New guy old builder album

[GRNMACHINE]

Broncobra is looking great and glad you are doing okay!

 

[rookieshooter]

Using 1 & 1/2" Dom for the cage

This could rank right as one of the most important projects that you may ever use, just hope you don't have to use. I guess that's somewhat of an oxymoron statement.

Are you going to sandwich the A pillar part of the cage to floor/frame or just flat plate bolted to floor?

 

[broncobra22]

This could rank right as one of the most important projects that you may ever use, just hope you don't have to use. I guess that's somewhat of an oxymoron statement.

Are you going to sandwich the A pillar part of the cage to floor/frame or just flat plate bolted to floor?

Going to the frame, don't trust sheetmetal all that much.

 

[broncobra22]

Internet

Strange thing happened last week, I received 3 machine shop jobs as a result of this forum...totally unsolicited & 1 other just because I wanted to. 1 member & 3 guests (I don't have a clue how they tracked me down as a guests, but you computer whiz kids might). All are relatively simple but, even so interesting projects and 1 in particular was a rather expensive, though simple, tooling job for an off road shop in Texas. Seems they favor the barter system (horse trading, for you guys in Amarillo) rather than hard cash. Long story short, I shipped 2 Dana 35's and 2 Ford 8.8 plus a 4.56 ring & pinion for gear changes (4.56) & Detroit 8.8" lockers. When returned all will be locked and 4.56 ratios. They use Ford Racing gears & bearings. New hubs and axles, bearings seals...the works, new. That's the good news. The bad was having to pull the Dana 35 and the 8.8 and install an old Dana 28 & the original 7.5" in it's place. Not my idea of happy times but if we have any more nice fall days I can cruise the Broncobra with good judgement & I can move her to another shop if I need more room.

Outside of some automotive machine shop work on the engine, this will be the first time anyone else has actually done any hands on work...besides myself. I have mixed emotions in doing this but it makes $$ & cents as well as sense and a good partial tradeout.

 

[broncobra22]

cut & turn

Now that the Dana 35's and the 8.8" are on their way to Tejas I'm at the point of having to decide on how to handle the beams on the 35's. Here's where I'm at...I hate drop brackets, there I've said it and to those who love the little coc* ******'s lol, I don't. Still lift is needed and I have always put up with them as a means to an end. On the other end I've used blocks and lift shackles etc. don't much care even less for those either. Enter the TTB cut and turn + up front and the re-arched leaf pack & shackle flip/extension out back.

I haven't pulled the trigger yet on sending the beams (2 sets) to forum members BT Fabrication out in California, couple of siblings, that have started a small off road fab business. Their pricing is excellent & the feedback on quality is also good. Their also smart, as I can't build a 2 off pair for anything close to what their asking. I could buy 5 pair of their beams for what it would cost me in time to just build an accurate fixture (jig) on which to form the beams in my shop. As it is not my intention to go into competition with these youngsters I really don't want a one off fixture lying around ...might trip over it.

I'm hoping they can provide me with a completed beam providing 4" lift with relocated bearing. I also don't want to greatly effect the overall width. Coupled with coil overs and extended radius arms I think will get the job done. This will eliminate the drop bracket and allow the use of a reasonable length Pitman & hopefully allow only modest changes to the steering geometry.

 

[broncobra22]

Big difference

Pulled the Broncobra out this a.m. for a short checkout run with the old suspension/drivetrain pieces. That old 7.5" & Dana 28, both open units 3.73 ratios, sure felt weak...just on the street and talk about axle wrap, even in second gear. I needed it back on wheels to move it around the shop, but I'm not about to run this thing off road till the 35 & 8.8 are redone. My DD is bone stock and I don't really notice cause it all works together and I don't run her hard anyway, but this is just whimpy!

 

[rookieshooter]

Like the your thoughts and the way your going about this.
I could only wish to see how you'd do a linked front solid axle. But Old Terre Firma in the part of the country you live rules.
410Fortune was the best ever on cut & turn when he was around. But with that said, he did say he wanted to go linked solid. Now he did live in CO. where rocks are not a scarce commodity.

 

[broncobra22]

410fortune

I miss the 410fotune posts...I was a "guest" for several years prior to membership, Rookie your right not just about his TTB work, but about how he went about his work...all of it.

Solids rock! I'm a big fan and have owned a slug of vehicles that utilized them up front. Simple, strong, safe, inexpensive & an almost endless variety and supply of good used completes. On top of that they are the best all round performance choice for DD, dirt, mud rock...for 90% of all combination rig use & 100% of crawling and climbing.

I also have used and built linked competition cars and trucks and find links to be unexcelled out back for all out competion and also they are just flat cool! Adjustability to changing track conditions etc. is extrodinary so when 100th. of a second per lap differences or in a Quarter, can be gained, links can be the difference. In crawling the flex with contact at all corners is also the very best, both up front and out back with links.

I have really enjoyed the "process" of fabrication involved in so many of the forum threads involving SAS and linking and what trails & trials each individual has gone down, who they looked to and what they read in order to achieve their goals. Failures, redo's (soon or late), elation, disgust & confusion coupled with doubt and then success...wow!! Makes for a life full of discovery, enlightenment and fulfillment.

Rick You may get to see me do a front link SAS one day and it is quite probable that I'll do a rear 4 link if my current leaf concept is not adequate on my current Hoss.

Sticking with the TTB & leaf for my Broncobra due to long experience with a few desert obstacles at which an independent front excels and good leafs out back easily cope with. Adjust a good set of shocks & your ready to run. Deep sand, whoops, wash board, pot holes and jumps. 2 wheel drive is best for most competition but I like my 4 wheel just in case and if I lose power to the rear I can always limp back in with the front drive. Unsprung weight up front especially just kills performance at speed, so tires and front end components that are lighter perform better, trophy truck suspensions are super light weight as are rims...so they run substantially more rubber not just for traction but also for protection and duaibility from road hazards like 4" long cactus spines and razor rocks.

I don't want to go any heavier than the Dana 35 up front & since I'll only be running 33"x11.5" and not dumping full tork to the front full or even part time it is strong enough. Same out back built Ford 8.8" plenty strong for my target weight (3,400) and horsepower/tire size. One reason I settled on 4.56 ratio was to maintain a pinion size which would not become a major weak link. I am also thinking my second set of axles might just carry 4.10 ratio that are already installed as a backup.

Kinda of a long post for sure but I want it understood that I fully respect & understand what many of you are trying to accomplish by going the SAS route & linking too.

Have a great Thanksgiving, we are greatly blessed!

 

[broncobra22]

Kinda nice to see some increased activity on the B2 scene what with Bats 88, janderson & rookieshooter all cowboying up to start some interesting projects. Know there are some more out there that need to be shared with the rest of us, but in the mean time I'm enjoying watching their progress.

 

[janderson4010]

yeah man including the Broncobra, that thing is sweeeet. I guess your just waiting on the gears to come back right? I want to see some long travel ttb and 63" rears. Heck I may have to take a pilgrimage to Oklahoma to take a ride in that thing. My brother wants to make a go fast truck in the future after we get his pickup trailready and I suggested a bII or ranger, just so I would have the oppurtunity to play around with long travel ttb.

 

[broncobra22]

brakes

Anybody ever use front discs off a Dana 28 or Dana 35 on an 8.8" ...line lock it for occassional cautious emergency brake duty...remember I'm in flat sand land, it's Oklahoma wheres it gonna roll, Kansas? I chock everything anyway while I work on it. I'm getting a surplus of front rotors and calipers and drum rears...seems a waste. Oh yeah, I realize it's not street legal but at my age I'm starting not to give a....

 

[rookieshooter]

realize it's not street legal but at my age I'm starting not to give a....

I resemble that remark lol

 

[janderson4010]

damn guys im only 26 and i could give 2 sh.....

 

[rookieshooter]

damn guys im only 26 and i could give 2 sh.....

26, I've got underwear older then that.

 

[broncobra22]

yeah man including the Broncobra, that thing is sweeeet. I guess your just waiting on the gears to come back right? I want to see some long travel ttb and 63" rears. Heck I may have to take a pilgrimage to Oklahoma to take a ride in that thing. My brother wants to make a go fast truck in the future after we get his pickup trailready and I suggested a bII or ranger, just so I would have the oppurtunity to play around with long travel ttb.

Seems things take on a life of their own. Work, health, family...hobbies and passions alike, & I don't want to miss out on any part of it. 24 hrs and 7 days usually isn't enough. Right now the Broncobra is on the back burner...yes waiting on the 8.8" & the beams, but also some spare hours in the shop. I'm just covered up with work etc. I'm pretty patient & try to get things right on the first try rather than spend time on do overs & that often translates into long periods of time with no apparent progress in steel. Day dreaming instead of building! I'm also reading and studying others work to help improve my own, so you guys keep building and you will be helping me turn out a better truck, when I get around to it!

 

[janderson4010]

Where did you Go Rick? did they get your axles back to you yet?

 

[broncobra22]

Disappeared

Just got back last night from a two weeker in Mexico & haven't quite woke up yet. ' bout finished with their order & will pick up the 35 and 8.8" when I deliver their shipment. Will PM on the rest.

 

[janderson4010]

Just got back last night from a two weeker in Mexico

you lucky sonofa...

 

[rookieshooter]

Just got back last night from a two weeker in Mexico & haven't quite woke up yet. ' bout finished with their order & will pick up the 35 and 8.8" when I deliver their shipment. Will PM on the rest.

Didn't drink the water did ya?

 

[broncobra22]

H2O in Mexico

Flu and work keeping me humble! Waters ok if the seal on the bottle is intact...fishing was great! Camera disappeared sometime close to the end of the trip...Pues bien hay ladrones Y pinche diablos que corren como los diablos! Loosely translated...stinking little thiefs can run like the devil!