Way to bring us back to reality
CK5
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Way to bring us back to reality
I do like Sean’s cage a lot, it’s nice and open
there's a happy medium. Just don't build something full of squares, it's borderline pointless unless you just want to haul lumber on it.
I could haul lumber too?!? BONUS!
I like the blue truck cage more, just cause it has a couple more tubes to help a side impact, like keeping the cage from turning into a diamond shape.
Compared a few more reviews, I hit up a few people selling other units on classifieds to see what I could get and wasn’t satisfied with the price for their used welders. Today I got out early due to the holiday and zipped up to praxair and nabbed this beaut. Gonna set it up tonight.
How important is it to put bushings between the cage and frame attachment?
Some like to do that so there is still some dampening between cab and frame, and so the body mounts can still somewhat function as they are intended to.
I just went straight to frame on my cage all around cause mine is a trailer queen and I could care less about that type of stuff for how I built the rig...so I guess depends on what you still want out of the truck. I know you still drive yours a bit, so may be worth using the bushing design
If you are welding sliders to the frame and attaching it to the body then not important at all.
My sliders wouldn’t be welded to the body as they are designed but I do want them tied to the cage.
They are round tube sliders.
Also if I’m putting sliders in, how important is it that I keep the rocker boxes? When I get to that step should I just pull them out?
I know they are in good condition and id hate to cut them if I don’t need them.
They are round tube sliders.
Also if I’m putting sliders in, how important is it that I keep the rocker boxes? When I get to that step should I just pull them out?
I know they are in good condition and id hate to cut them if I don’t need them.
Rockers boxes can go away, when you do the body is going to sag for a bit.... if the sliders are going to the cage then the body mounts will be irrelevant.
The cage will fix the sag.
The cage will fix the sag.
Ok so I’ll have some rocker boxes available soon.
Thinking cage in first. Then pull boxes, and install sliders. Should keep the body in place. And what about adding bushing to the cage/slider tie in. As @Kay86K5 said I do use this to drive around town still, would a hard mounted cage become unbearable?
Thinking cage in first. Then pull boxes, and install sliders. Should keep the body in place. And what about adding bushing to the cage/slider tie in. As @Kay86K5 said I do use this to drive around town still, would a hard mounted cage become unbearable?
You kind of have to do it all at once.
Define unbearable ? Mine is fine ish.
Define unbearable ? Mine is fine ish.
Like I’ll still be taking the truck out for Sunday drives with the fam and using it on occasion for daily driving.
It’s already pretty loud to drive already. I’m assuming that vibration and noise are the concerns.
It’s already pretty loud to drive already. I’m assuming that vibration and noise are the concerns.
Got the welder hooked up and couldn’t resist trying to lay a bead. Played with the settings a bit and it laid down a nice one.
I don't think it would be unbearable. Some people get a little drastic with their expectations on that kind of stuff. I honestly don't think you will notice that much more of a difference if you hard mount the cage, but to each their own.
And I second what @kgblazerfive said, you should probably do the sliders at the same time as the cage...or at least the sliders first, just my opinion though. Best advice I can give on a cage is take your time, don't be in a hurry, measure 3 times; bend/cut once, try not to have any empty nodes, and try to map out the design way before you start any work at all...then you will be fine.
That one pass looks alright...looks like the volts are pretty good for good penetration, but you could probably turn the wire speed down just a tad and let that tip dance on the metal. If you go too slow, you can get too large of a pool going and also the heat can get too much which can start to burn through the metal (which looks like it was starting to do on the right side of that bead). And also....clean, clean, and clean some more the area you are welding before you weld. Other than that, not bad for pulling the machine outta the box and seeing what it'll do. You are always going to be searching for the right setting, even while you are welding cause each situation is different with different thickness of metals and what not.
Below are pics of when I built drive over wheel wells on my trailer. This is an Eastwood 135. It's a really good little welder...can't do the really heavy stuff, but up to 1/4" stuff it works pretty good. Being a smaller welder the duty cycles are shorter, but still not bad.
Big things happening soon.
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Did someone say cage?
