1936 Ford School Bus Build (with 5.9 cummins)

Newcomer said:
They are called Clecos. They come in several versions. The most common is a spring loaded style which require a pair of Cleco pliers to install and remove. There are also threaded style clecos which provide more clamping force than the spring loaded versions. They typically are either 1/8" or 3/16" diameter and are used to temporarily hold sheetmetal in place as you are fabricating and or mocking up. They are used in aircraft fabrication and racing as well.
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Ah cool. Learned something new today.
Here's a good explanation too
 
family xj said:
Any updates?
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Here you go:


Entry step area

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Working on tube fenders and rock sliders... This thing just keeps losing sheetmetal, seems it is just easier to cut it off than it is to try and fix it.

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I haven't worked on it in awhile, when my son was born in September of last year that took a lot of my time away from the bus (really after my wife went back to work in December and I had to do daddy daycare).

The last thing I had started to do was reassemble the frontend (fenders, grille, etc), none of which fit very well. I had said from the beginning I didn't want to do the bodywork, so my sister went ahead and took it to the paint/body guy. All I know is he primered the whole bus (after it was sandblasted), and that he has put the fenders, hood, and grille on it (well, I assume they are mounted based on the picture below). There was ALOT of fab work still needed to mount the frontend parts such as radiator, intercooler, etc. I am not sure how much he is going to do before it comes back (heck he MIGHT do final assembly it just all depends how much $$$ she wants to spend vs. how much work she wants to do herself). I have been out of the loop with it since it was taken to him so I don't really know much about what stage it is in right now.

I think he is going to finish the steering system as well, not sure if he is going to use the Chevy Astro Van steering box or if he is going to go back to the Mustang II rack/pinion that the previous owner had mocked up. I did not use the Mustang steering rack because I did not feel it would be up to the task for a 10K+ lb bus, but I guess we will see what it has when it comes back.

When I see pictures or hear of updates I will post up.


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This is why you don't take something to a body shop and expect them to do steering or frame work that is worth a crap. The idiot put the Mustang II steering rack in it (I knew it was going to happen but nobody took my advice). I told them from the beginning the steering needed to be put in BEFORE the radiator or intercooler were made, but they (my sister and parents) felt like at the time the guy running the body shop could handle it I guess, and that he wouldn't do anything unsafe I guess (he is the friend of a family friend, they are all into hot rods). Well, the Mustang II steering rack does not have near enough travel to turn the wheels as much as they need to turn (which I had already figured out, much less it is a Mustang II rack in a bus that will weigh over 10k easily). He also had the intercooler/radiator made before doing the steering, he then cut the bottom off the NEW, CUSTOM MADE intercooler to make the steering fit, supposedly there is a radiator, I haven't seen it but I would bet there is no way it will fit. The pictures probably explain it all, it will all need to be cut out and reworked, the only thing he accomplished is the primer job. I won't be touching the bus again until I know it is not going to get sold.

Got bump steer anybody?



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wow love the build.. hate it got hacked up. may need to tryn swap the tie rod ends to heim joints and mount them on the bottom. atleast would help the bump steer some. hopefully we can see it finished!
 
katkatcher#1 said:
wow love the build.. hate it got hacked up. may need to tryn swap the tie rod ends to heim joints and mount them on the bottom. atleast would help the bump steer some. hopefully we can see it finished!
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That steering setup can't be used at all. Unsafe no matter how it is setup. The steering rack for a 3klb car is not going to cut it for a bus with more than 5k on the front tires probably. It needs a steering box put in it, which will probably make the intercooler and radiator completely useless. Anyone have some good ideas? The overall width is too narrow to use any off the shelf steering rack, and I don't know anywhere that can make one strong enough to turn tires with that much weight on them reliably.
 
Tacoma747 said:
That steering setup can't be used at all. Unsafe no matter how it is setup. The steering rack for a 3klb car is not going to cut it for a bus with more than 5k on the front tires probably. It needs a steering box put in it, which will probably make the intercooler and radiator completely useless. Anyone have some good ideas? The overall width is too narrow to use any off the shelf steering rack, and I don't know anywhere that can make one strong enough to turn tires with that much weight on them reliably.
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Its a bus. Go full hydro with 2 separate rams so that you can package everything outside of the framerails, and do whatever you need in between.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Its a bus. Go full hydro with 2 separate rams so that you can package everything outside of the framerails, and do whatever you need in between.
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That is a great idea except for the fact to be street legal (and IMO much safer) it needs to have a mechanical linkage. BUT great idea nonetheless, much better than what is on it now.
 
so they made the bus unsafe to drive and now your sister wants to sell it? Please make sure she tells the next owner it is unsafe
 
Tacoma747 said:
That is a great idea except for the fact to be street legal (and IMO much safer) it needs to have a mechanical linkage. BUT great idea nonetheless, much better than what is on it now.
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Unless I read it wrong but in NC all the steering needs is to be of a safe design and operation to be legal. I don't think it says anything about what type of linkage or system is specified. Now I only have looked it up on the internet so I could be missing a section or not read far enough.
 
Stuntman Autoworks said:
Unless I read it wrong but in NC all the steering needs is to be of a safe design and operation to be legal. I don't think it says anything about what type of linkage or system is specified. Now I only have looked it up on the internet so I could be missing a section or not read far enough.
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Its kinda like the beadlocks thing. Just because it is expressly approved does not mean everything else is denied. However, commercial vehicles are a whole nother cup of tea.
 
BRUISER said:
so they made the bus unsafe to drive and now your sister wants to sell it? Please make sure she tells the next owner it is unsafe
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Did you read anything at all? I specifically said it will all have to be cut out and reworked, if she sells it and the buyer feels what is there is safe, it is not my choice if they want to change it or not. If she keeps it, the steering WILL be changed, if she sells it the buyer can do as they choose with it...
 
I can't say I really have a 'problem' with full hydro steering being used on the street, especially on a rock crawler type vehicle that doesn't see much road time. I still won't rule it out on this either, I just feel something with a mechanical linkage would be best.

As for the toyota steering box, there is not really enough space on the outside of the frame to mount a box, at least not without modifying the front fender and having a very short linkage on the driver side. The Astro van steering box WILL work on the inside of the framerail, it was semi mocked up in there when the bus went to the body shop, then he took it out and went with the Mustang II rack, probably because he thought it would be easier is my guess.
 
Maybe a steering rack off a later model HD chevy but actually mounted correctly and no that hack ass work.
 
Tacoma747 said:
Did you read anything at all? I specifically said it will all have to be cut out and reworked, if she sells it and the buyer feels what is there is safe, it is not my choice if they want to change it or not. If she keeps it, the steering WILL be changed, if she sells it the buyer can do as they choose with it...
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yes I read it..

I was saying that PLEASE DON'T let her be one of those people that sells crap with out telling the new buyer..

she made a mistake by not listening to you and having it done, but to sell it to someone else and not disclosing the crap that has been done it wrong and unethical..
 
Redneck92 said:
Maybe a steering rack off a later model HD chevy but actually mounted correctly and no that hack ass work.
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Anything I found off a newer model truck was WAY too wide, I looked at a few steering racks for 1/2 ton and up trucks back when we first started on it.

BRUISER said:
yes I read it..

I was saying that PLEASE DON'T let her be one of those people that sells crap with out telling the new buyer..

she made a mistake by not listening to you and having it done, but to sell it to someone else and not disclosing the crap that has been done it wrong and unethical..
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Hate to say it if they can't SEE it is crap they don't need to be buying this bus. I am sure it would come up in the conversation if she ever finds a buyer for it, I expect it will probably be hard to sell it as a non-runner though. It's not far from at least being driveable, needs steering, brakelines, radiator/intercooler, and a seat mounted and it would be driveable.
 
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