NWF Doubler Repair

[MTMike]

History: the 4 bolts that hold the 205 to the adapter aren't quite enough to support the weight of the 205 without an additional bracket. You need to use the factory (or a custom) mount to support the weight of the drop-side of the transfer case. I learned this on day 2 of a 7 day wheeling trip when the 205 fell off A few bolts, a ratchet strap and some wire and I was able to make it through the last 5 days of the trip without any other problems.

So I pulled my NWF doubler out of the truck to repair it. The threads on the 205 plate are buggered up pretty bad. The 203 plate is in great shape.

Then, a friend cleaned it in a roto-jet machine, and I changed the clocking configuration so that I can use all new threads but not change my transfer case clocking much if at all.

Using all clean, unused holes/threads and new, clean bolts we put it all together. The plan was to TIG weld it all together, and add a small piece of 1" bar stock on the bottom part to take some of the load of the center section bolts. However, my friend's 180A TIG didn't have the brass ones to even make a puddle in that massive AL stock. So he suggested safety-wiring all of the bolts together.

I talked to another friend and he has a Miller 251 with an AL spool, so I went to his house to give it a shot. It would stick the parts together, but it barely penetrated into the aluminum, and a light blow with a hammer would break them apart again. So he had a suggestion: Drill and tap a hole all the way through the 2 pieces of the doubler and the bar stock, and then countersink the heads of the bolts into each side of the doubler. So that's what we did.

And here's pics (hi-res available upon request)

Safety wired:

The inside of the 205 plate

The inside of the 203 plate

The bar stock on the bottom:

Hopefully, this will hold for a while

 

[muddermilitia]

That bar stock idea is awesome. Unfortunatly I wouldn't be able to pull that off with my round pattern 205

 

[moneypit]

Thats not the first time I have heard of that happening. I believe NWF said he didn't have the bolts tight....yeah right! I got pics of it somewhere and no it wasn't mine. I got the 1 piece from ORD.

History: the 4 bolts that hold the 205 to the adapter aren't quite enough to support the weight of the 205 without an additional bracket. You need to use the factory (or a custom) mount to support the weight of the drop-side of the transfer case. I learned this on day 2 of a 7 day wheeling trip when the 205 fell off A few bolts, a ratchet strap and some wire and I was able to make it through the last 5 days of the trip without any other problems.

So I pulled my NWF doubler out of the truck to repair it. The threads on the 205 plate are buggered up pretty bad. The 203 plate is in great shape.

Then, a friend cleaned it in a roto-jet machine, and I changed the clocking configuration so that I can use all new threads but not change my transfer case clocking much if at all.

Using all clean, unused holes/threads and new, clean bolts we put it all together. The plan was to TIG weld it all together, and add a small piece of 1" bar stock on the bottom part to take some of the load of the center section bolts. However, my friend's 180A TIG didn't have the brass ones to even make a puddle in that massive AL stock. So he suggested safety-wiring all of the bolts together.

I talked to another friend and he has a Miller 251 with an AL spool, so I went to his house to give it a shot. It would stick the parts together, but it barely penetrated into the aluminum, and a light blow with a hammer would break them apart again. So he had a suggestion: Drill and tap a hole all the way through the 2 pieces of the doubler and the bar stock, and then countersink the heads of the bolts into each side of the doubler. So that's what we did.

And here's pics (hi-res available upon request)

Safety wired:

The inside of the 205 plate

The inside of the 203 plate

The bar stock on the bottom:

Hopefully, this will hold for a while

 

[MTMike]

Thats not the first time I have heard of that happening. I believe NWF said he didn't have the bolts tight....yeah right! I got pics of it somewhere and no it wasn't mine. I got the 1 piece from ORD.

Mine came apart, and the bolts were very tight, with red loctite and they backed out in less than 50 miles. The previous owner had it come apart too, but he put anti-seize on the bolts and I'm sure that had something to do with it. And the bolt holes were probably stretched out from his incident which contributed to mine

It just took some experimenting, some trial and error, and the genius of some very mechanically inclined friends with shops full of tools to get it built the way NWF should have built it.

 

[kitimatdude]

I just read this thread on pirate.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Bolts should NEVER be used in aluminum if they are meant to be taken apart and put back together, they should all be studs. I have an NWF style () doubler that my buddy made for me and i have studs in all locations of that center piece where it bolts to the 203 and 205 adapters. Someday i'll get around to installing this thing and see how it works. I'm not sure if NWF's doubler have cut threads or rolled threads but all of the threads in my doubler are rolled threads which are much stronger than a cut thread.

 

[tRustyK5]

I think they should have used keen-serts and mentioned as much to Kyle a couple of times. Threads in aluminum aren't the end of the world, but thread engagement needs to be 1.5X the thread diameter...which in this area is impossible. Thread engagement for steel (AKA an insert) is 1X the thread diameter which is possible in that area...plus you don't have the worries of easily damaging the threads.

I put mine together minus the washers to get as much thread depth as possible...I have about 1500 miles on it and they're still tight. Even so, I will likely take it apart and install Keen-serts before it gets swapped into my Crew Cab.

Rene

 

[MNorby]

Get it in a come down to powell on the 22nd to try it out

 

[MTMike]

I actually ran studs with red loctite and steel lock nuts when I first put it together, and the studs backed right out of the aluminum just the same as the bolts with lock washers did when I did my quick trail fix. NWF ships it with 7/8" bolts and no washers.

I used 1" bolts with lock washers in mine, plus safety wiring-studs wouldn't have been as effective, I don't think. Now I suppose I could have used studs in the bottom area where I tied it together, but I didn't like that idea either because I would have had to countersink it deeper to clear the lock nuts, thus removing more material from the main aluminum components. Also, in this area, there aren't threads in the doubler pieces, only in the piece I added in-between the 2 doubler pieces.

Get it in a come down to powell on the 22nd to try it out

My folks are visiting that weekend so I won't be able to.... but I'll have it ready for the Christmas tree run

 

[cegusman]

Not the first time I have seen that. I will have to agree with tRustyK5. I went with the ORD doubler to avoid this exact issue.