Ricks Bronco: 1and 1/2

[rookieshooter]

Garage radio? I have cable tv piped into my garage!

Now that's a good idea. Then my wife would stop getting upset when I'm listening to NASCAR in the garage and then come running into the house and yell Quick, turn on the Speed Channel, Gordon just slammed into the wall.
Poor wife and kids would never see me again.

Darn I love that 4 link and it's only been a few days.
While I was adjusting the links for exact same lengths...which is so simple with the R and L threads, I pushed the axle another inch forward and cranked up the coils a little also.

Going to check out to see if this one company makes a constant velocity joint instead of those U-joints in those front D44 axles. That would be such an increase in strength. The more a u-joint is angled the less strength it has. If you could map one of those u-joint caps it moves in a strange pattern, something like a figure eight.
That's why a smaller u-joint can be as strong as a larger one as long as it's not flexed as much.

I heard that the CV D44 axles then are about as strong as the 60 series with the constant velocity joints.
Under strength tests it failed only within pounds of the 60s.
And it would be so much smoother in the locked position or even unlocked.

 

[Maniak]

That looks really close to the c-clip eliminator mod on the D35 long shaft when using an internal spring. On the D-35 c-clip internal spring mod you need to weld the dust cap onto the end of the shaft. Otherwise, over time the cap will blow out the end..

IIRC, Dannyboy ran that style of c-clip eliminator and so did some other. I went with the external spring just for that reason (blowing out the end cap).

Just something to look into..

~Mark

 

[rookieshooter]

Thanks so much for that heads up. Considered it done

Now when I go with the flanged connection at both ends which is still a work in progress, then the spring will be eliminated.

 

[Maniak]

Now that I look at the fancy slip jointed driveshaft again.. I say just use an external spring.. I think you can use the same parts we used for the c-clip eliminator.

The info on the spring we use for the c-clip eliminator with an external spring is..

Echo spring # 69621655730

Here are the #'s I got while measuring....

28 PPI
1.447 OD
1.213 ID
coil wire thickness .113

If they ask you what it is for.. Its the center spring from a 2 line Pro tap head from an echo II trimmer.

To hold the spring we use a split shaft collar. In case you haven't perused that thread (not sure since you don't have the d-35 anymore).

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256302&page=1

~Mark

 

[rookieshooter]

There is an Echo dealer only a few miles from my house. I'll check that spring out.
Thanks.

 

[terribleII89]

my question is how do ya get in and out of the thing with the tube from the roll cage right there? to me it seems like it would be in the way. and personally i woulda made the tube door a bit lower but not knocking it just my personal opinon!

 

[rookieshooter]

my question is how do ya get in and out of the thing with the tube from the roll cage right there? to me it seems like it would be in the way. and personally i woulda made the tube door a bit lower but not knocking it just my personal opinon!

The seat is slid as far back as it can go. There is a reason I did not dog leg it further to the front. That pillar part of the cage is one of the most important parts. You don't want any bends in the vertical piece. At least not in the part that goes to floor (which is sandwiched to frame) after the bends that contours the windshield like mine.
If you do then it becomes a crunch zone and is no way as strong as a straight vertical piece.
Some race sanctioning bodies even require that there are no bends in that part of the cage.
In fact I followed the same design of a off-road Bronco that raced in one of the racing organizations when I built the cage over 3 years ago.
Plus it adds for a bit more side collision protection then if it were further toward my ankles.
Now just for a slow roll on a trail, probably no big deal, but for riding down I-81 around 70 to 75, it becomes a big deal.
And having been involved in some roll overs, Id rather be a little inconvenienced then sacrifice strength. If it was just for show then ya, bend away.

And you hit the nail on the door about the height of the tube door. It personally is the right height for me to lay my left arm on and I'm 6' LOL.

 

[rookieshooter]

Well after a 4 weeks of taking people out Spring Turkey hunting, which incorporated miles and miles of trails, woods and stream crossings, I can say it handled admirably with the 4 link and drive shaft mod.
The only weak spot was the unprotected front diff cover. Took a few blasts, but that's not going to happen again.
One problem... wife said "enough is enough spending money...slack off a little on the truck".
Knowing not to rock the boat, it was to the "Ole Scrap Pile" for some material.
I wanted some small square tubing or round tubing, but none was had. Only found some heavy 2" x 1/4" wall DOM left over from the 4 link some lazer cut tabs and some 1/4" plate.
Well it will have to do. Cause it will have a diff cover before I go out gain in a few days.

Post some progress pics later.

 

[rookieshooter]

Tacking up before chamfering edges to make sure angles are fine before welding up. So far so good.
This will be out of the box diff cover for sure. But it's what I got to work with and I think it will be fine.

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

It's gonna be strong as hell too.

 

[rookieshooter]

One final check on the contoured angles before putting the final weld on this part.
When this is complete I ought to be able to ram into Fort Knox and not hurt the cover.
It's easy to see now where all the force will be absorbed. It's the strongest part of the housing. This part also has the .500" thick axle tube pressed into the housing.
Still more armor to add.
And it will be made so I can get the carrier in and out.

I sure hope it's strong DWD. I'll just go out and slam into a rock just to say I did so.

 

[rookieshooter]

This is the passenger side attachment bracket. It's a little more involved then the driver side due to the irregularities of the casting of the housing.
I just layed a weld along the top.

And here it is less the 1/4" plate that still needs to be added from this center section to the bottom of the housing. It will angle up from bottom to the more forward protruding center structural support.
It also adds a little protection to the High Steer link by setting out further then it.
The bolts are double shear mounted but in reality they're just holding it up.
The 2" x .250" wall tubing is actually flush against the housing so the bolts would really not take too much of a hit if any at all because the force will be transmitted to the housing. May add a perpendicular gusset to the tabs.

There you have it, a DOM tubing diff guard from the "Ole Pile O Scrap".
And I was going to use that small amount of tubing for tent pegs

 

[rookieshooter]

Complete with no bolts going to diff cover.
The bottom piece has a 1/4" plate welded flat to the housing with an L shape part that goes up. Then the lower front diff cover is bolted to that.
So the bottom piece is only 1/4" below housing, no big deal.
Now to find some rocks.

To remove all you do is remove the top two 9/16" and the lower 1/2" and it's off.
Still have plenty of ideas for some other mods to come.

 

[MrQ]

Looks really good!

 

[rookieshooter]

Looks really good!

Thanks MrQ. I'm going to make it even stronger this morning, once my coffee kicks in.
The bad news is in my rush to exit my garage to get some Dunkin coffee, I rounded the corner too fast and split the wood along the vertical edge of my garage door jamb with the rear steel fender flare. Good new is that those steel flares never even showed a scratch other then the white paint from the door jamb. And the shape of those flares also helped in lessening any damage due to the angling of the leading edge. Just pushed the truck to the side.
Hit harder leaving my own garage then any trail yet. Something just wrong with that picture LOL


I know...
:ttiwwp:

I'll post later

 

[rookieshooter]

Gave it some thought that the weakest part of this mod is where it is connected to the welded tab at bottom of housing. Even though the flat 1/4" piece is angling upward and that would deflect the hit upward.
I wanted the impact to be absorbed by the housing and not the tab.

So I took a piece of solid round stock, cut some compound angles so it is a tight fit up against the housing and the flat plate.

Then welded the round stock to the flat plate. It is not welded to the diff cover, but I did preload load it up against it.
This way now if it did really take a hard shot, the main force would be directed at the housing and hardly any at the welded tab at bottom of housing.

Did this on both sides naturally.

Now imagine that garage door jamb was a pine tree, not that it wasn't a few years ago. And was hit by my fender flare

Only a little bark and sap to show for my lack of driving skill

 

[terribleII89]

The seat is slid as far back as it can go. There is a reason I did not dog leg it further to the front. That pillar part of the cage is one of the most important parts. You don't want any bends in the vertical piece. At least not in the part that goes to floor (which is sandwiched to frame) after the bends that contours the windshield like mine.
If you do then it becomes a crunch zone and is no way as strong as a straight vertical piece.
Some race sanctioning bodies even require that there are no bends in that part of the cage.
In fact I followed the same design of a off-road Bronco that raced in one of the racing organizations when I built the cage over 3 years ago.
Plus it adds for a bit more side collision protection then if it were further toward my ankles.
Now just for a slow roll on a trail, probably no big deal, but for riding down I-81 around 70 to 75, it becomes a big deal.
And having been involved in some roll overs, Id rather be a little inconvenienced then sacrifice strength. If it was just for show then ya, bend away.

And you hit the nail on the door about the height of the tube door. It personally is the right height for me to lay my left arm on and I'm 6' LOL.

i can understand the strength thing and all but looks like it would a p.i.t.a. to get out of if ya needed to get out quickly .... and dig the diff cover but im seein 2 unprotected spot on ether side of the flat plate but other then that i love the design ... imo id take some more round stock or flat stock and run it at an angle from the plate to the tube and web it in for strength that way it covers th entire bottom half of the diff ... not tryin to insult just throwin out additional ideas!!

 

[rookieshooter]

Like the idea of the tube from flat plate to the 2" tubing. Just don't have any more yet. But that will be done.
And that would still be only 3 bolts to loosen to remove the gurard.
Be my luck that is where a piece of jagged rock would hit the cover if it weren't protected.

Then it would have that cool looking spider web kinda look.

That cage just looks cramped to get into. Not even people that rode for the first time even mention it. Now if your foot was in a hard cast and was not able to turn it then that would be different. And if you were gravity challenged then it might be a little tuff.

 

[black91EB]

your garage must hate your truck. First the roof rack hits the door, then the fender flair hits the door post. It's probably thinking, how am I going to get injured next???

 

[rookieshooter]

How about that terrible1189? Your intrinsically now a part of this build. But you can forget about the cage.
That cage coming down along side my leg is like a security blanket :