1950 Willys Truck re-rebuild by 50wllystrk

4 minute(s) of a 620 minute read

No problem herbiehind, I'm simply glad to have you aboard and following along. I don't get to watch tv at the time Speedvision or Spike shows the powerblock or the other car related rebuild shows. But...on the rare occasion I am home and the tv goes to any of these programs, I'm in. Like I said, I'm always up for good learning or discussing different avenues of fabrication.

Tonight we're looking at the strength of rust growing between two inmovable objects. The upward bump in the frame here is from rust that grew between the spring perch and the frame itself.

7-17-2011

Thanks Muckaneer, It's encouraging when people check in.

So far we've focused on the vertical parts of the frame and replacing the rusted sections. Here we're gonna focus on the lower/horizontal edges of the frame. Actually this lower section will tie all the sections together.

Since the passenger side lower frame was the better side I was careful to use a cutting wheel on a 4 1/2" grinder. I wanted it to retain it's shape, slight bend and width.

I made a cardboard templet and scanned it. I did add to a couple areas of the new cut so I had material to work with, but otherwise I let the Torchmate do the cutting to match the original piece.

Actually the bolt holes before and after and the two near there on the vertical part is where the spring perch was riveted to the frame. In the area where it wrinkled the frame in these pics is where the spring perch had a 90 degree bend. Oh how a bend in metal can raise it's refusal to lose it's shape. So the frame being flat in this area had little resistance to the force being applied here and had to give.

Yeaaaa, it finally happened, the boxed frame question....

I'm just mess'n with ya 94yjstocklook, I did put some thought into it and I know it would be a lot stronger.

The benefit I have with this build is the many past years of owning and using this truck. Along with seeing the slow destruction that time has done to it, and although it does get more use and abuse here in Missouri than it got in Illinois, it was still doing it's job even with how bad it was.

I'm gonna stick with keeping it stock looking and hopefully if all turns out ok when done, I'll be happy with it for many years to come.

Thanks for asking, I know others have probably thought the same question.

Here's one of the bottom frame pieces. By keeping one of the original frame sections exactly as it was I had a piece of which I could form the new one to. Now being confident of it's form, I'll be able to grind the bottom of the patches I've already tacked into place to match the shape of the original upswing of the frame. This up swing has to be very close to the original since the front spring perch is gonna bolt to the new frame sections. I'd like to maintain the same height and angles as original.