The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop 1952 3600 motor and possible frame swap

Thanks for the support, it looks like I'm ready to lift the frame off, but its a little too wet to get it done today so we're just waiting for better weather.

Not exactly how I planned, but here it is now

So I'm thinking now I'll get a bracket made that holds the cab above the drive train so I don't have to cut a tunnel, but more so it ends up being about the same height with the bed. For the bed I plan on making a bed that looks close to the original that mounts to the higher mounts in the back and getting a bracket to support it where on the mounts where it dips down towards the cab in the front. Does anyone have any better suggestions?

And any space that mounting the cab or bed higher would cause i think can cover with a facade like what is circled in this photo

Got the body off

So here's what I was thinking to mount the cab to chassis. Sorry if its kinda rough, but this is the first time I've drawn anything. Does anyone have any input on it? I was thinking this will put the cab high enough to be level with where the bed will sit. This is a pretty rough draft, I'm probably off by about half an inch here or there, I just wanted to get some input from you guys who have more experience with this sort of thing to see if I'm on the right track.

Can you add some description to the drawing? I am having a hard time envisioning what you mean.

Here is an example of how it is often done. The red circled "posts" are the cab mounts. They are bolted/welded to the frame and gusseted to provide strength and rigidity.

The bed mounts stretch across the back.

Ok here's a revision. The wire is gonna be a thicker steel, the cardboard box a steel plate that grabs the chassis and bolts in to the chassis, and the dark 2x4 is the chassis. The chassis is a little wider than this example and the cab will sit an inch or two closer to the chassis and I think we'll go with the same design for the back half of the cab too, but this is the best I've come up with so far. The only thing I'm concerned about is adding a rubber bushing where the cab bolts on to the top of the bracket so its not all steel to steel.

Here's what I'd do. Marked in yellow. That mimics the original cab mounts on the original frame, just taller. Maybe weld a stringer between them with some diagonal gussets to minimize side sway. Put a rubber pad (simulated in red) on top of the bracket where the original cab bolt is. Depending on the frame shape, either thru-bolt thru the web of the frame or weld to the web (never weld on the flanges of a frame.)
On the rear, I'd use the original style cab shackles to allow for flexibility and fab a similar mount to what I've shown but with the top part vertical (although you could bolt the lower cab shackle brackets to a horizontal portion of your fabricated bracket. Again, tie them together side to side with some corner bracing to minimize flex.

A question. Is it really necessary to mount the cab that much higher above the frame?

I want it raised because the chassis is higher in the back and i don't want the bed to be way higher than the cab and also this way I don't have to make a tunnel for the transmission. I like your suggestion and will probably end up going that route, but would my design give better support? And so I can understand yours better, is your bracket T shaped looking from the top down that the top part of the "T" bolts to the outside of the chassis? What if it was n shaped, like a square with only 3 sides, with two flanges and a steel "pad" at the top that I can bolt the cab to?

I see that your new frame has a pretty high hump in the rear, so understand the height issue with the cab and bed.

The original cab was mounted in only 4 corners. You could use your wider mounts but you'd probably want to install additional bolts just outboard of the transmission cover unless you tied both mounts together. Note that the cab cross supports there are thinner than where the original bolts are, so you'd probably need to fabricate your mount extension to accommodate that. But I don't think there's a need for additional bolts thru the floor as long as you have room for a cross member tying the two mounts together.

Here's another photo showing what I mean about tying the two mounts together.

[on edit] Yes, it should be C-channel shaped both on the vertical section and where the bolts would go through. I don't think you'd need more than one gusset (the triangular piece) to stiffen up the piece tying the two mounts together. I would use either angle iron or c-channel with the opening downward for that tie piece.

That makes sense, I think your design is more practical and I should have the space for it, but it is a little tight adding anything over the trans. I was planning to drill extra bolt holes through the floor for mine, I marked that in red with this picture.

Even if you put just a flat bar over the tranny (or slice off the flanges on a c-channel to make them clear), I think that would help. The cab isn't really "structural" thru the tranny opening.

Again, I don't see a need for the extra bolts thru the floor.

Alright thanks, that sounds good. I'll see where this goes and post an update when I make some more progress.

Found Someone to fabricate the brackets and I'm just waiting on that now