"Big Darla" Build Thread

[Bennybooster]

did you fishplate the frame where you cut it?

 

[brinker88]

^ I was wondering the same thing. That doesnt look the safest...

When you cut/ splice a frame, you need to overlap or at least plate over the old frame a foot or more for strength issues...

 

[XionicWaste]

Nope I didnt plate where I cut. I figured a full weld around the shock brackets would strengthen the frame back up. Laying in an angled chunk to plate the shock mount and frame together probably is a good idea. Do I think its going to ever tear now? No I highly doubt it. Should I strengthen the area? Yeah I most likely should but not until my SAS is finished.

 

[dieseldane]

I would work on adding some type of support to the area of the frame you worked on. Yes the weld is strong, but welding changes the properties of the metal next to the weld, making it more brittle and prone to cracking/tearing. Try to add some gussets or something, especially since that truck is leaf sprung and being supported by the section of the frame after the towers.

 

[Kage]

I guess I'll buck the trend here and say don't sweat it. You essentially did what most Jeep TJ guys do when they move the rear shocks outboard. If you're planning on doing alot of towing, or planning on loading the truck heavy, then a little bacing there wouldn't be a bad idea. I don't think that's the case for you, so I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

What's the worst that will happen anyway? Besides killing a bus load of nuns that is

Glad to see that you updated this thread, and your UT photos make me miss 'the west'

 

[dieseldane]

At least on a TJ, the frame is boxed, and they only cut about halfway through the frame to put the towers in those. Here, he has pretty much cut through the entire frame.

 

[dieseldane]

I do like the idea of this, but if it were my truck (and I know it's not) I would do something like this. The pic is pretty self explanatory, but I feel like explaining it anyways. The blue would be outside the frame rails on both sides, in front of and behind the open area for the shock to pass through, the purple would be inside the frame rails on bothsides, and the green piece would be to cap off the area in between. This might be overkill, but better overkill than not enough.

 

[Kage]

At least on a TJ, the frame is boxed, ...

Huh, sure is. I could have sworn it was a C frame.

Carry on...

 

[kris97ranger]

i think its just fine...

you have just changed it from being and open c in one direction to the other..

 

[brinker88]

Where-as the c-frame shown above that's not reinforced is having all that force put on it by the leaf springs, it could really just snap at any moment on the trail/road. I would brace that frame before putting it back on the road IMO.

Right idea, wrong way of putting it into action

 

[XionicWaste]

Lol well like Kage said I, in no way, am going to lose sleep over this. I have out boarded my friends TJ and they do have fully boxed frames. I will add a bit of reinforcement because if I want to tow something large I wont have any issues. Am I going to do a huge gusset and change all my work? No not a chance. I do appreciate your concerns however but I feel they are un needed. lol!

 

[KTM RAPTOR]

Nice work man, keep it up.

Wicked build thread

 

[kroussinoffroad]

i dont forsee any Huge issues. i think it would start bending and crushing the shock tower before it just up and snaped in half and then what. it pushes the box into the cab cant go to to far from there, that is until the bolts rip thru the box in which case i hope your either pulled over by then or have taken appropriate driving measure to limp home

just dont go out and race any desert series races as it's not the STRONGEST design but not horrid either

 

[XionicWaste]

@ KTM Raptor Thanks for that!

@ Kroussin congrats on the truck of the month by the way!

just dont go out and race any desert series races

lol I hear ya loud an clear on that one... She'll stay a flexy crawler for a while before I think about getting into the Baja 500

 

[XionicWaste]

So today I got to work on the truck for about an hour and this is what I did:

First I took the bumper off:

Next I cut the bumper end steel chunks:

Then I layed in some 1/4 inch wall square tubing and welded it in:

I will cut the end of the frame off and tack a cap on it for now. Later I am going to have my winch here and also bumper supports coming from it/the frame.
I am waiting on parts for the SAS and I am ordering tubing tomorrow!