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Custom Framerail Installation - Rightous Rear FramerailsKA Custom Fabricates New '58 Rear 'rails From the February, 2009 issue of Custom Classic Trucks By D. Brian Smith
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Keeping promises is sometimes easy. Last month, we said we'd provide more tech articles from an exciting pro shop here in Southern California, KA Custom in Huntington Beach. In the June issue, KA Custom swapped in a fabricated IFS for a '58 Chevy half-ton and removed a crusty Volare IFS. The truck's owner, Sean Lotts, decided to 'bag the truck all the way around. As with the front framerails, the rear subframe had been improved over the years--a SuicideDoors.com four-link suspension setup and stepped chassis were grafted in. Sean could have modified the rear crossmember and suspension components to accept airbags. But as a CSI for the Huntington Beach Police Department, he's a rather meticulous bloke. Sean decided, "What the heck. I'll have KA Custom make a new rear subframe for my '58 Chevy Apache." Kevin Francis, the talented shop owner at KA Custom, called us up one day in March to ask us if we'd like to do another tech article. With cameras in hand, we headed out to Huntington Beach and witnessed some more fabrication wizardry. See how the pros create a custom vintage Chevy truck rear subframe, and get some ideas for 'baggin your Bow Tie pickup. The surf's always up in HB. Thanks to KA Custom, five days a week there's also some great fabrication going on in Surf City USA!  Doesn't the finished rear...  Doesn't the finished rear chassis look better than the rusty, crusty old rear framerails? We agree. Consider how much more solid the truck is where the power meets the pavement with fully boxed, beefy, brand-new framerails holding the differential in place. Find out how KA Custom renewed the '58 Chevy half-ton truck's rear frame in less than a day by reading on.  There're holes and rust aplenty...  There're holes and rust aplenty on Sean Lotts' long ago modified but still channeled '58 Chevy rear framerails. KA Custom replaced the Volare IFS with a custom IFS in the June '06 issue of CCT. It's time to make the Chevy's rear most righteous.  Dimensionally the same as...  Dimensionally the same as the old foundation they will replace, the new rear framerails KA Custom fabricated are fully boxed and rust-free.  Before lopping off the old...  Before lopping off the old rear frame, Kevin measured each side...  ...The truck's owner, Sean...  ...The truck's owner, Sean Lotts, held the tape measure end at the back of the passenger-side rail.  Using plumb bobs from the...  Using plumb bobs from the front and rear section of each 'rail, he marked on the shop floor where the front and rear were located. These marks will serve as reference points when he welds in the new rear framerails...  ...In the back part of the...  ...In the back part of the frame, they show where the new bumper mount holes will need to be drilled in the new 'rails.  In front of the step, KA Custom...  In front of the step, KA Custom scribed where the metal needs to be cut off into both sides of each 'rail. Do you see the Sharpie reference marks on the shop floor...  ...Remember, those were made...  ...Remember, those were made with the plumb bob to indicate where to cut off the old 'rails and weld in the new ones.  Before whacking off the back...  Before whacking off the back frame portion, Kevin removed an almost new brake line, which will be re-used.  Based on the measurements...  Based on the measurements KA Custom made, Kevin drew a diagram showing where to drill the bumper mount holes in the new 'rails. The drawing shows the location of each hole in inches from behind the step.  Since he measured many times,...  Since he measured many times, Kevin wielded the plasma cutter with confidence and re-moved the rusty old 'rails most rapidly...  ...Using a straight edge assured...  ...Using a straight edge assured as-the-crow-flies cuts...  ...We guess crows never fly...  ...We guess crows never fly in circles.  The old framerails don't look...  The old framerails don't look any better cut off than they did on the frame.  Preparing the new 'rails for...  Preparing the new 'rails for their new home, KA Custom tack welded a temporary reinforcement and jackstand platform on the bottom of the step's front section.  In the world of vintage truck...  In the world of vintage truck customizing, the tape measure is an invaluable tool. Kevin positioned the new 'rails where they need to be and measured to make sure they were mocked up at the correct height from the floor. Using the floor jack, he easily raised the rear subframe the appropriate level. Jackstands and the jack made for a solid welding platform.  In preparation for welding...  In preparation for welding up the new rear subframe...  ...KA Custom smoothed the...  ...KA Custom smoothed the plasma-cut frame end's surfaces with the electric and air grinders.  After positioning the custom...  After positioning the custom rear 'rails...  ...measurements confirmed...  ...measurements confirmed the new subframe was the same dimension as the removed component.  To form a solid, flat and...  To form a solid, flat and square base for welding, Kevin tack welded legs onto the new subframe.  Notice the plumb bobs point...  Notice the plumb bobs point to the reference marks from the measurements taken with the old subframe.  According to the level, the...  According to the level, the to-be-welded subframe had horizontal lines and was ready to be joined with the existing frame ends.  Satisfied the subframe was...  Satisfied the subframe was in position for welding, Kevin ground off the temporary brace.  After tack welding the old...  After tack welding the old 'rails to the new, KA Custom made a cardboard template for the splints that will help join the two metal surfaces.  Kevin cut out the two metal...  Kevin cut out the two metal splints with the plasma cutter.  Smoothing out the splints'...  Smoothing out the splints' edges ensued.  As you can see from the three...  As you can see from the three holes in the existing frame, KA Custom planned to Rosetta weld the splint plates in place before laying down the tack and bead welds. Kevin clamped the plates in preparation for firing up the welder.  Rosetta and tack welds went...  Rosetta and tack welds went down with precision.  Every so often allowing the...  Every so often allowing the metal to cool...  ...Kevin laid on some artful...  ...Kevin laid on some artful bead welds.  At this point, there's one...  At this point, there's one seam left to weld.  With the rear subframe freshly...  With the rear subframe freshly welded, Kevin commenced installing the differential and four-link suspension system.  Once the differential and...  Once the differential and suspension system were mocked up, the floor jack held the axle in the fully lowered position.  To simulate compressed airbags,...  To simulate compressed airbags, Kevin made steel mock-up components that are the same height as deflated 'bags. He attached them to the mock-up towers so he could weld the airbag hats to the framerails.  To mate the airbag hats to...  To mate the airbag hats to the frame steps' horizontal portion, KA Custom used the plasma cutter to make two 1.5-inch-wide brackets. Four more brackets were then cut that will be welded onto the back and front step portions of the framerails and the hat.  Sean ground the cut surfaces...  Sean ground the cut surfaces of the brackets smooth so they could be optimally welded to the frame and airbag hats.  KA Custom tack and bead welded...  KA Custom tack and bead welded the 'bag hats to the brackets...  ...which were then welded...  ...which were then welded to the frame.  For welding on the shock mount...  For welding on the shock mount tabs, Kevin got the shop's mock-up shock and measured its minimum and maximum length. The range was 9.25 inches to 14.5 inches. He proceeded to weld on the shock tabs (not shown).  Here's how the welded hats...  Here's how the welded hats and shock tabs look--sanitary.  The '58 Chevy truck's owner,...  The '58 Chevy truck's owner, Sean Lotts, shot these two photos of the tubular framework KA Custom fabricated that same day to install the airbag reservoir....  ...We would have stayed, but...  ...We would have stayed, but had to make sure the magazine made its 100-percent deadline. The '58 chassis will be powdercoated soon. We hope to run a few photos to show how cool it looks in silver. Stay tuned.
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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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