Ok, future updates will take place as regular comments. Lets get to it...
I'm a dad...and any other dad out there can agree to the importance of a good/bad dad joke. That being said, these are my door HANDles. I used a caliper to use my own hands as the template. They're creepy, awkward and would probably tear me up in an accident, so naturally they belong.
All jokes aside, one of my intents on this project was to literally have something interesting every where you look on the truck.
Steering arm fab.
Being that its a Ratrod, the rule book tends to be more of a doorstop, or kindling these days. Creativity and good ol' backyard engineering is the norm now. Lets start with the raw material. I found a couple of used structural steel beams and channel a while back and lugged it to the house in hopes of some day using it. I started by making a paper template then transferring it to the channel.
This stuff is beefy, definitely going to be a while cutting it.
layout for some holes.
A couple of used shells, some cutting, grinding and sanding and we have us a steering arm!
Some build photos of some coolant components.
Here you see a bracket for the coolant pipes and fuel lines. Since the radiator is rear mounted, everything needs a neat way to make it to the rear without getting torn up on the road. The chassis has 3 mounts that hold 3 sets of these brackets in place.
my paper CAD drawings lol
The center supports are for fuel supply and return lines. To minimize the chance of leaks, any lines that pass under the truck need to be one piece. Yes it makes for more work, but less worries down the line.
I HATE those universal coolant lines with a passion. So the obvious choice was to make them out of steel.
An example of what it looks like underneath the truck.
With the radiator in the bed, the obvious concern is cooling. Aside from the added volume of coolant, I added a panel on the bottom of the chassis with a NACA duct that feeds air to the radiator. That along with a pair of strong fans and we should be golden.
A better shot of the duct.
My radiator is mounted with garbage. Literally. Old FED EX straps were used as well as some random cast iron "ace" piece that I found in the trash lol.
Final product.
Yes! I was just looking for this thread yesterday to see if I missed an update. Awesome work with the coolant/fuel brackets, they look great!
In reply to Dead_Sled :
Much thanks!
WOW! Great work!
That is so cool!
This is awesome. Your pictures are incredible though. What are you shooting with?
In reply to ruhltodd :
Thanks! The body is a Nikon D7000. My primary lenses are a 1.4 50mm and my 24-70 2.8
In reply to Blasfamous_1jz :
Fellow Nikon fan! I still shoot with my D3100 and a 1.8 50mm mostly. Keep up the good work!
This thread is so full of win. I think my favorite so far is the shot of the small garage with you and the cab stuffed in there. Looks like you do great work. Looking forward to more updates.
In reply to T.J. :
Thanks man! I got a bunch more coming
are your radiator fans pushing or pulling? it looks like your duct from the bottom is pushing air forward through the radiator? interested in seeing your thoughts on airflow for the radiator with it being behind the cab. are you planning on any more ducting to it?
In reply to ruhltodd :
the 3100 was the one I had before the 7000. A very capable little camera for sure.
In reply to edizzle89 :
The fans are both pushers to match the direction of the ducted air. 1 fan is on an adjustable thermostat and the other is manually operated. I don't intend on adding any more ducts at this time. Cooling was always a concern on this build so I tried to cover my a**. I have a bit more coolant in this thing than the normal ride. The 3 core radiator is a fair amount larger than the one for this engine. The tubing under the truck is 1.5" copper to aid with some heat dissipation, that and the added volume of coolant all play roles in keeping the temp under control.
Any progress?
AxeHealey said:Any progress?
Ditto. I had forgotten about this build, just went through it again. Still so so good.
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