Safely Drilling the Frame
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,571
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From: Oxford, Indiana
Safely Drilling the Frame
I'm working on building a bracket for my Toyoyo steering box and I'm going to have to drill a couple extra holes in the frame to mount it. I'm using one original hole in the web of the rail and I want to add a mounting point behind the box in the top flange and in front of the box in the lower flange.
My question is this: Can I safely drill two holes side by side in the flanges perpendicular to the rail or should I just go with one bolt in the center of the flange at each location? If it matters, I'll be bolting 2"x3/8" bar stock to it and the bolt size will be 7/16". My concern is that I might induce cracking with two perpendicular holes instead of just one, but I would feel better about the strength with two bolts at each location. I'm an electrician, not an engineer. This structural stuff makes my head hurt.
My question is this: Can I safely drill two holes side by side in the flanges perpendicular to the rail or should I just go with one bolt in the center of the flange at each location? If it matters, I'll be bolting 2"x3/8" bar stock to it and the bolt size will be 7/16". My concern is that I might induce cracking with two perpendicular holes instead of just one, but I would feel better about the strength with two bolts at each location. I'm an electrician, not an engineer. This structural stuff makes my head hurt.
Roast em' if you got 'em
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 22,013
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From: Rio Rancho, NM
I'm no engineer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night....
I say go for it with the double holes. I think all of the brackets I have seen have double holes. I think that as long as you have the correct size bolts for the holes, and everything is tight you won't have any issues.
Bobby
I say go for it with the double holes. I think all of the brackets I have seen have double holes. I think that as long as you have the correct size bolts for the holes, and everything is tight you won't have any issues.
Bobby
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From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
If you can add a 3/16`s steel plate on either side of the frame where the extra holes are drilled so the bolts that hold the steering box on tighten it to the frame, you may not really need it though.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,571
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From: Oxford, Indiana
Thanks for the opinions, gentlemen. After considering your input and tinkering with it some more, I think I've finally figured out how to build a bracket that will mount the Toyota box in the proper position to connect it with the stock column in the stock location through the floor and still bolt to the frame through the three original steering box bolt holes in the web of the rail. That's about all I can ask for. None of the commercially available mounting brackets will land it at the proper angle for this in a '48-'52 chassis. I guess everybody just runs an aftermarket column and pokes it through the floor in a convenient spot to make it work. Once I've got it done, I'll have to post a new thread with details of what I did and why. I'm very surprised no one else has raised this issue before.
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