Tabs for hydro cylinder?

[84_Chevy_K10]

I've got a 1" twist drill bit. I'm just going to torch the holes and then drill them out to clean them up.

This 1" thick piece of plate is BEEFY! I know what I'm making my next frame out of. /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

 

[CyberSniper]

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I've got a 1" twist drill bit. I'm just going to torch the holes and then drill them out to clean them up.

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Due to torching (heat treating), the area around the hole will be harder than the rest of the steel. It'll be a bitch to try to get that bit through there not to mention hard on the bit. Stick it in a drill press and take your time with some good cutting oil. I found this out the "hard" way a while back.

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

Have you ever tried to drill a 1" hole in something?

The last time I tried using this bit in a hand drill I almost broke my hand/wrist.

If I just have to torch the holes and leave it that way, I will. 1/16" slop in a hydro assist ram isn't the end of the world.

I see your point, but this is 1" thick steel plate here and I don't own a drill press. If I did, I probably would try it, but I don't have one, and no way in hell I'm attempting this with a hand drill.

 

[az-k5]

Cut a bigger hole in it and weld in a piece of tube. Ycan do it however you want. A few ideas are 1.25" .120 wall or 1.5" .250 wall. Just cut the hole for the tube to fit, weld it in and you have a no slop fit. You can even do the same with 1/2" plate just make the tube piece 1" tall (using 1.5" .250 wall) and it will be easier to weld. Better yet, use two pieces of 1/4" plate welded to the tube (top and bottom) have it angle out for more weld contact on the axle and you can install it with a 110V welder with dependable results.

If you don't have the tools to fit the job, make the job fit your tools. There are thousands of ways to build a bracket. 1" solid steel is neat and strong (often overkill) but takes no longer to cut in a good laser/water jet than 1/4" does. That is what the big boys do. They have built enough multi-piece brackets to fund a bracket making machine and now they have one piece. You are making 2 of these, not 200.

Bottom line, if you're gonna call it custom fab get creative (still safe) and away from the norm. Thinking in the box is not too far away from off the shelf IMO.

 

[willyswanter]

Start with a 1/4" bit, then a 1/2", then a 3/4" and then the 1". Use plenting of cutting fluid and turn it slowly, will go right through. Yes I have used twist drills up to 2.5". As stated above if you torch it your drill won't got through it... The surface is essentially heat treated by the cutting and gets too hard.

Personally I would make the bracket out of 3/8" plate and run a piece of 1/4" wall tubing with a 1" ID through the middle to take up the slack. I'd be worried about warping the tie rod with all the heat that welding that huge bracket on is going to cause.