To be honest, it was John’s...
To be honest, it was John’s idea to use the Morrison tubing – and a great one at that. John started off by clamping the tubing onto the ’60 frame that he leveled on his frame table. This can also be done with jackstands and the bed off of the truck. Note: depending on how high you go with the C-notch, you may need to modify the bed.
Recently I had the opportunity to pick up a new project vehicle (a ’60 Ford F-100) from a good friend of mine, John Meadows at Deuces Wild Hotrods & Customs Inc. The truck is not perfect and the motor is not running, but hey, all that stuff is coming out and being replaced with quality aftermarket parts anyhow. So where do I start? How far should I take the build? Do I want to show it or just drive it? This is when my wonderful wife got involved and said, “If your going to build another truck, it better be for me.” I responded in my usual sarcastic tone, “Can I call it ‘honey do’ and get out of doing chores?” It was worth a shot, but hey, I have a new project ready and waiting for modification.
A game plan is not set for the truck yet because my wife and I need to research what she likes and doesn’t like. What I can tell you is that I will be starting with the frame and suspension to get the stance correct. John’s original plan was to make the truck handle, but be geared for the street and not the autocross. I think I may stick with that plan and do my best to show you guys how to do it with off-the-shelf parts and minimal fabrication skills. Getting ready for suspension you need to consider how low you want to go, but maybe more important is suspension travel. Have you ever been driving down the road and BANG – you hit your rear bumpstops because of a small dip?
An axle centerline measurement was taken before the frame was stripped apart. Here, John is measuring the centerline to make sure the Morrison C-notch will be straight in the frame.
I have, and I know plenty of trucks that could use a few more inches of travel in the rear suspension. To get more travel in the rear and a lot more room to lower the rear suspension, we called up Art Morrison Enterprises and ordered a set of their pre-bent, 90-degree mandrel-bent square tubing (part # 32347200). The square tubing is bent the hard way, and to be honest, we were expecting it to be kinked in spots, but when the tubing arrived it was almost perfect.
A centerline is marked on...
A centerline is marked on the frame and new C-notch.
John then double-checked the...
John then double-checked the axle centerline to make sure the axle is setting square in the frame. This way we could remove the old frame material to make room for the new C-notch.
John traced the stock frame...
John traced the stock frame to the new notch so that he could get an accurate measurement of where to trim the C-notch.
John then clamped the C-notch...
John then clamped the C-notch to the frame and marked where he needed to trim the frame.
The frame was then trimmed...
The frame was then trimmed with a cut-off wheel.
The C-notch should slip right...
The C-notch should slip right in now. If you are happy with the placement then you can tack it in with a MIG or TIG welder.
Now both C-notches are in...
Now both C-notches are in the frame; you should support the frame from twisting side to side. We used a piece of 1x1 tubing on the inside of the new C-notch to add support.
John measured the frame and...
John measured the frame and everything else four times until he was satisfied with welding the top of the C-notch in.
Boxing plates were then traced...
Boxing plates were then traced out using thick paper. I then cut out sheetmetal boxing plates from 10g plate that was 6 inches wide. I set the boxing plate material in about 1⁄8 inch so that the welds have a place to sit inside the frame. I then tacked the plate in and waited for it to cool before finish-welding it.
Originally I was going to...
Originally I was going to cut the stock frame on the inside, but after cutting one side I didn’t like the way it turned out. Using a cut-off wheel, I followed my Sharpie lines and was careful to cut only the stock frame material.
Starting to look good now...
Starting to look good now.
Prep the frame before welding...
Prep the frame before welding everything together. I used a large wire wheel in the end of a grinder to get into the areas that a grinding disc would not.
Make sure the welder is turned...
Make sure the welder is turned to the correct setting. With framework, it’s all about good penetration. I had John’s Miller MIG welder set at 6 with the wire speed at 5 and it was working great.
A little finishing work to...
A little finishing work to get rid of sharp edges and the frame was ready for paint.
RJ helped out by spraying...
RJ helped out by spraying the frame with some primer so that it would not rust.