77K5. The IronMaiden...9/2 headed for Blazer Bash 20!

[76zimmer]

I got the pass side link to the cradle done tonight....we had a slow night at work so I skipped out early to finish this last piece.

And the fab table I used....pretty hi-tech stuff here....I got plans for it if anyone wants to copy it....

 

[tRustyK5]

Uphand welding is less heat, more gun angle and a ton of practice!

As for the transfer punches the best way to make em last is to not hit em very hard. You only need the slightest punch mark to identify the center of the hole. Once the parts are on a bench you can use a regular punch to make the punch mark more clear. The tip on the transfer punches is the achilles heel, and they are about impossible to sharpen up.

Rene

 

[blazinzuk]

Rene is right about over head stuff. Tons of practice. Your settings have to be right. Prep is more important, techniques are more important. All that stuff but most of all practice. Really pay attention to the puddle and when it drops out, once you figure out how to read the puddle it helps a ton

 

[folkenheath]

Now you got me worried more about it . It is what it is for now.

Dave, don't worry about it too much. I would of mounted the crade solid and put only the bushings between the cradle and the adaptor. However, the more bushings you have in there, the more the load is spread out, so you basically have two different connections with 4 bushings each right? So each bushing has 1/4 the load if you only had one bushing each. I really don't think you'll have much of an issue with drivetrain movement. As long as you have a crossmember close enough to your front cradle mounts, to keep the frame from twisting or pulling in there.

I only have 4 bushings holding the main forces of my front axle (front/rear load, pinion defelection, braking twist, etc), and it is working fine even with 8.2:1 gear reduction in the torque.

The factory only has 2 bushings holding the engine torque, and one or two holding the trans/tcase weight. You have twice that many holding your doubler, and it's probably not much heaver than an NP203.

So my guess is it will be fine. But if not, just put some delrin or aluminum bushings in the frame to cradle mounts.

 

[jekquistk5]

Another thing with welding up is the Argon in your mixture tank if you are using gas is way heavier than air and sinks fast. I have found by turning up the flow a little it makes it more manageable. Also make sure your shield is clean and free of slag. Dave if you need help this weekend I have nothing going on. Let me know Id love to come out and help ya!

 

[blazinzuk]

Now you got me worried more about it . It is what it is for now.

Well this is something you don't really have to worry about, too much movement you will not have. You might want to take some of the bushings out for a more solid feel.

You won't have so much movement you break cases and stuff. So this is one thing you really shouldn't even give a second thought to until much much later

 

[76zimmer]

Dave, don't worry about it too much. I would of mounted the crade solid and put only the bushings between the cradle and the adaptor. However, the more bushings you have in there, the more the load is spread out, so you basically have two different connections with 4 bushings each right? So each bushing has 1/4 the load if you only had one bushing each. I really don't think you'll have much of an issue with drivetrain movement. As long as you have a crossmember close enough to your front cradle mounts, to keep the frame from twisting or pulling in there.

I only have 4 bushings holding the main forces of my front axle (front/rear load, pinion defelection, braking twist, etc), and it is working fine even with 8.2:1 gear reduction in the torque.

The factory only has 2 bushings holding the engine torque, and one or two holding the trans/tcase weight. You have twice that many holding your doubler, and it's probably not much heaver than an NP203.

So my guess is it will be fine. But if not, just put some delrin or aluminum bushings in the frame to cradle mounts.

There is 6 of the shock bushings between the cradle and doubler, and then the 4 builders bushings between the frame and cradle.
And heavy...once again I can't believe those engine bushings held the whole assy in place when my milk crate jack abortion failed.

Well this is something you don't really have to worry about, too much movement you will not have. You might want to take some of the bushings out for a more solid feel.

You won't have so much movement you break cases and stuff. So this is one thing you really shouldn't even give a second thought to until much much later

I will keep in that in the back of my feeble mind Eric. If I change any one set, it would be the builders bushings to a more solid type in place of the poly ones in there now, as Heath mentioned.



And thanks Rene', Eric, and Jesse for the welding tips.

 

[76zimmer]

Another thing with welding up is the Argon in your mixture tank if you are using gas is way heavier than air and sinks fast. I have found by turning up the flow a little it makes it more manageable. Also make sure your shield is clean and free of slag. Dave if you need help this weekend I have nothing going on. Let me know Id love to come out and help ya!

Jess I know you have your brothers MMA fight at Wings, but I'll be around Saturday til about 3 in the shop, then picking up the grandaughter for the evening, and Sunday watching the Bears!!!! Gimme a call if you can swing it, and good luck at the fights.
269-626-8067

 

[max 02]

Yes, the welding tips should be helpfull for me.
Keep up the good work Zim, looks nice!

 

[76zimmer]

Had to work on a bunch of extra curicular items today...repair the tractor...wouldn't start, ended up being a broken wire, and a bad solenoid....I threw a new battery at it too, as the old one was giving it up in the colder weather.
Been working on putting in a new sink faucet in the kitchen...adapting different types of pipe, making a few changes, and generally replacing a leaking faucet for the last year I've been meaning to get to before it blew up...
Trying to hunt down a headlight adjuster retainer for my deerhit. I broke the little plastic piece that goes through the headlight housing. The adjuster itself is ok, but that little plastic piece on the end of the adjuster screw doesn't come with a new adjuster..I think I may have to scour a j/y?

Anyhow next up on the Iron Maiden, I'm pulling the rear axle out, to weld the tubes to the center section, and to fit the truss and antiwrap bar assembly to it on the bench instead of laying on the floor to do it.

 

[Recon!]

Laying on the floor next to it is way better and more intimate

 

[76zimmer]

Laying on the floor next to it is way better and more intimate

Nice one Recon....I've been on the floor plenty already, so I figured that if I got it on the bench it would make for a better job of preheating the center section, and making the welds while it was on jackstands on the bench.

 

[Fred_M1010]

Zimmer, I really love your build

But I have some concern with the three piece design of the crossmember.
Doesn't the round bushings make up something like a hinge?
Try picture the forces when a rock hits the crossmember right where the bushings are.
Wouldn't that put a lot of strain where the outer pieces bolts to the frame...

Maybe I'm completely wrong, but I thought I should share it just in case.

 

[76zimmer]

Thanks for the reply Fred...all POV's are welcome!

I think I see what your saying, and if I do, that would mean the upward force of impact would possibly give at the frame? Do you think without the large bushings in there it would make a difference, or is my design at fault?

My way of thinking is that with the 2 front links to the frame and the crossmember in the rear, it will provide rigidity to the cradle structure, and let the cradle "float" on the bushings. I'm thinking that the cradle impacting on rocks or whatever will be absorbed by the bigger bushings somewhat before that force is carried to the framerails. The framerail plates are 3/16" welded 6" top and bottom, and the link plates are bolted on with 4 gr. 8x1/2" bolts. Keep in mind that I will be installing a cage, tied into the frame also, and the frame will get boxed front to rear too.
Does it all make sense?

 

[Fred_M1010]

Sorry, I forgot that your rear crossmember was a one piece unit
That makes it a completaly different story

But as an extra insurance I think it would be a good idea to place a gusset between the square tube and mounting plate,
like this.
I feel that can still be a weak spot as it is.

 

[76zimmer]

that has been mentioned by others too Fred, and I think I will put on in there next time I have that link out. I plan to run the exhaust above that link and closer to the t/c and not under that link, so a gusset there should be no problem.
Again thanks for the input.

 

[76zimmer]

Today Pop and I worked on the axletubes.
We pulled the axle out of the frame, and got it on the bench..yep same hi-tech bench as used for welding
We burnt the paint off the tubes and center section to be welded, then preheated the center section to ~600* right at the gap between the two pieces. Then I welded with .030 wire and highest heat, and about 7 on the wire feed (1-10). The first pass went into the groove of the tube and center section.

The second pass I tried to tie the center section to the first pass....had the wire feed up to 8, and it was too much feed I think, so we went back to 7.

The last pass was to tie in the first pass with the tube more. Wire feed left at 7.

The other side I went first pass in the gap, 2nd pass on the tube, and 3rd pass on the center section. The results were a little better.

So we did one side at a time, until the temp was back down to 100*, and the tube and the center section were never more than 20* different. We hit them a couple times while cooling down with the torch to keep them from cooling to fast.
We checked the temps frequently with an IR gun.

The cleaned up finished results:

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Just out of curiosity what did you use to heat the axle up?

 

[76zimmer]

Acetylene torch for heatup, and a couple maintenance hits to help it cool a little slower than normal.

I never heard the dreaded "tink" when the weld breaks from cooling to quick or at different rates.

 

[blazinzuk]

Very nice