2017.03.08 - UPDATE! - DEEZ NUTS....AND BOLTS !!!
More progress and background process work to move the project along!
Placed an order for some stainless round tubing, and "L"shaped T304 for the fuel tank and future mounting system that is in my head.... also placed an order with BoltDepot for some replacement 1/2" bolts since the cage plate installation is gobbling-up all of the existing inventory from the bolt bins!!
This order was mostly GR-8 stuff, but there are a few experimental items as well. Picked up a bunch of square-nuts (1/2"-13) that can be welded to the underside cageplates to make final assembly easier. It's already a pain to reach both sides of the bedfloor with wrenches, and it's not even installed yet! The square nuts seem a little thicker (and wider), and may be easier to weld to the plates without distorting the threaded area. The only concern is that there was no Grade listed on the website, which may mean they are only GR-2??
Also picked up a few samples of a 1/2"-13 x 2" Stainless (18-8) Button Head bolts to try out. These were rated strangely also.... ("minimum 70,000PSI, may be as high as 120K - 150K") that's a LARGE range of values!!!
Ultimately, I like the idea of stainless because it will always look good and I don't intend to paint the bolts... but going with a low-strength bolt just to get "the look" isn't going to fly either. I know ARP and others make true Grade-8 Stainless bolts, but I have not yet found a source for a GR-8 Button Head design.... which I really like the best.
Heath found me a source for GR-8 button heads in a bright zinc, which isn't perfect but it's a good backup plan if I completely strike out everywhere else.
Take a look:
All 4 installed on a cage plate:
IMHO, it really cleans up the look of the mounting plates and gives them a more professional / custom look than a conventional hex head bolt. Getting rid of the pointy corners also means they are a bit less likely to snag people's shoes when they are climbing over and around the cage...
The platework continues. Now that the wheeltub mis-alignment issue has been identified and resolved, the fitment of the underside plate could begin. This spot was an interesting one, because it lands SO close to the edge seam that the convoluted floor actually ends and transitions back to a standard flat panel. This required shortening the plate, but also creating a tricky bevel from the thickest part of the plate to the thinnest part.
Ultimately, the plate fit well.... now the plate can be used as a template to replicate the opposite side. Here's a top view of the bedfloor as of last night:
And the underside plates:
More research to find the bolts I really want to use. Obviously, it's not a show-stopper in the short term since standard hex-bolts can be used for the mockup work. But it's important to think about the end-result too and make sure that it's all going to look right, fit right and have the overall aesthetic to complement the build.
-G
More progress and background process work to move the project along!
Placed an order for some stainless round tubing, and "L"shaped T304 for the fuel tank and future mounting system that is in my head.... also placed an order with BoltDepot for some replacement 1/2" bolts since the cage plate installation is gobbling-up all of the existing inventory from the bolt bins!!
This order was mostly GR-8 stuff, but there are a few experimental items as well. Picked up a bunch of square-nuts (1/2"-13) that can be welded to the underside cageplates to make final assembly easier. It's already a pain to reach both sides of the bedfloor with wrenches, and it's not even installed yet! The square nuts seem a little thicker (and wider), and may be easier to weld to the plates without distorting the threaded area. The only concern is that there was no Grade listed on the website, which may mean they are only GR-2??
Also picked up a few samples of a 1/2"-13 x 2" Stainless (18-8) Button Head bolts to try out. These were rated strangely also.... ("minimum 70,000PSI, may be as high as 120K - 150K") that's a LARGE range of values!!!
Ultimately, I like the idea of stainless because it will always look good and I don't intend to paint the bolts... but going with a low-strength bolt just to get "the look" isn't going to fly either. I know ARP and others make true Grade-8 Stainless bolts, but I have not yet found a source for a GR-8 Button Head design.... which I really like the best.Heath found me a source for GR-8 button heads in a bright zinc, which isn't perfect but it's a good backup plan if I completely strike out everywhere else.
Take a look:
All 4 installed on a cage plate:
IMHO, it really cleans up the look of the mounting plates and gives them a more professional / custom look than a conventional hex head bolt. Getting rid of the pointy corners also means they are a bit less likely to snag people's shoes when they are climbing over and around the cage...
The platework continues. Now that the wheeltub mis-alignment issue has been identified and resolved, the fitment of the underside plate could begin. This spot was an interesting one, because it lands SO close to the edge seam that the convoluted floor actually ends and transitions back to a standard flat panel. This required shortening the plate, but also creating a tricky bevel from the thickest part of the plate to the thinnest part.
Ultimately, the plate fit well.... now the plate can be used as a template to replicate the opposite side. Here's a top view of the bedfloor as of last night:
And the underside plates:
More research to find the bolts I really want to use. Obviously, it's not a show-stopper in the short term since standard hex-bolts can be used for the mockup work. But it's important to think about the end-result too and make sure that it's all going to look right, fit right and have the overall aesthetic to complement the build.
-G
