Minor redestruction...

[devinsixtyseven]

This is why I haven't been out wheeling with you guys yet (or much at all this summer).

Got this far over the weekend, mostly on Sunday. Built the axle cradle from scrap, it's bolted to the floor jack, makes moving the axles around stupidly easy...first try, only 1/2" off side to side. Tonight I get to center and set the pinion angle, then a little welding and brake lines and it's go time.

[Gerdo]

Nice! I like the axle cradle.

[RedRunnertc]

Looks like you'll have to cut the cab a bit to fit tires on the forward axle ... :D

[Brandon]

hooray for 6WD!

[Jacket]

Looks good - although that looks like a late winter/early spring project. Our season is too short to be totally incapacitated in the middle of summer. But you've definitely got good times ahead of you!

[devinsixtyseven]

Tell me about it. I'm hoping to get it running in the next two weeks, then I gotta $wap the gear$ in the front end. Til then I got the MTB, I guess. I think I've been wheeling more in UT this season than CO. Moab is pretty cool in the winter...we did some easy wheeling out there the day after a blizzard, the place is beautiful.

No more 6WD :p...I have a 66"wms un-pillaged, relatively un-abused, mostly virginal Toyota rear axle here, hopefully it's not going back under the truck. Not gonna be any lines on it, tho...

Got the perches tacked on this evening...gonna burn them in tomorrow.
:welder:

[RedRunnertc]

Why high pinion for the rear?

You DO know it will be ~30% weaker than a low pinion, right?

[Lysmachia]

LMAO Plan on the Moab Takeover.... FOR sure!

http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65644

http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47979

[devinsixtyseven]

Why high pinion for the rear?

You DO know it will be ~30% weaker than a low pinion, right?I ain't worried :xsmokin1:.

Hell yeah Moab Takeover...the funny part is, we're leaving for AZ the next weekend, Moab just happens to be on the way. Too bad I don't have enough vacation to take both weeks off, that'd kick ass. There's a bunch of stuff on the Kaiparowitz Plateau, Capitol Reef and around Powell in general I wanna see.

Might just have to do Moab two weekends in a row :p. It'll be great to run some of the harder stuff, we're usually on our own or with less modified rigs so thus far we've just run the hard options on moderate trails, playgrounds, or just the scenic stuff.

[devinsixtyseven]

:welder:

[RedRunnertc]

Wow - nice welds!

[Brandon]

No doubt. I can do that on flat stuff but doing it around a tube is 10x harder.

[devinsixtyseven]

Only the weldment on the perch is mine, the one on the flange is FROR.

Back on its own four feet now :cool:

[Lysmachia]

I aM SO buying you a sixer pack for some welds. I don't care if it is on my bathtub. :D

[TowerRigger]

You do that pro or just hobby? Good work. Take some classes or self taught?

[devinsixtyseven]

I do it 'cause it's fun...like a hot glue gun for big people. I was always making styrofoam gliders when I was kid...

Thanks for the kind words. That'll be my new sideline...bathtub welder :p.

FWIW the pros said the welds looked pretty good but the dime spacing was kinda wide, overall good enough for now :xozzy:

[TowerRigger]

Some people got it and some people don't. My welds commonly look like chicken shit. I think they would improve with more time with the machine under my belt. But for amiture yours looks fricken great.

[Gerdo]

Sorry, I can't picture what kind of truck you are working on. I haven't been under enough trucks. I can't figure it out with the inverted shackles.

What is it?

[TowerRigger]

I hadn't looked at that picture. Isn't that a 1/2 ton chev rear shackle setup? Why did you put that on?

[devinsixtyseven]

That's the stock configuration on a 1st-gen Tundra...shackle held in tension. Makes sense considering what they intended for the truck, it seems like it'd be more stable than a shackle held in compression since the aft mount won't travel vertically as much, so the axle only moves by what the spring allows. I hope that made sense...

That's also why a couple guys have flipped the shackles on their Tundra, but it hasn't been a problem for me yet, and the stock hangers make great landing skids. Once I can justify 16" shocks in the rear I'll turn them over...the current setup droops the 10s and that's about all it's got. I get to run the stock shock config for a while anyway, til the muffler is routed out of the way.

I got the e-brake lines sorted out this afternoon, Denver Specialty Center (hot rod/speed shop) on E. Colfax is a Lokar dealer and the guy there is really helpful. I gotta wait three weeks for a custom length but it'll be worth it. They're also a Borgeson dealer.

[TowerRigger]

The big problem with the setup is the greater arch in the spring to achive the same hieght. Flatter wider springs have more flex. That's why chev 64s are so popular. I did a neat cheap trick on my old K-20. Took a plasma cutter and cut a square out of the bottom of the mount. Then put the shackle in reversed or upside down. got a couple inches out of the back fo free. I think there's a write up on it on coloradoK5.com

[devinsixtyseven]

:welder: :xsmokin1: :xozzy: :xbeer3: :xbeer3: :dancing:

IT'S DONE :D.

Pics later. Buy my old axle :p.

[devinsixtyseven]

I'm happy. I built this up from a bare housing and a bunch of boxes of parts. As soon as it's dry, it's going under the truck :D.

[Volcom]

Nice work!

[devinsixtyseven]

Went for a spin around the neighborhood yesterday. Need to cap the bumper, throw the bed back on, and then get the driveshaft done.

[Jacket]

Very cool. You doing the ExPo Trophy competition in that rig?

[TowerRigger]

Very clean. I like the amount of support you gave your air line. Well done all around too.

[devinsixtyseven]

Yup, taking it to AZ :D. That's why I ended up doing it now, rather than off-season, and why it's gotta be done and bugs worked out by the last week in September.

Ordered gears for the front yesterday, keeping it unlocked since I don't want to break it and waste 700$ in addition to gears, since I should be able to fit a Q78 Swamper.

Got the bumper capped last night, just need to shoot it. Hopefully driveshaft tomorrow, e-brakes in a week or two, same with gears, still need to mount the compressor, and I'm done.

I want to get this done by mid September so I can go wheeling here in CO this season...I passed on all the fun stuff for fear of carnage and built it up instead.

[devinsixtyseven]

Got it all back together, only to find that the rear piston bore is too large. The solution is a pair of new brackets and some decent fixed calipers with the correct surface area. Otherwise...4.88 gears and 315/75/16 tires on a 1st-gen Tundra is a great gear/tire ratio.

The front still needs to be regeared and the ebrake lines aren't in yet, but I've driven it around a few times, it's really nice so far and I finally have a locker :D. If I can finish the rear in the next couple weeks I wanna go do Kingston or something else that can be driven in RWD. Not wheeling is getting old and I'm getting so tired of waiting for parts!

What's a good resource for learning how to set up gears? I'm tempted to do it myself and put the savings toward an RD90.

Also I found last night (first test of the locker) that the compressor runs normally and switches off as long as the engine isn't running. Haven't checked for leaks yet (like from the vibration), but could it perhaps be an electrical problem?

[thefatkid]

"Hi9" in the rear? Not worried about putting miles on the coast side of those gears?

[devinsixtyseven]

Not worried a bit. I keep getting questions about it, and it's a legit question...I've talked to Mike about it for a long time, since he was developing it several years ago (Mike @ Hi9, I swear everyone in the 4x industry is named "Mike"...), and I'm 100% confident with it...ya just gotta know what you're working with. See his website:

http://www.truehi9.com/gears2.html

The important part is about halfway down the page. My 3rd has a single thrustblock, also this is why the Hi9 takes such heavy fluid (85W140 non-synth) vs the usual Toyota-spec 75W90 we normally run.

Back to the locker and front gears...anyone?

[TowerRigger]

I don't know anything about this thread dammit!!!!!!!!

[RedRunnertc]

You know anything about anything Kyle? :rofl:

[TowerRigger]

no:suicide:

[devinsixtyseven]

I'm pretty sure it's a busted pressure switch, not cutting out when it's built the charge.

I finally dropped the whole bloody thing in a bucket of water while it was running, to look for bubbles (I routed a snorkel)...no bubbles, but releasing the air charge for the locker was a bit like watching a depth charge explode in a submarine movie. Great fun, water everywhere. I tried it with the output line too, no leaks, and when the solenoid is switched to the output line underwater it's sorta like somebody sneezing through a straw in to their milk box. More water everywhere.

So now I need a splice and a new pressure switch, and I can tell ya for certain the little ARB mini compressor is quite at home running completely submerged.

[devinsixtyseven]

Still haven't finished getting the compressor sorted out...ARB probably thinks I was yanking their chain and did something dumb and now I'm too embarrassed to call them back.

What I DID get done tho...originally the truck was set up with 2.8" dia. D44 front calipers, in the rear...this was only because the axle was spec'd assuming the front brakes were larger than they are. The surface area of those rough tricks is actually greater than the front on my Tundra, a 4 x 1.75" dia fixed caliper.

I got a new pair of calipers, a pair of beauties from Wilwood...Forged Billet Superlites. They're WAY better quality than the D44 calipers...quad fixed 1.62" dia bore, low profile, aluminum, bridged design, quality bleed valves. The only thing not as good as the D44 fronts is the Wilwoods use a fluid coupling that points straight out the side, whereas the D44 calipers took a banjo bolt that made routing the flexible line much cleaner. I know there's a way to turn the Wilwood coupler 90 degrees, just haven't got the parts yet.

The difference was blatantly obvious as soon as the first one was installed. The floating design on the D44 caliper allows for some misalignment, which can be a good thing...maybe the rotor has a little runout, maybe the bracket is tweaked a little, whatever. It also means drag from misalignment is more likely. The fixed design of the Wilwood caliper means there's no drag unless the rotor has any runout (the right side does, I'm a little worried but we'll see how it turns out). The truck should run very smooth now.

The Wilwood calipers are a lot wider than the D44 calipers, it's a good thing we designed this axle with a 1.5" adapter in mind...originally for the parking caliper, but it's required for this service caliper since the outboard side sits out farther than the mounting surface of the hub. There are some wheels that will work like this, but mine don't. The rear is now an inch wider each side than the front (70/72) but I'm not concerned...soon it'll be the other way round (74/72). IMHO it's a perfect width for this truck, and should handle similar to stock height and width. Stock is 67/66, with about 3" of lift it needs about twice that in additional width to keep the stock roll angle, and I've got that. I don't think width will be a problem at all...it's barely wider than the fiberglass.

Pix later :D. After this evening I'll have a like-new set of D44 calipers for sale, including pins, banjo bolts and pads with 500 miles on them.

[Lysmachia]

ARB is actually really cool. When Troy's rear locker kept leaking he called them and they sent him the correct beefier O-rings. Call em. It can't hurt can it?

(Though I wish they would have paid the $250 we spent in Moab at Moab 4x4 Outpost to have them reseal it because we did not have the time to do it once we got there.....)

His rear locker failed 3x!!! before we caslled ARB. That is 3 rear diff drops to put a new O-ring in. We were slightly irritated that ARB is still selling the hanky Panky O-rings. Only after the 3 failure did they say "Hey you might need the beefier o-ring"!

[devinsixtyseven]

RD-90 on the way! LT coming in November, plus replacement for ball+socket steering rack inner TREs. I hope I'm not making a huge expensive mistake. I don't plan on running stock CVs for long, but I'm still a little concerned about the front diff.

It's just the 7.5" dia. ring gear. Gears are getting heat and cryo from Bobby Long, but it's basically the size of a D35. D44 is at least 8.5".

Hopefully I should be ok. I don't drive crazy, do air down low, and the only broken front diffs I've heard of were from rednecking the skinny pedal on a spinning tire. Otherwise it's all busted CV joints and I have a solution for that.

[RedRunnertc]

Wellllll - don't get too crazy with the CV's. They're a helluva lot easier to fix than R&P!

IMHO, front locker does a lot to minimize R&P damage.

[devinsixtyseven]

IMHO, front locker does a lot to minimize R&P damage.And to increase CV carnage :p!

The long term solution should solve both those problems and let me run 37" tires road and trail without too much concern. I'm sorta glad it's winter, it will give me time to take care of the CVs in time for next season. The winter wheeling we do in UT is fairly mellow.

[RedRunnertc]

And to increase CV carnage :p!

Not necessarily, but, yeah there are instances where it's amazing how much force you can be talking about.

For example, I figured up that with my rear locker not working, with one rear wheel off the ground, the front locked and one front wheel on the ground, in double low, I can transmit over 9000 ft-lbs to that CV axle! :eek:

Kinda understandable when they break in that case...

[devinsixtyseven]

Got 4WD, air locked, regeared, ready to play.

We did the FS235 hill climb this evening, with the rear locked and that gear ratio the truck really just kinda shot up the trail, even at street pressure. It was great :D. Couldn't climb that hill first time I tried, granted that was with 31" Dunflops, stock suspension, and a complete newb of a driver, but still...it would take a good driver to climb that hill on small tires, street pressure and open diffs.

Now it's about damn time to visit Utah, at least once the new rotors are here...must swap a factory-fawkered rotor :rolleyes:. It's a few millimeters out of true in a few spots, damndest thing I've seen yet. That needs to be addressed so I can get the e-brakes finished.

I'm getting the LT a la carte. Parts should start arriving after the Baja, starting with lower arms...

STILL haven't figured out why the compressor won't stop running, but at least the lockers work :rolleyes:

[devinsixtyseven]

Nothing like freshly machined parts to make for a good day. New rotors are on, e-brakes dialed, just need to run the lines.

Tires aren't really progress but here's a pic. Still waiting on the arms, it'll probably be January.

[Jade]

That really looks nice....

[devinsixtyseven]

Camburg LT installed, need to adjust ride height and alignment.

Jade you want some Tundra axles?

[AxleIke]

Well, that looks sick, except we need better pictures!!!!

and more!

[Jacket]

Yea - seriously. You think can just drop in with an "oh by the way I just finished my LT install" with one crappy, dark picture.

I demand to see some high speed, whoops on video!;)

JK - kick-ass setup. Congrats!

[RedRunnertc]

Yea - seriously. You think can just drop in with an "oh by the way I just finished my LT install" with one crappy, dark picture.

I demand to see some high speed, whoops on video!;)

JK - kick-ass setup. Congrats!

x2

HOW this weekend, bring it by!

[Jade]

Camburg LT installed, need to adjust ride height and alignment.

Jade you want some Tundra axles?You know it! I'm overdue for a trip to Denver this month, so if you'd be so kind as to hang on to them on my behalf.....

[devinsixtyseven]

Sure, they're yours...hook me up with half of whatever ORS sells them for. Two ORS Tundra halfshafts for stock inner CV, and one outer ORS manual CV still on the halfshaft...the other manual CV wasn't ever locked in, so I'm keeping it.

Dunno if I'll be around this weekend :p...gotta move the garage to storage etc.

Pics from the alignment and a pic on the ground, no action shots yet.

[Jade]

Oh.....I didn't realize that you had manual hubs.....I don't....I guess that they're available.

[RedRunnertc]

So after all that you were able to get it aligned with the real wheels/tires?

[devinsixtyseven]

So after all that you were able to get it aligned with the real wheels/tires?LMAO!

Yes.

Barely.

Like, c-hair barely.

But 74" wms and 83" width fits. Now, the 37s...hah! Good luck with that :p...

Big-O Louisville is teh roxor.

[Quick Draw]

Sure, they're yours...hook me up with half of whatever ORS sells them for. Two ORS Tundra halfshafts for stock inner CV, and one outer ORS manual CV still on the halfshaft...the other manual CV wasn't ever locked in, so I'm keeping it.

Dunno if I'll be around this weekend :p...gotta move the garage to storage etc.

Pics from the alignment and a pic on the ground, no action shots yet.

Lol that resembles my truck a little with 3-4" of tire hanging out the side. Have you found out how fun that is on a wet highway yet?

[devinsixtyseven]

From the Sevenmile Rim and Wipeout Hill trails:

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/photopost/data/1497/medium/P2160089.JPG
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/photopost/data/1497/medium/P2160095.JPG
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/photopost/data/1497/medium/P2160110.JPG
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/photopost/data/1497/medium/P2160134.JPG
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/photopost/data/1497/medium/P2160138.JPG
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/photopost/data/1497/medium/P2160144.JPG

I didn't ascend WOH this trip since I lost the rear softline at the second ledge down WOH...new high pinion yoke was rubbing it at full compression on the baja section we didn't take pictures of. Had to limp back to town with vise grips holding the line shut, using the tranny and emergency brake. Figured it was better to call it a day than take unnecessary risks. WOH will be there next time.

-Sean

[devinsixtyseven]

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/members/devinsixtyseven/albums/main+gallery-428/main-rails-cut-tweaked-footer-plates-3201.jpg

That was two weekends back. Now the right side is welded down--front is notched around a vertical piece of tube surrounding the forward bed bolt--and the rear has the first brace welded in.

Doing this with a chop saw, 4.5" cutoff and flap wheel, sawzall, and JMR manual, 1.75ODx13g HREW.

Done a lot of other stuff too, little stuff like maintenance, bracing the headlights to the fiberglass, fixing one of the simple breaks in the fiberglass, proper install of the manual proportioning valves and a brake flush.

Parts to tear down and rebuild the spring packs are here, that one shock on the right is stock from an FJC I'm using for width mockup. Need to cycle the suspension, get spring lengths and then start designing the new shackle hangers and shock mounts once the bed cage is finished.

Also going to properly route the rear brake line, out of the way of the driveshaft, gas tank, and muffler.

-Sean

[extremepaint]

lookin damn good! let me knwo if you need a hand i have free time from 4-9

[Volcom]

Great time to chop the ass end to gain some departure angle!

[Jacket]

If I didn't know any better, I'd think you like destruction/;) fabbing better than 'wheelin?

[devinsixtyseven]

If I didn't know any better, I'd think you like destruction/;) fabbing better than 'wheelin?

dingdingdingdingdingding :D

There's nothing like the smell of burning metal in the morning!

Ben you're welcome to come over and kill a few beers any time. The reality is I dunno what a second person would do...I only got one grinder and one welder, tho it's always nice to have a second person with the bender right now, to take up tail or lead weight. Got a couple twists down the tube from hanging weight, it's crazy to see the seam on that HREW waving back and forth. If not for the POB bracket those pieces would look like pretzels...as it is, I just note the new zero plane and keep going.

It's coming together at a rate about one brace per evening, cuz I got no fancy tools and no paper for the printer LOL. This is all grinder and sawzall fabrication :xsmokin1:.

Thought about chopping the tail, but I paid so !$#@ much for that rear bumper--someone else had to finish it while I was laid up--that I'm gonna run what I brung for a while.

Incidentally it's also coming together at a rate of approximately one picture every two or three weeks, so anybody who wants to stop in with a digital gets a beer LOL.

[RedRunnertc]

Maybe about the time you're done, you can help with my rear suspension! LOL

[mrdoug]

Oh man.. this is a surprise! I'd love to swing down and take a look around sometime. When are you usually workin on it?

[devinsixtyseven]

Oh man.. this is a surprise! I'd love to swing down and take a look around sometime. When are you usually workin on it?

Usually any day after the whistle blows.

Ben dropped in yesterday with a camera and gave me a hand placing & notching the other rail. :kewl:

[devinsixtyseven]

Hey Ben, got those pics?

Got both rails and the tail of both sides welded up :cool:

It's maybe 1/4" different height, side to side...just barely noticeable if you're really looking close.

Bent one of the front rails last night, gonna tweak and notch tonight I hope, start getting the front fleshed out.

[motochain]

Awesome stuff man! Good to see the progress!

[extremepaint]

i'll try to get pics up tonight, damn you actual work!!

[motochain]

i'll try to get pics up tonight, damn you actual work!!

Are you the "Ben" he speaks of?

[devinsixtyseven]

Are you the "Ben" he speaks of?

You mean the guy that drank my beer and then didn't post pics for like a week? :flipoff4: :rofl:

(now I bet we're only gonna see pics of my most boogery welds LOL)

Actually the welds around the tail of the left rail came out really good. It's ones inside acute angles that go all to hell...places where even that little M10 gun doesn't fit.

Also I gotta pick up some more tube, if anybody wants in.

[extremepaint]

haha well you can come over anytime and drink what ever i got jsut bring your welder and the holy trinity :D

[extremepaint]

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u44/NEColouryoulike/Wheelin/Sheepie_pics4842.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u44/NEColouryoulike/Wheelin/Sheepie_pics4843.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u44/NEColouryoulike/Wheelin/Sheepie_pics4844.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u44/NEColouryoulike/Wheelin/Sheepie_pics4845.jpg

[motochain]

More! More! More!

[devinsixtyseven]

Awesome, thanks Ben :xsmokin1:

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u44/NEColouryoulike/Wheelin/Sheepie_pics4842.jpg
The front bolt is in one of the stock threaded holes for the bed, and there's a 1/2" coarse thread nut welded on the plate to the rear. Those two tubes are covering it, it's more or less centered on the rear tube. That's a 90* angle between braces and 45* to the frame, or so say the welding magnets. Oh yeah...the alternative name for this project is "eliminate all the zip ties at the back of the truck".

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u44/NEColouryoulike/Wheelin/Sheepie_pics4844.jpg
I'm not a huge fan of the heat bloom around the forwardmost weld there, but it is fawkin upside down. Kinda hard to see the fillets since it's a bit blurry, but they're on every bead and uniform with a couple small exceptions. The welds on the left rail are an improvement. There will be another brace dropping down and forward, just in front of this brace and partially notched over it, spreading the load across the top rail. There will also be a gusset inside every 90* angle, eventually.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u44/NEColouryoulike/Wheelin/Sheepie_pics4845.jpg
The vertical tube gets cut when I know how tall it needs to be for the other brace cutting backwards. The weld at the crux of that acute angle is pretty boogery, but the rest are good...same deal on the other brace that leans forward and meets the main rail at the bend in the other pics. Everything's decent except where I couldn't fit the nozzle and had to tack and fill as I was able. There's a bolt down the center of the vertical tube, and I plan to cover the opening with something...maybe a piece of plastic plumbing or something.

So I notched one side of the front horizontal rail this evening...all with the 40g flap wheel. There were some truly wicked sparks flying around...it's a curved piece, notched to another curved piece...no way to use a chop saw or cutoff wheel. Tomorrow I'm wearing the damn mask :rolleyes:...had ear plugs and a shield but was too lazy (aka stupid) to wear the respirator and now I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be paying for the mistake.

...but that front rail, curve notched to a curve, looks fawkin sick. I'm so glad I went that direction rather than a simple straight tube. Of course...now I gotta make four more notches just like that, not including the other side of the tube I'm working on now LOL...

I also found the 90* test bends I made a while back are really useful. The front horizontal brace was entirely freehand, I bent one side to 93*, set it on top of the assembly and eyeballed the start of the next bend using the 90* test piece to bridge the two work pieces. It worked great...the 1/4" extra I left translated to roughly 1/4" too much material between the bends LOL...duh. But the great thing is, with a bend that far, it's really easy to reload and drag the center of the tube 1/8" through the backing block on each side and stay in plane...now it's the right size and it doesn't matter if it's bent to 96* on each side since the extra drop is minimal and I only need the tube partway through the bend anyhow.

[motochain]

Nice work! So are you completely removing the bed for good? I can't wait till I can start doing work like that, I love designing stuff!

[devinsixtyseven]

This one bolts down, so I can throw the bed back on if I need it. Next round is gonna be permanent...that might be a while. There's a lot to do before then, like get a cheapo daily driver.

[devinsixtyseven]

Digital camera request!

Anyone...anyone...free beer :)...

Maybe late this week?

[RedRunnertc]

Maybe about the time you're done, you can help with my rear suspension! LOL

Digital camera request!

Anyone...anyone...free beer :)...

Maybe late this week?

I'll trade ya help/pix for help on my suspension!

[extremepaint]

i might be able to stop out this weekend i'll give yea a hand weilding the flapper and cut off disk, i gotta get my practice on for the sliders

[devinsixtyseven]

Could work but it's gonna be a while!

I still have eight pieces each side, plus the front and the floor, and probably two cross braces...I just want a progress pic to show off cuz it looks so good with the cooler and that 37" Krawler sitting back there LOL.

I had to throw everything in for a reality check and some measurements for layout.

[devinsixtyseven]

Molly & Troy dropped in today and helped me get the truck on jackstands, get some numbers on the rear suspension, cut a bunch of rusted nasty stuff off the truck (OEM bump brackets and shackle hangers), and pull apart the leaf springs :xsmokin1:

HUGE THANKS! :xpimp: It went really, really fast with two grinders and extra hands to deal with the leaf springs.

And Molly got some awesome grinder pics :cool:.

Next, the leaf springs get blasted, etched and POR-15'ed, and I get to designing a new shackle hanger etc.

[RedRunnertc]

No problem ... but you obviously need to learn what a "bunch of rusty nasty stuff" is like, so I'll ... ummm ... yeah, I'll need you to bring your welder over next weekend :rofl:

[Lysmachia]

We need a lumberg smiley... This is the best I could find...

http://www.volnation.com/forum/images/smilies/default/zeitung_lesen.gif

Sean those pics rock! I am uploading em now!

[Lysmachia]

Here are the pics! http://cottora.shutterfly.com/3138

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procgtaserv/47b8d729b3127cce98549e8bb7c700000046108AbNWLJszZOA

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procgtaserv/47b8d729b3127cce98549f75f7a100000046108AbNWLJszZOA

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procgtaserv/47b8d729b3127cce98549e8db7c100000046108AbNWLJszZOA

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procgtaserv/47b8d729b3127cce98549f71f7a500000046108AbNWLJszZOA

[devinsixtyseven]

SWEEEEEEET :xpimp:

[motochain]

SWEEEEEEET :xpimp:

X2:xpimp:

[Lysmachia]

Tru dat! Sean you ever post those onto your Tundra forum? Lemme know which pics you want cuz I'll send the full rez to you!

[motochain]

Tru dat! Sean you ever post those onto your Tundra forum? Lemme know which pics you want cuz I'll send the full rez to you!

All the cool Tundra guys usually end up here anyway. ...:D

[devinsixtyseven]

So now I'm thinking of re-using the inverted shackle design, just making it stronger and with more clearance for the leaf pack. Many reasons why, none of which have anything to do with easy LOL.

The leaves are at the blaster today! Time to order some POR15 :xsmokin1:.

...In grey :xpimp:.

[RedRunnertc]

So, why then?

You know it will be funny when my custom 4 link takes less time than your leaf spring "repair" ... :D

[Don_G]

Hey, Molly, I forgot to tell you that you have to manually pull up the flash on that camera - the auto deploy never worked. It takes more than normal effort, it's obviously broken.

Just push it down to lock it again.

[devinsixtyseven]

I challenge you to...a race around the world! LOL :D...you'll probably finish first if only because I've been screwing around a lot in the evenings when I ought to be dealing with what's left of those rivets...but then it's nice to take a break.

Gotta buy more parts :rolleyes:. Two pairs of Baja Bushings, shackle material, and bushings or bearings for the frame-side shackle pivot. The stock sleeve chews up the mount...yeah I know it works but I think I can come up with something better, spread the load more, and less damaging to the mount.

Why up vs down...figure for the moment that you're using the smallest shackle possible. That's not required, but it's a good place to start and best illustrates the difference between the two setups. Gotta visualize the shackle angle through all this, because that's what drives the spring rate and the choice of shackle up or down.

The spring mounts with the frame side slightly downhill. Visualize a line between the frame eye and the shackle eye. The best shackle angle at ride height puts the shackle perpendicular to that line. That means as the leaf springs flex and the length of that imaginary line changes, the shackle end of the leaf springs doesn't move very much normal to the frame-side pivot. That means the spring rate stays nearly constant...circle track racing even goes so far as to use a slider box, so the rear eye can move horizontal...without moving vertical which changes the spring rate. Doesn't matter yet if the shackle is mounted up or down BTW.

Now give the shackle some direction...start with compression, shackle down, stock 1st-gen Tacoma, aka "normal". Stuff the suspension all the way to the stops. If the shackle is as short as possible, it's now almost horizontal...meaning that the spring rate is nearly non-existant. Now droop the suspension all the way...the shackle is pointing nearly in line with the arch of the leaf spring. To compress the suspension, the shackle needs to rotate down...not up as would be easiest at this point. In other words, the wheel rate is higher than the spring rate, when you need it to be nice and soft. Granted the wheel is probably pulling the spring down, so having a little extra rate there might not be a bad thing...but the problem is at the top of the cycle, not the bottom. In order to prevent inversion and keep the spring rate more constant at the top of the cycle, put a longer shackle on there...which limits vertical travel of the shackle-side spring eye. The extreme case is the slider box, where the only spring travel is what the spring itself is capable of. On my springs you guys saw this was about 9" arch and the pack was starting to spread...so I'd get barely 10" going an inch negative.

So flip the shackle over. Now you never worry about inversion, because at full droop the shackle needs to come up with the suspension, not down. In fact, the shackle needs to pivot up and back, which is exactly what the shackle-side eye of the leaf spring needs at that moment. The shackle angle isn't fighting the leaves. Follow the arc of the shackle as the spring compresses and you'll see with the shortest possible shackle that the spring rate rises to the pack's actual rate as the shackle rotates perpendicular to that imaginary line, and rises over the pack's rate as the shackle rotates past normal and starts moving vertically down as the spring flattens. The last inch (negative arch) will be well in to a bump stop and the wheel rate will be very close to the pack's rate at full compression, so I'm not concerned about the rate loss during negative compression when I can carry nearly 2500# on a single hydro can before it's begun to cycle...way, way more than is necessary.

There's no advantage to running a longer shackle than necessary with the shackle inverted, either. If you've sized the shackle properly, vertical wheel travel will be full droop on the springs measured to that imaginary line, plus however many inches negative arch (usually one), plus the length of the shackle since it will be rotating from nearly horizontal to past vertical. On my truck you guys saw that total is about 14".

There's a post from Tim at DMZ on the natl forum that mentions this without going in to painful detail ;).

So I'm thinking take the 14" vertical travel and a set of 14" or 16" bypasses, since it'll match really well with the ~12" the truck has up front.

Was looking at it last night and I'm pretty sure I can build it stronger than stock, with more room for the leaf spring to twist...which was the big problem in the first place. Never really had a problem with shackle angle or direction, just weakness of the hanger and width of the shackle.

[mrdoug]

So I take it there's alot of guess work in your setup?

Holy crap..

:clap: :clap: :clap:

This is probably the best explanation I've ever read about shackle design.

[RedRunnertc]

so, are you saying your shocks might be available again?

[devinsixtyseven]

Yeah...available. Haven't even thought of a price yet, gotta get parts and fix that one side first. Probably I'll just rebuild 'em both while I'm at it, I've got plenty of Torco here.

Got four of the rivets out tonight...stepping up to a 3/8" bit and a good whack with that chisel and they pop right out :xsmokin1:.

Thanks Doug :)! I been doing my homework...

[devinsixtyseven]

There is nothing as clean as freshly sandblasted metal :xsmokin1:.

A-1 Metal Stripping & Sandblasting down in Golden did a great job, they used Starblast. No stripping, just blasting. They look brand new other than the pitting from rust over the years...they should take to POR-15 about perfect.

[devinsixtyseven]

For future reference there are a few places around Denver you can buy POR15 over the counter...

Pro Automotive sells it up in Longmont, and Finish Master has a few shops around the Denver area. Didn't find anyone with Metal Ready or Marine Clean in stock but they can get it pretty quick.

[RedRunnertc]

Yeah, I got mine at Pro Automotive in Longmont. Where did you get yours? Pro is kinda easy to miss - tucked in between a car lot and the RR tracks in a little house.

If you need me to go over and pick some up before they close, let me know!

[devinsixtyseven]

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/members/devinsixtyseven/albums/main+gallery-428/new-u-bolt-plates-bolt-heads-5722.jpg

New U-bolt plates courtesy ORS.

[mrdoug]

Out of curiosity, why didn't you simply fab those yourself? Surprises me you bought when you've been fabing a whole bed

[devinsixtyseven]

Out of curiosity, why didn't you simply fab those yourself? Surprises me you bought when you've been fabing a whole bed

No worries. If you were to look close at the welds on that cage, they're not perfect by any means, and the thickest parts are only 1/8". It's a very simple build by a beginner.

I didn't ask for a cost breakdown, but I can take a pretty good guess and say it was well worth the money to have these pieces CNC cut and then have Mike weld them. The latter in particular is like the proverbial "million dollar chalk mark".

Since they're simple assemblies with very little prep necessary but they're one-offs, I would bet the bulk of the cost was materials and CNC cutting--so I would have saved little (and risked a lot) by attempting to weld them myself, and precision cutting of 3/8" plate with my hand tools would have been a nightmare.

Comparing to the pieces on which they were based, a guy might say "holy crap those were expensive!" but consider that the originals are mass-produced and require only four small beads per part, whereas this is a one-time cut and the assembly is completely welded vs bent to shape.

-S

[mrdoug]

No worries. If you were to look close at the welds on that cage, they're not perfect by any means, and the thickest parts are only 1/8". It's a very simple build by a beginner.

I didn't ask for a cost breakdown, but I can take a pretty good guess and say it was well worth the money to have these pieces CNC cut and then have Mike weld them. The latter in particular is like the proverbial "million dollar chalk mark".

Since they're simple assemblies with very little prep necessary but they're one-offs, I would bet the bulk of the cost was materials and CNC cutting--so I would have saved little (and risked a lot) by attempting to weld them myself, and precision cutting of 3/8" plate with my hand tools would have been a nightmare.

Comparing to the pieces on which they were based, a guy might say "holy crap those were expensive!" but consider that the originals are mass-produced and require only four small beads per part, whereas this is a one-time cut and the assembly is completely welded vs bent to shape.

-S

Ah, didn't know they were 3/8.. cutting that would be a bitch. And I know what you mean about that proverbial "million dollar chalk mark"... Part of how I make my living is erasing the chalk marks others make thinking it's that simple...

Cool for you!

[extremepaint]

lookin good there sean didnt relise these were the guy you wanted me tosand blast.

how do you want them treated? we have enamle and primer at the shop but i dont know if you want to do anything to em when the get out of the cabnet

[devinsixtyseven]

lookin good there sean didnt relise these were the guy you wanted me tosand blast.

how do you want them treated? we have enamle and primer at the shop but i dont know if you want to do anything to em when the get out of the cabnet

Yup this is them :D. Fresh out of the blaster is perfect, I got Marine Clean and Metal Ready here, they're gonna get POR15 like the leaf springs.

Sounds like I'm gonna be at HOW N on Saturday, if you're up that direction I can bring 'em with.

[devinsixtyseven]

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/members/devinsixtyseven/albums/main+gallery-428/deavers-rebuildable-baja-bushings-sleeve-pressed-6506.jpg

More parts :xsmokin1:. Still waiting on another pair from Deaver, they gotta get more machined. Great pieces, brief writeup in the Desert section of the Natl forum under "Baja Bushings".

-S

[RedRunnertc]

Is that Deaver's version of Orbiteyes?

[extremepaint]

hey you wanna do these plates next week is gonna be boring in the shop

[devinsixtyseven]

Yes, Deaver's version of orbit eyes. 5/8" uniball. Haven't measured the misalignment but it's a lot better than a bushing LOL!

Installed with POR15 and waiting for the other set:

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/members/devinsixtyseven/albums/main+gallery-428/deavers-1-5-x2-5-baja-6547.jpg

[devinsixtyseven]

...I am stoopid.

[RedRunnertc]

but they fit in a standard wrap instead of needing a special spring like Orbiteyes?

Did you just put them in the shackle end, or both ends of the spring?

[ike]

I am going to have to research these. May need to get a set.

[devinsixtyseven]

Deaver recommends if you only get one set, put them in the frame side eye...probably because two rubber/poly bushings at the shackle end means at least twice the rotation vs the front which is closer to the pin, sometimes has a double wrap, and only has the single bushing.

Like an Orbit Eye but less misalignment. Still worth it IMHO since it means the pack is much less likely to spread when it twists, and then get caught under the hanger, and then take four people and two HiLift jacks to correct :(

They're a tight fit...had to drive them in with a framing hammer and a piece of scrap 1/4" plate. Between the friction fit and the wet POR15 when I installed them, they're not coming out. I probably don't even need the external snap rings. Don't install unless you're sure you're not getting new leaves for a long, long time because these are permanent unless you plan to cut the main leaf to get them out.

[devinsixtyseven]

Progress! At some point, you stop worrying about trying to buy parts (which is good) and start worrying about making parts (which might be bad, because all that stuff cost a good bit of money a while back).

Leaf packs back together. The B&W thing was an accident...I ran out of Hardnose paint (which was supposed to be grey, not white :rolleyes: ) and I was so sick of painting & didn't want to buy even more paint I just grabbed one leaf from each pack and put 'em back together. Now my truck is really expedition ready, it has zebra striped leaf springs. They also sorta look like I swiped something from NASA...if I roll the truck, you can tell how fast I'm rolling by looking at the pattern :rolleyes:. If I get a lot of grief for it, maybe I'll rattlecan them black.
http://thumbnails13.imagebam.com/2340/81201223399609.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/81201223399609)
Still gotta cut the center pins & POR15 the plates, only waiting on the plates since I'm not certain I'm done messing with them.

Modified stock hanger.
http://thumbnails4.imagebam.com/2340/1eb37223399612.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/1eb37223399612)
I used that badass sheetmetal cutter to make a template, and made the cutout with wheel & sawzall, and finished/cleaned the cut with a carbide rotary file in a right-angle drill. Would've been easier if the sliders weren't in the way...but this worked well enough. Had to cut the rear "finger" off, it was in the way of the leaf spring during a right compression/left droop maneuver.

Mocked up, not welded yet.
http://thumbnails10.imagebam.com/2340/f74e7523399615.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/f74e7523399615)
The new plate is 3/16", same thickness as the stock hanger. Easier to see how the right side of the stock hanger will interfere with the spring when it rotates counterclockwise, also you can kinda see a divot in the back of the stock hanger where the springs bent the hanger upward on a hard compression cycle. That's cleared out now.

This is the first time in months there's been a leaf spring attached to my truck.

[mrdoug]

If I get a lot of grief for it, maybe I'll rattlecan them black.

I don't understand.. is this a challenge? or ?? :)

Looking good I think, I don't have a good mental picture of what you're doing with this build. Why didn't you just cut off the stock hanger instead of clearancing it like you have?

Would love to see a side shot of the whole rear spring with the new hanger.

[devinsixtyseven]

No. Not sure if they're goofy looking or if they'll do. I'm so sick of dealing with paint, and eventually they'll probably be covered in red dirt anyway, so they'll probably just stay the way they are no matter what.

The stock hanger is fine, the width I needed is the width of the hanger material itself, so plating was easier than grinding rivets, positioning, & welding to the frame. The misalignment is negligible and gets taken up in the rear since I'm rebuilding the rear hanger & shackle too.

[devinsixtyseven]

First uphill test weld...I practiced for a while, they ended up looking much better than this, and just as strong.
http://thumbnails16.imagebam.com/2465/46171f24640868.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/46171f24640868) http://thumbnails16.imagebam.com/2465/c2d43324640871.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/c2d43324640871)

Final weld...yeah I could have filled the rosette a little better, but those lower areas you can see are only a couple hundredths lower than the surface of the plate, which is how far down I ground the surface of the rosette. I think it'll hold just fine. The left side was the first bead, and I'd like it to have been a little wider and a little hotter. The right side lower section was second, then the right upper section...I'm happier with the right side overall more than the left. It's also fully welded on the back side, with similar results. Based on all my practice welds, this isn't going anywhere.
http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/2472/db05b024718476.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/db05b024718476)

Finally, a leaf spring under my truck! Before somebody says something stupid, the wood blocks are there to replace the thickness of the rest of the leaf pack so I can cycle the suspension...otherwise I'd need some damn short u-bolts :lmao:...plus the axle would come up about 2.25" higher than it would with the full pack.
http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/2472/ae090a24718489.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/ae090a24718489) http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/2472/a5cff624718504.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/a5cff624718504)

Also, that's a bit of non-usable droop...the axle is pulling the spring down to where the shackle is resting on the stock hanger. It'll be strapped a little above where it's hanging now...I just wanted to clean under the truck & realized it'd make a good picture, the jack stand went back under the axle afterward.

I need shorter u-bolts to work with the new u-bolt plates...the nuts now sit so much lower I ran out of thread trying to install them.

Those are the stock hangers and some 9/16" bolts...figured I may as well throw them on to check articulation and vertical travel, so I know how long the shocks need to be, plus tire clearance so I know where they need to mount, and to sort out the rear brake/air/breather line routing. It was damn near impossible to find 9/16" Grade 8 stuff...Ace had ONE nut. ONE. What am I gonna do with eight bolts and one nut? Do I look like Lance Armstrong? May as well order the good stuff :rolleyes:...grumble grumble. This is good enough for mockup, anyway. Going to 9/16" from the 7/16" rivet holes allowed me to clean up the holes a bit, remove most of the dimpling from when we pulled this stuff off the frame, and it means a minor diameter just a bit larger than the original rivets, plus if I can find a 9/16" bolt with about a half inch of shank and cold cut it to length, it'll be plenty of insurance in case any of them ever come loose and wind up needing to hold a shear load.

Aiming to mount the shocks off the front of the axle, using something similar to the Chaos standoffs, as per this thread (http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89625&highlight=axle+rear+front&page=3), and just inboard of the hubs. It looks like it'll all fit...

Limit straps will end up either right on top of the axle or slightly toward the rear, just depends on where there's room.

So I noticed that while the spring bolts and eyes are all sized for the metric fasteners, the hanger/shackle bolt is actually better suited to a 9/16" fastener, it just needs the holes in the hanger cut to 9/16". Weird...oh yeah, and since the shackle has a metal sleeve rotating against a metal plate, torqued to whatever massive spec Toyota recommends for the shackle bolt, it really chews the shit out of the hanger. Same thing happens on the spring side of the shackle, from the metal sleeve in the leaf spring bushing.

Ben, it's just about lathe time :xdevil::xdevil::xdevil::xozzy:

[Quick Draw]

What am I gonna do with eight bolts and one nut? Do I look like Lance Armstrong?

:rofl:...

Your final weld looks good from my angle. It's kinda hard to tell... I see one possible tiny spot of undercut, but I would pass it...:D

[devinsixtyseven]

:rofl:...

Your final weld looks good from my angle. It's kinda hard to tell... I see one possible tiny spot of undercut, but I would pass it...:D

Sweeeeeet :xsmokin1:

Undercut...right hand bead, a little more than halfway up, outside, roughly just above centerline of the rosette?

[Quick Draw]

Yep, that's the one... That thing will definitely fall off when you're going down the highway because of that little undercut. :neener:

Lol...that's about the mentality of my welding instructor... "Undercut? That'll break..." :rolleyes:

[00regcab]

Lookin good Sean!

As discussed at the Pump House, i'll join in on the "zebra pack" with ya, hell i'll even one up and alternate it pink and black! :rofl:


Seriously though, looks good, cant wait to see it in action again!

[AxleIke]

alternate it pink and black! :rofl:


Should help you pick up dudes since your honduh is out of commission. Hope they're better looking than me sweet cheeks. :flipoff4:

[00regcab]

Again with the Jealousy sweetheart, is your new man not giving you enough sausage to fulfill your needs?

:supergay:


:rofl:

[AxleIke]

Again with the Jealousy sweetheart, is your new man not giving you enough sausage to fulfill your needs?

:supergay:


:rofl:

I prefer taco to sausage.

You prefer to pick up sausage in your Taco.

Not so jealous, just trying to help you out. You seem lonely. :D

[extremepaint]

ive been turning down spring washers and sanding on the lathe im ready for a new project

oh! you like the new avatar? :D THHHPPPTTT!!

[00regcab]

I prefer taco to sausage.

You prefer to pick up sausage in your Taco.

Not so jealous, just trying to help you out. You seem lonely. :D

I prefer taco as well, thats why i chose to own one, oppose to one of those 4runner things. Maybe i should paint it pink too. Then i'd have one hell of a pink taco i could brag about 24/7 i guess?

Not lonely at all, theres an abundance of girls in this world, and i seem to stay occupied :D

Im off the roll tonight, haha. I dont really have anything amusing to say this time around

[colorado125]

I prefer taco as well, thats why i chose to own one, oppose to one of those 4runner things. Maybe i should paint it pink too. Then i'd have one hell of a pink taco i could brag about 24/7 i guess?

Not lonely at all, theres an abundance of girls in this world, and i seem to stay occupied :D

Im off the roll tonight, haha. I dont really have anything amusing to say this time around

Naa. The rice should be good to pick up the sausage. Thats why you have it, right?

[00regcab]

Naa. The rice should be good to pick up the sausage. Thats why you have it, right?

Exactly :rolleyes:

[colorado125]

Exactly :rolleyes:


guess you can give shit but not take it.:bitchslap

[devinsixtyseven]

You fawkers...what have you done to my thread? :flipoff4: I log off after some welding talk and overnight it went from fabrication to fabulous. :aahg:

[ike]

No, not another bout of CoTTORA ADD:eek:

[AxleIke]

Sean, if you want it gone, happy to clean it up, as I'm sure everyone is. Just proving that no thread is safe from OT. :D

[devinsixtyseven]

I didn't say I wanted it gone, I said you guys are a bunch of ass pirates. :flipoff4:

[AxleIke]

Whoa. Not everyone. Just Nate.

[devinsixtyseven]

Well, while you guys were all flirting with each other on my build thread :flipoff4:, I was gettin' busy in the garage...not with a fleshlight & Seafoam, but the MIG, sawzall and grinder...

Went from a stock hanger at 7pm to this at 9:30.
http://thumbnails6.imagebam.com/2482/2dc0ac24819385.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/2dc0ac24819385) http://thumbnails12.imagebam.com/2482/72144324819399.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/72144324819399)

Only stopped then cuz I need to grind down the tack welds with the cutoff wheel, and I try to keep it quiet after 9pm for the neighbors.

Since I have all the pieces now, if I'm fast I can check articulation and put it back on its own weight tonight or tomorrow...mostly for kicks since I still gotta build the rear hangers, but at least I can drive it around the block to get the fluids moving. It hasn't been turned over in months.

[devinsixtyseven]

ive been turning down spring washers and sanding on the lathe im ready for a new project

oh! you like the new avatar? :D THHHPPPTTT!!

Deathtöngue fawking RÖCKS.

U Stink But I Love U - Billy & the Boingers (Deathtöngue) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnVKlG_Yu18) (performed in real life by Mucky Pup...ultra-metal tuba solo at 0:44, 1:08 and about 1:41)

I knew I was destined for punk, metal and hardcöre when I heard the döuble-sider in the back öf my new cöpy of that Blööm Cöunty cöllectiön :xozzy:

I'm just gonna start throwing gratuitous umlauts everywhere for a while.

[mrdoug]

I was gettin' busy in the garage...not with a fleshlight & Seafoam, but the MIG, sawzall and grinder...


Looks good, but if you get the seafoam/fleshlight action going, you might be done by now.

BTW, you're much kinder to your neighbors, I keep the garage door closed, but don't call it quits till 10.

[devinsixtyseven]

Looks good, but if you get the seafoam/fleshlight action going, you might be done by now.Sure, but the Säwzall is far more hardcöre.

I'm only nice in the late evening. Otherwise, spärks are aimed out the open garage door whenever possible, unless it's cöld out & the door's closed. I get some strange looks when it's dark and the fireflies are more visible.

[mrdoug]

You're doing this much fabricating and can't see how the sawzall, fleshlight and seafoam can't be used together?:rolleyes:

[devinsixtyseven]

You're doing this much fabricating and can't see how the sawzall, fleshlight and seafoam can't be used together?:rolleyes:I'd post a link but I'm at work :lmao:.

[RedRunnertc]

Looks good, but if you get the seafoam/fleshlight action going, give me a call.

Fixed it for ya :rofl:

[mrdoug]

:flipoff1:

Why is it troy always have gay on the mind?

[RedRunnertc]

Because I am always hearing about you and ike's escapades!

[mrdoug]

Or Molly aint getting the job done and Nate's been too busy lately.

[RedRunnertc]

No, that definitely ain't it.

[extremepaint]

i told the guys at work about the "flesh light" THEY HAD NO IDEA IT EXSISTED!" what poor and sheltered people

oh sean, i see you forgot to add in how well seafoam works as a cure for a stomach virus! doctors shmockters all you need is some tums and some seafoam and that cure all your problems!

then clean up the mess with a shamwow and use your fleshlight for recovery entertainment!

it alll work out!

[devinsixtyseven]

My HiLift is not hardcöre enough...or I guess my jack stands are more hardcöre than the HiLift.

I went to check full articulation, and ran out of room on the bar LOL. Maybe I'll just stick the HiLift on something sturdy and try it again tonight. I got the right spring to about flat, I'd like to push it up a bit farther. The guys at Alcan are thinking that 2" negative should be ok on this pack--YMMV! that is for this pack, not necessarily anyone else's pack, and it won't be often, but I want to check it out. The half leaf needs to come off the right side for this, since the rest of the pack isn't underneath the main leaf it deforms when it nears flat.

The Baja Bushings look like they'll work out great. They really make a difference in the front eye, the rear not as much but there's certainly some misalignment. The best part was how little the leaves spread at the rear of the pack, compared to how far they spread when the hanger and shackle got trashed. Within a few degrees of full articulation, the center of the pad on the second leaf down was still well under the main leaf.

Also found the droop I saw the other day is legitimate full droop...no separation on the assembled pack, tho I'm pretty certain the entire pack is a hair past relaxed. Gotta check with the 37s cuz I suspect they may be enough additional weight to separate the pack--ie limit straps required.

Gonna go after it again tonight, then reassemble the other pack and put it on the tires, where it'll sit for the next 4-6 weeks while I recover from surgery.

http://thumbnails9.imagebam.com/2491/3d184624901283.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/3d184624901283)

Plans for the interim...this is about all I can do, the rest is too much heavy lifting:

-Design hanger and shackle
-Scope out shackle length (CAD)...5" or 5.5" might be better
-Paint & install new u-bolt plates
-Trim center pins & u-bolts
-Order shocks and bumps
-Design the rest of the cage

I think I'll be ready for the May-June trip. Before then, dunno that I'll be able to really work on it enough to finish before April cuz I lose from now til mid March :(.

[devinsixtyseven]

http://thumbnails16.imagebam.com/2505/2e235a25045249.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/2e235a25045249)
The best part...note how NOT FUCKED UP the left leaf spring is, even tho it's twisted over pretty far :xsmokin1:. That right there is the #1 benefit of those Baja Bushings...if I'd been running them last spring, I doubt the shackle problem would have manifested at the time...it was a combination of the leaf pack spreading sideways at the back, and the shackle failing from so many years of dealing with the pack chewing it up during articulation.

I *think* that is full articulation. Dunno that I want to press the right spring any higher...it should be about 2" inverted, but hard to tell since without the other leaves supporting it, it has an 'S' profile as it compresses. Only gonna do that twice...once for this, and once straight up with both main leaves alone to check bump stop placement and angle.

Definitely gonna run a 5" long shackle, it'll take the last bit of bind out of the springs on droop. Might not sound like much considering stock is 4.5", but I gotta force the shackle backwards (ie flatten the pack slightly) to get the pivot bolt in place, and since I'm redoing everything it might as well be done right. It'll also let the left side drop a little farther, in the picture.

Gonna move the pivot up an inch...should be less than 3/4" total drop at the axle, between the new shackle & pivot point, so it'll help with the massive stinkbug and get the cg down a hair.

Ordered some bling today :cool:. Pics when it all arrives...there is a bit of lead time :cool:

A 2.5" body will fit between that Krawler and the frame :xsmokin1:.

Definitely need some weight back there. I'm thinking dual batteries and that huge-ass compressor, and an air tank, will do the trick.

[Lysmachia]

Why didn't you order your rig a fleshlight?

[mrdoug]

Eh, it's alright I guess.. I mean, if you're into nice solid articulation with a solid spring pack.

:xbeer1:

[devinsixtyseven]

Why didn't you order your rig a fleshlight?First I need to order the larger size Quick Fists for my size fleshlight :flipoff4:

[RedRunnertc]

You must have some tiny QuickFists currently if your fleshlight takes a larger one ... :rofl:

So what do you think total travel is gonna be?

[devinsixtyseven]

You must have some tiny QuickFists currently if your fleshlight takes a larger one ... :rofl:BUSTED! :o:lmao:So what do you think total travel is gonna be?Vertical, maybe a hair over 14" max. Articulation at the tire, 18-ish...so 16s should do the trick nicely and provide a bit of slop to keep the suspension from hanging on the shocks.

Got some Bowman alloy bolts in the mail today...stronger than G8, ductile like G5.

[RedRunnertc]

Vertical, maybe a hair over 14" max. ...so 16s should do the trick nicely

Gonna have to do tall shock towers to have enough compressed length?

Got some Bowman alloy bolts in the mail today...stronger than G8, ductile like G5.

Cuanto questa?

[AxleIke]

I'd be careful posting up those pictures like you are.

Nate is a real hound for sexy rear ends that belong to dudes.

Killer fab work man. Really digging it. Extremely informative build. I'm VERY impressed.

When is it going to be ready to wheel?

[devinsixtyseven]

I could actually wheel it right stinkin' now, if I threw on my neighbor's old 8.5" pin-to-eye FJC rear shocks I've been using for mockup :p...but that would get the raw tube all dirty and kinda defeat the purpose of all these mods :cool:.

You can get singles of common suspension Bowman fasteners through Camburg. They'll take more torque than you can likely put on them, and shear is better than G8 too. Thinking about getting a box of shorties in 9/16" for the rear hangers and bumpers, but they come in boxes of 25, only Barnes sells them, and they won't split the boxes up :rolleyes:.

I think Camburg asks 4-5$ for a 9/16" x 4.5" bolt...they're for the leaf springs.

Yep, shocks gotta mount high...that's why I wanted them outside the frame, got plans for the space where the bed used to be. Dunno what I would have done if I had to put them between the frame rails, it would have buggered up a lot of my plans for the rear setup.

[devinsixtyseven]

BUUUAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA (http://www.imagebam.com/image/a1b26f26629227/) :xdevil::xdevil::xdevil:

Yes...you must click the link...because I am getting no love from Imagebam.

Image is large and takes time to load.

16x2.5 piggyback
4x2.0 and 2x2.0 bumps

I only got one shock because I've decided to run a one-link setup, so I only need one shock and one long bump. The short bump is just for fun.

[mrdoug]

Hmm.. apologies in advance, I see 4 bumps in that pic :p

Damn those things are tall. You're mono link should be a cool build.

[Jacket]

LOL! That's exactly what I thought.

[devinsixtyseven]

Hmm.. apologies in advance, I see 4 bumps in that pic :p

Damn those things are tall. You're mono link should be a cool build.

You're right, there are four bumps there :lmao:

One link & one shock was a joke :D.

[mrdoug]

what happened to thinking outside the box? :D

[devinsixtyseven]

what happened to thinking outside the box? :D

I'm sure the next KOH build will be a pogo stick with a V8 :D.

[RedRunnertc]

BUUUAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA (http://www.imagebam.com/image/a1b26f26629227/) :xdevil::xdevil::xdevil:

Damn, boy - saving money on the heating bill to pay for shocks? :D

[motochain]

Damn it Sean! You just keep pushin' up the bar...... You'll be too cool :kewl: in no time..


Can't wait to see them on!


Oh..... and :boobies:

[mrdoug]

I believe I can see Katie blushing from here.

Back to the build... I know you're laid up from surgery, so when are you planning on putting those bastards on the rig?

[Jade]

I'm jealous. I've tried sleeping with mine, but they're pretty cold. Santa approves though.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9dc32b3127ccec60eb914c2cf00000040O00AasWjJo5btW QPbz4e/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/

[RedRunnertc]

WTF Jade?!?!?!

Bed cage going in? We need to 'wheel and see the changes to the truck!

[Jade]

As soon as I can get the El Camino to daily driver status the truck comes apart. I still need some of the small parts, but I need a basic skill before things start going together too. I don't know that the truck will see much sunlight this summer.....we'll see how it goes....ya know.

[devinsixtyseven]

Katie, totally deadpan: "...Those...are my nipples."

There are five reasons in that photo that the thermostat is always set at 57 degrees :lmao:. I don't know if I'm in trouble or if she's proud. Can't tell.

So Jade you gonna mount those bad boys outside the frame rail, since the axle is wider?

Got a few more weeks before I can work on the truck again. Just time to wait for parts...

[Jade]

I haven't ruled it out, I'd like to keep some bed space.

[Jacket]

I'm jealous. I've tried sleeping with mine, but they're pretty cold. Santa approves though.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9dc32b3127ccec60eb914c2cf00000040O00AasWjJo5btW QPbz4e/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/

I can only imagine what you are doing with those things in the bed.:eek:

[Jade]

I figure that if it's common knowledge I've rubbed my genitals on them, they're less likely to get stolen.

[extremepaint]

I figure that if it's common knowledge I've rubbed my genitals on them, they're less likely to get stolen.

totally doing this next time i go shopping for VW's

[devinsixtyseven]

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, finally.

Started with a big piece of 3x4x0.25 box tube, cut it in half the easy way with the chop saw (too two cuts, and pretty certain my neighbors hate me now--Katie said she could hear it all the way up on the ridge :eek:!), then in half the hard way with the cutoff wheel, to get four pieces of 3x2 channel roughly 11" long (longer on the bottom than I thought necessary, unfortunately too short on top by a half inch or so, but workable).

Used the Jancy Slugger 9/16" bit, with the old hanger as a template, for very clean holes without any need for stepping through drill bits or pre-drilling anything. Very fast, as well.

http://thumbnails15.imagebam.com/3214/90191f32133953.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/90191f32133953)

Then lay out the 3-degree slant...the face of these pieces will lie flat against the frame, but the backing plate for the shackle needs to be in line with the leaf springs. I used the angle-o-meter to take the angle referenced to the bumper and the frame rail (it's close enough to correct). Lay it out with magnet and calipers, then clamps and straightedge, doublecheck with the calipers, and mark with pen and scribe. The scribe is important, the pen mostly burns off during the cut. I learned this after the first one, when I didn't use the scribe.

http://thumbnails16.imagebam.com/3214/3fcebe32133952.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/3fcebe32133952)

Then clamp a guide to the channel and make a rough cut.

http://thumbnails16.imagebam.com/3214/b8e58232133955.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/b8e58232133955)

Box tube holds a lot of internal stress. This was a bit of a problem later. We noticed when we cut the tube in half the hard way, when it sprang open a good 1/4", but I wasn't expecting this. To deal with it safely, make the cut deep, then plunge through at the start of the cut first, and work your way along the cut, so the drop comes up slowly rather than all at once.

http://thumbnails10.imagebam.com/3214/e5825e32133957.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/e5825e32133957)

Bolt them up and check the cut. The thinner piece bent back a bit, which I didn't like...it makes fitup a pain, and I have to correct the cut with the angle grinder so I'm not trying to fill gaps later with the glue gun, which affects the angle I was trying so hard to match. Also gotta remember to remove the seam, around the bolt area...that's important for later, and for seating the bolt properly. If I had a mill, I'd make it flat, but the flap wheel will do I suppose.

http://thumbnails13.imagebam.com/3214/9e734e32133958.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/9e734e32133958)

Now mark out a pattern on some 1/4" plate, and cut six 1.75" holes through it, plus one 1.25" hole...make two plates, and break the cutter on the 11th hole :mad:. Then realize you needed to make four, and should have drilled pilots for all four at once, except sometimes you're stupid and don't realize until you've cut out the pilot holes--the larger cutters take a 1/4" pilot. I should be able to template off the existing pieces well enough, I think.

Rough cut the pattern using the straightedge method from before, and a flap wheel to make it "straight" and "exact" enough for government work. Then set the fence on the chop saw at 3 degrees (use the angle-o-meter, reference is the blade), rough cut six sleeves, clean with flap wheel and a carbide side cutter in a hand drill, and mock everything up because it looks cool.

http://thumbnails15.imagebam.com/3214/dcc46632133963.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/dcc46632133963)

Cut a cardboard side profile of the proposed shackle, trim the channels square, position and clamp the backing plate, and check clearance, position, shackle length, general fit, and a million other little things.

http://thumbnails10.imagebam.com/3214/ea951432133966.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/ea951432133966)

The shackle pattern appears to be a hair too short, but the work should go a lot faster, now that I know what needs to be done. I do need to make a template to position the shackle hole, but the position of the rest is not as important, as long as the finished angle of the hanger is roughly three degrees referenced to the frame.

The hanger is about the same drop as the OEM piece, but the pivot is an inch higher, the shackle is wider and thicker, and will interface with the hanger over a much wider area than the OEM design, without the same binding issues as the thin OEM sleeve or constant need for grease like the aftermarket poly designs. The whole piece should be significantly stiffer and stronger, which is good since it's the first thing to hit, coming off ledges. I plan to run a sheet of HDPE on the bottom and back of each hanger.

Yes I do have an assembly plan for the middle sleeves :cool:. It will be easier to post pictures than try to explain.

[extremepaint]

Yes I do have an assembly plan for the middle sleeves :cool:. It will be easier to post pictures than try to explain.

it was trouble undersanding all of this on the phone... pretty overwelming on the tech! hard to keep track of it all! i dont even know how ya do it!?

lol pictures help a tremendous amount...

on the scary steering thread, i wonder what those people would be thinking if they wear reading this...... especially the guys that elminate the spring all together and just weld an I beam or an yold peice of scrap iron they have laying around directly from the frame to the axle......

[AxleIke]

VERY NICE!!!!!!!!!!! Great work man!

[RedRunnertc]

How long did all this take? :eek:

I bet you could have come over, used the plasma, and driven back in less time! (Or I could bring the plasma over there...)

[Quick Draw]

I'm sorry...maybe I'm just stupid.... WTF did you make?

[extremepaint]

I'm sorry...maybe I'm just stupid.... WTF did you make?
in lamense terms shakle and hanger... just put ALOT of thought into it! haha

[devinsixtyseven]

How long did all this take? :eek:

I bet you could have come over, used the plasma, and driven back in less time! (Or I could bring the plasma over there...)Toooo fawking long. Are you still gonna have the plasma on Saturday? Can I come over and use it? I need to rough out two more channels, and two more of those side pieces with all the holes...it takes forever with the angle grinder :rolleyes:.

I'm sorry...maybe I'm just stupid.... WTF did you make?A huge mess in the garage :xpimp:.

on the scary steering thread, i wonder what those people would be thinking if they wear reading this...... especially the guys that elminate the spring all together and just weld an I beam or an yold peice of scrap iron they have laying around directly from the frame to the axle......I should mock up something really silly and photoshop it in, on a trail picture...like a one-link with one coilover and one air bump. :rofl:

It is a shackle hanger and mockup for a new shackle, and it has me wanting a plasma cutter as soon as bloody possible.

[extremepaint]

Toooo fawking long. Are you still gonna have the plasma on Saturday? Can I come over and use it? I need to rough out two more channels, and two more of those side pieces with all the holes...it takes forever with the angle grinder :rolleyes:.

A huge mess in the garage :xpimp:.

I should mock up something really silly and photoshop it in, on a trail picture...like a one-link with one coilover and one air bump. :rofl:

It is a shackle hanger and mockup for a new shackle, and it has me wanting a plasma cutter as soon as bloody possible.

a couple words, monelectromagnetic axle compression and extention center device
:p

i think bose was using speakers for shocks so its not far off

[RedRunnertc]

Yes, i can have it here Saturday.

[devinsixtyseven]

Yes, i can have it here Saturday.

hooraaaaay! what time? ie how early can I show up?

[devinsixtyseven]

Did a quick mockup yesterday, to get a visual...

http://thumbnails17.imagebam.com/3237/473e2532361657.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/473e2532361657) http://thumbnails12.imagebam.com/3237/0fd8a932361659.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/0fd8a932361659) http://thumbnails13.imagebam.com/3237/d8498532361660.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/d8498532361660) http://thumbnails12.imagebam.com/3237/3bb77332361661.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/3bb77332361661)

Obviously that round plate gets cut like the other one ;)...and anyway it's the backing plate for the passenger side, the outer plates get smaller holes for the lower two in front, and for the pivot hole.

On the backing plate, the pivot bolt runs through a short piece of 1.25x0.250, it'll be boxed in through the back of the piece for a bit more support.

I'm making a jig for this, rather than weld it on the truck, so I can get everything welded in-position. I won't be able to get an ideal weld on the back of the top plate, the rear angled plate, or the back plate, but I can prep and get a decent edge weld, and anyway the three tubes at the back get fully welded and isolated from the shackle by a bulkhead, so by the time it's all assembled I'm not going to be worried about a couple of edge welds vs interior corners.

There's just a little piece of scrap in the rear bottom hole cuz when I took the picture the new Slugger hadn't arrived yet.

Realized yesterday that the cutouts from the Slugger saws are enough to center a new piece, so I have the two outside pieces center-drilled now, and the partially cut hole in the round plate in these pics is finished.

Also got one of those magnetized brush things. I have no idea how I survived so long without one.

[ike]

Once again, great work man.

[devinsixtyseven]

Made & assembled the jig, just need to put the finish welds on it, and fit the locator stub through the pivot hole. The pivot is centered, so I don't need to flip the jig over...I can use one side for both, and it doesn't exactly matter how the overall box it fit to the brackets, as long as the pivot is in the correct location and the sides of the box are at the correct angle and parallel to each other. The locator stub is perpendicular to the jig, and the backing plate is at a 3* angle to the jig, so only the majority of one side of the hole in the backing plate is used to locate the piece. It works great, and it also works the same for both right and left sides, since the effect is the same with the stub cut flat on the end, when the bracket angle is switched for the other side's hanger.

...That probably only makes sense to me :p. Here are the pictures...

This is the base of the jig, holes cut with Jancy Engineering Sluggers...those things are just badass. I used the OEM bracket to locate the 9/16" holes, then made a couple measurements, then a simple cardboard compass, and finally stuck a scribe through it and made a few circles to locate a construction line down the dead center between the four holes, and measured off that line to locate the correct center of the 1.25" hole.
http://thumbnails17.imagebam.com/3334/6781af33332281.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/6781af33332281)


Here's the 1.25" x 0.25" DOM locator stub, and the two brackets bolted down (not tight, they still have a curve, and the base of the jig isn't supported properly yet).
http://thumbnails19.imagebam.com/3334/6b187c33332283.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/6b187c33332283)


Then place the backing plate, using the stub to locate the lower side--forward side, w/r/t the truck, ie this is the left hanger--of the 1.25" hole in the plate.
http://thumbnails19.imagebam.com/3334/d6c55b33332284.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/d6c55b33332284)


...and the rest pretty much drops in place. The welding magnets aren't the right height, and the really long tube is just a piece I had laying around, it's not the right gauge anyway, but I wanted to see how easily the outer plate would drop down, once the sleeves were in place, and how stable it would be with just a few welding magnets holding the assembly together. It works out great. The "test bolt" is 3/4" diameter.
http://thumbnails.imagebam.com/3334/e38f1c33332285.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/e38f1c33332285) http://thumbnails6.imagebam.com/3334/aa9c9833332287.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/aa9c9833332287) http://thumbnails19.imagebam.com/3334/3d206d33332288.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/3d206d33332288)

With a pair of digital levels, I can use the jig plate as a reference to get the inside of the hanger at the correct angle.

I used some 14g box tube as bracing for the back of the jig, so I can clamp the cut sections down and remove the bend that was screwing everything up, from tension in the 1/4" box tube I used for the two brackets on each side. The clean surface of the plate is the result of big hairy twisted wire wheel, and elbow grease...two days ago, it was rusted and filthy, from sitting outside at K&K for who knows how long. I've had that piece of material for almost two years now, it's part of the sheet I used to make my welding/shop/crap table, and it was perfect for this.
http://thumbnails10.imagebam.com/3334/90fb9733332289.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/90fb9733332289) http://thumbnails11.imagebam.com/3334/7cc5e633332290.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/7cc5e633332290)


To get both sides parallel, and the pivot hole in the correct location, there's that really long 3/4" bolt (it's part of my homemade seal press for the rear axle LOL), a few welding magnets, and another tube stub similar to the one used to locate the pivot hole in the backing plate.

As soon as the assembly spacers are in hand, I can put this thing together :xsmokin1:! I'll probably just use a "normal" :D shackle for a while, just so I can drive around, while I figure out the best way to get the lathe cuts I need in a piece of solid stock for the shackle I really want.

[Volcom]

OK, what are you building again?? :D Looks like overkill for a set of rear shackle hangers :)

[extremepaint]

damn i wish we had a chuck for drill bits for the lathe at work, and we wernt so busy! 3 months of nothing then bam! more work than we can handle! it looks like i'll be putting in overtime at the shop to get your spacers done if you want them in the next month! lol

[devinsixtyseven]

OK, what are you building again?? :D Looks like overkill for a set of rear shackle hangers :)Did you see what I did to the old hangers? :rofl:

Plus...I suppose I have a certain philosophy with this...if I'm gonna do something this important, I'm gonna do it proper and thorough. I probably don't need 1/4" everywhere I used it tho LOL. The stock hangers were 3/16" and weren't boxed.

damn i wish we had a chuck for drill bits for the lathe at work, and we wernt so busy! 3 months of nothing then bam! more work than we can handle! it looks like i'll be putting in overtime at the shop to get your spacers done if you want them in the next month! lolDude...you have no idea how helpful that is :xpimp:. Anytime you need something welded up, tube bent, etc., you know where to go :xsmokin1:

Just finished welding up the jig. It was painful, and what I learned is deserving of its own thread :rolleyes:...I kinda knew it was gonna happen, but not to the degree it did...I wouldn't have done it, if the parts were "final draft", but I got it done to the degree it needs to work.

[devinsixtyseven]

Tack welding tubes to brackets. Magnets holding the plates parallel & tubes 90* to plates, finish-cut wood holding the 3* angle off the brackets to the inside plate. More separation between plates means easier to remove the plates once the tubes are tacked.
http://thumbnails17.imagebam.com/3694/afa9a036936826.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/afa9a036936826)

First round finish welds, tubes to brackets. Tacks holding the bottom in place, inside plate and magnets holding everything in position. Every magnet there is holding a tube 90* to the plate.
http://thumbnails18.imagebam.com/3694/c1fb0436936828.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/c1fb0436936828)

Tubes completely welded to brackets. The backing plate comes off & on with a little wiggling...everything stayed true.
http://thumbnails12.imagebam.com/3694/7dd5db36936829.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/7dd5db36936829)

Backing plate and short tubes prepped & clamped. Note the groove around each hole. There's a washer in the empty hole at the bottom, to keep spatter from falling where I need a washer to sit later.
http://thumbnails11.imagebam.com/3694/ae6a6936936830.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/ae6a6936936830)

The welds around the short tubes will be ground flush with the plate, the tubes will be welded to the plate, then I may be waiting for parts for the shackle since it'll be easier to build the hanger to the shackle than the other way around.
http://thumbnails17.imagebam.com/3694/419ed736936831.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/419ed736936831)

[devinsixtyseven]

It's difficult to balance a project like this and still have a life.

Two months after the last update, one of these boxes is finished to driveability, the other just needs a few welds to box it in, and it seems like every other day there's something I gotta do in the evening that soaks garage time.

I'll admit, I'm just bitching about it right now. The side that's finished looks good...they're not as huge as I was afraid they'd be, and from the back they're not really noticeable, no more so than the stock hangers.

Some pieces from Ballistic should arrive this week, so I can build some temporary shackles to DD & wheel until the others are finished.

A few more pieces of tube found their way to the tube bed.

That is all...mostly I been too lazy to post pics, cuz progress is so slow and changes are minimal...maybe some pics this weekend, after both hangers are in place and the sides of the cage look a little more finished...

[devinsixtyseven]

Getting my shit together here...found if I wait til late evening, being in the garage is bearable. Progress pics, starting a while back:

Needs more tube...
http://thumbnails16.imagebam.com/3934/8c32ac39335615.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/8c32ac39335615)

Marked with a pipemaster, roughed on the bandsaw, finished with the flap wheel...
http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/4448/b6578c44473610.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/b6578c44473610) http://thumbnails6.imagebam.com/4448/98c30d44473611.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/98c30d44473611) http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/4448/cbc16c44473612.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/cbc16c44473612) http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/4448/67ffb644473614.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/67ffb644473614)

I thought I was hot shit with that notch job, til I did the other one and somehow rotated one end about two or three degrees, then had to take the grinding wheel to it to make it right again, and just deal with the gaps. Got the crossbar in place, pretty easy to spread the rails with the HiLift...
http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/4448/923dcd44473616.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/923dcd44473616)

Scoup's got my back on the late shift...
http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/4448/84de3144473617.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/84de3144473617)

[AxleIke]

Looks awesome man!

So...Are you going for more of a baja rig, or what? The tubing in the bed looks like its to strenghten the frame and provide mounting points for fiberglass sides and spares, but not for protection?

Absolutely stellar work Sean...I love reading your posts, always learning new stuff.

[devinsixtyseven]

Now for those damn hangers...

Brackets bolted down tight & aligned on the fixture, backing plate aligned to fixture, sleeves mounted & finish welded. The backing plate isn't finish welded to the brackets yet, only to the tube, and the tubes are finish welded to the brackets. I used a bunch of welding magnets and some finished wood (probably trim pieces or something) to space and align everything to get the M10 around everything between the plate, tube & brackets. You can see where I ground down the welds on the short sleeves and the partial sleeve so they're about level with the surface of the backing plate. The smaller OD, thickwall tubing are spacers turned by Ben on the lathe, to keep the sides parallel when I weld this up.
http://thumbnails8.imagebam.com/4448/ecf25944473629.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/ecf25944473629)

Drop the top, after everything prepped, and clamp the shit out of it...add a bolt for reference, to make sure it's really lined up.
http://thumbnails6.imagebam.com/4448/54009d44473631.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/54009d44473631) http://thumbnails6.imagebam.com/4448/3df3d844473618.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/3df3d844473618) http://thumbnails7.imagebam.com/4448/db075b44473620.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/db075b44473620) http://thumbnails7.imagebam.com/4448/475c8c44473621.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/475c8c44473621) http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/4448/7527b444473623.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/7527b444473623) http://thumbnails6.imagebam.com/4448/56b1c944473625.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/56b1c944473625)

Then fill in the blanks...
http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/4448/3ec01144473627.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/3ec01144473627)

Cut off the corners...
http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/4448/43be8444473628.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/43be8444473628)

Test fit...
http://thumbnails5.imagebam.com/4448/1d44f844473636.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/1d44f844473636)

Finally box it in and mount it on the truck.
http://thumbnails6.imagebam.com/4448/c130c644473637.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/c130c644473637)

Yes it's overbuilt. Realized that not long after I started boxing it in. Also realized that it doesn't particularly matter...those pieces ride on the leaf spring via the shackle, the frame hangs from them, they're sprung weight, and they're also used as skid plates...part of why they're overbuilt. They still need bottom panels, which will be skinned with a piece of HDPE or something. The bottom panels rest under, not between, the side panels, so a couple well-secured nuts should do the trick and I'll be able to remove the bottom panel entirely to clean it and make shackle install/removal a piece of cake.

I also realized as I was finishing the second hanger that there was a better, easier, and lighter way to do this which would have been just as strong...flip the shackle like I talked about before, and support the outside of the flipped hanger with a pair of tube outriggers between the nearest cage nodes and the hanger, reusing the stock mounting holes with a similar but thinner design to what I'm using now.

Not that I'm gonna bother. This will do fine I'm sure.

Thinking a couple utility boxes would fit great over those hangers.

[devinsixtyseven]

Yeah Isaac, you got it...this is also the first tube assembly I've ever done, and the guys that have seen it up close can attest to the visible progression in the quality of my fitup and welding as I've worked on it. I'll get some pictures of the cage when I get all the welding finished up...there are some real WTF items in there, like those tube corners up front, where the gap is huge because I got in over my head trying to do something too complicated too soon. Don't think I'll make a corner like that again...simple nodes are fine anyway, I was messing around when I did it.

Same with a few other pieces, fitup was sloppy and I had to fill a gap. In fact, years down the road when I build a new cage end to end, I'll do all sorts of things different, from location of nodes to location or deletion of bends, location of frame mounts, better planning for shock mounting points, bump stops and suspension hangers, etc...I got this one close, but not correct, and hopefully I've learned enough to design the next one properly.

Most of the tube is 13g anyway...I wanted a project that would be useful and a learning experience. This isn't the last cage this truck will see.

I certainly didn't build this for rollover protection...more for utility, strength and weight reduction.

[devinsixtyseven]

Example weld from last night:

http://thumbnails8.imagebam.com/4448/d060e944473638.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/d060e944473638)

They don't all turn out like that all the time, but more of them are turning out that way. Think I learned something, gonna run it by the guys at OFN to make sure I learned the right lesson, then I'll post it on the welding thread. The discontinuities in that bead are where I had to shift hand position to do the next section...wasn't able to move quite as smooth as I wanted, but very close. Heat input was fairly even, start and finish were pretty good, and I spent most of the time at the root of the two pieces and let the filler deposit from there rather than running side to side and letting it fall to the root, which is a mistake I've made in the past and results in surface penetration on the sides but only minimal penetration at the root. That's appropriate for tying stuff together without a backing plate or material at the root (like welding tickets together), but not for what I was doing here and not for the majority of the welds on this piece.

Truck looks like this as of last night:
http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/4448/8c61b744473639.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/8c61b744473639)

[RedRunnertc]

If you were on Facebook, I could harass you like I do Russell ... so I'll just have to do it here ...


Done yet?

[AxleIke]

Well Sean, I'm WAY impressed.

I very much like the strength and thought you put into the pieces you built. FWIW, I don't believe in overbuilding. Overbuilt means not broke later on, as I've found out the hard way.

You are certainly the fabricator I wish I was. Perhaps if I had put as much time as you into my suspension, I wouldn't be sitting here with broke crap and a bad attitude.

Hats off to you sir, I look forward to the progression.

[extremepaint]

if it breaks it will surley be something spectacular, something like the orings freezing in the challenger launch.

didnt i hear you say your actualy a rocket scientist? or was that mad scientist?

[Lysmachia]

Nope Rocket Scientist..... and if he had his way he woulda over-engineered the O-rings on challenger too!

[Jade]

I thought he was a Rocket Surgeon.....

[devinsixtyseven]

Mad rocket surgeon :cool:.

[devinsixtyseven]

Got some ARP wheel studs on the left now, 2.2" long underhead length is enough to clear rotor and wheel, and provide quite a bit more thread engagement for the lug nuts. They'll also clear 1.5" adapters, if that matters to anyone...I'm not using them anymore, except at the moment to seat the wheel studs.

It's still on two jack stands, one tire and a peg leg...Doug if you don't mind waiting a bit longer for that jack stand...?

Several parts on order: 1/8"x27 NPT to AN-3 90* fittings for the rear calipers, plastic coated braided stainless lines, and a couple more adapters. What's on there now will become the backup kit...the lines are AN-3, but not plastic coated...dirt gets in the braiding and abrades the liner over time. Also, a long AN-3 line for the run between the rear axle and the frame....what's on there now is the AN-4 solution from busting the line a while back, and too many adapter fittings.

Once the rear lines are done properly, and I slot the tabs at the front bulkhead, I'll flush the lines and put it back on two wheels, and then get to the other two wheels :rolleyes:...

[mrdoug]

It's still on two jack stands, one tire and a peg leg...Doug if you don't mind waiting a bit longer for that jack stand...?

I don't know man.. there's dust in my garage that has nowhere to gather ... we'll have to talk about compensation later :)

Seriously, I still have to find the time to hunt down some more exhaust parts so that I can finish my cross over before I need that stand back.

[RedRunnertc]

Seriously? This thing EVER gonna be done?

You could have called Tubes 'n Hoses and had Doug bring you all the stuff ready-made when he comes down to get his jackstand back ... LOL

[devinsixtyseven]

Seriously? This thing EVER gonna be done?I dunno...one of these days...:lmao:

You could have called Orme Bros and had UPS bring you all the stuff ready-made, and had Doug bring a list of booze he wants to try when he comes down to get his jackstand back ... LOLThat rot thur is closer to the truth :cool:.

[Lysmachia]

We have many jack stands if anyone needs em ;)

[devinsixtyseven]

My junk is back on two wheels...I'm 25% closer to having it back on its own suspension :lmao:...

[Quick Draw]

I noticed tubes and hoses was mentioned here, and I though I should add that they are awesome. I called them up with what I wanted, and they made my SS brake line in less than the time it took to drive there from Ft. Collins. And I only paid like $5 more than I would have for a mass produced trailgear line if you account for shipping. They even had all kinds of cool sheathing color options (the plastic stuff that goes over the SS). I got clear to match my other ones, but black or red or blue sounded way cool.

[devinsixtyseven]

tubes and hoses

Is this "Tubes 'n' Hoses of Loveland"?

[Quick Draw]

Yes.

[Lysmachia]

OOh good site to add to our list of research sites. Kyle can you post thier number or add it to our research thread under maint?

[devinsixtyseven]

Got a buncha stuff cut for shackles, and got the bolts for them.

Almost burned up a huge DeWalt corded drill...cut 2x 2.75" holes through 1/4", and a pair of holes through 3/16", with a Slugger bit...like they say in the industry, anything is possible with a steady hand and lots of lube.

Learned my lesson near the end of the third hold, damn near burned my hand on the motor housing...the tricks, other than massive quantities of cutting fluid, are cold air and intermittent cuts, plus cutting halfway through from each side when going thicker than 1/8" with these, even though the rated DOC is 1/4". Chip ejection isn't very good when it gets deep, and running by hand is increasingly risky as the cutting head sinks--another reason for using plenty of cutting fluid.

Shooting for being off jack stands this weekend or next.

Then, shock mounts, bedsides, and all the little things to make it street legal and weather-resistant. I need my wheels back now more than I need to put on all the little fiddly things like shock mounts or a floor for the cage or whatever.

[Lysmachia]

Kick ass Sean/ yeah When we drilled the anchor for our garage floor I about cooked my hand clean through on the hammer drill motor housing.

Oh and we got this pic for you in Prague BTW....

Scotts stumbling home from a bar perhaps?
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs210.snc1/7735_1229962916719_1458498159_30648571_4729915_n.j pg

[devinsixtyseven]

:xsmokin1: That'll be me soon enough...at least the first guy.

But, if you ever catch me wearing my kilt like either of the other two guys, feel free to make nancy-boy jokes til I correct my clothing :lmao:.

-S

[mrdoug]

Do we have to wait?.. I thought I'd start the first time I see you wearing the dress.

[devinsixtyseven]

Do we have to wait?.. I thought I'd start the first time I see you wearing the dress.Ok...joke away...but remember, while you're standing in nut soup, I'll being enjoying the benefits of Scottish Air Conditioning :flipoff4:.

[Lysmachia]

Dude, the last guy... "Pull up yer socks!!!"

[devinsixtyseven]

An update? Really?

Yeah...so I been getting a lot done lately, and don't really have time to post big updates (just a lot of bullshit in general chat), so here are some photos & stuff...

http://thumbnails20.imagebam.com/6072/27da0860715137.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/27da0860715137)
TIE fighter mask. Highly recommend this thing...canisters aren't sitting in the weld plume, and the hoses fit under the grinding & welding masks. No more black boogers or scratchy throat.

http://thumbnails5.imagebam.com/6072/2d6a0360715131.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/2d6a0360715131)
New vs old shackle...new one isn't finished in this pic, it's just showing how I sorted out two separate sleeves with some creative bracing. Made a fixture, some spacers, moved one of the grease ports, trimmed the flange off the inner bushings, crammed the whole thing together...did this cuz the bearing idea isn't happening any time soon and this works fine. Everything lined up great. The braces are covered, btw...no empty space for water/mud to get in. Wish I had one of those plate bending dies...I wanted this really clean around the curve, it's boxy, but whatever. Nobody, least of all me, is gonna give a shit when they're rattlecanned black and covered in mud. As long as I can reach the grease ports, it's cool.

http://thumbnails6.imagebam.com/6072/a90be360715141.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/a90be360715141)
Not all perfect, but all should hold fine. Going around a curve is difficult...and so are restarts. Still learning those two skills. Not bad for a beginner like me I suppose, but I know I can do better with practice. Grease ports on the bottom, new and old are sorta visible in the foreground.

http://thumbnails25.imagebam.com/6072/b703ef60715151.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/b703ef60715151)
In place...FYI the bolt is just a test piece, gotta get some 4.5" rather than this slightly-too-short 4".

Some shackle position stuff:

http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/6072/4f333d60715179.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/4f333d60715179)
This is the shackle angle at the spring's natural arch. The full pack will arch the leaf a little farther.

http://thumbnails25.imagebam.com/6072/e4e52460715175.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/e4e52460715175)
Hard to make it stay put, but the spring is slightly overarched here, and the shackle is at the point of false stability between flipping back up or reversing.

http://thumbnails6.imagebam.com/6072/abbb0460715172.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/abbb0460715172)
Shackle is reversed. I can push it down and completely flip it over with very little effort, from here.

I suppose this could be an argument for a longer shackle. Shouldn't be an issue tho, as it'll be strapped before it could drop far enough to flip, and the natural action of compressing the suspension will point the shackle back up where it should be.

http://thumbnails25.imagebam.com/6072/187b3c60715169.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/187b3c60715169)
Slapped the suspension together and went for a couple laps around the block. It's sitting right about where I want it...just a hair high in the rear, without the front bumper or skids mounted, so loaded it should be just about right. It should sit about an inch lower in the rear than it was before.

Back in the garage, took it all apart, cycled the suspension (sorry, no pics, but it's the full pack to its natural arch & measure, then one pack down to the main leaf & wood blocks + u-bolts to full articulation, then both packs down to main leaf + wood etc. and up to full stuff), it's between 13-14". I took all my measurements from the frame to the center of the u-bolt plate...the wheels move farther, so do the shock mounts, so I'm glad I got 16" shocks instead of 14".

http://thumbnails23.imagebam.com/6072/b03f7160715182.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/b03f7160715182)
Roughed out the shocks mounts on the band saw...all the curves were on the saw, by hand. I need a plasma cutter. Evened them out with a flap wheel, chewed out the inner radius with the grinding wheel.

http://thumbnails16.imagebam.com/6072/cc8ad760715186.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/cc8ad760715186)
Pulled the hub...

http://thumbnails25.imagebam.com/6072/fd0ebe60715189.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/fd0ebe60715189)
And got down to business. Again, not perfect...I was spreading out toward the end of the bead, but not terrible...I'm comfortable with it. Also something notable...I didn't see much discoloration on the axle tube, which makes me leery about how far that weld actually penetrated. I guess I'm ok with it, since it was about the same when I did the leaf spring mounts a while back and received good feedback from guys on the Miller welding forum. The toes look like they're wetted in at least...but yeah, I'm still leery, and this is part of why the mount wraps halfway around the tube and is welded to the flange.

http://thumbnails22.imagebam.com/6072/4c22fa60715194.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/4c22fa60715194)
More of the same plate, more crappy beginner welds from me. This was the first plate, the other three were progressively better, as were the interior welds.

http://thumbnails13.imagebam.com/6072/1cbe7360715202.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/1cbe7360715202)
There's a problem here, tho it's probably not obvious. The bolt is in the same plane as the spring seat, which isn't necessarily correct...it should be in a plane splitting the difference between the shock angle at full compression and full droop, and I wasn't even thinking about it when I cycled the suspension and did all my test fitting. Shouldn't be an issue tho, the misalignment joint appears to be able to take up my slack.

http://thumbnails25.imagebam.com/6072/fb813460715197.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/fb813460715197)
The shock won't be this far forward. It's just roped up for grins, and to check out that error I made with the tab angle inside the shock mounts.

http://thumbnails24.imagebam.com/6072/1be92960715204.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/1be92960715204)
With (wet) primer. Both sides are done, paint is drying, time to sort out the upper shock mounts.

[fast7mtoys]

seriously i consider myself a good welder.......and those welds look awesome!!!!!

[AxleIke]

Flipping awesome.

I love it!

Now, you gotta let me know the next time you are going to lay some beads, so I can swing over and watch. I'm serious, those "beginner welds" are better than anything I've every layed down in my entire life.

[Lysmachia]

Beginner welds my ass Sean. They do look sick. I my friend do beginner welds! (meaning I am not allowed to weld by Troy!)

[mrdoug]

meh.. keep practicing, you'll get the hang of it :rolleyes:

[RedRunnertc]

.

http://thumbnails6.imagebam.com/6072/a90be360715141.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/a90be360715141)

http://thumbnails25.imagebam.com/6072/fd0ebe60715189.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/fd0ebe60715189)

http://thumbnails22.imagebam.com/6072/4c22fa60715194.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/4c22fa60715194)


You need to grind all that out and start over.

Seriously.

First photo - about 10:00, there's an area where the edge isn't wetted. The heat was aimed too much in to the plate and not enough into the tube.

Second and thirds ones, too much silica trapped in the weld.











j/k - those welds look like they were plenty hot and you got good fill. Good job!

[devinsixtyseven]

First photo - about 10:00, there's an area where the edge isn't wetted. The heat was aimed too much in to the plate and not enough into the tube.

Second and thirds ones, too much silica trapped in the weld.Fawker, you had me anxiously going back over those pictures looking for cold lap, undercut, and all sorts of shit :flipoff4:.

Thank you all for the kind words :)...

I'm always paranoid about my welds, and there's always room for improvement. Check out the stuff at OFN...that is what I aim for :o...

[devinsixtyseven]

http://thumbnails8.imagebam.com/6221/a7a49062201464.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/a7a49062201464)

Did that today. The 9-year old Optima is pretty much hashed...won't even keep a charge overnight. That massive Odyssey, on the other hand...I don't remember the last time I heard the starter crank that fast :eek:.

The battery holder can also be used to iron my socks. Actually, I just haven't finished it yet...gonna cut some go-fast holes.

Thanks everyone who stopped by and helped yesterday!

I have a plan for the mechanical brake that will address the pull angle as well as the interference with the new shock mount...but first, I need to solve the rear hydraulic brake issue :confused:...I posted a thread in Maintenance...

-Sean

[00regcab]

Those Odysseys are awesome for the first year or so. After that they kinda start to lose their kick unfortunately.


Everything looked really good on the truck though Sean! Glad it's coming together!

[AxleIke]

Those Odysseys are awesome for the first year or so. After that they kinda start to lose their kick unfortunately.


Everything looked really good on the truck though Sean! Glad it's coming together!

Only had experience with one Odyssey, which is in my dad's 4runner, and that thing is kicking strong after 6 years, and winch use. Could be he has the exception, but I've heard others have good experiences too.

[ike]

Dougs seems to be holding up fine as well.

[RedRunnertc]

Yeah, that's interesting Nate - first even remotely bad thing I've ever heard about an Odyssey battery... which is what I will be getting next time (probably in DieHard Platinum form)

[00regcab]

Well it's been my experience with their 'race' batteries in Honda's. They usually barely make it a year, been through a couple of them now.

I guess they do things a little better with the 'offroad' or 'full size' batteries. I cant recall which company they sold out to right off the top of my head now, but I want to say a company like Optima or Interstate now owns Odyssey.

[Lysmachia]

Yeah I'm not a big fan of Optima's anymore.

[RedRunnertc]

Doesn't say anything on their website, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were owned by a large battery company - like tires, there's really only a few manufacturers for all the brands of batteries out there.

Nate - is that racing, running without an alternator, charging between passes, etc? How do the Odysseys hold up compared to other batteries used the same way?

[00regcab]

Nate - is that racing, running without an alternator, charging between passes, etc? How do the Odysseys hold up compared to other batteries used the same way?

Racing battery as in "compact lightweight" is how they market it. I was always running an alternator, on battery charger in the garage when not being used for extended period of time, etc. The battery wasn't abused by any means.

They're literally only about 7" wide, 6" deep, and 2" across but still have a CCA rating of like 300+ and so on.

Odyssey is about the only company that lists a "race" battery in their products, and actually markets it. Currently I'm running just a stock sized, OEM Honda battery. It's been sitting in the garage not on a charger or anything for about 3 weeks now, still has power in it (checked it today in fact). Where as my Odyssey would go dead after about 3 days of sitting (even in the summer when it was warm/new).

The race battery was really only an idea for weight savings, which is quite drastic with that battery from odyssey. IIRC it's something like 18-20lbs lighter than an OEM civic battery, but not 100% certain on that currently. Now most of the people I know with honda's are running crotch rocket/harley batteries from Interstate without any issues.

[AxleIke]

Ah!

Well, their full sized ones seem to be a bit better, and these babies are FULL SIZED, as in, we had to modify the battery tray area and mount to fit it in. Its BIG.

[mrdoug]

I've been very happy with my DieHard Platinum P1 which I hear is an odyssey battery. It cranks and cranks all day long. But it's a big mother and I had to tweak my battery hookups to use it (wrong posts on the wrong side).

880 CCA if I remember right.

[devinsixtyseven]

Yeah that is a full-bodied battery for sure...it's about half again as long as the Optima I was running. I started hearing negative feedback regarding Optima batteries a couple years ago, and figured I'd try the other brand.

The DH Platinum is nearly identical to one of the Odyssey-branded batteries, but I forget which one. Same factory, slightly different packaging for Sears.

Ok...so...the truck, and the rear brakes.

The situation is posted in other threads, here's the recap...the brakes can't currently halt the rear hubs at idle in low range RWD. It's really weird, standing on the brakes and feeling the truck sneaking forward because the front tires are just sliding on packed snow, while the rear tires (currently at low pressure) keep tanking right along. I have two Wilwood prop valves in series, I'm guessing that's the problem, just too little pressure to the rear. I went to test everything today, and found one of the valves completely seized up (impossible to adjust, valve at 57%), and then I got really cranky and just moved the whole damn thing inside the cab with the one prop valve that's still in good condition.

http://thumbnails23.imagebam.com/6230/d748fe62290039.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/d748fe62290039)

I know you guys well enough to know what you're thinking when you see that unfinished tube sticking up there.

You're thinking "holy shit, his truck is equipped with a bidet!"

No...you're wrong. It's even better than that.

The line sticking up goes to the rear brakes, and while it is a tube of material, it is meant to carry a fluid, which as we all know technically makes it a pipe. We also all know from countless discussions that "pipe is for poop". That line sticking up is my last-ditch emergency brake...if the going gets really rough and I shit myself, it'll automatically lock up the rear brakes.

It's just sitting like that because it's a 20" line and I need a 15".

[Lysmachia]

That line sticking up is my last-ditch emergency brake...if the going gets really rough and I shit myself, it'll automatically lock up the rear brakes.


Genious engineering Sean!

[mrdoug]

For some reason, this immediately came to mind..

http://www.3click.tv/mp4//South%20Park/season5/metadata/179614.jpg

[ike]

:lmao:

[devinsixtyseven]

:rofl:

Tho I think there's only cause for alarm if I say it's ready for the trail and you notice there's no driver's seat.

[Quick Draw]

Hey it beats flying with the airlines, right?

[motochain]

Still lurking in the shadows around here. Looking good Sean! Been wondering how the progress has been coming, since the reason for the shackle redesign came about almost 2 years ago!!!! DANG! :)

[AxleIke]

Hey it beats flying with the airlines, right?

Yup, sure does! LOL.

[devinsixtyseven]

Still lurking in the shadows around here. Looking good Sean! Been wondering how the progress has been coming, since the reason for the shackle redesign came about almost 2 years ago!!!! DANG! :)

Yeah, I know...I really put the project on the back burner for about a year and enjoyed life...but now I need the truck.

It has been a technical and personal learning experience. Can't say I'd do it all again the same way...and I certainly won't do anything like it again until the truck isn't a DD.

The good news is, as soon as the brake lines are done and I can confirm the rear brakes work properly, it's back on the road. There are a few loose ends...but the major stuff is done, and I can keep working on the cage during the winter if I want.

[ike]

time to get it back out on the trail again then.

[devinsixtyseven]

http://thumbnails21.imagebam.com/6274/e9033a62730749.gif (http://www.imagebam.com/image/e9033a62730749)

7/16" holes to fit the brake line fittings, grommets with I think 1/2" openings, a little electrical tape to bulk up the line, and shrink tube on top for a snug fit. Pushed some fluid down the lines and checked for loose fittings, gonna bleed it tonight and hopefully at least check out the rear brake pressure on jack stands...if the brake lines are good to go, I can throw the front skids and the bedsides back on and go for a spin.

[Lysmachia]

Join us for the snow run this sunday?

[devinsixtyseven]

Join us for the snow run this sunday?If I'm healthy, truck checks out, and I'm not doing kid stuff, I'll be there...kind of a long shot at the moment, tho!

*edit* Read that as: I am damn sure gonna try and make it! :lmao:

[Lysmachia]

Cool, we'd really like to see you there, plus you'd win the "get on the road" competition!!!

[devinsixtyseven]

IT WORKS IT WORKS :xozzy:

Still a little soft, but as I recall, the pedal throw was a LOT longer, post rear discs.

[ike]

Awesome!

[devinsixtyseven]

Tomorrow I get to put all the body stuff back on, finally. Part of me wants to stay up and do it overnight :lmao:...but I gotta work in the AM. SOOOO excited :xpimp:.