Model tt Huckster

[fordf1trucknut]

I started building this Huckster 2 months ago with some friends that are great woodworkers.

We aren't finished yet but today I took it for a 5-10 mile drive and so far so good other than some vibration at one speed,....must be out of round tires since the vibration goes away when you either speed past it or keep under that speed.

I still need to find some tt running boards and we are making the bed rails, as well as I still need to seal and canvas the roof before painting it.

 

[J Franklin]

Nice project!

 

[fordf1trucknut]

I found some tt running boards and rear brackets. So I gotta get those on, I sealed up the roof, just gotta get some canvas on it now.

 

[J Franklin]

Instead of canvas on the top buy the correct era looking long grain cobra top material sold by the vendors.

 

[fordf1trucknut]

I thought of that but wasn't sure it would stretch to thw curve of the roof??

The canvas worked well,

I finished the truck today and drove it the 20 miles home with no issues other than my generator quit so i gotta pick up one of those.

I must have the faster gears cause my buddy that followed me said I was doing 25 up the mountain and almost 35 on the flats.

 

[fordf1trucknut]

Finally got the rebuilt generator and starter back....no more hand cranking!!!! I had been driving it by charging up the battery and hand cranking it.

So it now appears I have all the bugs worked out....for now....

 

[JoeBauer]

Nice looking truck! The roof line is just right.

Did you get the vibration out? I have heard that many TT's have a vibration at a certain speed, but if you go faster it will smooth out.

My TT has a 7:1 rear ands runs smoothly up to 15 mph, but shakes so violently at 17 mph I am scared to run any speed over 15.

I hope you get many trouble free miles from your new ride!

 

[fordf1trucknut]

Thanks!!!! the vibration has almost gone away but I can still get a little of it at one certain speed.. i think it was out of round tires possibly??

 

[JoeBauer]

I guess it could be the tires are out of round, but that is not the case with my TT. I put new tires on all around three years ago, it vibrated then, and it vibrates now!

On my speedster however, new tires did a lot to end vibration. So did straightening wire spokes and balance beads.

I have heard that the TT drive shaft is relatively long for its thickness and this can result in "driveshaft whip" which causes vibration. Some people get a machine shop to put a carrier bushing halfway down the torque to solve this.

Ford advertised the TT with 7:1 gears to run 17 mph, so I guess mine running 15 is pretty good ninety years later. I have learned to like 15 mph! I have lots of LED lighting on the back and do most of my driving between midnight and 4:00 a.m. This limits me to Wal Mart, the 24 hour gym, and gas stations, but they are all within a 20 minutes drive with virtually no traffic.

 

[fordf1trucknut]

Bummer.. On your vibration...mine is very livable now. Luckily I live in a rural area and the 35 mph top speed of mine works out well in town.....and I try to take dirt back roads when going any long distances.

We had some snow the other day and I was getting strange looks while driving it around!!!

 

[JoeBauer]

15 is fine for what I do, mostly slow driving through many linked subdivisions that parallel the main road. I am good down to 40*F, just put on a heavy coat and hat. In the summer I usually drive 3 - 4 nights a week if it is not rainy. My sleep schedule is whack, but when you can't sleep you can't sleep, might as well go to WalMart or the gym.

The TT is heavily lit, especially the back, lots of LED lights. Then six marker lights down each side and five across the front of the cab. It looks like alien transport vehicle come to earth take passengers back to the mother ship.


I also drive during the day on Sundays. A main road with a bike lane is no problem. If there is no bike lane I pull over whenever someone is behind me, often just off the side where someone's mail box is, or into a wide driveway. I seldom hold other drivers up for long.

So vibration can slow speed, but I have found the slow speed easy to deal with and not a problem. 35 in my TT with its present brakes could be a problem...