Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
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i've done the whole self-clearance thing for fenders vs tires, but never tried to "polish the bottom smooth" :lol: |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
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Marc |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
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That Jeep trail looked fun. I did the Great Lakes Jeep Jam myself... in a monsoon. It looks like the rain all stayed plenty notrth of you guys. |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
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current plan will just be 4 manual switch paddle valves from ThorBros |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
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it's getting cut from 1/4" plate, and my thought was that even flat it would be enough stronger than the cab sheet that the cab would give before the plate would bend. i'd love to tie it further around to the door frame structure or tie the plates together, but that's where i run into my shoulder again. i think this is the best i can get without MAJOR surgery. i think i met the goal of better than a 3pt, but to be race-ready i would basically have to cut off the back of the cab and add 12". an extended cab would be better in a lot of ways. |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
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Marc |
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Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
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Marc |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
I'm a visual person. I am looking forward to seeing the plate and how it mounts to the truck. I like the idea of the 4 points. I have a big back window and don't have a lot of room for a 3 point belt. If the plate works out well, you may end up selling some :)
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Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
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Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
What about using 1/4" X 6" plate and making it look good and wrap it around inside the cab fasten it good then if the shoulder belts want to move they have to take the cab with them.
I have been using manual switches for ride height for 5 years now I run at 4" normally I just look out the window to the running board to verify height. I have bag pressure gauges as well but I find the pressure might be different based on the ambient air temp. |
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i'm SUPER torn on the ride height control honestly. part of me wants the digital hotness for a perfect set-up every time ... while another part says that with a bump start this truck can run n drive with zero electricity of any kind. except i just installed electric compressors ... ugh ... i need an engine driven compressor! |
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Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
You running a good water trap for the air ride? I was amazed at how much moisture mine hold when I release the air. I have (2) tanks and one trap per tank.
Marc |
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i also plan to run the air intake for each pump up high under the hood, not just under the truck. |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
I have been regretting the 3 point set up in my 71 Camaro I went with. On me, the shoulder strap always rubs me and annoys me. I'd much rather have the 5 pt. It feels more secure and comfortable to me. I happen to have a holset air compressor for one of these. :lol:
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Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
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The compressors are mounted just inboard of the tanks. Attachment 2115816 |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
I will add that my separators are the lowest point of the system. Lower than the tanks, so that is probably why they collect so much water. My old set up did not collect water like that. I bet that has something to do with it.
Marc |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
wasn't a quick shift, but got everything tipped over for finishing efforts. why weld upside down if ya don't have too?!?! lots of welding still on the chassis, and the floor gets sealed good.
https://i.imgur.com/ap4O64s.jpg |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
Cant wait to see this one go back together....
Marc |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
Looking great! I don't blame you for trying to minimize welding over head. You always get burnt up one way or another doing it.
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burnt is one thing ... but with the feet of weld i had to lay this was way more ergonomic and i could get cleaner looking welds.
i tell ya what though, i had a few bad days of welding. some of these are not pretty. solid n not going anywhere, but not smooth. |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
finally got my clutch in! the box also included a clutch arm, throughout bearing, and little plastic alignment tool for a total of 116.xx LBS. every time i spin this turd to 4000RPM, i'm also spinning up over 100lbs of steel and ceramic!
:jdp: 13" dual disk, ceramic button clutch rated at 650hp / 1300ft-lbs 1) i really hope it's balanced! 2) the mid-plate is as thick as a normal flywheel! seriously though, that'll be a significant HP suck if i ever play on the strip. but at least it should hold the torques. https://i.imgur.com/wJSYXJR.jpg |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
Did the delivery guy toss it on its side at your door? My delivery guy always looks pissed if it the box weighs more than 20lbs. If its over 20, its almost always got a hole in the side, like they were pissed they had to unload it and walk the 30 feet to my gate. And just drop it on the ground.
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Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
Very nice! Try not to slip it a lot since you went full ceramic. She'll get jumpy and jar your teeth out of your head. :lol: My only complaint about a dual disc is they actually slow down the shifting process if you are trying to drive fast, but yet necessary if you have the powa.
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Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
I love the progress on your project.. I keep coming back and checking for updates every day or two.
It's funny to me that they can't build a clutch to hold torque in a gasser and go straight to the dual disc. On the diesel side of the house I have a 12v cummins pushing 750hp running a single that never slipped and shifted like butter. The work truck does have a dual disc but hauls alot of heavy loads. It shifts way slower but also never slips.. Both are G56 transmissions. Nothing but good things to day about South Bend Clutches. |
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sorry for the slow progress, i've just been out there welding! weld, let it all cool, weld more, let it all cool again, etc. i'm really jumping around trying to keep from warping anything! |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
so i've just been chugging along with the welding, trying to be patient about welding a little and moving around the letting things cool. weld one side of the fish plate, do another side on another plate, etc. also took me a bit to find the pattern/settings that made the prettier welds on these. never did find something i really liked on the fish plate holes. BUT, aint nothing going nowhere! i still need to take a grinder to the top edge of all the plates and soften that before i snag/cut hoses or wires on em.
https://i.imgur.com/K6eiCZO.jpg |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
Kinda tought to tell from the pic but it looks like your welds are possibly undercutting a bit. You could try less current which can help the edges of the puddle not melt the base metal around the puddle as much so that area doesnt drain into the puddle and leave a void where it came from. Also, check the arc length or try a shorter arc length to control the heat around the puddle better. do you use some sort of a V or a C pattern with the electrode as you move the puddle around?
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Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
An undercut weld happens when you are welding to slow, welding too hot, or welding at the wrong angle. This will cause a cavity to form either below or above the weld and result in a weaker weld. To fix this turn down your amperage, speed up your weld, and turn up your wire speed to help fill in the weld.
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Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
so that plate might have 4 different setting trials on it, lol
it's crazy how much the fish plates and frame rail acted like 2 different thickness, way more than i expected. both are 1/4", but from room temp the frame rail ends up being a HUGE thermal mass to heat. i started out trying different sittings around my usual V and C, but never got a look i liked. the pattern i landed on was actually a down n out, followed by a re-trace. so basically i come straight down the one plate, then straight out the other, letting the puddle form in the middle. then i would sweep back up over the puddle quickly to ad a touch more fill while also giving a 2nd pass to flow the puddle n smooth/blend it more. the hole fills were the same settings, but i guess i should have turned it down or given time between stitches in each. |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
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over the last few lbs of wire i can't decide if i got prettier welds or worse :lol: i'm now near 15lbs of wire into this truck!
because things aren't allowed to move unless i say so, i went ahead and added little gussets to the bag mounts, and also in the steering box mount. un-sprung weight? whatever :lol: the chassis is fully welded now though, as is the cab floor. LOTS of clean-up to do softening edges, and i still need to add my zip-tie tabs on everything. then i can start paint prep. https://i.imgur.com/KCmgp52.jpg https://i.imgur.com/kwKIh3u.jpg https://i.imgur.com/aMmcsp6.jpg |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
i know it doesn't look like much of a change, but taking a flap wheel around all the edges made a HUGE difference. i normally don't go over things after welding. you can now wipe your hand around over the whole thing and no snags, scratches, or roughness. should be nicer for wires n hoses, and way nicer to work on in the future.
also smoothed out the welds on the sleeved holes, was satisfying. https://i.imgur.com/UDBai84.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Cq2aYxn.jpg |
Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
Wow, I just found your build! You are an amazing designer and fabricator. I really like the direction it headed. Keep up the progress. I’ll be following.
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Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
It's amazing how much a little bit of sanding makes things look way better. Welds look good to me, if something is going to brake off I think you have bigger problems.
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Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
That's looking really nice. I've experienced the same as you. I have days when I pick up the welder I just have to put it down. But I have other days that every weld just comes out beautiful. It's unexplainable. I think yours look just fine. Keep at it!
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Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
and back to progress! vacation prep, vacation, more family events, lots of life happening this last month. oh yeah and my TJ whipped another set of gears in the rear axle, so had to rebuild that too. :facepalm:
so i went thru and wire brushed, then wire wheeled everything that's getting the heat-shield undercoating, then prepped with rust-prep. what a mess, but it's done. also did the core support while i was at it so it can get painted. that'll be a key to getting thins running. https://i.imgur.com/Di3fmrY.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Bqc9zJn.jpg https://i.imgur.com/C8k2wXY.jpg |
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