My Bucket "T" front end

[sqhd]

OK, was getting a little bored, soooooooooo, I thought I would do a little work on the 27 bucket "T" frame. When I bought this project, the previous owner made the frame. It wasn't finished, so it needed some more welding, patching etc.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i18/sqhd/IMGP1760.jpg

I made up some patches and closed the ends of the frame rails

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i18/sqhd/IMGP1761.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i18/sqhd/IMGP1762.jpg

I welded the cross braces (maybe a little overkill)

[sqhd]

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i18/sqhd/IMGP1763.jpg

Now I'd like some opinions on this front crossmember. It will support the leafspring of the front end

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i18/sqhd/IMGP1764.jpg

I'd like to box in the ends, thinking it would strengthen it, but I see the previous owner chalk marked it to radius the corners. As you can see, the leaf spring will fit in the channel, so boxing it would interfer (sp) with the movement of the spring. Any suggestions?

Carl

[bgbdlinc]

...I find a couple of things worrysome FWIW....the front crossmember for the spring mount looks weak and I would replace it with a repro model A or Deuce that was designed for that application. I've never been a fan of front-spring-mounted-to-the-wishbones school of thinking (gives me the 'heebee geebees'). I understand the 'style' and I think it came from adapting a 'spring in front of axle' arrangement ('36 to '48?) to a quick 'spring behind the axle' (as indicated by the spring supports out front). The current arrangement doesn't look like it will take the 'push/pull' and torquing abuse that the front crossmember has to take.....$0.02

[grumper]

I was originally going to go with a suicide front end on mine but an old A frame fell into my lap so I ended up using the front crossmember out of it.

grumper

[Rochie]

Jeeezz Carl,
I had a reply all typed out and thought I submitted it but I must have just dumped it. Anyhoo.... IMHO that crossmember (pretty light and in single shear) and front end of the frame leave a lot to be desired. Are you going to suicide it??? If you are use some thick wall round tube and build a perch of of that. If you're going to run conventional axle position, taper the rails and add a set of model a frame horns and crossmember. It's hard to judge withput a body on it. Can't tell proportions and "look"

[Chad]

Jeeezz Carl,
I had a reply all typed out and thought I submitted it but I must have just dumped it. Anyhoo.... IMHO that crossmember (pretty light and in single shear) and front end of the frame leave a lot to be desired. Are you going to suicide it??? If you are use some thick wall round tube and build a perch of of that. If you're going to run conventional axle position, taper the rails and add a set of model a frame horns and crossmember. It's hard to judge withput a body on it. Can't tell proportions and "look"

Rochie I couldn't agree more...Thats exactly what I was thinking as soon as I seen the pic............Great minds think a like;)

[sqhd]

Thanks Wayne and guys, that's probably what I'm going to do. Bgbkwndo is coming over on Monday and we are going to investigate doing it as a suicide with a round tube crossmember. I'll post some more when I get some more work done on it.

Carl

[grumper]

That's the way to go Carl. When I was looking to do mine, I was going to use a chunk of 3" schedule 80 pipe. I may still have the suicide perch kickin around somewhere.

grumper