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Independent Front Suspension Installation - Volare, NOOOO!KA Custom Installs a Tasty IFS From the February, 2009 issue of Custom Classic Trucks By D. Brian Smith
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As usual, we had a grand time at the Grand National Roadster Show a few months back. One of the most exciting moments was meeting Anh and Kevin Francis of Huntington Beach, California. They own an up-and-coming fabrication shop called KA Custom in the town also known as Surf City USA. As often happens in the gearhead community, we met Kevin via a car he was displaying at the event-a clean, custom 1941 Plymouth coupe. We were so impressed with his readily apparent fabrication and customization skills that we asked if he'd be interested in having us stop by and watch him work on a vintage pickup or two. Kevin graciously said yes, which brings us to this first KA Custom tech article. One of the shop's customers is another nice guy named Sean Lotts. As luck would have it, Sean is the current caretaker for a sweet satin black-hued '58 Chevy pickup. Sean's Chevy had a pretty road-weary chassis, with a Volare front clip the former owner installed. Compared with a tubular control-armed and airbag-equipped custom IFS, the Volare frontend is a bulky boat anchor. If a vintage truck owner wants to go low with airbags and improve the ride quality with less unsprung weight and a fresh appearance, a custom IFS is a vast improvement over a grafted-in front clip from another vehicle. KA Custom specializes in welding and fabricating, engine swaps, wiring, brakes, air/suspension, front clips, and two- and four-link rearend setups. The shop performs many IFS transformations on all sorts of vehicles. The day we arrived at KA Custom, they had a '68 Dodge D100 pickup getting power steering, a '41 Ford truck receiving a new fuel delivery system for the dual Stromberg-topped flattie, a fat-fendered Ford woodie long-term street rod project, and Sean's '58 Chevy Apache, among a few other vehicles. We wish we could follow and write about all these exciting projects. But we were here to see the Apache get a new custom IFS. With front framerails fabricated by KA Custom, a Total Cost Involved IFS, Contitech airbags, and Aerospace Components racing disc brakes as parts in the mix, we knew we were in for some fantastic fabricating. Watch over KA Custom's shoulder to see the sparks fly. We warn you, though, if you live anywhere near Surf City USA, you'll want to drive your custom vintage truck to KA Custom for some sweet improvements or an entire transformation.  Compared to a stock '58 Chevy...  Compared to a stock '58 Chevy frontend, the Volare IFS subframe is modern. Compared to the KA Custom, TCI, and Contitech-comprised custom IFS, the Volare unit is heavy, bulky, and doesn't allow builders to lower the truck's frontend as much as the KA Custom installation does.  We watched KA Custom construct...  We watched KA Custom construct these frontend components into a beyond cool custom IFS installation in less than a day and still had time to eat breakfast and have pizza for lunch along the way.  Before cutting it out, KA...  Before cutting it out, KA Custom's owner used a level on the Volare IFS to make sure it was originally installed correctly.  Before cutting out the old...  Before cutting out the old subframe, Kevin measured each corner and made notes.  Dangling plumb bobs to the...  Dangling plumb bobs to the ground, he made reference marks on the shop floor.  By recording all the pertinent...  By recording all the pertinent measurements onto a sheet of notebook paper, he could refer back to his notes throughout the removal of the old IFS and the creation of the custom IFS.  The Chevy is ready for some...  The Chevy is ready for some major frontend surgery.  As evidenced by the light...  As evidenced by the light show...  ...the plasma cutter works...  ...the plasma cutter works spectacularly well.  The Milwaukee Sawzall may...  The Milwaukee Sawzall may not be as flashy, but it gets the job done.  For straightening the channeled...  For straightening the channeled frame, a tightened crescent wrench works well.  Kevin used a putty knife....  Kevin used a putty knife...  ...an air grinder, and an...  ...an air grinder, and an air chisel to clean the old frame.  He evened out both ends with...  He evened out both ends with the plasma cutter...  ...and smoothed the cuts with...  ...and smoothed the cuts with the grinder.  A Carbide tip on the die grinder...  A Carbide tip on the die grinder enabled him to open up the holes in the old framerails for the Rosetta welds.  Notice that the plumb bobs...  Notice that the plumb bobs on the new framerails match the reference points marked on the floor from hanging them on the old framerails.  Stock boxing plates serve...  Stock boxing plates serve as a welding splice or splint between the old 'rails and the new.  The boxing plates were welded...  The boxing plates were welded inside the existing frame ends.  Before welding the new 'rails...  Before welding the new 'rails to the old, Kevin made some measurements and confirmed the rails were level with the carpenter's level, or in this case, the pro vintage custom truck builder's level.  After tack welding the new...  After tack welding the new framerails to the existing frame, Rob welded a reinforcement bar on the front and measured the width to fit the crossmember.  To step the TCI front crossmember...  To step the TCI front crossmember 1 inch, KA Custom drew the cut line on the crossmember ends.  Kevin and the plasma cutter...  Kevin and the plasma cutter made quick work of the 1-inch step on both sides...  ...after which he cut fill...  ...after which he cut fill pieces.  Using the die grinder, he...  Using the die grinder, he smoothed the step fill pieces...  ...and the stepped crossmember...  ...and the stepped crossmember ends.  After welding in the fill...  After welding in the fill pieces and allowing the crossmember ends to cool...  ...he flipped the crossmember...  ...he flipped the crossmember right side up and measured each end to determine and mark its center point.  Once KA Custom determined...  Once KA Custom determined the correct placement of the front crossmember and assured the crossmember was level, it was tack welded to both framerails.  Since the original framerails...  Since the original framerails are 6 inches wide, KA Custom used the plasma cutter to cut a diagonal ramp to mate the new 5-inch front framerails to the 6-inch 'rails.  Tack welding and finish welding...  Tack welding and finish welding the new front subframe...  ...to the existing frame-rails...  ...to the existing frame-rails came next.  With the frame in one pie...  With the frame in one piece...  ...KA Custom completed the...  ...KA Custom completed the front crossmember's bead welds.  By using a cardboard template,...  By using a cardboard template, Kevin determined the boxing plates' correct dimensions for the old framerail sections at the front edge underneath the cab...  ...After cutting the boxing...  ...After cutting the boxing plates out of sheetmetal, they were tack and bead welded to their new home.  Rather than create new core...  Rather than create new core support pads, a KA Custom fabricator, Steve, removed them from the original Volare IFS subframe.  The driver-side and passenger-side...  The driver-side and passenger-side airbag hats were welded onto the crossmember ends.  The truck's owner, Sean Lotts,...  The truck's owner, Sean Lotts, and Kevin began mocking up the IFS...  ...Kevin wielded the grinder...  ...Kevin wielded the grinder to relieve a bolthole cover that interfered with the proper installation of the lower control arm on the passenger-side frame.  So the steering rack would...  So the steering rack would clearance the frame, Kevin drew a mark where a C-notch would need to be cut. To protect the lower control arm while using the plasma cutter, aluminum foil served as a heat shield.  Steering rack clearance commenced...  Steering rack clearance commenced quickly thanks to Kevin's plasma cutter skills.  Sparks flew far afield as...  Sparks flew far afield as KA Custom cut out the curved sheetmetal that would be welded into the C-notch voids.  Welding the C's in the openings...  Welding the C's in the openings yielded still more sparks.  Proper positioning of the...  Proper positioning of the core pads is crucial, since the front fenders, inner fenders, grille and other components mount from the core support. After locating where the core pads need to be installed in the new frame-rails, KA Custom used the plasma cutter to cut openings in the frame for receiving the core pads.  The passenger-side core pad...  The passenger-side core pad and IFS looked thus fully installed.  In less than a day's time...  In less than a day's time KA Custom completely installed a custom IFS in Sean's '58 Chevy Apache. The Aerospace Components racing disc brakes didn't arrive in time for the article. No worries, we'll show you the brakes in another story on Sean's satin Chevy. Watch for more KA Custom builds in future issues of CCT.
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The Thinker??? - Haul Monitor
Ryan talks about the friendly badgering that goes on around the shop and overcoming obstacles that seemly pop up out of nowhere during a project....
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