CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
Just updated myself on your build, all I can say is....AWESOME!:waytogo:

Makes me want to get a first gen. But I know how much work time and money you guys are all doing on these things.

1st Gens are fascinating.

They have an interesting ability to identify how much available cash exists in your budget, and then cost you just about that much (but always a bit more) to get things finished. It doesn't matter how much money you "think" you have.... a 1st Gen will always have just enough issues to insure that you spend it all! :D


:usaflag:
 
1st Gens are fascinating.

They have an interesting ability to identify how much available cash exists in your budget, and then cost you just about that much (but always a bit more) to get things finished. It doesn't matter how much money you "think" you have.... a 1st Gen will always have just enough issues to insure that you spend it all! :D


:usaflag:
That is precisely the sole decision of me staying away.:D
 
damn greg, you nailed it. :( oh how I wish I was into the square body blazers... so much easier. /sigh
 
1st Gens are fascinating.

They have an interesting ability to identify how much available cash exists in your budget, and then cost you just about that much (but always a bit more) to get things finished. It doesn't matter how much money you "think" you have.... a 1st Gen will always have just enough issues to insure that you spend it all! :D


:usaflag:

QFT!! :doah:





I just didn't seem like I got a lot done this weekend. Saturday I put a new beer fridge in the garage, cleaned up, moved some shelves and that was about it.

Sunday I hit it hard, starting at about 6:30. I started the morning working on the front windsheild bar. Had it all really nice, with a small kick up at each end. Looking at it, I just new I had to put on the top to make sure that all was going to work out. Called one of my guys that lives pretty close to get the top on the old girl. Found out at that time, It's official, I can move the truck 6' forward before I start hitting stuff because of it's height.

We slid the top sideways into the garage all the way to the back behind the rig. He was on the back and I was pushing up on the front to clear the top bars. All at once the hatch that he thought was locked opened up. With in 2 seconds we had broken two 4' bulbs, two 8" bulbs, hit the cage and watched it crumble like a deck of cards, all as the ceiling was raining glass. Awesome....:whistle:

After a little more time cleaning and setting the cage back up, it was time for a little fine tuning. Ends up, I was just a tad high in the front but all else is going to work out, except the windsheild bar that I just finished.:popcorn:

It seems that after 11 hours yesterday, I got the top on, set the cage back up, made the back bar and some plates for the A pillars. Just seems like a small amount for the time. :dunno:

On to the A-pillars. As I was making the floor plates, I realized that there was a problem. I totally had forgotten about the front cab support. There is no way to get a single backing plate in this area with the stock set-up. So, I made the top plate a little longer and ran it up towards the fire wall. With this set up, I will need to run two separate backing plates. One for the forward bolts and one for the back bolts. Not ideal, but I think with the addition of an engine cradle/cage and a mid seat (under the center console?), I should have enough mounting points to be ok.

Couple of pics.

AAA266003.jpg


AAA266004.jpg


AAA266006.jpg




It sure would have been nice to have the HF press and the Swag Offroad bender, but I think they should work out.

AAA266018.jpg


AAA266017.jpg


Now I think that I can really come up with a plan for the top. It will be a strait bar at the front and back. The center, over the B's will have a kick up. So, all bars that leave the front and back bars will have a kick up to were they meet up with the top B bar.

AAA266019.jpg


I forgot how cool these rigs looked with the hard top on.

Hopefully this week I can get the A and B top bars in, squared up and all tacked in place.
 
That looks freakin sweet! I hear you on the nor accomplishing much even though you put in a full day... That's the eay it goes sometimes. I like your front floor
Plates. I assume gussets that kick out once everything is finalized? That'll end up way easier than what I was thinking for mine, thanks:D
 
I just figured a gusset front and back thst would add a little rigidity to the large foot plate. May be overkill:dunno: i figured center the gussets and you could get a bolt on either side.
 
Where are ya thinking for the gussets?

All ideas are welcome. :waytogo: :bow:


Yeah, I think because the a-pillar actually lands forward of the cab support, it's likely that the cage will try to "punch through" the floor instead of being well-supported from underneath by the cab support. A rear brace on each of those would really be all that is needed.... OR..... if the torsion boxes are missing underneath, you could build a plate to support the front part of that mounting foot from underneath, and then weld that to the cab support with some triangulation so that you don't have to do any visible gusseting on the a-pillar in the footwell area.

Of course, if you are incorporating some type of rockslider eventually, you could also just run a straight section of tube from the center of that a-pillar tube down to the slider and support it that way. Either solid-mounted or with bushings depending on which way you are going with the "do-I-hard-mount-the-body-mounts-or-not" decision.


:usaflag:
 
Man - I love your cage!

You are bringing to life what I've always conceptualized in my head what a First Gen cage should look like!

I love what you have done coming through the dash!

I don't know if you were talking about tube gussets or plate gussets - but on my "dream" cage, I've always envisioned using 1/4" plate gussets, and having the K/5 logo in the gusset (without polishing compound though!)

Something like this:
Web%20Gusset-400x400.jpg


But with this cut out in center of it:
IMG_2369.jpg
 
Yeah, I think because the a-pillar actually lands forward of the cab support, it's likely that the cage will try to "punch through" the floor instead of being well-supported from underneath by the cab support. A rear brace on each of those would really be all that is needed.... OR..... if the torsion boxes are missing underneath, you could build a plate to support the front part of that mounting foot from underneath, and then weld that to the cab support with some triangulation so that you don't have to do any visible gusseting on the a-pillar in the footwell area.

Of course, if you are incorporating some type of rockslider eventually, you could also just run a straight section of tube from the center of that a-pillar tube down to the slider and support it that way. Either solid-mounted or with bushings depending on which way you are going with the "do-I-hard-mount-the-body-mounts-or-not" decision.




:usaflag:

I'm still trying to do this without the hard mount. It maybe easier though with the hard mount and bushings. I've thought of running almost a 90 degree off the front of the A, through the floor. It would come out above the Lip (where the leading edge of the torsion box is welded), bend at a 90 down to a bushing and mount to the slider. I think that there would be room between the floor and the back of the newly fabricated wheel well.



I don't have a fear of it punching though the floor, I think that it would be more lateral force type of thing and ripping out. :dunno:




Man - I love your cage!

You are bringing to life what I've always conceptualized in my head what a First Gen cage should look like!

I love what you have done coming through the dash!

I don't know if you were talking about tube gussets or plate gussets - but on my "dream" cage, I've always envisioned using 1/4" plate gussets, and having the K/5 logo in the gusset (without polishing compound though!)

Something like this:
Web%20Gusset-400x400.jpg


But with this cut out in center of it:
IMG_2369.jpg

Thanks Ben, but it is actually Greg's design. I just ran the A's and the dash bar a little different.

I like the idea of the K5 gussets. :waytogo:

Not sure how I'm going to do those yet though. I don't really like the look of these tube gussets though. Or maybe they are just so small on this cage that it looks funny to me.

20080327184511_PICT7453.JPG
 
I have a foundation...:D

Now it's time to start adding the rest. :woot:

Spent a lot of time last week getting ready for a bud to come over on Sat. to do some welding. He has a ton more time welding than me and this was one of the places on the build that I really wanted to make sure every thing was solid.

AAA271037.jpg


The top came off again so we could get to the rest of the welds. Pic of my friend helping me out. :bow:

AAA271039.jpg


Sunday, I spent some time cleaning up the garage first, then it was on to the C pillar. Those two back supports took a long time to get right. After those were in, I moved on to the C to B. I first bent up a stick with a 20 degree bend like the ends of the B top bar, had it all nice, but I didn't like the way it looked after. So, I bent up another one with a 53 degree bend,( same as the top C-pillar bend) kept grinding and grinding away until I figured out it was going to be too short by the time I got it level. :doah:I ended up being kinda happy it didn't work out though. It was 2-3 degrees off on the bend and I figured out a little better way. But, by that time, it was 4:00 and I was beat.

AAA271043.jpg


AAA271044.jpg


AAA271048.jpg


AAA271049.jpg


All in all, a great weekend of progress.
 
Looking great man!:waytogo:



Thanks guys..


Here are a couple more pics from this last weekend. Sorry about the pics, something must have happened to my camera.

Any words of advise with the cage is always welcome. :thumb: I think that I have a minimum of 6 more bars on the top with a possible 10 total. Everything except the back two c-pillar supports are just sitting there without tacks, so I can change something if need be.


AAA272035.jpg



AAA272024.jpg


AAA272038.jpg

AAA272027.jpg


AAA272028.jpg
 
Mike,

What's the plan for that cage node above the rear wheel tubs? It definitely feels like its just hanging out there unsupported.

Think of it like a load bearing beam in your house. The forces from above need to be carried all the way into the concrete palings in the basement. That particular node carries the loads from the 2nd floor to the 1st floor....then sorta just stops. :thinking:

A simple, somewhat effective solution would be to add a small vertical stub from the underside of that node to a nice solid plate on top of the wheel tub. Better yet would be some sort of diagonal toward the center of the tub that ties to the frame.... Depends a little on where the rear seat ends up, since it might be right in the way of where you want the support tube to land.

:usaflag:
 
Yep Greg, you got a good eye. :wink1:

Here is the plan for those nodes.





It's funny that you mention tying this to the frame....


I think we both know where this is going to end up.. :tongue1: :haha:
 
Top Bottom