Betty's "I want to be a mule" progress log thread

[Turdle]

Got the fancy made by @RockRanger support gussets in the kit formed and tack welded in place. mock -up pics for approval for weld in please

 

[traveler]

Man I want a set of those!

 

[CDW6212R]

Man I want a set of those!

Oh yeah, that looks good. What length bolts does it take for the shocks?

 

[Turdle]

Oh yeah, that looks good. What length bolts does it take for the shocks?

In order to have the correct shoulder length, I had to get 1/2 x 3.5" long bolts which will need to be shortened. the pic shows 4" bolts just for holding em in place.

Edited for bolt length correction

 

[CDW6212R]

I gotcha, I wondered if you were going to cut them down.

I had to use ARP studs in a front set of hubs, to use cheap 18" wheels that were too thick(with 1/4" spacers). I had a machine shop change the studs, wow don't ever do that. It was hell for them to install them straight, they didn't have a big flat back side head to seat them true. They did a super job shortening and dressing the threads, but they were crooked and the spacers wouldn't go onto them. Those hubs are not made to easily service.

 

[Turdle]

Man. Getting old sucks. I got one hole drilled into the lower control arm so far today. Can't find a Snickers bar so I made this post. 3 more to go. Crap now I wish I woulda just taken them off anf over to the drill press. whiny whiny whiny and I hate rainbows right now. Don't really know why but yreah

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Man. Getting old sucks. I got one hole drilled into the lower control arm so far today. Can't find a Snickers bar so I made this post. 3 more to go. Crap now I wish I woulda just taken them off anf over to the drill press. whiny whiny whiny and I hate rainbows right now. Don't really know why but yreah

im waiting for the "yelled at kids to get off my lawn" post

 

[traveler]

LoL I feel ya man. I HATE drilling into anything steel. Hard work and almost always has to be done lying on your back and to the side or at some weird angle.

 

[Turdle]

I have all holes drilled. Now wrestling with self confidence--welding skilz for gussets. Been practice welding a bit , but nothing vertical yet. Horizontal beads are all wonk so I got some fresh wire ( old wire is at least 10 years old) an am trying again. Neighbor kid welds for a living and said he'd do them for 50 bux. Idunno.

 

[410Fortune]

"Put some heat into those welds" (That's what goes through my head each time I weld) It was the best advice I ever got for welding

Hold the heat in the puddle just a little longer then your instinct tells you too and each time the welds come out awesome because I listen to that little voice.. prep is everything, setting up the machine properly (heat and wire speed) is everything else, with those two things done it is easy to be the robot that just moves the puddle around

How do you eat an elephant?

 

[Turdle]

"Put some heat into those welds" (That's what goes through my head each time I weld) It was the best advice I ever got for welding

Hold the heat in the puddle just a little longer then your instinct tells you too and each time the welds come out awesome because I listen to that little voice.. prep is everything, setting up the machine properly (heat and wire speed) is everything else, with those two things done it is easy to be the robot that just moves the puddle around

How do you eat an elephant?

A little at a time


Thanks for that post Jamie. Turns out I was using too high of heat setting on my welder. You don't always want to turn it up to 11 even if it does go that high.


I got em welded in about 3:00 am , going about an inch at a time on each bracket and taking 15 minute cool downs for both me and welder.
now I am going to clean the welds up, go over them again, then, and only then will I consider pictures.

 

[Turdle]

Just roll 'er in grinder dust and hit the dark spots

 

[Turdle]

This is as good as it gets. Time for lasagna then coat 2

 

[Turdle]

Wanted to be done today but had to stop here.

 

[ahodges]

Did the upper control arm come that color or did you powder coat it? It sure is looking nice!

 

[Turdle]

Did the upper control arm come that color or did you powder coat it? It sure is looking nice!

Thanks.
The color is TTX product line coating. They come that way

 

[Turdle]

new TTX tie rods installed,

and, I made a broken coffee cup mess

Driver side tie rod length was a strong 8 3/16" from cut to center
passenger was 8 1/4"

 

[Scott B.]

Jon,

What did you paint your frame with? I'm sure you said, but I missed it.

It looks good.

 

[Turdle]

^^ Thanks!! I used por 15. I bought a quart, spilled a little and even then used way less than a pint. Brush on. It gets all the credit here. A light coat then a top coat within 2-6 hours.


I wire wheeled everything then wiped with brake cleaner as prep. Not the best but that's all I was gonna do.

Had to remove all coating from the inside upper control arm mounts though. it's tight in there already.

 

[Rick]

all those tools......and i bet the 10mm is missing

I lost my 5/16 8 pt and an 8mm has taken it's place