One Piece at a Time: My 1985 Diesel Suburban

[AgDieseler]

First side triangulation is tacked and ready to burn in. Temporary stiff back to keep the flanges from walking.


These truss members run from the upper tubes to the side of the 6x2, adding another triangle to the vertical cross-section.


They’re spaced with some bias toward the front, with the rationale being that am most likely to land on the sliders while driving forward, and whatever load they take on will be transferred rearward. The trusses are spaced about 1/3 & 2/3. I could be wrong.


Tomorrow: other side. My dad is coming over to pack the front bearing.

David

 

[AgDieseler]

One side fully burned in, with no detectable warp. I’ll work the other side tomorrow.

Nude weld photos, pre-wire wheel.




My dad greased the wheel bearings.

1-5/8x.134 step tube arrives tomorrow, so that’s the plan for Tuesday or Wednesday - reinstall, build steps, tack, pull both and burn that in. It’s a quiet week for the day-job, and with some luck, I might have them painted and done by next weekend.

David

 

[NorCal69]

Pretty beads.

 

[AgDieseler]

Pretty beads.

Gracias.

I tried some new techniques and new filler wire. I’m pretty sure I’m going to stick with Hobart wire from here on - no more prostar or blue devil garbage.

The silica on the Hobart wire puddles consistently and wets out with great control. It’s easier to get the puddle right up to the edge of a plate without cutting into it.

David

 

[NorCal69]

I did that yesterday. I tried to use .030 the past couple of weekends for the wheel well sheet metal work. I could never get my machine dialed in no matter what I did. Even switched the unit back to 110. Thought maybe it was a bad liner.... blah blah.

I threw in some .025 yesterday morning that I had laying around and it was like butter all day. Perfect little tacks. I actually enjoyed sheet metal work. Lesson learned. Sheet metal, my machine, 025.

 

[AgDieseler]

Other side triangulated and tacked. Four asymmetrical notches and decently oblique angles. Lots of fine fitting.





It takes about 2hrs to fully weld, so I’ll hit it early tomorrow. With all the spatter from MIG, I’m half tempted to just TIG the whole thing, even though it takes a bit longer.



27 days to 21 road.

David

 

[GWeakland620]

You’re absolutely killing it sir. Keep at it!

 

[AgDieseler]

You’re absolutely killing it sir. Keep at it!

Thanks man. Plenty of work ahead. I just drew up the plates for the bump stop brackets...

David

 

[Bent77]

I just wanna see the videos of the blue bus going up 21 road while the jeeps are floundering and breaking stuff

Yay!

 

[ZooMad75]

Really the most bad ass set of sliders for a Burb I've ever seen.

 

[blazinzuk]

David, antispatter spray is your friend. A very good friend of mine.

Makes cleanup with the mig easy.

But if you've got the time to Tig em.......well you know

 

[AgDieseler]

Let's cut some plate.


David

 

[AgDieseler]

Deja vu all over again.









I loaded up the joints with TIG tacks, and ran over them with the MIG; fiddled with wire speed to minimize spatter, and kept better focus on torch angle, and with decent success.

There are 6 sticks of 1-5/8 waiting to become steps.

David

 

[mrk5]

Sorry I missed the fab work in the pictures, I was too distracted by the awesome calendar pic in the background of the first......

But seriously, nice looking work as usual.

 

[AgDieseler]

...I was too distracted by the awesome calendar pic in the background of the first...

My dad saw it, and asked, “who wheels the 3+3? I love it!”

It’s raining and a slow office day, so I’ll be out in the shop getting these ready to go back on so I can build the steps.

David

 

[jekquistk5]

Good thing you got a new turbo with how much weight you just added.

 

[AgDieseler]

Rather than jump to the steps, I went ahead and tacked the rest of the front and mid landing plates and burned them in.

I hate overhead welding.









The rears are already tacked, and will get burned in after I mock up that bushing. It’s a little different from the others.

I’ll primer inside and outside tomorrow, and then steps.

David

 

[AgDieseler]

Sliders are temporarily back on, and steps are underway.

Everything fit well; only one hole didn’t quite line up and needed adjustment.



Patterns are drawn up, and the bender is running. Steps are 1.625x.134 DOM.



Tomorrow is a jammed day. The coped joints for these steps are not quick to make, the bump plates are cut, I need more welding gas, and oh, the day job beckons.

24 days to 21 road.

David

 

[78K30]

Did you happen to take any side shots of them installed? As good as they look from underneath I’m curious how they look from the side!

On another note I made my bender stand in a similar method as yours. Thinking I’m gonna re-do it with 4 casters next time. Kinda a pain to keep level with a longer chunk of tube

 

[AgDieseler]

Did you happen to take any side shots of them installed? As good as they look from underneath I’m curious how they look from the side!

I’ll get a whole smash load of photos. They’re just on temporarily right now. I still have to get the steps on and finish weld.

...I made my bender stand in a similar method as yours. Thinking I’m gonna re-do it with 4 casters next time...

I made mine with my checkbook. It’s just the regular protools 105HD stand, and I ordered it from trick tools along with the bender itself. For a while, I had it mounted to the receiver hitch of the truck, but that was a pain.

David