bracket so the I-beam sits on top of the lift posts next to the channel the cables run in. I mounted the winch near the post so I can get at the clutch handle and mounted a ring and snatch block in the middle of the I-beam. As my son pointed out, we don't want a trolley, because then the cab could move and bang into the posts. I mounted a battery on the post. It took 3 of us and some hard work to get the I-beam in place. I tried running the winch direct and it's too fast, so I used another snatch block to cut the speed in half. I'm going to replace the strap looped around the I-beam with another ring when I my longer Mig gun arrives.
It goes up and down real easy now, although I don't feel comfortable under it. The winch cable just feels so small. But, it's rated 2,500 lbs which is more than the 1,000 lbs the chain hoist I used before was rated.
I got a scrap 4"x8" I-beam at my local steel supplier that's more than stout enough. I looked at electric chain hoists, but they are very expensive, so it finally occurred to me that I could use an ATV winch instead for less than a 1/4 the price. I fabricated a bracket so the I-beam sits on top of the lift posts next to the channel the cables run in. I mounted the winch near the post so I can get at the clutch handle and mounted a ring and snatch block in the middle of the I-beam. As my son pointed out, we don't want a trolley, because then the cab could move and bang into the posts. I mounted a battery on the post. It took 3 of us and some hard work to get the I-beam in place. I tried running the winch direct and it's too fast, so I used another snatch block to cut the speed in half. I'm going to replace the strap looped around the I-beam with another ring when I my longer Mig gun arrives.
It goes up and down real easy now, although I don't feel comfortable under it. The winch cable just feels so small. But, it's rated 2,500 lbs which is more than the 1,000 lbs the chain hoist I used before was rated.
workingdog
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- #39
Question. In order to run full hydro, I'm going to set the caster at around 10 degrees. which on this axle means the pinon is just about flat. The drive train will be set at about 5 degrees down running back, which means the front drive flange will be pointing 5 degrees up. Does all this mean I'm going to need a double cardan on the front driveline?
In the rear, the rear driveline is pointing 5 degrees down, and it seems like I should be able to point the rear pinion 5 degrees up without too much trouble. Neither of the drivelines is super short.
In the rear, the rear driveline is pointing 5 degrees down, and it seems like I should be able to point the rear pinion 5 degrees up without too much trouble. Neither of the drivelines is super short.
I called Jesse at High Angle Driveline. Almost the same situation as this. He recommended a double cardan high angle joint.
