CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

Made a little bit of progress with the buggy lately. I need to get in touch with another race shop cause the bending work of the one I went to was a total rip off. It may just be better to get my own freaking quality bender but since I've decided to go with King Coilovers in the rear now the budget is gonna get tight.

Chopped rear frame section off-
http://www.mandic4x4.com/images/buggy/stockframe.jpg

Got new rear frame pieces bent, 1.5" DOM .130 wall, cost me $125 to get these 2 made and the one is bigger than my specs so I will have to modify it. I was an idiot and accepted it.
http://www.mandic4x4.com/images/buggy/buggyrear.jpg
http://www.mandic4x4.com/images/buggy/buggyrear2.jpg
My welding has improved and I'm confident in my work and what I will be able to do on the rest of this project.
http://www.mandic4x4.com/images/buggy/buggyframeweld.jpg

Shaved my 14 bolt more and added the truss for the triangulation mounts.
http://www.mandic4x4.com/images/buggy/14bolt.jpg
http://www.mandic4x4.com/images/buggy/trussed.jpg

looking good so far /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

Looks good so far, but I am not so sure that is a DOM tube though. I may be wrong.

Look's like HREW tube to me. /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

I saw the heat line from the seem and thought that the DOM seem leave no visible heat line. I would be askin the shop a couple more questions if I were you.

or I will just never go back to that damn shop. I noticed the heat lines but it didn't register in my head that that indicated HREW. Oh well there is a race shop owned by a family friend I will deal with from here on out that I will specify or supply my own stuff.

I would raise hell (didn't think it was DOM either.) and seeing that these guys are shady i would pull out some calipers and make sure it is AT LEAST .120 wall if it is going to be part ot the whole rear.

its .130 wall HREW, the rear frame will be rreinforced by many more turbs for crossmembers and down bars and ltos of other things yet so I'm not worried baout it. I did just place an order for 60 feet of 1 3/4" .120 wall DOM(3 20 footers), I know I will eat through that like its nothing but its a start. I have some misc dom around I picked up at the sameplace a couple weeks ago as well.

Some more progress. Made my link mount brackets the last couple days. Only ones not made are the ones to mount the triangulated uppers to the frame. won't do those till I reach that point so I can figure out where and how the best way to do it will be.

New rear frame welded to stock frame-
http://www.mandic4x4.com/images/buggy/frameon.jpg

14 bolt trussed and lower link mounts on-
http://mandic4x4.com/images/buggy/14boltready.jpg

Lower Link Mount-
http://mandic4x4.com/images/buggy/14boltready2.jpg

2x3 used for upper link mounting point on Truss-
http://mandic4x4.com/images/buggy/14boltready3.jpg

My main and halo bars are being bent right now, they are .120 wall 1.75" DOM. I will be knocking off the standard body mounts and replacing them with 2x3 rectangle tube my dad has for his race car frame, same stuff I used on the truss. Just have to make my links up and I will be ready to attach the lower link frame mounts and then fab the upper link setup. I redid the truss with the rectangle tube for an easier upper link mount and to lower the location of the upper link mounts. I was looking for 10" from the centerline of the axle tube, the previous tube truss put me at about 12" without the mounts, so the new one should be more like 10.5" with the mounts.

Nice progress. How do you plan on dealing with the upper hoop on that new frame section?

How was welding on the axletube? Any special procedure?

Can you get a closer pic of how those rear hoopamajigs mount, I'm just curious.

They just welded on with the stick welded, every surface I could connect to the frame I did. Plan to tie it in some more. As for the axle tubes, nothing special. just cranked th emig all the way up and welded away.

Axle tubes are normal steel and are welded just like normal. It's the center diff housing thats cast and you can't just run a mig bead on... Proper pre-heat and post-heat and you may get away with it but it should be gas welded or tig'd.

Thanks Jason, I was gonna bug you yet again with a PM about that one of these days actually

I'mma redo my rear shocks as I have no body to get in the way

Sorry to deviate Sleddy, keep us updated on the buggy, and get as many pics as possible

no reason to be sorry, tech and learning are always good

Awwwwww *hugs* /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

MOMMY HE INVADED MY PERSONAL SPACE!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif

Use anymore 20th centurt happy feelgood jargon like personal space and I'mma smack you