Ryoken's 89 Crew Cab Tubebed build... aka Mutt....

[ryoken]

so.... the pre-design, before having components, fully weld cuz it's sitting outside, finally bit me in the arse....

I was close, but 2.75" off on my spare mount tube....


and here's one to chock up to the "I'll do stoopid amounts of work to have things just so" list, as it would actually work the way it is...


so... if I mount the mount tube, 3 gusset's and spare plate where it is now, the tire will rest on 3 points... when I originally designed it so the upper tire would sit on the 2 angle tubes, and than 2 side spots....

even tho the plate hard mounts it, I will have it "just" touching the tubes with tire...

anyway, here's some pics to explain....



spare, where it will end up..

to the C-hoop... only prob here is if/when I do the tow lightbar, i'll have to tab/mount it a bit forward.. but it'll work fine as the C-hoop is above the cab line....

and this is how it is in relation to the gooseneck... you can see a blue marker line on the coffin tube showing the gooseneck location... it probably would have been fine 3" further back, but I don't mind giving it that much more room...

here you can see a blue marker spot where the bottom edge of the x-tube needs to be....

so the whole lower tube needs to be moved up to the blue lines left, right and center...

but, I did come up with a slightly less painful way to do it.... I can cut straight up at each end, cutting off the fishmouths.... than cut the center tube to remove that "T"... clean the angle tubes up, take a 3" section out of the center tube, refishmouth the 2 ends, and move it up the 2.75" with a slug in the center tube...

tomorrow...

 

[Stomis]

I wont discourage you from perfection you desire but I will say, gravity is completely on your side with that mounting system. Theres really no reason that 3 vs 4 pts of the tire sitting on the tube will make a difference. I would build it so the tire has to smoosh just a tad against the tubes to be completely tight on the mount.

What are you gaining by moving the tube up?

 

[ryoken]

more room for the gooseneck and I just don't like the tire not catching those angle tubes, even tho it catches the center.. tho I would like the lightbar to be more centered over the C-hoop than it will be this way if I can...

I know it's not gonna go anywhere, I just wanted the "flats" of the tire to rest on those tubes... right now it catches the center and sit's a 1/2" off the angle tubes...


meh, I'm gonna sit down with alkyhol later and contemplate it... I'll take some pics in the other position too...

I need to go look at some pics of gooseneck trailers and see what kinda clearance I think I want/need...

 

[ryoken]

and the other thing is I could just move the mount tube up to that spot without fuggin with the tubes.. but than I lose the 3 gusset approach and could only run 1 big one, and a small at the bottom..... a bit hokey, not that it would be seen.. but if I'm gonna move the tire, I'd rather do it right...

 

[ryoken]

hmmmm, the goosenecks don't look to have a ton of bulk forward of that point.. just the standardish 6" square upright it seems from the pic's I'm seeing..

 

[folkenheath]

I would just move the tire up and leave the tubes where they are.

 

[Stomis]

I would just move the tire up and leave the tubes where they are.

I agree. Like I side your actual mount is only going to keep the tire pressed against the tube. The tubes are holding the weight.

 

[ryoken]

ok, here's how it looks if I mount it right where it is now using the 3 gusset's, etc... I can live with the 3 mount points...




I REALLY like what it does for my lightbar capability.... I can at least have the back of the lightbar start at the back of the tube.. maybe even centered over the tube somewhat, I LIKE that much more than hanging it out over the cab...

compared to, moved up....

and how much room it has to a gooseneck... the leading edge of that strip steel is about 3.5" forward of the hitch... so that's probably how close the upright would sit..

boy I'm torn on this one... I'm really inclined to put it right there... obviously I could change any of this down the road if I needed to...

I'm leaning toward that spot, think it'll give me enough in the back, and better lightbar room up front... plus I can do it tomorrow, as opposed to a day of reworking chit first...

 

[Stomis]

I would go with it how it sits. Moving it up looks like you didnt figure it right sitting at the top of the tube like that.

 

[ryoken]

it isn't.. I set the x-tube by going down like 21, 22 inches for a 37... I didn't want it all the way at the top.. for that lightbar reason... keep the overall rig height down that extra couple inches too... I knew it was a limited "envelope" for the tire to fit in, between how far back I could run the angle down tubes, the gooseneck, fuel tank, lightbar, etc......

I'm gonna run it the way it is.. the thing is, if I need to move it up at some point, nothing I do tomorrow will really matter, I can move the whole gusseted "T" section up the way I earlier described if need be...

 

[Stomis]

it isn't.. I set the x-tube by going down like 21, 22 inches for a 37... I didn't want it all the way at the top.. for that lightbar reason... keep the overall rig height down that extra couple inches too... I knew it was a limited "envelope" for the tire to fit in, between how far back I could run the angle down tubes, the gooseneck, fuel tank, lightbar, etc......

I'm gonna run it the way it is.. the thing is, if I need to move it up at some point, nothing I do tomorrow will really matter, I can move the whole gusseted "T" section up the way I earlier described if need be...

No Im not saying the x tube would look weird Im saying the spare would look weird if you moved it up. I agree you should leave it.

 

[ryoken]

no, I know, I was just explaining why I put the x-tube where I did, guessing what woud be good with the 37 in the end..... and that is dictating where the tire sits...


looks like i'll be welding bolts into the spare plate..... no big.. was hoping to find some short 9/16 wheel studs local to weld in, but everything they have is mega-long...

 

[izzy1776]

Following your build makes me wonder what went through Michelangelo's head while he painted the Sistine Chapel. Did he come down after a hours of hanging/painting, look up and think, "F*ck, that dudes hand is just a bit high."

I mean this as a compliment because as far as I am concerned, they're works of equal magnitude.

 

[ryoken]

thanks..

it's getting there.... I think it's gonna be a pretty neat bed once done... just wish I had the 3, 4 g's to bang it out done done in the next few months...


the one thing I've tried to do on this project has been to not really fudge schtuff... my reasoning was that when you start out being off a little here and there, it get's magnified by eleventy when ya get towards the end... than sh*t starts getting caddywompus....

so I've tried to make sure all the tubework has been within an 1/8 of an inch.. it's not perfect, but the majority is damn close... the one imperfect spot I didn't find until I went to do the handrail, was that the one main down angle tube, lands about 3/8" to a 1/2" farther back than the other.. learned that when I went to mirror-cut the handrail to match the other side....

it doesn't mean anything, no harm, no foul.. you can't tell even if you're looking for it.. but it was one of those "well dayum" moments..



got the spare upright tacked in temporarily.. should have that project done tomorrow.... after that it'll be sandblast all the current welds, DA the tubes and get the raw stuff in RG...

 

[ryoken]

oh, and I'm looking at the next phase already.... trying to scrape up enough dinero in the next week or 2 to get the alum... I can definitely get 2 sheets, it's trying to sneak in that third sheet funding... just gotta see how much more i'll save getting 3, as opposed to 2 now, and 1 later...

for fabbing purposes, 2 would get a good portion of stuff done... mainly the 2 largest plates above the toolboxes on each side.. about 8' x 29" each...

but that also gives me the support work for those... I'm going to add 2 cross braces per side under the alum that are 1" x 2" tube that go from the top coffin tube out to the main side tubes....


I'm trying to get as much fab and fitting done now, before it goes back on the frame to avoid "the rig being in the way of welding, priming, etc"

 

[ryoken]

hehe, figured out how to make these. ™ ™


now I don't have to go back and copy/paste to do, the LAB™........



sheesh, could only source 2, 9/16-18 x 1 3/4" bolts locally... have to order a bag from McBible for tomorrow..

that will delay this a bit, probably tomorrow night, as I want to weld all the bolts into the plate prior to install...

it's all good tho, got hardener today for my 2k primer, so once the spare mount is done, I'll be bring the whole tubebed thru tan uro primer.... seal it all up...

it may get a bit scuffed up going out the door, and I still need to weld the panel mount tabs in, but I DEFINITELY want to get the 95% of it in tan before it goes back on the rig.. I can spot in the rest.. than pull it at work with the Lull for a final paintjob come may or so...


down to the LAB™

 

[ryoken]

ready for bolt's, reinstall and gussets....

 

[GWeakland620]

ready for bolt's, reinstall and gussets....

I bet you could sell the Chit out of those to the single ladies.....

 

[Stomis]

I bet you could sell the Chit out of those to the single ladies.....

Beat me to it

 

[ryoken]

I was torn on how much "stick out" to give the cap...

it was actually a couple inches longer, than I decided to chop it down some for "ease of install"



don't need to be trying to play ring toss with a 100 lb tire, but I like the idea of it being somewhat of a "safety" when mounting/dismounting the tire...