aerotrukII,3&4

[aerotruk63]

First remove the centers from the rings. The newer black ring on the left is for a Dodge Magnum, 17" dealer take off. The rusty center on the left, in the black ring, is from the 17.5" original rim, that I drilled the rivets out using a drill press. You can do it with a hand drill but is it ever easier in a drill press. On the old wheels I used a center punch to locate a center on the rivets. Started with a1/4" drill bit, then reamed the hole with a 1/2" bit. You need to whack the center towards the back of the wheel once the rivets have been removed. Piece of hardwood and a BFH does the job nicely!



The newer wheel is welded. PITA. You can cut the welds with a hand grinder or if your lucky enough to have a steel lathe with enough swing ( can take the diameter of the wheel ) you can machine the welds. I was given an old brake lathe recently and used it for this step. It can only remove a bit of metal at a time but it's cleaner than a hand grinder, slower than a steel lathe. My Dad built the stand with all the hooks to hold the different attachments for it. Wrap a rubber bungee cord around the ring when machining, it will dampen the vibrations from the cutting process and maybe save you from some hearing loss. Make sure you remove all the welds or it ain't coming out. Once again, remove towards the back cause it tapers towards the front.




Placed the 17.5" center into the new 17" ring and took some scrap pieces of flatstock to shim the difference. The center from the 17.5" wheel is smaller than the 17" center. Installed the tire I want to run onto the assembly.Placed the yet welded assembly on the truck to check for clearance.


3/16" flat stock fit the bill well, so measured for the lengths required, cut and curved them on the rolling machine. You could also bend the 3/16 using the centers as a buck. Get yourself a steel bandsaw when you can. It does alot around Dad's workshop.


Small rolling machine Harbor Freight Tools.



Pieces cut and rolled. Notice on the floor, Dad made bases out of the unused centers, as flower pot holders.



Vise gripped to the center.



Center on the left welded, only two more to go.

[daverod]

It's going to be cool.

[aerotruk63]

Installed just the center into the Brake Lathe and passed a 4 1/2" grinder with a 24 grit disk to clean up the face, of all the welding crap. This step saves alot of difficult finishing work had you left it till the end. Had the center mounted reverse in the machine for this step, not like in this photo.


You have to install the ring onto the center BEFORE putting it in the brake lathe. I used the HSS knife as a reference to make sure both were turning straight and true. I've done this step with the center mounted on the front spindle of a car using a flat screwdriver and jack stand as a steady, it turned out as well.



Tack weld in a star pattern, like if you were tightening the wheel nuts on the truck. Stitch weld as well, as you go, to reduce warpage and distortion.



Voila! you have made some Custom wheels for your truck.

[aerotruk63]

Had the inner fenders shot with Line-X. Remember this truck is going to be driven in the winter on salted roads so I'm trying to protect them from stone chips and salt. The rad support will be done as well as underneath the cab, cab supports and cowl, 4 speed hump and interior floor.

[63sbssbbw]

Awesome stuff Aero
Thanks for the readdress on the cab lift
Great idea on the hoist wheels (those little steelies are anemic at best),have you 4x4'd the neighbours' pram yet? LOL
T

[aerotruk63]

No but we put pneumatic tires on a kid's electric jeep. Now he can drive through ditches and doesn't slide down the incline driveway anymore. Like his Dad says " It's quieter ". My Dad's building a trailer to pull behind the kid's jeep, think's you should learn early in life how to back up a trailer.

[aerotruk63]

Rain, rain, rain, so designing a cab specific rotisserrie.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=406238

[aerotruk63]

The beginning's of the rotisserie!

[bubba327]

Nice work on the rims. That takes patience and
skills for them to turn out that sweet.

[aerotruk63]

Originally Posted by bubba327

Nice work on the rims. That takes patience and
skills for them to turn out that sweet.

It's easier than you think!

[aerotruk63]

More rotisserie stuff today, really happy with the results.

Nope not under here!







Link to rotisserie thread! http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=406238

[aerotruk63]

The new stationary legs. Allows you to use the Engine Hoist for some other task while the cab remains rotatable. The legs are adjustable height wise, to allow for storage of the frame under the cab while the project is in storage.

[aerotruk63]

Home made 4WD frame stands. Wanted to make these for awhile. Using inverted screw jacks for scaffolding, these are tall enough to get under a stock 4WD and are adjustable to allow you to level off the frame for repairs or modification.

[Captainfab]

Those are definitely a must have for a 4x4. If I might make one suggestion though.....I would add a brace from each leg to the center tube. That will keep the legs from trying to spread apart and collapse.

Originally Posted by aerotruk63

Home made 4WD frame stands. Wanted to make these for awhile. Using inverted screw jacks for scaffolding, these are tall enough to get under a stock 4WD and are adjustable to allow you to level off the frame for repairs or modification.

[aerotruk63]

Wanted to do that in the original plan, Dad, who's retired, got tired and stopped there. I'll add the pieces. He does nice work, but time is catching up with him. It's nice for him to stay busy, but not to over exert himself. Gotta love a Father who keeps on doing stuff for his kids.

[j.kirn]

do you have any pics of the speedometer gear and plug that the cable goes into the transfercase. i have been trying to figure out how to keep oil from entering my speedometer cable.cant figure what keeps it sealed

[aerotruk63]

Transmission plug.



Transfer case.

[j.kirn]

what i was wanting to see is it pulled out of the transfer case to see how it is kept sealed,the fitiing ang speedometer gear

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Looking forward to the rest of this build...

[aerotruk63]

Delivered the two cabs today, the black 66 and the red 64. Next week I'll go and scrap the 63 C50 I bought last year.

[Alan's Classic]

I like the rotissire!! Great work!!

[aerotruk63]

This will be the cab I'll be using on the 4WD project after I weld in all the patch panels.



Luckily I saved the forward section of the transmission tunnel from the 64 cab. The 63 C50 has the forward removable section that I simply unbolted, now I'll copy the hole locations to the forward panel from the 64, then have it sprayed with Line-X.



Hood from the 63 C50, I have a better one but will try and save it.



Door bottoms are shot.



Cab corner will have to be replaced.



Rockers inner and outer, and the floor, and the air box.




C50 brace to support the removable forward panel. I'll be cutting that off, bolts are rusted.



Running 292 with a cracked exhaust manifold. Went to my property in Ontario and grabbed a good one off a scrap 65 C50.

[Captainfab]

Dang rust.....that hood looks really nice aside from the rust issue. I believe there is a repair panel for that, but I think it's around $100.00.

[63sbssbbw]

Wow,that thing is well salted eh!
How's the upper windshield area ?
Looks like you've got some work ahead of you aero
T

[aerotruk63]

I think it sat in tall grass, it's mostly the bottom of the cab.