Digger's '69 Build Thread

[Rox Crusher]

I don't know the first thing about computer modeling but that is impressive as hell

I can imagine that the hood and fenders, especially the top of the fenders, will be challenging

NICE WORK !

[Digger]

I don't know the first thing about computer modeling but that is impressive as hell

I can imagine that the hood and fenders, especially the top of the fenders, will be challenging

NICE WORK !

I think you're right.

The whole process has highlighted some issues with how the truck was originally constructed. I would love to get a hold of the original blueprints. It makes you really appreciate the effort the designers went through before computers made it so easy for us.

[Justin]

I'm curious-what issues are you seeing?

[Digger]

I'm curious-what issues are you seeing?

Mostly stuff not lining up right. If you look at the attached picture, you will see my biggest headache. By all accounts there are two vertical planes that run the length of the truck. (highlighted in blue, both sides.) I started modeling from the rear of the truck and worked forward. The inside edges of the box were a handy reference plane to measure from. They are exactly 56" apart the full length of the box, so the appeared very square. Then I model the door opening, the floor pan, etc. using this dimension. Then I measure something under the hood that should conform to the same 56" and it is 57".

So I go back and check again. Rear side of the door opening is 56" inside-to-inside edge, as it should be, but the same measurement on the front side of the door opening is 57".

How in the hell do you build a truck with the fronts of the doors sticking out 0.5" further than the rears of the doors on both sides. Unfortunately I have stared at it all weekend and can't find where I measured wrong or any intentional jogs in the body. It's a bummer, because it is affecting the hood opening and the model may end up being 1" narrower in the front than the rear truck. Maybe someone smarter than me can shed some light on this. Maybe my bed is just too narrow. I have to believe the hood opening is correct since the hood and the front grill are fixed stamping, but the bed is built out of pieces.



Aside from that, the floor of the bed is funny jigsaw puzzle. There is no clear datum. Panels sitting on panels, none exactly flush to each other. Usually off by the thickness of the sheet metal or two thicknesses. This is more of a design issue that didn't need to be.


Then there is issues with the body mounts. All eight look like they are the same distance between the body and the frame, but some are 1/2" longer or shorter than others. It must have shipped this way from the factory, because the model shows it. (I'm using an independent frame drawing to verify) And there are additional factory-looking spacers on the odd mounts. Really not sure what that was all about.

[Digger]

A few more to show some progress. Things are coming together. The more organic shapes like the top and grill were tricky and took a while to hash out.
286 by J W, on Flickr

283 by J W, on Flickr

284 by J W, on Flickr

285 by J W, on Flickr

287 by J W, on Flickr


Still need to finish the sides of the top, some interior and small details like hinges, lights, trim rings, etc.

[Eck]

Is the front narrowed? It doesn't look as squared to the windshield.

[JGZ]

That stuff is frickin cool.Wish I had the time to learn it.Windshield frame should be a trapezoid.

[crawlercreations]

Is the front narrowed? It doesn't look as squared to the windshield.

The front of a Bronco is narrower than the windshield frame base. About 5 inches or so.

The modeling looks great, well done!

[Digger]

Windshield frame should be a trapezoid.

Thanks! And dangit, you're right. But that solves a subtle issue I saw last night with the door and softtop.

[JGZ]

Just Here's to help.What version of solid works are you using?

[Digger]

Is the front narrowed? It doesn't look as squared to the windshield.

There is some taper to the front end. The hood tapers quite a bit. But CAD doesn't present things in perspective view, so skews how you perceive the model vs. the real thing.

I'm still fixing little things as I find them in the model (like the windshield frame now) The fenders are on their 4th revision. I will go back later to fix a line on the grill that doesn't follow the line in the fender as good as it could, but the computer was freaking out when I tried to force the Loft into a certain shape. At the end of the day, its 95%+ accurate, so it will work for my purposes.

[Eck]

It's all really cool stuff. What's the end goal with putting all of this together?

[Digger]

Just Here's to help.What version of solid works are you using?

I appreciate it. I won't pretend I could make reproduction parts off of my models, but their good enough to design bumpers and roll cages off of.

I'm on SW 2015. We just upgraded at work and I purchased my own copy for home at the same time.

[JGZ]

Your files and a 5 axis mill I could go .Sure would save a lot of sanding.

[Digger]

It's all really cool stuff. What's the end goal with putting all of this together?

Honestly I never intended to model the whole thing. It was a pipe-dream and I considered it too much work. But I needed to design new shock mounts for the rear and I needed them to be very exact so I wasn't wasting any shock travel. The body has a cutout for the rear shock mounts and on my truck, that cutout is now 2" higher due to the body lift and the shocks no longer have to reach over the leaf springs. I tried measuring it and drawing it on paper, but wan't confident it was accurate enough.

I had a model of the frame, so I added some detail to that and then modeled a portion of the rear body to locate the shock cutout. After seeing it take shape, I realized I wasn't that far off from building the whole body. I decided to do it because I want to design the bumpers and see what they look like on the truck before cutting any steel. Also I'm want to do a few unconvetional things with the roll cage and need to see how all the parts fit together with the frame, body and softtop.

[Digger]

Your files and a 5 axis mill I could go .Sure would save a lot of sanding.

No joke!

WIth a 5-axis, I would mill out a scale model from block of alum.

[JGZ]

I know where one is.

[Digger]

I know where one is.

NO NO NO. Must. Not. Get. Sidetracked.


Here, I fixed the windshield, doors and top. Does that look better?
288 by J W, on Flickr

[Eck]

Much! This stuff is pretty cool!

[Kinder]

I'll hazard a guess that the cropped front and rear portions will be filled by your bumpers?

[JGZ]

Much better.

[Digger]

I'll hazard a guess that the cropped front and rear portions will be filled by your bumpers?

Yes, the PO chopped a good chunk from the front and rear. The rear looks fine, but the grill has the angles chopped in the lower corners and I need to see if the bumper will cover that.

I like the look of the Pronghorn bumpers and the splash guards may work to the cover up the chopped section of the grill. I was thinking of taking the vertical grill guard idea and making it hinged so I can fold it down into a rack for carrying firewood, dead deer, etc when I need more space.

[Kinder]

The fold down idea is on my list, inspired by this build on overland expo.




I'd like it to also carry a dirt bike.

[Digger]

Cool!

Got a link?

[Kinder]

Expedition Portal, not Overland Expo (too many expo forums!)

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showt ... p?t=129110

One of many threads I'm subscribed to that are inspiring.

[Eck]

Expedition Portal, not Overland Expo (too many expo forums!)

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showt ... p?t=129110

One of many threads I'm subscribed to that are inspiring.

Wow- that thing is pretty sweet. Still can't go hunting in it though!

[Digger]

Another Update:

With the links finished up, I needed to patch the frame and build some shock mounts. The CAD work paid off and the mounts dropped right in. No fuss.
291 by J W, on Flickr

291 by J W, on Flickr

292 by J W, on Flickr

293 by J W, on Flickr

294 by J W, on Flickr

295 by J W, on Flickr

[Digger]

One job I have been putting off was rebuilding the rear brakes, but it couldn't wait any longer.
300 by J W, on Flickr


I had previously modified the E-brake lever to work the Ranger's shorter cables, but now needed to un-modify it back to stock
298 by J W, on Flickr

299 by J W, on Flickr



Got a "little" help the other night.
301 by J W, on Flickr

[Digger]

With brakes rebuilt, I started laying out the new lines.
307 by J W, on Flickr

308 by J W, on Flickr

305 by J W, on Flickr

304 by J W, on Flickr




I made this little retainer to keep the ARB line out of the driveshaft.
302 by J W, on Flickr

303 by J W, on Flickr



Then routed the brake, ARB and vent lines together.
310 by J W, on Flickr

[Digger]

After installing the 23 gallon "Sherman Tank", I didn't feel like following the instructions to weld the tank to the mounting brackets, so I made these safety retainer brackets instead.
309 by J W, on Flickr



Then installed the shocks.
311 by J W, on Flickr

312 by J W, on Flickr


Not the greatest pic, but it's coming together.
313 by J W, on Flickr