PlumCrazy's Build

[036speed]

Haha.
This brings back some memories. Me being SpongeBob.


HAHAHA

 

[PlumCrazy]

That was the start of my zero ****s given mentality

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[036speed]

You're welcome

 

[PlumCrazy]

Not a whole lot happened this weekend as usual...ended up putting axle seals in Dads 07 Ranger and finding his rear shackles are toast. I thought Ford had fixed the flaky coating issue by 07, but apparently not...

I did however manage to bolt up two rims and align them so that I could cut/weld the tierod the drag link. I checked clearance of the pitman at full lock and it looks perfect.

Next item is the track bar...Looks like I will need to build about 4" off the axle tube and 4" off the frame rail to get me parallel with the drag link, but....that will get me into the diff housing, so I am going to need to put a bump the track bar to clear at full stuff.

Something like this.

I mocked it up in soft copper.

I also got the pitman drilled to 3/4 to accept the larger rod end. I still need to put the knuckle side misalignment spacers on the lathe and knock them down .25" or so to reduce the moment on the bolt.

Im trying to source a junk TTB frame to mock up a tubular cross member and motor mounts on so I don't have to pull the engine yet...but I will probably just end up pulling it.lol Plan is to cut the crossmember out just inside of the engine mounts and box the "nubs" back in, then add two pieces of 1.5" OD toob between them.

Comparison of the rim I recentered and a standard 3.75" BS wheel

 

[Robert_1967]

maybe you need to go to 18's or 19's rims?!?

nah, what am I thinking..



Robert





posted using a dark pair of reading glass's and a photo room in red light.

 

[PlumCrazy]

I'd like to go 17s, but I alrwady have a set of 38.5s on 15s.lol

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[PlumCrazy]

trimmed the high steer arms back to allow for brake line fitting clearance.

Bolted the 8 lugger under the truck just so I can move it around. Looks like I will be pulling the engine so I can get the cross member reworked. I hope I have a pair of wheels that hold air to roll it on.lol I might have to throw the dually spare on one side.lol

Once the cross member is out of the way I can knock out the track bar brackets, then pull the 44 back out, gusset the inner Cs, cut the stock track bar bracket off,and maybe truss the pass tube. Once its done I can paint it and install for good. I plan to build the frame side motor mounts for the Ruff Stuff mounts I bought 2 years ago too.lol

 

[1badexplorer]

Haha.
This brings back some memories. Me being SpongeBob.


HAHAHA

I also told him the same thing. Its going to rub a little then after that it went downhill and started to look like it was ran in the demolition derby lol.

 

[adsm08]

I hope I have a pair of wheels that hold air to roll it on.lol I might have to throw the dually spare on one side

Hey, if it's just for rolling they don't have to hold air for long. Let em go flat once it's out of the way.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Spent most of my weekend running around hauling things for people and myself while the weather is nice.

Scored three more 38.5s with a touch more tread and zero cracking. Two are in really good shape, but one has a cut down the middle, it doesn’t leak, but looks sketch.

Then I stopped by Brads (036speed) to try out the bender (JD Model 4 w/ air over hydro). I found some 1.25” conduit with 1.5” OD to test on. Once we figured out where the bends start and how close we could get them to one another…we stuffed the .25” wall in and gave it a try.

It bent it like butter and turned out pretty good for a couple rookies.lol

It will fit perfect from the looks of it. I have an extra 3-4” on both ends so I room to wiggle with my brackets.

Bolted up some rollers so I can get the Ranger in position to yank the engine out and get cracking on the crossmember….I think I might just stick with 28” skinnies….lol

Also did a lot of research on my rim/backspace/beadlock situation. I called a bunch of places that sell rim shells in hopes of finding one with the “valley” (drop center) in a more desirable location where it wont hit the caliper when the rim is reversed, but came to the conclusion that all 15x8 steel shells are basically the same. I really wanted to get to 3” BS so I don’t snap a ball joint or something. I started reading more about shallow BS wheels that have reversed shells (the valley is closer to the inside) and found that the outer bead is typically the only one that gets locked because it is the weaker bead on a typical rim. If the bead is pushed .5” it will drop into the valley..where as the inner has 3” or so before the bead drops in…..so when a rim is reversed..the inner bead is the weak bead and you will rarely debead a tire anyhow. Next issue is mounting a tire on a bead locked reversed rim…you typically cant.lol The tire wont stretch over the rim with the valley offset to the inside. The only rim that some people have managed to mount them on are 15x8s…and only certain tires.lol

So long story short. I cut the tacks and pushed the center back out of the rim I had worked on. I flipped back to stock and cheated it in as far as I could without loosing the snug fit…ended up with 3.125” BS…..I am happy with that. The rotor sits flush with the inner lip and my ball joints will be happier. I also welded up the valve stem hole and cleaned the powder coat of the lip where the beadlock goes. Now just waiting for parts.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Back to working stupid hours at work..so progress has slowed...weather is getting nicer, so hopefully more productive weekends.

Played around with making a fixture for welding the rim centers and beadlocks. I want nice uniform beads, so I plan to tack the tings in 6-8 places to control warping, then I can full weld them.

I started by lagging a spindle to a 2x8 and then dropping an old 5x5.5 hub on it. I scrounged up an old post test recliner motor from a seat at work since they are single bolt/stud mount and have like 300:1 gear ratio. I then bolted it down and make a crude "pulley" with a section of the recline drive shaft and a few fender washers tacked on. I used an old bicycle tire tube with a the valve stem cut off for a belt. (thanks Brad)

^THIS ONE IS A VIDEO


I need to find an old headlight dimmer switch to use for a speed control. I think it may be a touch too fast. I have an old 15" rim to test on.

 

[wizkid00104]

Your inventiveness is endlessly amazing...


Sent from my iPhone

 

[036speed]

Your inventiveness is endlessly amazing...


Sent from my iPhone

Right!?

He pulled my tire tube out of the trash and asked, "Are you using this? Can I have it?"

"Yes. It is in the trash can..."

 

[PlumCrazy]

I want to make something similar for welding links and tie rods too. I originally was thinking I needed a much slower motor..but the surface speed will be the same regardless of the diameter of what I am turning...the rpm will be the same, but the outer diameter is what I am welding so that's where it counts.

 

[PlumCrazy]

I already have plan to make the entire setup a touch more legit if it works out.