Jethro-Built D60 cover "prototype"

[Zeus33rd]

I just got done makin this cardboard prototype. What do ya'all think?

Try to imagine it all made of 3/8's plate, welded and ground smooth to look like one piece. It won't look quite so blocky and angular either...Alittle smoother/rounder looking. Depending on costs, I might have some of the pieces laser cut and bent on a CNC brake. The ring will most likely be laser cut. A new design 14b cover similar to the one above, is in the works too....I ran out of cardboard...lol

 

[mikey_d05]

As long as it will have a fill plug and will clear a 1.5" OD tie rod when you're done I like it. I like your work, maybe when my budget recovers I'll order a set.

 

[BranndonC]

yeah, will it clear the tie rod?

 

[k5freak44]

ill trade you some cardboard for one of your covers.

 

[Zeus33rd]

It'll have a fill plug of course. And possibly a drain plug.

As far as clearing the 1.5" tie rod, I don't know yet. I haven't had a chance to do any test fitting on a housing yet. I can find out more about that tommorrow. I'll bolt this cardboard thing on my rig and take some pictures. My 60 is torn apart for a gear change anyway. If one of you guys has a stock D60 cover layin around right now, and can measure the depth, I can can compare that number to the depth of this cardboard one. Just lay a straight edge accross the gasket surface and measure from the straight edge to the lowest point inside the cover. Even if this design doesn't clear the 1.5" tie rod, the end product will. Thats exactly why I posted this here, I wouldn't have remembered to take the tie-rod clearance issue into consideration. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[mikey_d05]

Stock 60 cover = roughly 3.25" deep. There's only about a half inch of clearance between a STOCK tierod and a STOCK cover. So honestly, to clear a 1.5" OD tie rod, you're not gonna be able to make it any deeper than the factory cover. Sorry to break the news, but I thought there was more room than that. Better sooner than later I guess.

 

[Zeus33rd]

There's nothin to apologize for dude. No worries.

Just measured the cardboard one, it's roughly 3.5". No problem to redesign to be 3.25". lol, Now for another favor, you wouldn't happen to have a stock 14b cover layin around that you could measure the depth of for me would ya? Pretty please? My shop, and all my junk, is on the other side of town.

 

[mikey_d05]

Stock 14bff cover is roughly 3.5" deep. It's cold and my garage isn't insulated, you owe me Anything else you need at the moment? If not, I'm gonna call it a night.

 

[mikey_d05]

Oh, almost forgot, I measured from gasket surface to highest point on the outside of the covers, so my measurements will be a small amount (like .125") larger than what you would get measuring to the inside. Not a big deal, just thought I'd let you know.

 

[Zeus33rd]

lol, Notihng else bro- Stay inside. Thanks soo much for the help with all that.

 

[Greg72]

Joe,

If you want to be really bitchin' you might also spend the time to figure out a good place to mount a beefy "ram assist" bracket on that cover.

You might have two offerings (both options that could be added to a basic cover for a minimal fee) A ram-mount for a conventional tierod setup (across the center of the cover) and one for someone with high-steer arms (which would need their bracket up near the top of the cover). This would be especially nice if you had both fill and drain plugs...since there's almost no reason to ever pull the cover off at that point....so connecting the ram to it doesn't make "servicing" any more difficult.

The nice thing about having a cover that's 3/8" thick EVERYWHERE is that it's a pretty damn good place to mount other stuff like a ram assist. It's also strong enough that if you bent a tie rod you could wedge something between the bent tie rod and the cover and straighten that tierod back out!!!


A few random thoughts over my 1st cup of coffee.....

 

[mikey_d05]

I agree, if you added a place to mount a ram I'd definitely shell out for one. You'd probably need to make a couple of different styles though because a lot of the home brew setups use a ram with a clevis and a lot of the professionally done ones use a ram with some sort of joint on the end. It would probably have to be a special order thing but it'd probably be worth it.