Sub-frame Connector & Leaf Spring Relocation Brackets

I read all the different posts on www.tffn.net and took all the different ideas and mixed and matched to come up with this design. The first item I built was the forward leaf spring brackets that will be mounted inside the frame rails and attached to my sub-frame connectors. Here are the pieces that made up that bracket…

I welded the pieces together to get the following bracket…

..and here is where the final position of the bracket will be…just on the other side of the frame rail from the stock location.

I cut and measured a length of 2x2 tube (.120 wall), added a segment that will be welded to the rocker panels and tapered the ends for a little added detail…and welded on the new front leaf spring bracket… Below is the driver side connector. I cleaned the metal prior to final welding and painting…

I created two brackets welded to the frame rails…one on the front frame rails…

…and the other on the rear frame rails…

In order to install the sub-frame connectors, I needed to notch out the sheet metal floor pan in front of the rear passenger seats…

Here is the passenger side connectors

I wanted to weld the floor boards to the connectors but didn’t want to weld the thin sheet metal to the .120 walls of the 2x2 tube.

So what is did was weld in “transition” pieces of sheet metal that were thicker that the floor board sheet metal and thinner that the .120 wall connectors. After I welded the floor pan to the connectors, I primed the metal and welds…

…and brushed on seam sealer and painted everything black…

Here is the passenger side connector welded to the forward leaf spring brackets…

Here are a few pictures of the sub-fame connectors installed and painted…here’s a shot a shot from behind…kind of hard to see…

Here’s the aft half of the driver side connecter… and the center of the passenger side connector and rocker panel segment…

…and here’s the forward part of the passenger side connector…

Next I started building my rear leaf spring brackets. I used 2x2 tube that was 3/16” thick. The 1/8” thick walled tube seemed thin but I was told later that it would have been plenty thick. I drilled a 1 ¼” hole in the tube to accept a 1” inside diameter pipe to host my shackle bushings.

Here are the “U” brackets I created to circle the frame rails. The piece on top is where the tube above will be welded to along with a couple gussets to strengthen things up.

Here a shot of the complete rear leaf spring bracket…

…here’s another view…

..and here’s another view…

Coming soon…picture of the leaf springs installed….