This has been the plan all along. That's why it's up front on the frame just like the real trucks. Should be able to pop the hood and see the big green power plant :mdr:

EDIT: I had these CAD images but didn't post them. This might clarify the front end setup a little more.

Driver side view

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...unted_side.jpg

Front view

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...nted_front.jpg

looks great

thanks for the link. I'm going reading........

This build is going waaaaaay to slow for my liking but it looks like things might finally be able to start picking up. This is my first time really working with steel like this so it's starting out pretty rough. Got in the material for the frame rails. 3/4" x 3/4" x 18ga tube.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...s/IMG_0687.jpg

Clamped the tube in a vice and started heating it up with a torch. I learned it had to be red hot in order to get a nice bend. First attempt I didn't get hot enough and it actually cracked the tube....... Here it is before making the last bend.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...s/IMG_0691.jpg

Then the idea was after they are bent to shape I would cut them in half and have two symmetrical C-channel frames. Great plan, poor execution :lol: It worked but I have a lot of clean up to do on them since the cuts weren't that straight.

These are the wheels I plan on using but these ones are obviously in rough shape. They'll work for place holders though.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0730.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0731.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0732.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0733.jpg

I put the bed on just to see how much extra the fenders will need. Looks about right.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0728.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0729.jpg

Next will be getting the frame rails smoothed out and brazing in the cross bars. Maybe getting the motor and trans mounted and making body mounts.

This... is... AWESOME!!!!!

Wow. I really like the channel frame idea. :great:

I like the tiny jack stand... What is it rated for?

Little more progress. Brazed the front and rear of the frame rails together.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0804.jpg

I think this is about where the front of the body would rest on the frame. Some is showing but there is normally a bumper there.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0810.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0808.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0809.jpg

Set the interior back in to see how that is going to work out. It's surprisingly close actually. I'm going to have to cheat the floor boards a little and make room for the frame rails.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0811.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0812.jpg

I was going to have the transmission mocked up in place with the motor mounted but found out that the 1717 uses 4mm hardware and not the normal 3mm. So it won't mount on the RCM motor mount without modification

Radius arms are ready

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0815.jpg

First up was getting the Hyper 7 center diff locked. I only need one output so obviously if I left it the way it was all the power would be transferred to the output with the least load. Here's what I came up with. Tore it all apart and happened to have the output shaft from an E-maxx trans and the spool that's used for shifting.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0818.jpg

Then I just trimmed away at that spool with the dremel until it fit snuggly into the carrier.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0821.jpg

Assembled it back together and now it's completed locked and I have 6mm outputs ready for drive shafts.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0824.jpg

Had to trim more out of the interior than I thought but still not too bad. Won't be able to tell when it's all together. Bumper is a bit higher than previously mocked up but not still reasonable.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0816.jpg

Used the dremel to open up the bolt hole slots in the motor mount to 4mm and also trimmed off the side so that it would fit flush on the cross member. Got the cross member together and made some mounts for the motor plate. They're still rough and will get cleaned up and braced.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0826.jpg

Here's the transmission in place. Just need to make another cross member for the other trans mount.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0827.jpg

Interior in place

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0829.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0830.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0831.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0832.jpg

Sweet truck! I'll be watching this build for sure.

Looking good! This totally adds a new level to a scale build with the motor and trans sitting where they belong, under the hood

Now for some real progress!

I messed up and flipped the C-hubs the wrong way so the caster angle is backwards. I'll have to switch them back around but you get the idea. Everything went together great. Arms are just made from plastic for testing at this point. Worked out well because there are a few changes I need to make just to make assembly cleaner.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/IMG_0839.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/IMG_0840.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/IMG_0841.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/IMG_0842.jpg

Way past gungster Nick! I have always loves the TTB ford suspensions, my old f250 has it and they are uber strong (factory forged, must weigh at least 100lbs with the kingpins and completed hubs/brakes...)

I really want to see this truck done!

Trick! Not sure what ^'gungster'^ is, but yeah, pretty damn gungster!

Well this is just a teaser because I ran out of oxygen for the torch

Frame mount attached for the beam.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/IMG_0846.jpg

Radius arm mount. Thinking about maybe attaching this on the side of the frame rail intsead so it's not hanging down to catch on things?

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/IMG_0845.jpg

Definitely needs fender work now

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/IMG_0848.jpg

Some drop out action

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/IMG_0847.jpg

Going to have to tweak the radius arms some. They are causing the beam to have the wrong caster. If I just shorten the top rod end on the radius arm it should bring back the caster correctly.