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"Hardcore" 89 (Black and Blue). IT RUNS, DRIVES, AND STOPS. BUILD ON HOLD
- Thread starter MTBLAZER89
- Start date
dirtygoat
1/2 ton status
Steering is overrated...
Brian, are you gonna make it over to Naches this summer???
Brian, are you gonna make it over to Naches this summer???
Nope most likely not unless it opens real early. I deploy in May.
I DO want to come down and run Elbe a weekend before I go, and we are talking about a trip to Browns camp in Apr.
I DO want to come down and run Elbe a weekend before I go, and we are talking about a trip to Browns camp in Apr.
kdoske
1/2 ton status
Love your build, everything looks great!
Thanks! 
Ok so here is where I am at now. Thinking of moving the sliders up into the body and replace the rockers. That should stiffen things up some. Really contemplating chopping the roof and B-pillars. My top and tailgate are loong gone. I have always planned on plating in the top portion of the rear cage for passenger protection so why not just do the forward portion as well. Would really make building the forward portion of the cage a lot easier as well!
Thoughts, Comments, Concerns? Tips?
Ok so here is where I am at now. Thinking of moving the sliders up into the body and replace the rockers. That should stiffen things up some. Really contemplating chopping the roof and B-pillars. My top and tailgate are loong gone. I have always planned on plating in the top portion of the rear cage for passenger protection so why not just do the forward portion as well. Would really make building the forward portion of the cage a lot easier as well!
Thoughts, Comments, Concerns? Tips?
Recon!
Maniac
Boat side it. Do whatever you want to the top. But hurry up, I'm being lazy and not working on my own rig, so posts pics fast.
LOL well I won't even start till next week. Its loaded up to go wheeling tomorrow! 
Boatside and skinned. Will be awesome.
You know you need to get narrower. So on the boat side just taper em in. then skins if you want. Or whatever.
I know you are already on the downward spiral here Brian but this is where the spiral tightens up and you start going downhill a whole lot faster.
GET TO IT
You know you need to get narrower. So on the boat side just taper em in. then skins if you want. Or whatever.
I know you are already on the downward spiral here Brian but this is where the spiral tightens up and you start going downhill a whole lot faster.
GET TO IT
basketcatch19
Registered Member
i sent you a seek peek of whats going on over here maybe it will get the wheels turning a little. ha ha.
Chop the top but keep it a full-size, it will be self clearancing after while.
Skins do sound cool, but I just wanna keep the bottom of the passenger area sealed. It is pretty wet up here so staying dry is important.
I have an idea in my head I think. Need to draw it up.
Jarod. I like what you are doing!
Got tons of pics from wheeling yesterday. Little bit more damage. Will get them uploaded later today.
I have an idea in my head I think. Need to draw it up.
Jarod. I like what you are doing!
Got tons of pics from wheeling yesterday. Little bit more damage. Will get them uploaded later today.
My floor is sealed up, I thought about buying a lower door skin and putting it on just to bring the whole thing together and to help keep loose items in the truck.
I was just going to weld on the skin onto the tube about 8" up and cut out a hole for your foot to go into while you climb up.
I bet I lost about 400 lbs total when I did my cage and boatsides
Since I started with a truck I am going to still have to do some building on the rear seat to get it all sealed up from mud and stuff but I plan too not too hard to do just a little sheet metal work.
I was just going to weld on the skin onto the tube about 8" up and cut out a hole for your foot to go into while you climb up.
I bet I lost about 400 lbs total when I did my cage and boatsides
Since I started with a truck I am going to still have to do some building on the rear seat to get it all sealed up from mud and stuff but I plan too not too hard to do just a little sheet metal work.
Yeah thats definitely a must for me. There is a lot of wet dirt/mud on our trails and the LTB's move a lot of it 
Few pics from the last trip.
Tundra towed freakin Awesome!
Driver fender is getting worse
Other rigs
Few pics from the last trip.
Tundra towed freakin Awesome!
Driver fender is getting worse
Other rigs
Got it all cleaned up! Figured thats the first step in getting inside to work on it. Also unpacked all my trail gear so I'll actually have to make an effort to go wheeling LOL. Wanna at least get started on moving the sliders up into the rockers and get some forward measurements for the cage done.
Man you need a boatside on that thing.
I wheel with similar rigs. Little ol Jeeps and Toyotas, pretty soon any type of body you try to save will just get more and more mangled.
Trust me you want to do what I did
When you building the cage is the prefect time to do it cause modding a cage when you do cut everything apart is harder.
I mean it is your rig but I think you would be happy with the result of much tubing and much more clearance. I gained 10" on my rockers and the chassis is a ton stiffer due to the boatsides being welded to the frame and then the cage to the boatsides and frame in the rear.
Jus sayin
I wheel with similar rigs. Little ol Jeeps and Toyotas, pretty soon any type of body you try to save will just get more and more mangled.
Trust me you want to do what I did
When you building the cage is the prefect time to do it cause modding a cage when you do cut everything apart is harder.
I mean it is your rig but I think you would be happy with the result of much tubing and much more clearance. I gained 10" on my rockers and the chassis is a ton stiffer due to the boatsides being welded to the frame and then the cage to the boatsides and frame in the rear.
Jus sayin
NO I hear what you are saying. I am not against a smallish boatside. Not sure how high though. I'll have to look at your pics again. I am really not great at welding the thin stuff and to be honest welding thin stuff to thick stuff is a bit intimidating when we are talking basic structure for a cage.
No welding of thick to thin for structure. The boatsides are welded to the frame with supports, then welded to the body, most of the support comes from the frame supports not the body. Then if you build the cage off the boatsides its one nice structure. Really does stiffen up the frame
Tip for welding thick to thin, just let the pool of metal kind of wick over to the thin stuff. Keep all your filler material on the thicker stuff.
If you don't like that mess around with tack welding it
Ok I'll have to look a bit closer at how you did your base with the boatsides.
I do want to retain my windshield frame, but really like how your A-pillars are. Maybe without the top I could make that work
I know I want skins on the lower portion of the doors, and I want to retain the factory sheetmetal look vice flat panels over tube.
Hmmm I guess a few things to think about!
I do want to retain my windshield frame, but really like how your A-pillars are. Maybe without the top I could make that work
I know I want skins on the lower portion of the doors, and I want to retain the factory sheetmetal look vice flat panels over tube.
Hmmm I guess a few things to think about!
dirtygoat
1/2 ton status
You're gonna have to start cutting on it sooner or later... I would wait and enjoy it before you deploy...
I don't have to many issues with my floor and dealing with water... Everybody down here is thinking about doing their doors the same way I did mine... None of theirs open or close any more...
And as far as welding the thin to thick stuff, blazinzuk is dead on... Run the bead on the thick and push it over to the thin... I did a lot to tack, tack, tack when putting my skins on... Then went back and welded between all the tacks...
Once you get after it, you'll have no problems... A little practice and you'll be a pro...
When you decide to jump in head first, start looking for a parts truck or pick up a bed and fenders to skin... It's a lot easier than working with the aluminum can skins you've created...
I don't have to many issues with my floor and dealing with water... Everybody down here is thinking about doing their doors the same way I did mine... None of theirs open or close any more...
And as far as welding the thin to thick stuff, blazinzuk is dead on... Run the bead on the thick and push it over to the thin... I did a lot to tack, tack, tack when putting my skins on... Then went back and welded between all the tacks...
Once you get after it, you'll have no problems... A little practice and you'll be a pro...
When you decide to jump in head first, start looking for a parts truck or pick up a bed and fenders to skin... It's a lot easier than working with the aluminum can skins you've created...
My thoughts about chopping the top are do it, thats what I'm going to do. It will make the cage work tons easier.
It will make the cage work tons easier.
