hi lift

[crawlin91]

can stock gen 2 ranger bumpers be used with a hi-lift jack? Im guessing no
also I got 6" lift and 33"s what size hilift do u think I should buy?

 

[metalmacguyver]

I have a 48" and its not really enough. You will be wanting the 60" at some point so you might aswell get it.


And no, the stock bumper isnt good enough to lift from.

 

[crawlin91]

thanks man, kinda what I figured on the jack. Ill get the 60. I think I may have to get some sort of welding unit.
What would you recommend as a fairly cheap $500-$1000 welding setup yet good enough to build bumpers, and sliders etc.???

 

[PaleBlue90]

i have the 48' hi lift and with my 1.5 lift and 31's it aint enough...becareful with highlifts, good tool but can hurt or kill you if used wrong. id go check out harbor freight or homedepot for welders. i saw a lincon welder at homedepot for 566$ i wish i wouldve had the cash to grab it.

 

[PaleBlue90]

i forgot to add. dont get a harbor feight hilift, my buddy was useing one on his k5 blazer and it bent in half...

 

[ranger4wd4l]

i bought a welder from tractor supply company. It has work wonderful for me so far.

 

[97BlackBetty]

Depending on the kind of welding you want to do, more specifically the type of material you are wanting to weld, will determine what you should get. I grabbed an old Lincoln 220V Arc welder out of my Grandpas garage a few years ago, it the way old school kind with the big breaker that takes two hands to flip. But it works great for anything that I will be welding, bumpers and sliders included.

Honestly, I would take a trip to a local welding supply, the one I go to has great employees. One of them has even given me free lessons and showed me a lot of tricks all because I showed interest in what he sees as a dieing art (yes, he is an old timer).

 

[PaleBlue90]

One of them has even given me free lessons and showed me a lot of tricks all because I showed interest in what he sees as a dieing art (yes, he is an old timer).

i agree, most people now adays like to just bolt crap on, i personally like to see it home brewed the correct way

 

[crawlin91]

i agree, most people now adays like to just bolt crap on, i personally like to see it home brewed the correct way

Damn strait. Why pay top dollar for some bolt-on-bullshit when I can buy the tool to make it for the same price, and have it when the next project comes around. Sure it might be nice to have the aftermarket support like J**p, but im much more proud to have something original that took the time to learn how to do and I put together myself. I checked out airgas and the guy showed me a few things. Took a metal working class in highschool but havent used any of it since then so I forgot alot. I also checked out Lincolns website which is full of valueble information.

 

[PaleBlue90]

i couldnt agree more

 

[metalmacguyver]

When picking a welder, you need to consider where you will be working.

Do you have 220V available or within 50 feet? If so, you will want a 220V welder. Dont skimp on this.

Yeah people will say that their 110v is good enough, blah blah blah. It might work but if you can get something that will work better, believe me, you will apprecitate the difference.


Second, again, where will you be working? if your working outside in a frequently windy area, MIG wont work for you but flux core might. The other alternative is a stick welder but if your planning on fabricating and tackwelding frequently, you will want to get a wire feed welder.

For bang for the buck, I recommend a Hobart Handler 187. I used one to make everything that you can see on my truck except the bumpers. Everything that I have made except for my bumpers.

It comes with a cart and can be had for about 600-650. Add a tank and your just under $1000. Dont for get to get a package of spare tips and an extra spool of wire. I recommend using 0.035 size wire.

 

[BLOODBANE]

And make sure of the duty cycle of your welder. Too low and you will have to wait for it to cool down before doing too much welding.

 

[metalmacguyver]

Duty cycle isnt as big of a deal for light fabrication like we do. I have only once run my welder into thermal shut down.

 

[crawlin91]

ok might sound like a dumbass but how do I know if I got 220 or 110 are they different style plugs?

 

[metalmacguyver]

If you have a 220v connection, The plug will be about 4x as big as a normal plug.