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Mazda Projects \ Project: B3000 Rat rod FRONT END FINALLY FRIGGIN DONEProject: B3000 Rat rod FRONT END FINALLY FRIGGIN DONE
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replies 58
following 19
paparoach1983
+1y
wow this is a pretty cool custom front your doing. keep the pics coming i love it.
bodied b2600zx (josh)
+1y
I'm lost at what this is gonna look like. . . But I guess I will see. . . I can't think of it any way that'd look cool, imo. . . but idk. . . I like rat rods though. . so it should be fun to watch. . .
-Josh
-Josh
b3kbruiser
+1y
Well, i wanted to have the front end DONE today, but today turned out to be a huge string of hang ups and needy roommates...
Got the re-purposed brackets welded onto the axle. I was a little worried about the strength of the welds, but I welded the hell out of them and from every angle I could. If it's not good enough, I'll find out soon enough, but I'm confident in them. :biggthump
Got one spring mounted and finalized. I forgot to put that dish washer on top of the spring, so I stuck it there, snapped a pic, and put it on. I'm pretty pleased with the spring setup, It's on there nice and stiff. I had the frame resting on the spring and a jackstand and I was able to jump on it and kick it with no adverse effect, so, go me. With the radius arms providing lateral support it should be more then enough to withstand anything I throw at it. Obviously, the springs are going to get cut down, quite a bit. To add strength, I'm going to weld the springs into the brackets on the axle, so the setup should be semi - permanent. I can still take it off by unbolting the springs from the frame and unbolting the radius arms, it'll just be more of a pain than usual.
It's really hard to describe what the finished product will look like. It's in my head though, so bear with me, it's going to rock.
Got the re-purposed brackets welded onto the axle. I was a little worried about the strength of the welds, but I welded the hell out of them and from every angle I could. If it's not good enough, I'll find out soon enough, but I'm confident in them. :biggthump
Got one spring mounted and finalized. I forgot to put that dish washer on top of the spring, so I stuck it there, snapped a pic, and put it on. I'm pretty pleased with the spring setup, It's on there nice and stiff. I had the frame resting on the spring and a jackstand and I was able to jump on it and kick it with no adverse effect, so, go me. With the radius arms providing lateral support it should be more then enough to withstand anything I throw at it. Obviously, the springs are going to get cut down, quite a bit. To add strength, I'm going to weld the springs into the brackets on the axle, so the setup should be semi - permanent. I can still take it off by unbolting the springs from the frame and unbolting the radius arms, it'll just be more of a pain than usual.
It's really hard to describe what the finished product will look like. It's in my head though, so bear with me, it's going to rock.
mr. b22
+1y
awesome build!!!!what are you thinking for a box and front grill? im building a mazda rat and need ideas for the bed area. not sure if i wanna hack it into a flat bed or play with the factory metal and make my own bed. i see your truck turning out killer B!! keep us posted ill be checking in daily.
b3kbruiser
+1y
Box I'm not sure yet, or if I will even have one. Front grill will be custom fabbed.
Don't mind the messy garage, we're college kids.
Got the front end mocked up. Mind that I haven't cut the springs yet, it's going to be much lower! If you look at the radius arms, the lower knuckle is at the level the axle will sit. To make it easy and strong, I'm just going to weld them right to the axle, if I need to take them off... Eh, rat rod. I can always unbolt from the frame and grind off. So, all I have left to do on the front end is cut the springs, weld the springs into the brackets, modify and weld on the radius arms, and fabricate brackets for, then re-attach the tie rods.
Box I'm not sure yet, or if I will even have one. Front grill will be custom fabbed.
Don't mind the messy garage, we're college kids.
Got the front end mocked up. Mind that I haven't cut the springs yet, it's going to be much lower! If you look at the radius arms, the lower knuckle is at the level the axle will sit. To make it easy and strong, I'm just going to weld them right to the axle, if I need to take them off... Eh, rat rod. I can always unbolt from the frame and grind off. So, all I have left to do on the front end is cut the springs, weld the springs into the brackets, modify and weld on the radius arms, and fabricate brackets for, then re-attach the tie rods.
b3kbruiser
+1y
Ok, here we go. God, buddha, or whoever is up there is definitly smiling upon my little project.. This is by far my MOST PROFITABLE CRAIGSLIST FIND EVER. HAHAHA SWEET!!! I randomly checked the free section of Craigs, and saw a post for scrap metal in my town, all the ad said was "200-300lbs of scrap, mostly steel. Come to _____ and come to backyard, I'll be there all night." I figured that was a good $5 or so in scrap, and the guy lives literally a quarter mile from me, so I figured what do I have to lose? So I head on over, and I was the first to get there... Sure enough there was a huge pile of scrap, but it was a huge pile of old auto parts! Heaven on Earth!
See it?
How about now?
THERE IT IS!!! Yes sir, sitting right on top of the pile was a 4 speed toploader transmission. I asked the guy about it and he said he didn't think there's anything really wrong with it, except he didn't have the bell or tail housing and didn't want to spend the time or effort to try and sell it. Hell yeah! I'll probably rebuild it for good measure, but still, SCORE! I was looking at transmissions earlier and decided to go with and old toploader 4 speed, and was gearing up to spend $300 or more, and fate drops this little gem in my lap. BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
Leaf spings! 4 of em! (only 2 shown in pictures). They look PERFECT, too. I need to wait till the sun comes up, but they look like they are about 20" long, 6" tall, and in the 1000-1500lb range, with twin eyes, AKA, EXACTLY what I was about to spend $130 on. I need to see if I can find a part number on them and find out the weight limit too. I decided not too go with the springs and radius arms setup I had, it was just too ghetto to be safe. There's rat, then there's ghetto... Leaf springs will be much cheaper, especially now that I got some for free, simpler, and more durable.
Other random crap I got, transfer case for a 60's or 70's Landcruiser in great shape, a carb that I'm hoping will fit on the army jeep, and a huge bucket of every kind of bolt, pulley, and bracket a man could hope for.
Tomorrow will be fun as hell... I'm so in the mood to stay up late, but this mornign I got in a drunken jalepeno eating competition and I'm stuck inside... Oy vey.
See it?
How about now?
THERE IT IS!!! Yes sir, sitting right on top of the pile was a 4 speed toploader transmission. I asked the guy about it and he said he didn't think there's anything really wrong with it, except he didn't have the bell or tail housing and didn't want to spend the time or effort to try and sell it. Hell yeah! I'll probably rebuild it for good measure, but still, SCORE! I was looking at transmissions earlier and decided to go with and old toploader 4 speed, and was gearing up to spend $300 or more, and fate drops this little gem in my lap. BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
Leaf spings! 4 of em! (only 2 shown in pictures). They look PERFECT, too. I need to wait till the sun comes up, but they look like they are about 20" long, 6" tall, and in the 1000-1500lb range, with twin eyes, AKA, EXACTLY what I was about to spend $130 on. I need to see if I can find a part number on them and find out the weight limit too. I decided not too go with the springs and radius arms setup I had, it was just too ghetto to be safe. There's rat, then there's ghetto... Leaf springs will be much cheaper, especially now that I got some for free, simpler, and more durable.
Other random crap I got, transfer case for a 60's or 70's Landcruiser in great shape, a carb that I'm hoping will fit on the army jeep, and a huge bucket of every kind of bolt, pulley, and bracket a man could hope for.
Tomorrow will be fun as hell... I'm so in the mood to stay up late, but this mornign I got in a drunken jalepeno eating competition and I'm stuck inside... Oy vey.