Spring to air ride suspension conversion - pete379

So right here where you stated grade 8 will brake and shear easier then a grade 5 ??

Grade 8 is stronger in both shearing and holding power.

 

This looks interesting also.

 

Here's how I would do that job.

You need to find either an inner frame or an outer frame that the local steel place can bend up for you. It doesn't have to be nearly as heavy as the actual frame that you have but it has to be strong enough to hold its shape and be rigid and strong.

Strip everything off of the frame that you want the bolt pattern for. Find a reference point so that when you insert that inner frame or outer frame it's in the identical same spot. Clamp it down securely in multiple places. Drill through that original frame to the new frame on the inside or outside. Drill a few staggered holes front middle and back and put bolts in to make sure it's held tightly.

Finish drilling all of your holes, insert drilled frame piece into the frame that you want to drill and now drill through that frame to the other frame.

Make sure that you have an exactly even identical reference point from side to side front to back. If you have an exact perfect reference point on the frames that you had rolled, you will have the exact same length of frame and the exact same position of the holes.

Making a template like this is the best way for you to drill identical holes in a new frame or different frame. You won't have to worry if the holes themselves are a little bit off or if you are more forward or rearward on one side. Everything will be exactly even and perfect.

A magnetic drill with an annular cutter is the best way to do this. It is the absolute fastest and easiest.

 

I would also use grade 8 flange bolts and flange nuts.

 

Here is a 1.5 minute video on youtube of me cutting a hole in my 377 frame with a magnetic base drill. They are affordable to buy, or rather can be if you shop just a bit. Mine is a Hougen 904. Not the highest end, but definitely good enough.
I am not a certified technician, so anything i say should be taken with that in mind.
I used a crossmember hole plate as a template. You WILL wish you had used a template in you free hand drill the holes even with a reamer. But anything other than a mag drill with annular cutters will have bit drift causing the holes to be irregular shape and off center. Technically, you want the hole to be exactly the size of the bolt shank. The bolts should make contact with the circumference of the hole. All empty holes should have a bolt installed and tightened just if they had a component installed.
Because you are not working on my truck, it does not matter to me how good of job you do. But if you want all of your time and bloody knuckles to be worth it, safe and be able to be proud of what you did, you will need a mag drill and use annular cutters. If your cut off components have metric bolts, then use new metric bolts and cut metric holes. Yes, you can put a 5/8" in a 16mm hole and vise versa, but it is wrong.
Empty holes, and holes with too small of bolt installed is a place for cracks to begin, and they will in short order if the truck is used for any mileage off of the interstates.
Again, I'm not a certified technician, so my reply should be read with that in mind.
Set your cut off next to your truck and start measuring. If you see several holes that will over lap but not perfectly and will cause an oval hole on main component mounts, I would look into having an inner frame boot made and install. The cross members on your pete are easy to shorten to accomodate the boot, but the alignment arm that holds the axle in place side to side may need to be shortened. Holes that attach the bottom out brackets or shock absorbers etc, are not so crucial, but still, care should be considered about cracking and bolts loosening as the frame flexes if the holes are too far off.

IMO.

 

Very informative, thank for posting.

 

Drilling the frame is not as bad as made out to be. Get a 1inch ratchet strap hook to the top and bottom of the rail and tighten over the back of the drill. Use the strap to apply the pressure on the bit. A D-handle drill works best.

 

When you give them the dimensions or bring them in a piece for them to get accurate dimensions, that piece of frame that they make for you will fit exactly perfectly tightly over the frames that you are working with. As long as you have the right reference point so that the length is the same and lined up on each side, you can't go wrong.

That perfect fit is an exact identical perfect template. I don't know how you could be that accurate with a piece of scrap steel. If you are not exactly evenly perfectly aligned, if you are off even the smallest bit that your eye can't see, it will throw you off and not be the same. You may have a way that you are thinking about using scrap steel that I'm not aware of, but the only way that I know of to make an exact template that you can move from frame to frame is the way that I have said.

If you are concerned about the cost of it, go in and talk to them and tell them what it is that you are going to do, and they should be able to help you pick out the right size Steel so that it's least expensive but still strong enough and rigid enough for your template.