'74 K5 build: Smurf

[dremu]

Would you let me know where those gizmos are from? Those are cool!!

Well, I obliquely mentioned where *I* bought them, but you don't want to deal with them

Google for "internal tube clamp" or "inside diameter tube clamp", you'll find a number of vendors.

And yeah, they are the shiznit for removable cage sections -- not cheap, mind you, but when you need 'em, they're clever.

-- A

 

[colbystephens]

Cool. Thanks! Wanna PM me the dealer that you don't like so I don't make the same mistake?

 

[dremu]

For public reference, here are some places I found that carry the cage clamps in a quick Google search. Note that I've not bought from any of them, but it'll give you an idea of what's available.

http://www.atozfabrication.com/store/Internal-Diameter-Tube-Clamp.html

http://www.tmrcustoms.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=3_31

http://eastsidecustomtruck.com/i-154173-tube-clamps-internal.html

Especially when you're on a schedule, it's worthwhile to actually CALL the vendor to make sure they have things in stock, instead of blithely trusting their web page as I did

-- A

 

[tRustyK5]

Cool. Thanks! Wanna PM me the dealer that you don't like so I don't make the same mistake?

Ballistic

Duh.

 

[dremu]

Ballistic

Duh.

Subtlety is lost on this crowd, apparently

Anyway, there's already a flame thread for those a-holes, so I was trying to keep it positive. Plus, though I can't find 'em, I *swear* one of our preferred vendors has them in most sizes (just not the one I needed) ...RuffStuff or somebody. Not Kert, I don't think... The links above are a start at least.

-- A

 

[tRustyK5]

I've never been accused of being subtle...

Honestly, there have been so many issues with those guys they don't deserve 'subtle'.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

FYI the controversy has even earned it's own FB page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ballistic-Fabrication-is-a-Scam/217267298344799

 

[dremu]

The planets aligned for me to get help reinstalling the cage tomorrow, so I've been furiously welding away this week. I'm confident in my welding skills, but they don't always look this nice

That's one of the Ruff Stuff tabs I mentioned earlier -- you can't see, but there's a nut welded on the back.

I've also been surface prepping, and then painting. Some sections of the cage were originally powder coated or something, so there is variation in the cosmetics, let's say. It was originally white and I've kept it that color, though a flat white, and I forgot how dang hard it is to cover with such a light color Shoulda gone with one of the Smurf blues

Anyway, the removable leg now looks like it belongs, came out pretty well.

and some of the harness attachments can be seen. There's one on each side of the buckets just behind the butt for the belt parts, and then a pair in the center farther back for the shoulder straps. Just a bit more paint to finish, and then it'll be ready to go:

Initially I'd intended to attach the harnesses' shoulder straps to it, but as it worked out they were too bloody long, even at the shortest adjustment. I ended up attaching the shoulder straps to the bar along the floor.

One other fun detail I came across; when I installed the cage, it blocked the sunvisors' movment. I did up a quickie piece of flat stock, and now they mount to the cage.

It's hard to see, but the three holes are tapped for ~1/4" bolts and the center hole allows the spring assembly to pass through. Donno what I did to make such an ugly hole, whether that involved a Sawzall or what

-- A

 

[colbystephens]

Dang! Looking good!

 

[dremu]

Dang! Looking good!

Gettin' there, thanks. Having a deadline of my helpers leaving on vacation has been a motivator, that's for sure. The DD is also parked outside this week while the cage occupies its place in the garage, so I am well-motivated to get this done!

It's surprising how little room there is in our trucks once you start installing monkey bars! Here the seats are mounted to the cage; they could still scoot back one more set of holes, I think. Unfortunately, accessing the adjustment hardware is damn near impossible unless you have eight elbows, so I won't be sliding them about on a whim.
And the harnesses are bolted up and sized for my portly self

I'm not entirely happy with the shoulder straps' routing; they're over the middle bar in this pic to keep them from falling off the seat when not in use. I may end up welding a retainer setup onto that bar to keep them in line. I also gotta contemplate doing something to prevent them from rubbing on the bars and fraying.

Still, it's oodles better than before AND I got to do a bunch of welding, so it's a win-win

Looking at this pic it's almost anti-climactic; it doesn't look it, but there's an immense amount of sweat and strain (and a smidge of blood) tied up in getting there. But then the doing is as much or more of the fun as the end result

 

[dremu]

Ended up using a coupla 2x4's as ramps and sliding the cage up into the bed, rather than lifting it. Actually worked out very well, though it took all three of us to hork the cage into place once it was in the bed.

In a quick test drive, I'm pleased with the results; the seats fit and I fit on them, the harnesses mount up, and it's all sturdy. I taught my friend's kid some valuable lessons in wrench turning; he helped me install the various plates for the cage feet and the fasteners for the seats.

Basics like loosely install all the bolts first, then tighten them down, how/when to use the wrench vs the ratchet, etc.

This will rank up there with Nessie and Big Foot.

For the disbelievers, here's honest, unshopped photo proof

I find like I the harnesses, they fit well and are comfortable, but in this picture I look like I'm wearing lederhosen with suspenders

Still, she moves, on public streets! I fink a breather is called for after this wild and wacky week of welding, but expect more crazy garage fab, and outlandish claims about the truck actually driving, here in a while...

-- A

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Until I see pictures of it at high speed...


...with bigfoot in the passenger seat and Nessie in a tank on wheels behind it...

...I refuse to believe.

 

[dremu]

Until I see pictures of it at high speed...


...with bigfoot in the passenger seat and Nessie in a tank on wheels behind it...

...I refuse to believe.

Don't hold your breath. Though I do like me the tall girls and could maybe get one to act as passenger, I doubt I know anybody crazy enough to tail me on the highway to snap a pic.

-- A

 

[AJMBLAZER]

I refuse!

 

[dremu]

As part of the initiative to make Tankie more ... well, normal, she's getting a tailgate again. At the moment that's a pickup tailgate, which is all fine and dandy but does interfere with the toolbox I put back there. It was a Craigslist steal deal, I think I paid the guy ten bucks, but it's big. When I scooted it back so the tailgate could close, the wheel tubs were in the way.

The solution, of course, is to notch the toolbox -- once again, an excuse to weld!

After careful measurement, I cut a box out of each corner:

And double-checked fitment in the truck:

This is no mean feat as the damn thing is HEAVY. Did I mention it's big -- call it 60 x 18 x 18, and it's .120 wall steel (so yes, I mic'd it, and it's magnetic... sorry, old CK5 inside joke.)

Anyway, it fit well enough, so I swapped the cut-out pieces left-for-right and flipped them around, then welded them back in. Here's the corner, give you an idea of what I mean:

And the inside view, where we can see both corners. And a bunch of holes plug welded.

I discovered I couldn't just flip 'em around as they're rectangular, not square, in cross-section. No matter, as thankfully I cut them the same width even though the box is offset slightly to one side to clear the gas filler pipe.

Now the box fits inside the truck and holds the same amount of crap as before:

It doesn't look it, but I cut like an inch and a half out of the handle so it would fit inside the tailgate -- it's much shallower than it was.

The tailgate now closes over the box and the truck looks more like a K5 and less like a ... smurfy thing.

The eagle-eyed among you will note that the license plate has moved to the bumper, along with its light, and the Hi-Lift is not in evidence. More bumper shenanigans to follow...

-- A

 

[colbystephens]

You need more grinders. Chicago Electric thanks you.

 

[dremu]

You need more grinders. Chicago Electric thanks you.

I hate changing wheels, so there's a grinder for each wheel. Wire cup brush, cutting wheel, flapdisc, and an actual grinding wheel. (And the 9" for the big stuff.)

And yeah, Harbor Freight loves me, but those are like $20 on sale, so it's like having one nice one

-- A

 

[colbystephens]

I killed so many Chicago Electric grinders I had to buy a nice one. Changing discs is annoying.

 

[dremu]

I killed so many Chicago Electric grinders I had to buy a nice one. Changing discs is annoying.

They used to have a pretty good 5" one, which was what I had, but as I burned those up, they replaced 'em with these 4.5"s. They're the not the cheapest ones they have, at least.

I really should get some with paddle switches instead of the sliders, but these haven't burnt up yet, surprisingly.

-- A

 

[colbystephens]

Whatever works, as far as I'm concerned! If you can keep the cheap ones alive, then use 'em! I don't get off on bragging rights on tools...