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Exaust Tubing Bender Questions

1K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  Smokehouse 
#1 ·
I have a buddy that ownes diesel shop that once upon a time bent exaust systems for cars & trucks, but stoped because they couldn't make money doing this anymore. So he has this really nice electric/hydraulic tubing bender(I think its even got some CnC features) that he never uses and I was wondering if there are any tricks to get these things to bend like the benders used around these parts? As of now it likes to put a kink in the tube where the bend is taking place, is there anyway to stop this, maybe by buying longer dies or modifying the dies like people are doing with hf pipe benders? I see this thing sitting there collecting dust and it would save me a bunch of coin and back pain by not having to buy a manual protools bender to build a future buggy. I have'nt looked in awhile so not sure, but are'nt the really expensive fab tube benders built like these exaust benders?
 
#2 ·
Get him to sell it and buy a tube bender. The problem is the way it forms the tube. Its not like a HF bender where the top dies/rollers are fixed, it kinks it in the middle and the other dies rotate. Not explaining this very well but maybe someone else can.
 
#3 ·
Actually the machine is setup just like the hf bender, but it has a tube size specific die on each side. One side is stationary and the other side has a hydraulic ram attached to it that pushed the dies together bending the tube. So do the protools and like benders actually pull the tube around the die therefore not kinking it in the middle of the bend or what? I don't think I could get them(Buddy his father and a uncle) to sell the thing so I am just trying to figure if I could get it to work or not? I could probally put gussets at all the bends to help with the kinking and I have seen where guys but pieces of tubing cut in half inbetween the dies and the tube to stop kinking in the hf bender?
 
#6 · (Edited)
So do the protools and like benders actually pull the tube around the die therefore not kinking it in the middle of the bend or what?
Yes.

I was just thinking if the good benders pull the tube around the die could I just use the exuast bender to grab the tube then slowly bump it while pulling the tube around the die with a breaker bar therefore not letting the bender smash the tube to bend it?
Assuming he has the correct sized dies, I guess it's better than nothing, give it a shot and see how bad it deforms the tube (if any)

Check the shop and tools forum, you can build one pretty easily, for not much more that the dies cost. The dies are the expensive part.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=376183
 
#4 ·
I was just thinking if the good benders pull the tube around the die could I just use the exuast bender to grab the tube then slowly bump it while pulling the tube around the die with a breaker bar therefore not letting the bender smash the tube to bend it?
 
#5 ·
I have a buddy that uses one and it works pretty good. If it was me, I'd hang onto it. It does a pretty decent job of bending tube, it doesn't compress 1 3/4 .125 wall tubing in the radius's like it does to thin wall exhaust tubing. You can get different radius dies for it as well I believe.

The one he uses has a hydraulic ram in the center you put the size radius die on you need, then the follower dies are on the out side. As you force the ram forward it forces the tubing into the follower dies and they rotate following the center die being pushed through. As it passes it forms the bend, as much as you control it too anyway.

Two things that is really nice about the exhaust bender is just that. When you need to do the exhaust on something, all you need to purchase it aluminized exhaust tubing and bend away. Most benders also have a tubing expander built into them so you can make your own exhaust sleeve. The other thing that's really nice about one is they are just badass bending mofo's. They'll bend 1/2" wall DOM, like if you need to bend link material for any reason. Try that on a JD and POOOOW!!!

Most have degree wheels with them too.
 
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