Jamest's 74 Bronco buildup | Page 4 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Jamest's 74 Bronco buildup

Okay, not much to update as ive been waiting (and waiting, and waiting) on my TRE bungs to come in the mail.

I now have 37x14.00 bias Iroks. Sureshot40sw had the bias and wanted the radials, i had the radials and wanted the bias, so we traded. The bias are lighter so now my wheel tire combo has dropped from 128lbs a piece to 115lbs a piece.

Since i cant do any work on my crossmember and tracbar mount while waiting on steering, i figured i would start cutting on the fenders, get the rockers cut off, front inner fenderwells cut out, etc. etc.
 

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I rolled a lip on the fenders so they will at least look nice until the first time i take it out. I got all three gas tank filler holes welded up, and all the sidemarker lamp holes welded in. Also, im bringing something over from the rat rod croud- patch over exposed weld bodywork. :p: :D
 

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Very nice :thumbsup:

How do you roll the lip??
 






Are you sure you don't want to sell this one to me?
 






How do you roll the lip??
I have a pair of cheap pliers that i welded two small pieces of plate inside... get it started with the pliers and finish it off with hammer and dolly.

Are you sure you don't want to sell this one to me?
Mmyea, i think ill keep it. :D :p:
 






I have a pair of cheap pliers that i welded two small pieces of plate inside... get it started with the pliers and finish it off with hammer and dolly.


I'm a bit slow, could you explain that to me with a little more detail ;)
 






this SOB looks very nice....
 






I'm a bit slow, could you explain that to me with a little more detail ;)
Okay, get a cheap pair of pliers. Grind the teeth down flat. Cut some small pieces of 3/16" or 1/4" plate, say 1" wide and 2" long. Round the corners like in the pic below. Hold the 2 plates in the pliers grip and weld up so they will mate together perfectly flat.

Now that you got your pliers ready, cut your fenders out. Lets say you want to make a 1" lip- have one line drawn on the fender how you want it finished out, and cut another line 1" below that will mimic the upper line. Take your pliers, and with the edge of the plates on the pliers follow the line, clamp down and bend slightly, clamp down and bend slightly, repeat all the way around the fender. What you are doing is making a crease, the lip should only bend in a few degrees at this point. Next, go back over it again bending it a few more degrees. Now take your body hammer, and gently tap the lip in a little at a time working your way around the opening. When you are done, you should have a 90 degree lip with alot of little stretch marks in it. Take your dolly and put it on the backside of the lip, and go back around it a few more times with the body hammer and dolly until its smooth.
 

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Thank you :thumbsup:
 






Steering is done (finally). Weld in bungs and some heavy ass hex tube from local machine shop. I have very little draglink angle, as you can tell the draglink hangs low. There will be a desert truck style skidplate off the bottom of the bumper that will protect it.
 

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How heavy is that hex tubing and how much did you give for it? I've never seen that little of an angle for steering, nice!
 






Looks awesome JamesT..:thumbsup:
 












It's lookin' great James.:thumbsup:
 






Thanks for the compliments guys. :)


How heavy is that hex tubing and how much did you give for it? I've never seen that little of an angle for steering, nice!
The hex stuff is heavy, its 1" round inner diameter, .25" thick on the flat spots and something like .32" on the edges. I gotta thank my local homie Joel at Sico Machine Shop (pronounced "psyco") for coming through for me. They got a bunch of this stuff through a government auction and i got both pieces for $10 cash.

Yea, there will be very little angle on the draglink and tracbar. The draglink does point way forward, but since im running the 79 F150 4x4 box with the arm facing forward my worst steering angle is with the tires pointed straight. The more you turn the wheel the better the angle gets. :confused:



edit- i know the grill doesnt look cut the same around the corners. Thats because i never had time to finish cutting and folding the driver's side. :D
 






edit- i know the grill doesnt look cut the same around the corners. Thats because i never had time to finish cutting and folding the driver's side. :D

never would have noticed if you didn't say anything!

That's a steal for that hex tubing. Wonder what kind of a beating it will take being rigid like that??
 






Mayan temple tracbar riser of doom-

I started off with a piece of 2" .25" wall square tube, and cut the back off in order to get the tracbar bolt depth right. Mocked it into place, then plated everything else with 1/2" plate and sleeved the bolt hole.

I dont think its going anywere...
 

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damn, that is a temple. Will you have small mayans running around on your tubes?
 






Hey JamesT, are you running hexagonal steering links?
 



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Steering is done (finally). Weld in bungs and some heavy ass hex tube from local machine shop.

How heavy is that hex tubing

Thanks for the compliments guys. :)


The hex stuff is heavy, its 1" round inner diameter, .25" thick on the flat spots and something like .32" on the edges. I gotta thank my local homie Joel at Sico Machine Shop (pronounced "psyco") for coming through for me. They got a bunch of this stuff through a government auction and i got both pieces for $10 cash.

:thumbsup:
 






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