front Spring hangers
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
Got a little bit done last night. It's slow going though for sure...
Rusty stock stuff that came off. The small brackets MAY be re-used so I left um in the sand blaster so Suzy can have some fun (she loves sand blasting).
Hunk of tube I'm using - ready to be cut to length
Marked for the hitch receiver tube
Drilling the 4 - 1" holes for the corners of the receiver tube.
About an hour later - 4 holes are drilled. This tube is thick (1/4") and my hole saw was getting tired...
Center cut out using a cut off wheel
After a 1/2 hour or more of clean up with a drum sander...
Rusty stock stuff that came off. The small brackets MAY be re-used so I left um in the sand blaster so Suzy can have some fun (she loves sand blasting).
Hunk of tube I'm using - ready to be cut to length
Marked for the hitch receiver tube
Drilling the 4 - 1" holes for the corners of the receiver tube.
About an hour later - 4 holes are drilled. This tube is thick (1/4") and my hole saw was getting tired...
Center cut out using a cut off wheel
After a 1/2 hour or more of clean up with a drum sander...
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
The receiver tube is 1/4" as well so the radius on the corners is 1". The 1" holesaw is the best part for the job for sure.
This work needs to be precision fit for TIG welding
For me plasma is not precision enough (darn my shaky hands
) and requires too much clean up on something like this.
I guess with as long as it took to drill the holes I could have cut and just used that time on the cleanup. Oh well...
This work needs to be precision fit for TIG welding
For me plasma is not precision enough (darn my shaky hands
) and requires too much clean up on something like this. I guess with as long as it took to drill the holes I could have cut and just used that time on the cleanup. Oh well...
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: Astoria Oregon
dang I wish I had a plasma cuter.. i had that urge to get something done last night so I started making the end caps and gussets..but since my torch is empty i had to use a cutting wheel
.. A plasma cutter would be nice..
[IMG]file:///C:/Users/other/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG][IMG]file:///C:/Users/other/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg[/IMG]
keep in mind im not just welding a hunk of steal under the truck.. this is just a picture when i was cutting it to size.. ill try and get new pics as soon as possible.
well this one is for Ed lol this is why i started the project in the first place.. something inside me thought it was a good idea to replace these.. lol
.. A plasma cutter would be nice..[IMG]file:///C:/Users/other/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG][IMG]file:///C:/Users/other/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg[/IMG]
keep in mind im not just welding a hunk of steal under the truck.. this is just a picture when i was cutting it to size.. ill try and get new pics as soon as possible.
well this one is for Ed lol this is why i started the project in the first place.. something inside me thought it was a good idea to replace these.. lol
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
dang I wish I had a plasma cuter.. i had that urge to get something done last night so I started making the end caps and gussets..but since my torch is empty i had to use a cutting wheel.. A plasma cutter would be nice..
[IMG]file:///C:/Users/other/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG][IMG]file:///C:/Users/other/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg[/IMG]
keep in mind im not just welding a hunk of steal under the truck.. this is just a picture when i was cutting it to size.. ill try and get new pics as soon as possible.
well this one is for Ed lol this is why i started the project in the first place.. something inside me thought it was a good idea to replace these.. lol
.. A plasma cutter would be nice..[IMG]file:///C:/Users/other/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG][IMG]file:///C:/Users/other/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg[/IMG]
keep in mind im not just welding a hunk of steal under the truck.. this is just a picture when i was cutting it to size.. ill try and get new pics as soon as possible.
well this one is for Ed lol this is why i started the project in the first place.. something inside me thought it was a good idea to replace these.. lol
I even tried cutting and pasting the stuff between the IMG codes and just got an error message
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
I know the feeling...
I just tried to open this thread in firefox to see if that helped. The red X's dissappeared all together rather than having any pictures show. Oh well - hopefully it's a momentary glitch.
I got a little work done on my stuff tonight - though not a ton. I started cutting out the back of the rectangular tube. I tried a plasma this time just for Ed. It cut faster than drilling the holes and then cutting, but as I thought there is a lot more cleanup.
I spent a little more time grinding on the front as well and I got the receiver tube to fit.
Mmmm - tight enough fit to TIG weld!
That's all til next week. I'm off to go camping for the weekend
It's just too bad the crew isn't done - this was the trip I was hoping would be the maiden voyage
I just tried to open this thread in firefox to see if that helped. The red X's dissappeared all together rather than having any pictures show. Oh well - hopefully it's a momentary glitch.
I got a little work done on my stuff tonight - though not a ton. I started cutting out the back of the rectangular tube. I tried a plasma this time just for Ed. It cut faster than drilling the holes and then cutting, but as I thought there is a lot more cleanup.
I spent a little more time grinding on the front as well and I got the receiver tube to fit.
Mmmm - tight enough fit to TIG weld!
That's all til next week. I'm off to go camping for the weekend
It's just too bad the crew isn't done - this was the trip I was hoping would be the maiden voyage
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Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: Astoria Oregon
welll now I see all of the pictures soo WHAT EVER!! lol
you got more work done today then I did
...i hoped to get my end caps welded on today but you know how things go.
.. I told my self i was going to work on my rig today but then i saw my nova sitting in the corner and well its after 1:00 a.m. so you can imagine how that worked out. haha
i know the fealing though.. we have a local mud bog race every year here in astoria and Im hustling to get it done in time for this year..hopefully her made'n voige knock on wood
you got more work done today then I did
...i hoped to get my end caps welded on today but you know how things go... I told my self i was going to work on my rig today but then i saw my nova sitting in the corner and well its after 1:00 a.m. so you can imagine how that worked out. haha i know the fealing though.. we have a local mud bog race every year here in astoria and Im hustling to get it done in time for this year..hopefully her made'n voige knock on wood
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 6,948
Likes: 44
Thats a very nice fit Steve. The only thing that I can see is that the "Mutt" will never get that stuck. Ehhhh, who knows, at least if I have to pull you out, no, wait, eventually when I have to pull you out, I can rest assured that the reciever will not be pulling off..
Yeah, just yankin your chain. (pun intended!)
Yeah, just yankin your chain. (pun intended!)
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
You got it backwards! I'm buildin this thing for when I gotta yank ol Red outta the mud - hahahaha
Just kiddin though - you are probably right and you'll have to yank me out 1st
I'm excited to get working on this thing. In fact - I wasn't supposed to spend as much time on it as I did last night. I ran to the shop last night to "quickly" grab something before meeting a buddy. Well - time slipped away and an hour or more later Suzy asks "so when are we gonna leave???" hahaha. I got a tiny bit done, but ruined a non shop t-shirt in the process. I wasn't gonna be working long so I didn't bother changing - oh well. Once it was ruined I figured what the heck - I might as well not worry about it now and work and get it dirty
Just kiddin though - you are probably right and you'll have to yank me out 1st
I'm excited to get working on this thing. In fact - I wasn't supposed to spend as much time on it as I did last night. I ran to the shop last night to "quickly" grab something before meeting a buddy. Well - time slipped away and an hour or more later Suzy asks "so when are we gonna leave???" hahaha. I got a tiny bit done, but ruined a non shop t-shirt in the process. I wasn't gonna be working long so I didn't bother changing - oh well. Once it was ruined I figured what the heck - I might as well not worry about it now and work and get it dirty
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
Ok - got a bit of work done on the front leaf hanger last night. It took a LOT of grinding to get that hitch tube to fit - but it's in there now
Got the receiver all set up - but I won't weld it in the cross member thing until the very end - just in case.
Starting the cuts for the leaf hanger areas
Got the receiver all set up - but I won't weld it in the cross member thing until the very end - just in case.
Starting the cuts for the leaf hanger areas
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 6,948
Likes: 44
Is the actuall reciever tube long enough to penetrate both ends of that cross piece?
Was thinking that you could spread the load over a larger area by penetrating both ends and welding opposite sides.
One end welding might allow the thing to pop out during a heavy pull. Not sure if the "Mutt" will ever see these types of loads but you never know.
We do see some crazy stuff out there:
Was thinking that you could spread the load over a larger area by penetrating both ends and welding opposite sides.
One end welding might allow the thing to pop out during a heavy pull. Not sure if the "Mutt" will ever see these types of loads but you never know.
We do see some crazy stuff out there:
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
You know me better than that don't ya Ed????
The reason the grinding took so long is I had to do BOTH sides of the 1/4" thick tube. In the 2nd pic down you can kind of see it popping through the back. I thought I got more of it in the pic but I guess not. Mine doesn't stick out as far as the one in your pic (mine is flush) but I'm DEFINITELY smart enough to make the receiver tube go all the way through
The reason the grinding took so long is I had to do BOTH sides of the 1/4" thick tube. In the 2nd pic down you can kind of see it popping through the back. I thought I got more of it in the pic but I guess not. Mine doesn't stick out as far as the one in your pic (mine is flush) but I'm DEFINITELY smart enough to make the receiver tube go all the way through