Thinking About Building Superlift-Style Brackets

[MountaineerGreen]

I bought a lift kit from someone used and abused, he failed to mention the fact that the brackets were bent before he sold it to me.

I tried to straighten the brackets, but they were so severely bent when I applied heat and pulled/beat on the piece, it fractured.

As a result, I was thinking about building my own brackets using the superlift brackets as a guide. I have some limitations as far as my equipment, though. I have an angle grinder, torch kit, and 220v arc welder. I can weld fairly well, and will buy some new 1/4" stock to build it from. The brackets slip inside the factory crossmembers, then flare out to allow the lower A arms to go into.

My question is assuming I can cut and weld these to make everything fit, is there anything else I should know? I don't want to compromise strength or safety, especially since these hold some key components. Do I need to buy some special steel, or will mild steel be ok? Any thing I need to know before I start?


EDIT: Its all done now, this is a long thread, but it all worked out

 

[IZwack]

I think what you've said is more than enough .. 1/4" mild steel that is. As long as you understand where the stresses are coming from, you'll be fine

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Well the superlift brackets are 1/4", so I thought id build it out of the same material. They have complex bends in their brackets, I am going to have to cut and weld all the angles and bends. I assume as long as the welds are good, I would be just as strong, if not stronger.

 

[IZwack]

if you can, weld both sides

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Ill post back how it goes after Monday. Id start sooner, but have no steel to work with, nor anywhere to buy it.

 

[IZwack]

hehe I'm on the same boat as you, I gotta wait till the upcoming week to buy steel.

 

[boominXplorer]

You can also change it for ground clearance like the RCD kit. It angles up in the center. Check my photo gallery for pics

 

[section525]

While you're messing around with it.. figure out if you can run F150 Fabtech knuckles for about a 7" lift.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

That F150 kit is huge!

I have the cross pieces already, so the drop downs is all I have to have. Depending on what materials I can get, I may try to build the whole crossmember extensions similar to the trailmaster kit. Or I may just try to recreate the drop down brackets that bolt to the cross pieces. If I build the whole thing, I will try to add some clearance while I am at it.

 

[section525]

That's some Chevy Whiplash kit. Something stupid like 10" or 12". I was just throwing it in for kicks and giggles.

Also, you may want to check with a local fab shop to see how much they would charge to brake your pieces for you. That way you retain the one-piece design.

 

[IZwack]

Option

You can bend the 1/4 steel.

You slice the inner side (the "accute" angle) about 1/8" (or less) with a cut-off wheel, bend it with a BFH, and then run a weld bead on the inner side that you sliced.

This was what I had to do for the transfer case E-brake bracket.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I see it now, that is a chevrolet front bumper.

Would I loose that much strength by welding as opposed to getting the pieces bent?

 

[MountaineerGreen]

You can bend the 1/4 steel.

You slice the inner side (the "accute" angle) about 1/8" (or less) with a cut-off wheel, bend it with a BFH, and then run a weld bead on the inner side that you sliced.

This was what I had to do for the transfer case E-brake bracket.

Well I have a die grinder and cut off wheels that I can score it with. I guess that would let it bend evenly also. I have to figure out what size stock I need to buy maybe 1/4" x 4"?

Here is a picture of the kit. What I have to have is the ends on the bars in the top box. I also need a diff drop bracket like is in the lower box. What I thought about was instead of making the bend like the lower piece, cutting two separate pieces, overlapping them to achieve the same effect. Would that work?

 

[IZwack]

What I thought about was instead of making the bend like the lower piece, cutting two separate pieces, overlapping them to achieve the same effect. Would that work?

This is a little hard for me to picture in my head - perhaps a rough diagram or two might help

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Ok, don't make fun of my drawing! The left bracket is how the superlift drop bracket is made. The black bar is a pipe that connects the two halves. The right drawing is how I want to recreate the bracket. By over lapping the two pieces I get the same effect, without trying to make precision bends. I have brackets to work from as far as design. I believe it will work as long as the overlapped section dosent interfere with the parts going together. Is that clearer?

 

[IZwack]

Sounds like itll work

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Ill know tomorrow!

 

[IZwack]

hehe itll definitely work .. what i would focus on are the suspension parts/brackets <-- those are the ones that are going to see the most abuse and stress.

 

[RockRanger]

Have you tried calling and seeing how much new bracets would be? Might even be some type of warrenty even if you arnt the original owner.

 

[Brian_B]

I have an angle grinder, torch kit, and 220v arc welder. I can weld fairly well, and will buy some new 1/4" stock to build it from.

He has everything he needs to bend them. Just clamp it down on something (not burnable) where you need to bend it. A vice works too. Heat it up red hot with your torch and smack it with a hammer. It doesn't need to be a big hammer or a hard hit either. Let it cool, turn it over, and slide to the next bend. Do not quench it in water to cool it regardless of what those dummies on TV do.

We did that all the time in a steel shop when we didn't want to walk all the way down to the press break to use it.

If they are like the ones in the above picture, they don't need much of a bend.

Brian