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Bracing door openings

Chevy2311 said:
I looked at the pictures first, then read your comment. I was wondering how you were going to fit all that pipe in your Blazer.
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Tube chassis??????:D

I built the roll cage in my Jeep out of this same 1½" pipe. It's 1-7/8" OD and .135 wall. Bolt-thru plates where it passes thru body metal and welded into the frame in 6 places.

Here's a few shots of it that I dug out of my old archive.
This is at the 2006 "Dixie Run" in Tellico OHV (now closed to OR vehicles):mad:

"Guard Rail Hill" one of the most treacherous obstacles in the entire park.
One of the 4wd magazines included it in the "top 10 OHV trails you could die on" I've seen more than a few rollovers here and a lot of carnage!

Dixie2006 007.jpg
See the guy with the camera on the long pole, they were making a video of the event.
I HAD to make it! (There is a drive around)
My son is my spotter......dam good one!
Dixie2006 010.jpg
over the top!
Dixie2006 012.jpg

All bends made on my "TubeShark" bender. I got a couple of dies with it but they were so expensive to buy more. I just bought the aluminum billets and machined my own.

If I end up building a cage for the Blazer it will brobably be 2" DOM
Sorry these ain't Blazer pics!.........yet.

Dixie2006 007.jpg

Dixie2006 010.jpg

Dixie2006 012.jpg
 
Nice ^^^.

I have taken the top off of my 71, driven/wheeled it and then put it back on several times. It is a real SOB to get everything lined back up when putting the top back on. I can't imagine how much the body will move when no top and no frame :D.

Post up some pics when you get it on the rotisserie.
 
72blazerguy said:
Nice ^^^.

I have taken the top off of my 71, driven/wheeled it and then put it back on several times. It is a real SOB to get everything lined back up when putting the top back on. I can't imagine how much the body will move when no top and no frame :D.

Post up some pics when you get it on the rotisserie.
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I think the top was originally designed to be a major part of the structure, probably why so many crack from being twisted up as in wheeling. Probably why Chevy got away from having the full removeable top on later Blazers.

I try to take as many pictures as I can now of any projects....... good for internet fodder and helps my memory too!
I'm gonna cut/drill/bend some brackets later today.
 
OK got a little time today....just a little!

Cut some ¼ x 3 flat bar
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Drilled it to match the door striker
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Bolted in
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Drilled two more to match the door hinge holes
Bent them up in the press

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Tigged a nut on a piece of flat bar
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tigged that to the end of a piece of 1¼ square tube
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short piece of all thread with 3 nuts thru the bracket
and bolt to A pillar at top hinge location
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Mig weld other end to striker bracket and now I can brace/adjust the
door openings.
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WOW that came out awesome! Must be nice being able to use the tools and machines at work. Couple of our guys took advantage of it, now we can't take anything to work. Hope you don't mind me copying that idea. I measured my door gaps today. Got 39 7/8" on the passenger side, 40 1/4 on the driver side.
 
Chevy2311 said:
WOW that came out awesome! Must be nice being able to use the tools and machines at work. Couple of our guys took advantage of it, now we can't take anything to work. Hope you don't mind me copying that idea. I measured my door gaps today. Got 39 7/8" on the passenger side, 40 1/4 on the driver side.
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Thanks!
In reality I own the shop.....so yea it makes it nice!
I stay really busy doing contract CNC machining so I don't get to work on my own stuff as much as I would like.
By all means, feel free to copy anything I do.....I plan on copying other's ideas too!
At some point, when I'm done, I may offer some of this stuff to someone else who plans to restore a blazer?

I plan on some measuring and cross bracing this week and then the body will come off. I'll be sure to post that up as soon as I get it going.
 
NorCalTank said:
That had me rolling Mike.
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Now I gotta stand my ground on Ford "TRUCKS".....cars naaaa, not so much. But I will join any hate group against "RAM" trucks.:D

NorCalTank said:
Those door braces look great. I was going to offer up mine but that would just be an embarassment now.
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Hey, there's nothing wrong with ANYTHING anybody makes.............that works. :waytogo:
My tendency is always toward overkill.......on everything.
 
Those are some nice tools:bow: Everything I've done involved cutoff wheels ,4 1/2 grinder and a Ryobi cheepo cordless drill. If I needed that bend it would of been the vice and a 3lb hammer or cut it then weld it. I do like the simple but effective adjust-ability on that brace.
 
sponsoredbydad said:
Those are some nice tools:bow: Everything I've done involved cutoff wheels ,4 1/2 grinder and a Ryobi cheepo cordless drill. If I needed that bend it would of been the vice and a 3lb hammer or cut it then weld it. I do like the simple but effective adjust-ability on that brace.
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Thanks my friend. Again this is the advantage of being in the machine shop business. I have a small business but also have all the equipment I need for making a good living PLUS stuff to "play" with too. Just need more TIME to play!

If my shop "NEEDS" some kind of tool or machine, I buy it for the "business".......;)
 
Pizz pouring rain here today....we need it.
Good day to make some progress.

After being together for 43 years it's time for a seperation.
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a 4ft piece of 4x4 post worked great for the lift at the rear
under two of the cross braces
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this half moved outside for awhile
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wanted to sandblast....but settled for a little wire brushing
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I did several measurements prior to pulling the body, everything stayed really close.

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A1971Blazer said:
I did several measurements prior to pulling the body, everything stayed really close.
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Door opening measurements are only one minor part of a K5's geometry, what uber sweet braces are you making to address twist & body mount heights?
 
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