the un-offical start of my solid axle swap and build up thread. lots of stuff to do - but first:

ahhhh that feels good :flipoff2: :D

dont be jealous of my jackstand extenders :p

that shit is heavy all in one piece too :eek:

shaved front housing (used roger brown's kit)

i suck at welding :p :flipoff2:

Originally posted by RMW
dont be jealous of my jackstand extenders :p
http://4-low.com/temp/smilies/think.gif Why did you use jackstands on the front crossmember? I didn't... (http://4-low.com/tech/sas/IMG_1470.jpg)

this is continued from this other thread i started awhile back. thought i'd just put it all in one place. been busy with other stuff and havent had time to go at the axle till recently

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=182334

my list for the front axle still remains:

1. Beef up steering stops
2. add 5th bolt for steering arm beefing
3. possibly beef up spring perches...anyone think this is necessary?
4. possibly add a truss to the top...but i dunno :confused:
5. bracketry and protection stuff for the hydro ram

heres another shot of the housing from the side. looks more rock friendly to me :rasta: :p

and never you mind that Xterra in the background....

Originally posted by Shane*

http://4-low.com/temp/smilies/think.gif Why did you use jackstands on the front crossmember? I didn't... (http://4-low.com/tech/sas/IMG_1470.jpg)

its front heavy, theres no wheels front or rear, and it would fall forward and possibly kill me if didnt have them there? :confused:

Another issue has been waiting for parts (or to have the money for parts)to assemble the front axle. thanks to some bling from Jim at Inchworm, i'm one step closer to having all the pieces i need. :cool: i still need steering arms and the FJ-60 rotors.

rear axle is done, with disc brakes. but i still need to cut my spring perches off the rear, turn the housing to point the pinion at the t-case (clocked up 3.5" for a flat bottom using a budbuilt x-member), and reweld them to the housing.

i was excited when the UPS guy dropped this off :bounce: :D

feels like i wasted the weekend away. didnt get much done, cept for painting and mounting these :eek:

thanks again John (JOHNS351C)

it takes quite awhile to mount the tires. they're still missing the bolts on the rock ring, but those are just for looks anyway :flipoff2:

they are heavy sons of bitches too (mounted on 38.5x14.5x15 SXs). my profields/longfields are already weeping and they are still in the box. we'll see if the weight of these things causes any excessive :nuke: :evil:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=2338359

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=2338370

How much were the rims ?

about 1100 for 5. subtract 200 bucks if you dont want rock rings (40 each for the rockrings). i ordered one of the first sets, so i got a deal for $100 off. and it cost about $100 to ship them, so total about 1200 for 5 double beadlocks - which includes the rockrings, all the bolts (cept for the cosmetic ones that go on the rockring - which you can pick your own design on, just like the centers themselves), the HDPE inserts, and the o-rings.

seems like a good price to me when you look at the cost of a good set of non-diy beadlocks. and you get bothsides of the bead locked :D

Those rims are super fawking beefstick!! I likey. Me jealous. :flipoff2:

Originally posted by RMW
its front heavy, theres no wheels front or rear, and it would fall forward and possibly kill me if didnt have them there? :confused: http://4-low.com/temp/smilies/dunno.gif I'm still alive. :flipoff2: I also put all my weight on the front bumper of my truck multiple times with it up like that and it didn't move. Just seems to me that it would be a pain in the ass to have them in the way like that.

Those wheels look sweet!

Originally posted by Shane*
http://4-low.com/temp/smilies/dunno.gif I'm still alive. :flipoff2: I also put all my weight on the front bumper of my truck multiple times with it up like that and it didn't move. Just seems to me that it would be a pain in the ass to have them in the way like that.

Those wheels look sweet!

i blame my jackstand placement(the ones under the door). there is virtually no weight in the back either(just a frame past the back seats), it kept tilting forward, i stacked some tires up at the rear of the truck just incase, but it was just floating there in a semi nose-dive. the jackstands under the cross member didnt get in the way too bad when removing the IFS. i just have one there now and moved the other stands for better weight distribution.

whats scary is that once the ifs was gone(before i re-aranged my jackstands), it sat there, balanced on the 2 jackstands underneath the doors perfectly. i left the ones in front and the tires stacked under the frame out back, but it just balanced there precariously :eek: i touched it with my finger and it would rock back and forth :goofball:

its better now. :p

:laughing: Ah, that 'splains it. See... I still have all my sheetmetal back there. :p

and things keep on going. slowly of course. ;)

i've been researching people's drop hanger designs, front axle placement, and various other dimensions for the last few weeks. and now i think i'm going to go ahead with building my front drop spring hanger.

most of it is out of 1/4" cause thats what i seem to have the most of. its a little bit of over-kill on material thickness but when you are using scrap from the steel yard, you can't be too picky.

i liked ErikB's hanger alot, so that's where I got most of my ideas from, as well as that drop hanger drawing Bones did a long ass time ago that JamisonWorkshop always gets credit for when he posts it up :p

this is erik's hanger:

http://home.4x4wire.com/erik/4runner/sas/hanger_top.jpg

and the infamous wrongly acredited drop hanger drawing :flipoff2: :

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=2245376

this is from a 2"x3"x1/4"

some measurements:
- that piece is 31 3/4" long
- when its done, with the 2(two) 1/4" pieces of plate on each end to create the outside ears of the hanger, it will be 32 1/4" across.
- the frame rails are approx. 22 7/8" apart (measuring distance from the inside of one rail to the inside of the other)


i'll have to post up the other pertinent dimensions tomarrow. i notched the main piece to inset the inner ears of the hanger so as to give it more strength (measured a little less than halfway down the side, drilled a hole, then used the chop saw (took 2 cuts) to cut out a 1/4 section to slide the inner ears down into).

looks awesome!
you get the jig yet?
i got a new set of A/P hi steer arms also
not sure what to ask for them though

i cut out 4 sections of 1/4" plate for the "ears" of the hanger. i think i'm going with a 1.5" drop (total of 3.5" below the frame rails as the stock spring eye bolts are approx. 2" below the bottom of the frame x-member) and 1.5" forward from the stock location.

i'm getting the 1.5" foward by placing the 3"x2"x1/4" piece flush with the rear of the front x-member (making it stick out 1" infront of the frame) and then drilling the hole 1/2" forward of center on the ears.

the black outline is where i'll be cutting.
the red small solid hole is where i'm drilling the lead hole for the spring bolts and the outer circle is just an estimate of the size of the final hole (i dont know what size bolt i'm using yet)
and the black shaded reigon indicated which part will sit down in the notched area.
the gray line is the center line

this is one of the inner ears that i've measured out.

Originally posted by fabricator
looks awesome!
you get the jig yet?
i got a new set of A/P hi steer arms also
not sure what to ask for them though

no, not yet :(

i hope they'll get here this week. if you have the tracking number, you might wanna check on the status of them or PM the # to me and i'll check it out. seems to be taking them longer than usual to deliver.

edit: i may be interested in the arms :D

this weekend i also finished cutting off the old IFS bracketry and grinding the frame down smooth. it wasnt too bad with the angle grinder, but it was much nicer with the torch. i should have took some pics of the torch work, its laughably ugly, but when you're cutting shit off to go in the trash - it doesnt matter much :flipoff2:

mad props to those who can wield an oxy/acy torch with some skill. :eek: i did okay i think for my 3rd time to use one. (got most of the job done with it) this was a great thread for helping me get it adusted for a good flame

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202421&highlight=oxy+torch

ofcourse i'll now have to re-box the section that is part of the motormount. i cut it too far back when i was cutting the rest of the bracketry off, so i'll have to add a plate on top to extend it out to be flush with the outside of the frame . right now all i have to make that piece out of is more 1/4" stuff - but i think i'm going to go see if i can find some flat stock a little thinner - cause thats just really more material than i need for that.

anyone have any suggestion what thickness material i might use for these two parts? or just say fawk it and use the 1/4" i got?

this is the other piece, i'm going to make it stick up about an 1/8" of an inch above the top of the mount. it'll make it easier for me to weld and will be similar to the way the stock piece is/was.

should i give the area that will be welded to the frame more angle? or something? i think that might be too close to perpendicular to the frame and would cause stress risers as the frame twists :confused:

thats a little chunk of 1/4" sitting on top of the mount right now for sizing purposes.

one more shot of the hanger mocked up (sorta)

missing are some triangle shaped gussets for the inner ears, the triangle shaped gussets that will be on the top, and the flatstock being cut down (and to shape) and drilled.

the square tube with the 45* cut is 2"x2"x3/16" - i'm trying to save weight :rasta: :flipoff2: and about 6" long on the long side.

hopefully i can figure out which bushings (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=70807&highlight=bushing) and bolts i'll need tomarrow so i can determine what size hole i need in my hangers. i hope i can find a bushing to fit the AP springs that uses a metal sleeve as i think that will help keep the outer ears of my hanger from bending inward.

i also made some sliders (my first welding and fabbing project ever). its 2"x2"x3/16" square tube. 3 out riggers from the frame to the inside long piece, and 4 from the inside long piece to the outside long piece.

the 3 pieces that go from the frame to the inner slider are angled down slightly to put the inner slider even with the frame, with 1/4" triangle gussets on top of each one. they are welded to about a 4.5"x4.5" piece of 1/4" flat plate (shaped like a diamond), which is then welded to the frame (no vertical welds on the frame). the triangle gusset does connect to the plate on the frame and the 3 inner out riggers.

the 4 outer out riggers are angled up slightly and probably raise the outer slider up 1/4" compared to the inner. i notched the body where the 4 pieces would interfere, and have at best 1/8" to 3/16" of clearance between the body and the slider at those 4 points on each side. i'm going to get new poly body mounts from roger brown anyway (cause the rubber ones are kinda shitted up) and just get them cut 1/4" taller. i wont have any doors so i dont really worry too much about the door frame getting bent up so as i couldn't shut or open a door.

i can't believe i'm gonna have a 1/4" of :rainbow: body lift. :flipoff2:

honestly, they came out a little heavier than i would have liked. maybe could have ditched the inner slider and just had one :confused:

i kinda like have them with a little slant the way they are tho, and when you look at it from pretty much everywhere but underneath, you dont even see the inner slider its tucked up under there pretty well.

edit: that pic makes them look a little more um, not squared up, than they really are. admittidly tho, they are nowhere near perfect - but a little better than that pic does justice for.

*GASP* the dreaded "weld shot" :p :D

there's certainly been prettier. despite the looks in that pic, that topmost part of hte weld is actually convex (raised up) like the bottom part is, instead of concave like it kinda looks. you can see where i had to stop and start - i bet i got my ass burned by a big ass spark right there in the middle :)

so anyway- this is my first build and the first things i've fabbed, welded, cut, you name it. i try to do stuff thats safe, isnt booty fabbed, and looks half decent. so please do be harsh and critical of the stuff you see me post pictures of (i'm a big boy, make fun of my shit if it deserves it - hell make fun even if it doesnt :p ), but please also be constructive and tell me how to fix my shitty shit and make it better.

Ryan

Looks good.

Originally posted by RMW
anyone have any suggestion what thickness material i might use for these two parts? or just say fawk it and use the 1/4" i got?

this is the other piece, i'm going to make it stick up about an 1/8" of an inch above the top of the mount. it'll make it easier for me to weld and will be similar to the way the stock piece is/was.

should i give the area that will be welded to the frame more angle? or something? i think that might be too close to perpendicular to the frame and would cause stress risers as the frame twists :confused:

thats a little chunk of 1/4" sitting on top of the mount right now for sizing purposes.

i put a chunk of angle iron into that area(motor mount opening) and welded it shut, then ran a support off the shock hoops to the top of it...

good work, i was tooo lazy to build the front hanger this time and just bought some generic cj hangers...:D

Originally posted by Booger Weldz


i put a chunk of angle iron into that area(motor mount opening) and welded it shut, then ran a support off the shock hoops to the top of it...

good work, i was tooo lazy to build the front hanger this time and just bought some generic cj hangers...:D


:idea: good idea! i've actually got some angle iron that will work well for that. thanks!

and its not like anyone can really give ya shit for being lazy even if you did use CJ hangers. :D you've done like 3 SAS's in the time its taken me to get halfway thru 1 :eek:

spent a little more time on the hanger. i need to get my bushings in (have been ordered) before i weld it all up. i'm almost certain i have enough room to accomodate the military wrap leaf and the rest of the spring eye with 1.5" of drop. but better safe than sorry.

i also need to get longer bolts :rolleyes: the ones i picked up turned out not to be quite long enough (enough to mock things up and see if all the holes were lined up but not enough to get a large nut and flat washer on with thread showing.

going to use 3/4" bolts since they were easier to find than M18. i used a 49/64 bit for the holes.

pulled the steering box and pump to send off to west texas off road. box is getting tapped for hydro assist.

didnt have time to get much done, spent most of the day driving around picking up misc. parts and shit.

You might want to re-think the 1/4" and go with 1/2" and don't forget to brace the inside of it. Also, if that square tubing that runs along the frame is to long the pitman arm will hit. Just my $.02 worth.

Originally posted by KS Toy
You might want to re-think the 1/4" and go with 1/2" and don't forget to brace the inside of it. Also, if that square tubing that runs along the frame is to long the pitman arm will hit. Just my $.02 worth.

i've considered the pitman arm issue, and i think those pieces will need to be cut down atleast one inch shorter, if not 2. i'm not going to weld them to the rest of the hanger until the steering box is in its final location just to be sure. it seems most can get the box about 2.5" forward without too much work, i'm going to see if i can get 3".

i've got some triangle shaped gussets to go on the inside but forgot to throw em on there for the pic.

you really think 1/4" is going to be too small?

Cool man:D Looks good;)

Originally posted by KS Toy
You might want to re-think the 1/4" and go with 1/2" and don't forget to brace the inside of it. Also, if that square tubing that runs along the frame is to long the pitman arm will hit. Just my $.02 worth.
1/4" should be fine, thats what i built mine out of. by the visual you should have plenty of room for the mil wrap. the only thing i would recomend would be to tie the inner and outer peices together some how. looks good.

Originally posted by RMW



you really think 1/4" is going to be too small?

Yep. Also, I measured that piece that runs along the fame on mine. It is 5" long. I moved my box up 2 1/2" to 2 3/4" forward. The pitman arm just clears it.

I built my hangar very similar to yours with 2x2x3/16" and 1/4" plate for the mounts. I gusseted the plates to eachother and to the square tube. Here's how mine is.

I put a bent plate across the front for a gusset and skid. Has not bent or given me any problems.

great idea Im4yotas. i really think the 1/4" will be fine, but i agree with you guys that its the outer piece that looks like it will bend (and also the one that will be taking the hits)

i'm going to add a piece like the one you've got, that will allow me to tie the two ears together as well.

i have some 3/16" angle too and thought about doing this as well. anybody think that would help make that outer piece more rigid?

Good idea on the plate across it. I would think that should help.

Originally posted by KS Toy


Yep. Also, I measured that piece that runs along the fame on mine. It is 5" long. I moved my box up 2 1/2" to 2 3/4" forward. The pitman arm just clears it.

yeah, those 2x2 pieces are 6" long where they touch the frame and 4" long on the bottom side. with your measurements and my own eyeballing it looks like i'll need to cut them down another 1.5" if i can get the box 3" forward.

thats my next project so if anyone has any good pics of their frame-boxing / steering box mount post em up. i know theres a few out there that i will be searching out to steal ideas from.

also - did anyone cut off and move / reuse the tube / gusset / 3rd and top bolt hole that is welded on top of the frame?