| Step No. 1 |
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| To begin, we remove the bed and store it on a rack for safekeeping. This step is performed outside the shop where there is ample room for maneuvering. With the bed off, the truck can be moved inside and put on the lift to begin the job. |
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| Step No. 2 |
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| This truck had been lowered by the previous owner, with a small "sharkbite" notch and air shocks. "Make way for 22's!" cried the new owner, and we began the task of preparing the truck for major modifications. Note the curve of the frame over the rear axle- this will make a traditional monster notch impossible! |
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| Step No. 3 |
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| As we began removing the stock rear suspension, we began to notice cracking around the notch in the frame. Closer inspection revealed that the notch had been only partially welded, with the rest skimmed over with body filler! |
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| Step No. 4 |
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| This is another shot of just how scary the previous job done on this truck was... the whole frame could have fallen in half, just because somebody didn't want to take the time to fully weld the notch. It would be a shame to lose a classic truck like this one, so it's a good thing the owner came in when he did! |
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| Step No. 5 |
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| A standard monster notch kit goes in a straight line over the axle of the truck, such as on this Ford F150 pictured. We probably could have made this work on the '72, but we decided to take advantage of the pressbrakes we have in the shop and give this truck the touch of custom class it deserves. |
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| Step No. 6 |
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| After taking several measurements, we fired up the pressbrake and went to work making our monster notch fit the contours of the frame. Here, Eli puts the angle into one of the side plates. |
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| Step No. 7 |
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| With the side plates done, you can see how they will fit against the outside of the curved framerails. |
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| Step No. 8 |
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| Kind of puts the mini notch to shame, doesn't it? This notch will provide the clearance needed for the 22" billets the customer is ordering after the job is done. The next step is to weld all of the notch pieces onto the frame... |
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| Step No. 9 |
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| Here we have the notch mostly welded into place. The stock frame (what's left of it) is left untouched to keep the frame lined up properly while the new notch takes form. The top cap of this notch was made wider than necessary so the excess could be trimmed off the sides when the job was done. |
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| Step No. 10 |
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| Now that the notch is as welded as it can be, the stock piece of frame can be cut out of the center. Eli uses a plasma cutter to remove the stock piece cleanly, with little grinding needed afterward for the inner cap. |
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| Step No. 11 |
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| With the stock piece removed, you can see just how ugly the welds were! Most of the body filler burned off from cutting and welding, and the nasty welds are exposed in all of their dangerous glory. Good riddance! |
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| Step No. 12 |
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| With the edges cut down and ground smooth, you can see the project starting to take shape. Now it's time to measure the rest of the truck for clearance when it's aired out to make sure nothing rubs- except the frame on the pavement, of course! |
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| Step No. 13 |
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| With the axle dropped fully into the notch, the driveshaft was hitting the bottom of the cab. No big deal- just cut out the rear cab wall and the cab support to make the room you need! The crossmembers also needed to be notched out and raised. |
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| Step No. 14 |
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| A little work with the plasma cutter and the grinder, and the driveshaft clears just fine all the way down! Now, on to the crossmembers... |
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| Step No. 15 |
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| This is the beginning of the crossmember notch we did to clear the driveshaft. At this point, the stock leaf springs are removed, and the 4 link kit can begin to take shape. |
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| Step No. 16 |
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| This 4 link will be triangulated to avoid running a panhard bar, so a tubular brace is welded to the axle housing to mount the angled bars. |
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| Step No. 17 |
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| The forward 4 link mounts are welded to the front crossmember. This will keep the upper and lower bars about the same length, which will keep the pinion angle of the driveshaft more constant through its range of motion. We powdercoated the link bars yellow for a small custom touch. |
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| Step No. 18 |
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| This shot shows the triangulated link bars on their mounts, as well as the custom tubular crossmember we made to reinforce the frame between the notches. All brake lines and wiring will be run through holes cut into the notches to keep it all clean and out of sight. |
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| Step No. 19 |
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| At this point, the notches, crossmembers, and anything else that looks like it could use covering gets a coat of undercoating to protect it from the elements, as well as giving the whole frame a showroom fresh look. Two 7-gallon tanks are mounted snugly between the framerails, and a 2x4 inch piece of box tubing is welded above them for extra strength. It's getting close to the point we'll be adding the bags and valves! |
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| Step No. 20 |
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| A good rear shot of the entire suspension. Here you can see the shock mounts to the outside of the frame, the upper bag brackets welded to the sides of the notches, and the positioning of the link bars. When the paint's dry, we'll start adding the goodies to make this thing DROP. |
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| Step No. 21 |
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| One of the stars of this show is the new Thomas/ Blitzluft 337 air compressor. We mounted two of these outside the framerails next to the tanks, with braided stainless lines to hold the heat. These pumps come with a 2 year warranty against defects in craftsmanship, and their performance is outstanding! |
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| Step No. 22 |
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| The four Blitzluft valves for the rear suspension are plumbed directly behind the tank. For a high speed setup we'd run them straight off the bags, but the customer was more concerned with a clean look, so we kept them out of sight. Here you can see the bags, shocks, valves and pumps all mounted and waiting for action. On to the front end! |
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| Step No. 23 |
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| With the rear end tackled, it was time to get the front cleared for landing on 22's. The truck already had drop spindles, so we added a set of DJM control arms to the mix. They come with spring pockets and sway bar mounts welded in place, but they needed to go to clear a Slam Specialties RS72 bag! |
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| Step No. 24 |
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| The upper sping pocket on these trucks is very shallow, so it's better to just mount a plate over it rather than cutting it out for clearance. We're making up the difference by not using a lower cup, so we'll still get plenty of drop. Holes are drilled around the perimeter of the pocket for the plate to be bolted to. |
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| Step No. 25 |
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| With the plates and arms in place, and the lines and wiring run, the front end is almost set! The front wheelwells unbolt easily, and there's no BS under the hood to relocate! You modern truck owners can stare jealously at how easily the clearance for 22 inch wheels is made! |
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| Step No. 26 |
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| Here's a shot of the rear of the truck, with all of the plumbing and wiring complete. The frame lays hard on the pavement, and work is underway on the wheeltubs in the bed. |
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| Step No. 27 |
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| The stock wheelwells are unbolted and the center area cut out, and the bed is carefully placed back onto the frame. This will allow us to measure how much clearance will be needed when fabricating the wheeltubs. |
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| Step No. 28 |
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| Here, Eli is hard at work measuring the bedsides to determine how large the pieces of sheetmetal will need to be. Pull those pants up, brotha- you're not a plumber! |
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| Step No. 29 |
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| Here, the wheeltubs have been formed and welded, and the caps have been welded and ground down smooth. The edge that was welded to the bedside is left untouched, and will be sealed over before it is sent out for a spray-in bedliner. |
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| Step No. 30 |
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| With everything bolted into place, and the tubs primed and ready to go, this truck is about as done as we can make it! Add a billet switchbox, take it for a (very) quick spin around the block to shake it down, and call the customer! |
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| Step No. 31 |
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| Clean rear shot of the truck. This body style just begs to be dropped! |
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| Step No. 32 |
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| How low do you want it? This much drop even makes these 16" old-skools look good! |
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| Step No. 33 |
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| Low and clean- this truck is definitely going to be a show stopper when it's done! The front will drop about 2 more inches when the larger wheels go on- the drop arms hit the ground before the frame with the 16's! |
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| Step No. 34 |
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| Make sure to check out the Video Vault to see and hear this beast in action- we'll update this tech guide when the new wheels go on! |
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