55 HT Project Page 9

Decided to modify the lower shock mounts for the rear QA1 coil overs....

Dug through my scrap bin and pulled out some pieces, cut up some pieces, ended up with these:

Update.....

This photo just added in later, the finished, welded up and painted bottom rear shock mounts....

OK, back to the fabrication....

The bottom mounts for these shocks are 1-1/4" wide, found some 1-1//4" wide square tube, so started with that,
then sliced up some scrap 1/4" plate I had to weld on each side of the square tube as side plates for the shocks,
and drilled some 5/8" holes in some end pieces to weld on the square tube....

Picked a center for the shock mount holes in the side plates, drilled a 1/4" hole,
then used a 1/4" transfer punch to mark the same spot on the three other pieces of 1/4" side plates

I've found this set of transfer punches to be one of the most useful tools I own !!

This is the result, these 1/4" pilot holes are perfectly aligned....
Now to drill the 5/8" holes....

The 5/8" bit stays perfectly aligned with the 1/4" pilot holes leading the way....

Tack welded the parts together and....

did a test fit on the rear end, looks good, now to complete welding up both of them....

Now to check for the location of the top shock mount bar, which I have
decided to make bolt in, instead of just welding it to the frame.

Had a spare pair of 2-1/2" ID by 10" long springs to check for clearances,
These are very heavy springs, too much for this application, will use
 the same size but in an 80 to 100 lb/in spring rate....

After sitting for awhile with a couple of beers and just looking at it, I decided to cut two 1/4" plates
to weld to the inside of the frame rails directly above the shocks, with the shocks in a vertical position,
then cut two more 1/4" plates to bolt to them using a pair of 3/8" grade 8 bolts on each side, with
a piece of 2" steel pipe welded in as shown here....

When I get all this welded and bolted in place, I'll fab some 1/4" 'ears' under the 2" pipe
to bolt the top of the shocks to on each side....

***UPDATE***

I did get the shock bar welded up but not too many pix, here's a couple....

Welded the reinforcing plates in place, drilled and tapped for two 3/8" grade 8 bolts on each side....

Then I bolted the plates in place and welded the 2" pipe in place on those plates,
so the shock bar is now removable....

Then I laid out the top shock mounts on some 1/4" plate....

2" hole saw in action....

Cut the four "ears" out of the plate with my little steel cuttin' disk....

More Later....

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