Cross members...
Posted 09-01-2009 at 08:15 AM by JayH
Yesterday on the way home from work, I stopped at Central Welding and picked up eight feet of 3x2x.25 rectangular tube for the new front and rear cross members. I had wanted 4x2x.188 but they didn't have any. This stuff'll work just fine. I wonder if anyone has formulae for figuring out the cross sectional dimensions of the structural steel they use for these types of things or if everyone just looks at it and gets a feel for what'll work and what won't?
I already have two 3.5 foot sections of 2x2x.25 square tube for the intermediate cross members and about six feet of 3x3x.188 angle for mounting to the frame rails.
I plan on bolting the front and rear cross members with a total of six grade 8, 3/8 nc bolts on each side. Using three pieces of angle per side welded to the body, I'll form a pocket that the cross member will slide up into. Then two bolts through each of the pieces of angle: from the front, from the rear, and from the top. I'm thinking of welding in nutserts for the front facing and rear facing bolts and drilling clearance holes through the bottom of the cross member for the top facing ones. We'll see once I get to it. The rear should be done similarly.
So last night I ripped out the front suspension, got the body and front axle all set up on jack stands, and started demolition of the front cross member and link mounts. When I built the single upper link mount the first(last) time I was in a hurry to get done. The Jeep had already spent a year in the garage getting the back half done. Guess what? Yup, in the process of not doing it right I created a whole crap load of mess that I now need to grind out of there. There's just no room or lines that I can take to simply cut it all out and be left with anything usable. Well, I'm doing it right this time (or at least better.)
I already have two 3.5 foot sections of 2x2x.25 square tube for the intermediate cross members and about six feet of 3x3x.188 angle for mounting to the frame rails.
I plan on bolting the front and rear cross members with a total of six grade 8, 3/8 nc bolts on each side. Using three pieces of angle per side welded to the body, I'll form a pocket that the cross member will slide up into. Then two bolts through each of the pieces of angle: from the front, from the rear, and from the top. I'm thinking of welding in nutserts for the front facing and rear facing bolts and drilling clearance holes through the bottom of the cross member for the top facing ones. We'll see once I get to it. The rear should be done similarly.
So last night I ripped out the front suspension, got the body and front axle all set up on jack stands, and started demolition of the front cross member and link mounts. When I built the single upper link mount the first(last) time I was in a hurry to get done. The Jeep had already spent a year in the garage getting the back half done. Guess what? Yup, in the process of not doing it right I created a whole crap load of mess that I now need to grind out of there. There's just no room or lines that I can take to simply cut it all out and be left with anything usable. Well, I'm doing it right this time (or at least better.)
Total Comments 0
