One of the most significant elements of any hot rod build is without question a well-designed and thoroughly thought out perimeter chassis. While there are tried and true formulas regarding a well-balanced chassis for either traditional or contemporary-based build styles, many times a shop will infuse some unique details to separate their bones from the rest.
We've closely followed the build-up of a Deuce five-window at the Rolling Bones Hot Rod Shop in Greenfield Center, New York, over the past few months, and with the chop, panel replacement, and lead work complete, it's time to focus on how the team creates one of their signature perimeter chassis.
Keith Cornell of Rolling Bones began the project with a pair of American Stamping Corporation Deuce framerails. To begin, Keith prepared the 'rails for mounting to a frame jig by drilling four 1/2-inch mounting holes where the steering sector shaft and rear fender mounts would be on an original Deuce chassis. Once the 'rails were properly anchored, Keith followed using a carpenter's level to ensure that everything was properly balanced before proceeding. American Stamping's 'rails are delivered with all of the top factory mounting holes pre-drilled as well as those for the spreader bars on the side. Keith's first order of business was to cut a good amount of 1/2-inch steel sheet stock that would be used for extra reinforcement mounting bungs for the firewall and body areas. Using his MIG welder and adequate safety gear, Keith secured the bungs into place, to be drilled and tapped later to anchor the firewall. To give the new 'rails that old-time feel, Keith then C-clamped a steel template to the inside front area of the frame to duplicate all of the factory mounting holes. A quick shot of paint to secure the layout followed by a 1/2-inch drill had the 'rails looking like Henry's originals in a snap.
One of the more recognizable components of a Rolling Bones-built hot rod is how perfectly the hood sides line up with the tops of the chassis 'rails. To achieve this look Keith prepared the front of the 'rails to be pinched by first setting his marks using a square and a black marker based on a pre-determined point (roughly 37 3/4 inches from the front tip of the new 'rail) on their jig for where the initial cuts should be made. Once the upper and lower portions of the 'rails were marked, Keith used his Powermax Hypertherm 350 plasma cutter to remove a 1-inch wedge from both planes. This gave the chassis a 2-inch overall pinch and will allow the hood sides to flow gracefully with the 'rails. Another key Rolling Bones component to the front area of the 'rails involves determining just the right amount of bob that would be needed to achieve their look. For this particular car, Keith determined that since he plans for it to have a 109 1/2-inch wheelbase and a hood which will be 2 inches longer than stock, that 12 inches needed to be removed from the front of the framerails. Once the cut marks were laid out, Keith again used his plasma cutter to seal the deal. With the pinch and bob completed, Keith secured another jig to the front of the chassis to get everything perfectly square and lined up for the final MIG welding to be completed.
To tie the wishbones together up front Keith used a new Model A crossmember from Brookville Roadster which needed to be cut down to fit the application. After locating the center of the crossmember, Keith measured from the center point outwards to the inner portion of the 'rail to determine the amount to be trimmed. For this application, a graduated trim from 1 7/8 inches from front to 1 1/2 inches rearward made for the perfect fit which Keith trimmed with his plasma cutter. In order to achieve the proper caster layback of the crossmember, Keith used an angle finder to locate the stock 3-degrees caster and determine the trimming needed to achieve the needed 10-degree layback. Using a small disc grinder, Keith completed the final notch trimming that got everything dialed in. With the front crossmember now situated, Keith used a 3/8-inch drill bit to cut through the reinforcement bungs for the firewall and then followed with a 3/8-inch coarse tap on the correct factory angle to ready the chassis for the test installation of the firewall. With the firewall secured into place, Keith proceeded by installing the grille shell, complete Rootlieb hood, and front axle to be sure that everything was proportionately perfect. Even though we will be covering the development of the front and rear suspension in upcoming articles, it was necessary to locate the 2-inch longer-than-stock split wishbones during the perimeter chassis build-up. The chassis mounting location of the split bones would need to be approximate, and Keith used an angle finder to locate the exact spot on the side of the framerail at 10 degrees of caster. Once the location was marked, Keith used an air-driven drill with a 1/18-inch hole saw attached to make the opening for a reinforcement bung to be MIG welded from the inner 'rail. Once the bung was in place, Keith then C-clamped the American Stamping chassis boxing plates into place and marked them to be cut with a 2 1/2-inch hole saw to accommodate an inner steel sleeve that would be welded in for additional strength. While the boxing plates were in place, Keith also made any markings for trimming that would be required prior to the final MIG welding of the plates to the framerails.
As Keith moved to the back of the chassis, a stock original Model A rear crossmember was placed atop the rear 'rails to establish the trimming needed for the application. With the rear spreader bar in place to secure the rear width of the chassis, it was determined that 1 3/8 inches would need to be trimmed from each side with a plasma cutter. The location of the rear crossmember is of the utmost importance for rear wheel placement, and Keith tells us that if you miss this, you'd better call it quits, since the car will never look right. To get it perfect, Keith secured the crossmember 1 1/4 inches ahead of the rear most body bolt. Keith then temporarily bolted the crossmember into place and used an angle finder to locate 0 degrees. Once 0 degrees was found, he fabricated a steel wedge that was welded into place on the inner upper portion of the 'rail to secure the proper angle. Then it was time to "bob" the rear of the 'rails for additional modifications as they will later be reattached to the chassis. The final tie-in of the perimeter chassis came when Keith clamped the Brookville Roadster '34 Ford-style X-member into place to secure its approximate location before commencing any TIG welding on the unit. There were a few add-ons to the X-member, including additional 1x2x1/8-inch rectangular steel supports for added strength and custom-fabbed rear ladder bar mounts, which will be covered in detail in an upcoming rear suspension story. With all of the final MIG and TIG welding completed, the perimeter chassis was a glistening masterpiece that will be the base for this wicked Deuce. Stay tuned, 'cuz we're about to reveal a number of cool Rolling Bones suspension secrets.
 Keith started the project...  Keith started the project with a fresh set of reproduction Deuce 'rails from American Stamping. To mount them to the chassis jig, he drilled 1/2-inch holes for the original mounting points of the steering sector shaft and rear fender mounts. |  To be sure that the 'rails...  To be sure that the 'rails are level on the frame jig, Keith used a carpenter's level to ensure that everything was properly balanced. |  American Stamping provides...  American Stamping provides all the locating holes on the tops of their 'rails for the firewall, body, and gas tank. Keith cut and welded in 1/2-inch sheet stock bungs, which will later be drilled and tapped for reinforcement. |
 This view from inside the...  This view from inside the chassis 'rail lets you see how beefy the mounting plates are for everything that will be secured from the topside. |  Wanting the new chassis to...  Wanting the new chassis to mirror an original, Keith C-clamped a steel template duplicating all factory mounting holes to the inside of the new 'rails, spray-painted the guide marks, and drilled them to exact specifications. |  Using the first upright mount...  Using the first upright mount of the jig as a guide, Keith used a square to mark the area for the pie-cut to the top and bottom plane which allowed him to pinch the front of the 'rails. |
 Keith determined that the...  Keith determined that the Rolling Bones-styled "bob" for the front of the chassis would be 12 inches in this application and marked the areas to be removed. This particular car will have a 2-inch longer-than-stock hood and a 109 1/2-inch wheelbase. |  From this close-up you can...  From this close-up you can get a good view of the amount of steel that was removed in the pie-cut from the chassis to allow the pinch of the 'rails. |  With a steel guide plate clamped...  With a steel guide plate clamped to the top of the 'rail, Keith used a Powermax Hypertherm 350 plasma cutter to make the incisions that will provide the chassis its graceful pinch. |
 With the new Model A front...  With the new Model A front crossmember from Brookville Roadster laid onto the top of the pinched 'rails, Keith trimmed 1 7/8 inches to 1 1/2 inches from front to rear. |  Working with his plasma cutter,...  Working with his plasma cutter, Keith made the initial trim cuts to the front crossmember to prepare it for a test fit. |  With the 'rails now bobbed,...  With the 'rails now bobbed, it was time to move the pinched sections of the 'rails inward and secure them to the front chassis jig. From here, Keith made sure everything was perfectly square before he used his MIG welder to finalize the pinch into place. |
 Placing the trimmed crossmember...  Placing the trimmed crossmember into its new position, Keith then used an angle finder to determine its stock layback caster of 3 degrees. |  Deciding that an additional...  Deciding that an additional 7 degrees of caster were needed for the proper layback of the crossmember, Keith marked the area to be trimmed and used a disc grinder to make the revised notch seen here. |  Using a 3/8-inch drill bit,...  Using a 3/8-inch drill bit, Keith drilled through the firewall mounting bungs at the proper factory angle. |
 With the firewall bolted into...  With the firewall bolted into place, it was time to secure the grille shell, hood sides, and axle to determine just how nice the fit will be in relation to the newly pinched 'rails. |  With the front sheetmetal...  With the front sheetmetal and axle secured into place, it was time to determine the split 'bones mounting location on the side of the 'rails at 10 degrees of caster using an angle finder. |  The holes were then tapped...  The holes were then tapped with a 3/8-inch coarse thread to prepare it for the mounting of the firewall. |
 Once the final location of...  Once the final location of the mounting points for the split 'bones were determined, Keith marked the area to prepare it for installation. |  Drill a 1 1/8-inch hole, Keith...  Drill a 1 1/8-inch hole, Keith made his cut into the side of the chassis. |  From inside the chassis 'rail,...  From inside the chassis 'rail, you can see the MIG welded bung to ensure that the split bones will have ample support. |
 The Model A rear crossmember...  The Model A rear crossmember was in need of trimming to fit between the 'rails. Note the stock rear spreader bar bolted into place determines chassis width. |  With straightedge in hand,...  With straightedge in hand, Keith marked 1 3/8 inches on each side of the crossmember that needed to be trimmed. |  Keith temporarily bolted the...  Keith temporarily bolted the rear crossmember into place so that he could fabricate a custom steel wedge to locate the crossmember forward at 0 degrees thus making it level with the ground. Proper location of the crossmember is crucial and Keith has it set 1 1/4 inches forward of the rear body bolt to ensure proper wheel-to-body placement. |
 To prep the chassis for boxing...  To prep the chassis for boxing plates, Keith used 1/2-inch steel stock to support it for a flush fit, and welded these pieces into the lower inner channel the length of the 'rail. |  To add strength for the engine...  To add strength for the engine mounts, 2-inch by 1/2-inch steel plate was welded into the underside of the chassis 'rails beneath future engine mounts. |  For additional strength in...  For additional strength in the area where the split bones will be installed, Keith measured the location onto the American Stamping boxing plates and used his hole saw to cut a 2 1/2-inch opening for the installation of a steel reinforcement sleeve. |
 Using a chop-saw Keith cut...  Using a chop-saw Keith cut a section of 2 1/2-inch steel tubing for use as a sleeve. |  With the boxing plate clamped...  With the boxing plate clamped to the inner 'rail, Keith positioned the sleeve, then MIG welded it into place and trimmed off the excess with a grinder. |  Keith drilled a pair of 3/8-inch...  Keith drilled a pair of 3/8-inch holes and then welded nuts to the inside of the boxing plate which will later be used to anchor a debris cover once completed. He chased the threads with a tap to ensure everything was ready to go. |
 The completed area is nice...  The completed area is nice and clean with plenty of additional support added in to ensure a long, trouble-free life for the front suspension support points. |  With the boxing plates spot-welded,...  With the boxing plates spot-welded, Keith used a square to mark the location on the inner 'rail where the front of the Brookville Roadster '34 Ford-style X-member will be TIG welded into position. |  Here is the custom fitting...  Here is the custom fitting that Keith had to do in order to properly flush-fit the boxing plate to the front of the rear crossmember. |
 With the crossmember and additional...  With the crossmember and additional bracing in place, Keith then final welded the central area of the perimeter chassis. Let's not forget the neat bob to the rear 'rails which will be modified and reinstalled. |  The completed Rolling Bones...  The completed Rolling Bones perimeter chassis for Ford's Deuce with all of its unique signature points that make is just downright evil. Next month we will look at the suspension. | |