CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

Alright similar to the scratch frame thread, I'm seriouslly considering just chopping my factory frame off right at the front spring eye mount in the rear. Then running a custom rectangle tube frame from there back. The goal would be straight rear frame rails(instead of factory bend in), then custom fabbing spring mounts for a nice 63" spring rear setup. The whole 4 link thing is a big task I don't think I am ready for and I know I can build this rear suspension, my question is, is there a place or way to get rectangle tube bent? namely to match the hump over the axle and a fairly closely to stock.

Best bet is to miter and/or notch the cut and weld. This was also discussed in the other frame thread.

yeah now I just need to decide metal sizing and set up some type of jig design to get both rails the same.

there's no need to redo your frame just to run 63's. all you have to do is relocate the front hanger foward and use another front spring hanger in the rear. you can buy spring hangers new from gm for about $40.00 for the pair. that's what i did for my k5.

For some reason, bending square (or rectangular) tubing is much tougher than round....

I mistakenly thought I was going to buy a die for my ProTools bender to do some bending on 2" x2" x .125" square tube, but they don't sell a die like that. I suspect that the force required to bend it, is a LOT higher than for round 2" x .125"... /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

Anyway, there is a local shop that does REALLY high-end car customizing....they had a 1st Gen Camaro that was getting a complete custom suspension. They had some outside shop bend them some rectangular-wall tube for the new framerails to their specifications, but I'm sure $$$ was not a consideration.

Mere mortals like you and I, are probably left to "section" tube together to form the shapes we need.




/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

I know there is no need but I want to /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. I want a nice solid rear frame to base anything future off of. I it will simply make the 63"s easier, and will move the springs inboard a couple inches. I know I've seen bent rectangle tubing, figured I would be ending up sectioning though. Thats fine just need to take my time with the welder and a jig.

You could also box in your frame and move your springs under in board and mount them under the frame. I think if you cut and weld the frame together, you are going to have a weaker unit than if you just boxed in what you have.
Here is what I did to my frame. (http://www.socalbigdawgs.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=eeyore&page=1)

We could bend (actually roll form) rectangle tube at the fab shop I used to work at. We could go up to 6 x 6 x .375, anything over that we had to sub out. Problem with forming a roll into rect. or square tube is that you deform the inside of the radius. We would pack it with wet sand and cap the ends to help, but it would always crush some and would take some of the radius out of the corners making it more like a sharp corner. Odd thing is with square tube the tighter the radius you want, the thicker the wall has to be.
These skate parks for the roller blades and skate boards. The sub frames for them are all 2x2x.120 square tube. We would radius all of those for a local company that went all around the nation building these parks. Most of them had 18' or better radius and that was getting to the limit for that thin of a wall on our machine.

What aboutusing a shortened shortbed p/u frame? Aren't the frame rails straight out the back on those?