Pickup Chassis

[pauly45]

Hi,

I've been doing some surgery on my '69 pickup chassis and had a question about front chassis rail replacement and how to line them up, and with what.

This is the area in question:
[frame][/frame]

To line up front to back, I have measured from the rear mount of torsion bar to the hole for the suspension arm, and made it the same as the other side I haven't yet removed.

The chassis appears to be the same width all along, so alignment side to side I've done by lining up against the original chassis, as shown with the ruler to the left of the chassis rail in this picture.
[frame][/frame]

But it's the up-down alignment that I'm unsure about, since everything seems to be tapering to different sizes and at different 'levels' to the rest of the chassis.
Would I be right in thinking that the point shown with the small spirit level in the next photo:
[frame][/frame]

that this point should be parallel with the point shown with the same small spirit level in the next photo?
[frame][/frame]


Thanks !
Paul

By the way, this is how it looked when I bought it way back in 2009![frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

Great workshop - and great job you are doing there. I would say 'yes' to your question - but wait for an LCV chassis expert to come along!

[MarkyB]

I would tend to agree but also think it isn't at all critical as long as both sides are the same.
Measure some diagonals between suspension points front and back, if they are equal you are good to go.

[POMMReg]

Chassis,Cab & Engine nos please.

Thanks

[graham1957]

use a 1 metre long spirit level and make sure the main chassis is level ,side to side, if not pack it up until it is level, check this in various places along the chassis.Then use the spirit level across the front ends of the new chassis legs, when level use two or three tack welds and check it all again, if your happy then seam weld. also keep the spirit level the same way round incase the level is slightly out.Doing it this way you can get to within 1/8 inch tolerance which is plenty good enough for a morris

[les]

I've posted this before but to save you searching----it might be of use.

[pauly45]

Hi all,

I do think the suspension points are the critical points to be in the right place, so will try and do the diagonal measurment front to rear.

I think there is enough variations in the replacement panel not to trust just placing a spirit level across from the original one to the new one - the hole for the torsion bar eye doesn't seem to be in exactly the same position.
I don't think the channel has been reproduced accurately enough to simply measure to that - I think I need to measure to the eye bolt position instead, and perhaps do the spirit level check to the eye bolt side to side.

Graham1957 - before removing anything from the chassis, I welded the whole chassis to a series of supports down it's length and did the spirit level check as you suggested:
[frame][/frame]

I'm going to dig out the torsion bars tomorrow and fit them on both sides to see how they lines up and see if that helps line things up.

[pauly45]

POMMreg, we've already had a couple of PM discussions about the chassis, and cab number, although I haven't given you the engine number...

[pauly45]

les,

A good drawing,thanks.

I can see how those measurements would help for side to side and front to back mis-alignment, but not up - down misalignment would they?

[les]

According to the description under the drawing, any discrepancy up or down or twisted will show up if the points are projected down to the floor and do not cross a centre line drawn on the floor. So I would say this will check all points for alignment. I found it useful on my chassis build. However you might find a use for it some day.