'81 K5, "BlaZeus"- How to NOT build the ultimate budget K5; 3 & 4 link build

[sreidmx]

FYI when tubing is rated it's by yield, they're talking about it bending, I forget how much but it was not very far, I have been told a bent tube is prefailed. This means any section of your cage that has bends need to be gussseted. I went 2 inch DOM in my build and will be using 1.75 DOM for the rest of the stringer and gussets. Up until 5/6 years ago 1.75 was the default tube size for all desert trucks about 4K that changed to 2 inch for obvious reasons. It's insane how much different it is to bend than 1.75. Strong stuff.. Stuff my beams are made of.. Stuff some dreams are made of.
Looking good man, keep up the good work. Practice those welds more too.

 

[FOR MUD]

I do have a 10' stick of 3.5" x .5"......I wonder how hard that is to bend,

 

[BlaZeus]

Getting the tube frame started.

 

[Deuling]

Did you cut out some round tube to make room for that?

 

[BlaZeus]

Did you cut out some round tube to make room for that?

I ended up only welding one tube cage tie in so I cut and notched the rectangle tube end to fit around the round tube and fit to the frame end.

 

[BlaZeus]

New frame rails cut. They are going to terminate behind the rear axle and from there will run a xmember and round tube tie in to the back end of the cage/rear bumper. Will also weld fishtails where the rectangle tubing meets the original frame, where the two pieces of rectangle tubing meet And then have multiple places where the cage ties in to the frame.

 

[Blazooki]

http://innerairlock.com/beadlocks/

I am running these on my H2 rims. I like their design better than Stauns + America + use easy to acquire / replace tubes should you need to. This combo is the lightest 17 inch aluminum double bead lock for the price. you should rock ring the H2's if your gonna crawl them. The lip is the weak spot.

 

[ryoken]

I would suggest beveling those miter edges slightly for a good weld....

 

[truck-oholic]

I would suggest beveling those miter edges slightly for a good weld....

x2, any time I am doing a butt joint I always do a heavy bevel on both pieces, I think he probably was going to do that anyway but better to say something now just in case, never hurts to have someone checking your work in my opinion

 

[BlaZeus]

I would suggest beveling those miter edges slightly for a good weld....

x2, any time I am doing a butt joint I always do a heavy bevel on both pieces, I think he probably was going to do that anyway but better to say something now just in case, never hurts to have someone checking your work in my opinion

Thanks for the reminder and double checking. This is why I am posting up step by step as I go to avoid making costly mistakes
I am going to bevel edges, weld together, grind smooth, and then weld fishtail over smoothed joint.

 

[truck-oholic]

Perfect, good job on the mitering by the way

 

[BlaZeus]

Perfect, good job on the mitering by the way

Thanks! That carbide tipped metal cutting saw does wonders. Cut through the thick rectangle tube like butter. I actually botched the first cut on the angled piece. Originally cut both sides at 45 , instead of one side at 45 and the other at 22.5. Realized very quickly that was not going to work

 

[jekquistk5]

Hard to tell by the pic, but is the tube slid into the frame? If not I would highly suggest that.

 

[ryoken]

Thanks! That carbide tipped metal cutting saw does wonders. Cut through the thick rectangle tube like butter. I actually botched the first cut on the angled piece. Originally cut both sides at 45 , instead of one side at 45 and the other at 22.5. Realized very quickly that was not going to work

it's always best to just take the total angle degree your looking for, and cut that # in 1/2 for each...

 

[BlaZeus]

Hard to tell by the pic, but is the tube slid into the frame? If not I would highly suggest that.

No...the frame end is boxed.

 

[sreidmx]

I'm curious where you got the trailing arms? Dimensions?

 

[BlaZeus]

I'm curious where you got the trailing arms? Dimensions?

I made them...
...
...
...
...bahahaha JK
I scored them off Jerry Longo(races a MORE class 10 car and is now a good friend of mine and I pit for them in the MORE races). He lives in LA and was selling them on RDC for $100! He was just trying to get rid of them as he had new longer trailing arms made with the updated/improved sunken lower c/o mounting design where the mounting points lie below the top of the trailing arm. I think I got them for such a steal as they came off his full Baja Shop built I beam pre runner 1980 Blazer(see attached pics) and he knew that nobody was gonna want 42" long trailing arms. I think I remember them being 42" long with out heims? I'll double check tonight and let you know.
Oh BTW, he's selling some stuff off it. A Dana 60 tabbed for a 4 link with floating hubs and a spool(tried to sell it to me with the trailing arms but I didn't have the cash at the time) and his "old" Baja Shop i beam set up off his pre runner blazer if any one is interested....haha. He had Baja Shop build a new I beam front for it. Must be nice

 

[sreidmx]

Woah very cool! Those are super short but might work fun cause you have a short driveline anywayz I ended up around mid 50s when looking at doing mine. Either way should work really well.. Steal more pics of the blazer is love to see them.

 

[BlaZeus]

Friday night is my favorite night! Welding night!

 

[BlaZeus]

Woah very cool! Those are super short but might work fun cause you have a short driveline anywayz I ended up around mid 50s when looking at doing mine. Either way should work really well.. Steal more pics of the blazer is love to see them.

Yeah they were 40" without heims so I think I'm at 42-43" overall length?