hey guys

im staring on my cj hopefully this week and im gona need a good tubing bender.

up until this point i was gonna get a cheap-ola lil one for small stuff but with a project this big i want a GOOD one that can do heavy 2" tube and such.

can i see pics and some prices of the benders you guys reccomend. and maybe where to get them. Im going to ask the mac man tom. if they have one (just because of the warranty on thier stuff and the fact that i get the cool payment plan with them.

im open for suggestions. thanks

*chant mode on* search search search search search search search search search search search search search search search
*chant mode off*

shit dude, search feature............

tubing bender get covered at LEAST 2-3 times per month..... usually more.


--Sherpa

but I'll say it anyway,

www.jd2.com

jd2, model 4 full hydro

:flipoff2: ROFLMAO, what he said, there must be a million posts on this, well okay, not a million, but quite a few. Just to save you some time JD2 Model 3 or the more expensive Pro-Tools.


Depdog:usa:

Having purchased a JD2 (but not used it yet) - my advice is to get the ProTools One Shot bender (or one of similar design). They just look easier to use, and are of a much more simple design.

Go read Tin Benders article on bending, it will save you much frustration and money;)

thanks i did a search before and i didnt come up with much to help me.....

couple more questions

looking at this jd2 model 3

now lets assume i know NOTHING about bending tube. ....

i assume i need the bender itself, the handle, the degree wheel, probably a floor pedestal, then i need the die sets right?

now here is where i get the deer in headlight look... what die sets? most likely im going to be doing 2" round, 1.5" round and i might need smaller if i do rock rails (aev and 4x doc style)

what about that shark one or whatever it is called, someone got a link for it?

Originally posted by Brandon
what about that shark one or whatever it is called, someone got a link for it?

http://www.tubeshark.com

Nice. Expensive bugger though.

Originally posted by DRM
Having purchased a JD2 (but not used it yet) - my advice is to get the ProTools One Shot bender (or one of similar design). They just look easier to use, and are of a much more simple design.

Hang in there David! The JD2 bender is a little confusing at first with all those parts, but once you get it set up and bend a few pieces of tubing, it is really easy to use. Repinning the dies and so forth is trivial and it only takes a few seconds to do.

Originally posted by Dust Puppy
looking at this jd2 model 3

i assume i need the bender itself, the handle, the degree wheel, probably a floor pedestal, then i need the die sets right?


I recently picked up a JD2 model 3. You will need the bender itself and whatever die sets you want. The smaller radius dies are a bit more versatile than larger bends since you can use them for more stuff. The only thing is that you can't bend thin tube in the smaller radius dies.

You don't really need the degree wheel. For the handle, just get some 1x2 square tubing in whatever length you want. I have a 6 foot section which is more than long enough for bending 1.5 .120. From what I've heard, bending 2" is hard work manually (putting all of your weight into it). It is doable, but you will get a workout.

You can make your own mount for the bender.

Read Bending 101 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/bendin_tube/index.html) from Tin Bender. It has a lot of good information on how to start bending.

Ok, here's a question... would you build a rollcage out of 1.75 or 2.0 tubing?

Thanx.

-Josh

My JD2 model 3 has full hydro and has never given me a problem. Just buy the bender alone and get your ram and power pack local. Much cheaper that way

tj99 or anyone

do you guys have any pics of the hydro setup.

to be honest ive never bent any tubing so getting it set up to where im not worn out after bending one peice would be nice. according to their site they say its easy to do it manualy but then again there selling it.... what have u guys done?

im building a full tube inner skeleton inside the tub and a full cage and part of the frame system out of tube. i was thinking 2" or 1.5" for the cage.... what do you think 2" right. then i can do the non major structural inners of the tub with like 1.5".

thanks

Originally posted by Dust Puppy
to be honest ive never bent any tubing so getting it set up to where im not worn out after bending one peice would be nice. according to their site they say its easy to do it manualy but then again there selling it.... what have u guys done?


I've only bent 1.5" .120 and 1" .120 manually using a 6 foot handle. The 1" can be bent one handed at about 4 feet down the handle. The 1.5" can be bent one handed at about 5-6 feet down the handle. I'm not sure about how much muscle is needed for 1.75" or 2".

The cage that I have in my samurai is 1.5 .120. I think most people use 1.75 or 2 for heavier vehicles.

I just received an order of 1.75 x .120 HREW to be used for my cage/body. From all my reading/research that seems fine for most full size 4x4s as long as it is well designed and you’re not running a high speed sand or Baja rig or something. Some feel more comfortable with 2” but, I (obviously) felt the 1.75 would be sufficient. Jeeps and similar often use 1.5” based on the same criteria as 1.75 for full size rigs (i.e. well designed and not high speed).

Like I said, this is all based on my reading (here and elsewhere). This is my first attempt at a serious rock crawler so I don't have allot of practical experience with crawler cages. However, this is what I've been able to distill from posts made by those who do have the experience...

I will take some pictures tonight and post them or send them to someone that can.

Yeah, I got a jd2 and bending 2" is a bitch. Get a looong bar for leverage. Get a good notcher too, you'll cuss your mama if you don't!!

i'm about to buy a bender, was all set to buy a jd2 model 3 then looked at this again ... kinda hard to pass this up for the price $900 shipped which includes 4 dies and it's already air over hydro'd ...

http://www.toolsplus1.com/eztube.htm

- jack

Originally posted by morpheus
i'm about to buy a bender, was all set to buy a jd2 model 3 then looked at this again ... kinda hard to pass this up for the price $900 shipped which includes 4 dies and it's already air over hydro'd ...

http://www.toolsplus1.com/eztube.htm

- jack

They sell that model on EBay Also. The one thing I don't like is they only offer 90 degree dies. From everything I've read, go with 180 degree one... its worth the money.

eBay was where i saw it also, they sell it there for $850 + 50 shipping for a $900 total ....

not sure how big a deal it is not being able to only bend up to a 90 ??

- jack

Originally posted by junger


They sell that model on EBay Also. The one thing I don't like is they only offer 90 degree dies. From everything I've read, go with 180 degree one... its worth the money.

More than just the max degree it will bend is how close will it bend multiple angles?

The cage seat mounts that I made might not have been possible in that type of a bender. I needed to make 2 bends within 4 inches of each other forming a wide 'U' and also other bends forming an 'S'.

Also, things like shock hoops would not be possible if a 90* bend is the maximum it can do.

http://home.attbi.com/~rokzuki/pics/seatmount6.jpg

search under my username, I posted a bunch of info earlier this week on my new bender, total investment of $650 and it bends like a mofo

I'm Feeling Charitable (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21935)

Last week I did multiple searches on JD2, JD3, bender, tube, etc. and read for about two hours. I got all the information posted here and much, much more. You would benefit from reading some of the stuff that's already been posted. I know I did. I ordered a JD2 model 3 yesterday from VanSant Enterprises. I found them in one of the threads on benders. They offered all the same pricing as JD2, and had a couple model 3's in stock. I just had to pay their inbound freight on the unit and it shipped to me today. Beats the hell out of JD2's four week leadtime. I also ordered a 1", 1-1/2", & 2" dieset as well as a tubing notcher. I am going to bend with it for a while and then get the parts to convert it to hydraulic locally. You should consider doing some MAJOR practice and research before you start bending up cages and chassis that your life will depend on. I'm going to start with a new grill and hood mount, and some shock hoops, and possibly a crossmember. http://www.vansantent.com

Foley, thanks for the link i had missed that thread... I'll be headed to HF next week !

All,
Ive got a Pro Tool 105 and I did all the pricing comparisons, and it looks like that after ~3-4 dies the prices are a wash. I like the protools stuff beter, imho as the unit came painted and the pins were nicer...ewwwww ... ya ya i know... Oh ya they shiped the same day I ordered that was a big factor...

Advise on bending, from a bending newbe

GO HYDRO !!!!! After bending a few weekends on my zuke project, in the 90degree heat it kinda sucks. Its not unbearable but pulling the handle 20 times for each bend get old if your doing a lot of bending.... Your friends think its cool......the first few times.... Plus after a few beers to quell the heat the bends all start looking funny...


Plus now i have this danm thing mounted near the door and blocking one parking spot (2 car garage) and i need to have room to pull the handle and feed in tube and have room for hoop coming out etc.... basicaly I just wasted alot of prime floor space...

Start on a "practice" project, somthing goofy like a brush guard. I'm limited on nice floor space like tin benders 101 write up so i use large sheets of card board. Do your drawings full size when you start it will make things go a lot smoother. I still feed the tube in wrong sometimes... So now i alwasy mark the "bend" area to be chucked up in the bender/die....

And get your bends at the angle you want before you start welding... while you can tweek a bend a bit off the bender, when you have multiple bends that need tweeking its a major PIA and requires creative use of straps/rachets etc....

Just some random thoughts from nobody....

-yag

Originally posted by zukipuke
Foley, thanks for the link i had missed that thread... I'll be headed to HF next week !

I had that bender on backorder from their website for like 6-7 weeks. Just go online, punch in "ram" on their search engine, it will be on the second page. Charge it to your C/C, they won't put the charge through till about 10 days before it ships.

All,
Ive got a Pro Tool 105 and I did all the pricing comparisons, and it looks like that after ~3-4 dies the prices are a wash. I like the protools stuff beter, imho as the unit came painted and the pins were nicer...ewwwww ... ya ya i know... Oh ya they shiped the same day I ordered that was a big factor...

Advise on bending, from a bending newbe

GO HYDRO !!!!! After bending a few weekends on my zuke project, in the 90degree heat it kinda sucks. Its not unbearable but pulling the handle 20 times for each bend get old if your doing a lot of bending.... Your friends think its cool......the first few times.... Plus after a few beers to quell the heat the bends all start looking funny...

that was my thoughts as well, manual really wasn't an option for me



And get your bends at the angle you want before you start welding... while you can tweek a bend a bit off the bender, when you have multiple bends that need tweeking its a major PIA and requires creative use of straps/rachets etc....

I usually lay out my bends by routing a piece of welding wire in the shape I need the OUTSIDE of the tube to take. You can get brazing rod from your local welding shop for cheap, or any other straight wire works great, bend it with your fingers how you want it, and stick it in the bender over top of the tube as you are bending to make sure it is the shape you need. All you have to do is account for spring back.

Another trick I use is NOT to use a degree wheel. Unless you are good with an angle finder you do not know exactly what angle that thing needs to be bent at, or how much spring back you are gonna get anyway. I use the piece of wire to get the first bend, then BEFORE I open the valve on the ram to let the tube relax, I measure how far the ram was extended. Next time around I just keep my finger on the trigger and my tape measure on the ram. The bends come out so close to identical it ain't funny.


Just some random thoughts from nobody....

-yag

Originally posted by Aceguy
They offered all the same pricing as JD2, and had a couple model 3's in stock. I just had to pay their inbound freight on the unit and it shipped to me today. Beats the hell out of JD2's four week leadtime
That's exactly what I did, except I used M-Tech at http://www.mtechsupply.com. Turns out they are local so I just drove over and picked it up. Cost almost exactly the same as if I had ordered it from JD2, added shipping, and waited till hell froze over...

All right you bastards! I just got off the phone with Rusty at Van Sant Ent. Very cool guy...Just bought the JD2 with a 1.75 on 6.5 AND their bitchen bad-assed notcher...It's gonna' ship today btw! I HATE waiting on a tool where I hear 3-4 weeks...Then on week six I'm still waiting...(a'la' JD2).

BTW, the price is the SAME as from the factory...However they (Van Sant) will charge you for the shipping TO them and TO you. About $25-30.

Phew...Now to re-coup some of the by cost building other peoples sheiat!

Thanks for the post Ace-guy!

--D

All right you bastards! I just got off the phone with Rusty at Van Sant Ent. Very cool guy...Just bought the JD2 with a 1.75 on 6.5 AND their bitchen bad-assed notcher...It's gonna' ship today btw! I HATE waiting on a tool where I hear 3-4 weeks...Then on week six I'm still waiting...(a'la' JD2).

BTW, the price is the SAME as from the factory...However they (Van Sant) will charge you for the shipping TO them and TO you. About $25-30.

Phew...Now to re-coup some of the by cost building other peoples sheiat!

Thanks for the post Ace-guy!

--D

Originally posted by morpheus
i'm about to buy a bender, was all set to buy a jd2 model 3 then looked at this again ... kinda hard to pass this up for the price $900 shipped which includes 4 dies and it's already air over hydro'd ...

http://www.toolsplus1.com/eztube.htm

- jack

I don't know how much stock I'd put in that, for the same $$ you can have my setup below, with 2 dies instead of 4, but the dies are machined from billet tool steel, instead of cast aluminum that does not even appear to be hard face anodized.

Also, JD2 90* dies are WAY cheaper than the 180* dies. The reason for this is their construction, the dies are actually turned out of billet on a lathe, then drilled for mounting to the bender. This makes the channel for the tube REALLY sweet, but it also makes them spendy. By looking at my 180* die, it looks like you could get a 180* and a 90 * die out of one slice off the billet steel stock, or 3 90* dies. This makes it damn near impossible to not charge out the wazoo for the 180* dies. At least they do not charge double, like they could easily justify.

A last thing to consider, with a JD2 90* die you actually get about 120* worth of die, the EZbender one looks like it is barely over 90*. If you bend all the way to the end of the die, you will leave a crease in the tube that weakens it. This won't be an issue with the JD2 dies.