Ricks Bronco: 1and 1/2

[MrQ]

I was wondering if you could make another plate that fits over the hoop mounting plate and attach your through the firewall bar to that? Like so:

May be a stupid idea, but its the thought that counts.

 

[rookieshooter]

I was wondering if you could make another plate that fits over the hoop mounting plate and attach your through the firewall bar to that? Like so:

May be a stupid idea, but its the thought that counts.

Well consider us both stupid because that's just how I plan to attach to the hoop. I could just weld it up and be done with it. But I won't to be able to take off those hoops if need be.
This was a bear to find a spot to miss the brake booster, MC cylinder, windshield wiper arms, heat vent, duct work and head light switch without having bends.
Well I will have to relocate the headlight switch.
This will really tie in the front clip to the rest of the truck.

You can see how close it is to the booster and MC.
I would have liked to have the part that ties into the cage a little higher but it was just too much to modify.
You can see how close it is to the windshield wiper arms.
Now that was one of those out of the box mods that I did years ago to get better air flow around engine that came in real handy in helping with this mod.
But I'll probably come off the hoop with a short piece of the same size DOM heavy wall tubing with a plate that will bolt to plate on the end of the extended cage.
Getting through the dash was a Royal PITA ha ha, with all the different pieces of sheet metal that had to be cut out.
But all the cutting I've done on this truck there is no body sag cause it's all tied into the frame.
In fact I probably could cut off the entire sheet metal body and still be able to wheel it.
It's becoming more like some kind of buggy each day

And here is where it penetrated through the dash, just below heater vent.
Now all those penetrations will be done with a finished look when all is said and done.

I don't won't to even think about the other side with the way I'll have to clear heater and the way I have the snorkel tied into the cowl.

 

[rookieshooter]

Starting to notch the tubes for tying in the cage to coil hoops.
I like using a chop saw to notch tubing, it's just so fast.

Just roughing it in now.
There are only two pieces of tubing, but dealing with these compound angles and trying to get those two plates parallel after they're welded to each tube is a little time consuming...like I really have so little time ha ha.
Since I'm not going to bend the piece going through the firewall, it's got to be near perfect and I don't have any extra tubing.

Ya, I caught the dash on fire a couple of times

Kinda sexy, I think
Now that will add to the working dynamics of the shocks instead of getting lost in the chassie.
Not to mention that I can still remove the hoop if I like.
Bet it's going to be even more responsive then ever. This truck was a blast to drive on these windy roads, I can only imagine how sweet it will be now.
Well at least when I get the other side done LOL.
Thanks shawn for getting me going on something I've wanted to do since the first day I made those hoops.
And I like your idea about tying into the fender struts also.
And MrQ, that's close to what you in-visioned.

 

[Maniak]

Starting to notch the tubes for tying in the cage to coil hoops.
I like using a chop saw to notch tubing, it's just so fast.

How the heck do you do that? I can cut on the line and take a little off with the blade but notch? I can't even fathom how your accomplishing that.

~Mark

 

[shawn.m]

its about 40 pages back- search on toliet paper rolls- Rookie I would like to see those posts in a seperate write up and then put up as a sticky.

 

[shawn.m]

also I was posturing earlier that you replace the whole radiator support with a hoop from the pipe at the firewall. Replace your existing fender support and then go around and replace the radiator support. tie into your removable radiator support. Make tubes going from the top down to the frame. with little extensions going forward to the radiator grill that you made eariler.
This would get you much closer to rock buggie form. At that point you would be attaching sheetmetal to rollcage.

Your pretty close to that point right now. Also this would extend the rollcage all the way forward to the tip of the frame. This lets you gain strength in the front bumper area to support the winch. letting the whole vechile become that much more rigid.

 

[rookieshooter]

also I was posturing earlier that you replace the whole radiator support with a hoop from the pipe at the firewall. Replace your existing fender support and then go around and replace the radiator support. tie into your removable radiator support. Make tubes going from the top down to the frame. with little extensions going forward to the radiator grill that you made eariler.
This would get you much closer to rock buggie form. At that point you would be attaching sheetmetal to rollcage.

Your pretty close to that point right now. Also this would extend the rollcage all the way forward to the tip of the frame. This lets you gain strength in the front bumper area to support the winch. letting the whole vechile become that much more rigid.

Just added all you said to my list of Must Do's ha ha.
I've always hated that that Bondo fixed ugly radiator support with the 3" body lift under it.
It just does not fit with the flow of the build.

Could easily add some brackets for my remote oil filter and the remote oil pressure sending unit. It's the one with the stainless braided line going to it.
Then replace the black garden hose looking oil filter supply and return line with some braided stainless also.
I guess for the head lights I could just cut out enough sheet metal behind lights to keep the adjustment hardware intact and spot weld that to the tubed frame.
And while I'm at it, trash that cheesy fan cowl for a real steel or preferably aluminum rolled one that will be custom made for this application.
Then I would have to also add the bottom Quick Release fastener's to the tube to incorporate the Quick Release fenders, I just love doing trails with no fenders, talk about a ride with a view. especially over rocks where you can actually see your tire and pick a better line.
Oh ya, thanks for keeping me up all night thrashing over all the details of this upcoming mod :

The ****pit area is in total disarray.

What a PITA trying to cut out metal that I can't get my hands on
Just this one fire wall penetration has totally busted the Chuck on my DeWalt drill, bent one ratchet attachment, which I had to cut off one end to fit in the drill motor. Sacrificed on 5/16" socket that i got tired of the Hole saw falling off the extension inside the fire wall, so I welded it on.
Not mentioning the ensuing damage to my hand when the Hole say got stuck and spun my hand into various sharp objects.
Ok, I know, I need some cheese for my winning.
I have found out that all you have to be is just a little smarter then the piece your working on ha ha, and this is testing me.

 

[rookieshooter]

Maniak, this is for you, but like shawn said, I have more on this subject.
At any rate I needed a piece of coped tubing for the cage extension and thought that I'll take some pics as I went along.
Now this is by far the easiest with a 90 deg attachment. A little more complex when doing other angles.

From walking over to the Makita chop saw to finished product including sanding in side diameter with HS grinder took less then 45 seconds.
For ease of explaining I marked both sides that are going to get coped with the letter (A) which are 180 deg, apart.
Then I marked the letter (B) 90 degrees from (A).
So now the tube is indexed every 90 deg.

Here is where some people may get a little confused when I say I use a Chop saw to cope the tube.

I Do not hold the tube up at an angle and try to cut the cope.

All cuts are made with the tube flat on the saw table and blade perpendicular to tube.
When looking down at tube I basically do not even see the (A) side even though this will be the coped side.
I just bring the saw down on the (B) side and it cuts through like a knife going through hot butter on the blue line that I made for ease of explaining.
Then rotate tube 180 deg. to other (B) and do other side.

And there is the semi finished cope.

Next was a few seconds with grinder to clean up the cuts. Since were dealing with a 3 dimensional object, I grounded down a little where the tabs stick out to wrap around the adjoining tube. Got to allow for the thickness of the wall.

And here is the fit that might even hold water LOL.

.......................................................................................................

Wait until you see the Total Carnage I did to the Passanger side dash.
I did not like it anyway with that poor excuse of a glove compartment
Well I got the hole and tube through and matches the other as far as angle.

Hmm, some more tubing, you think for the pass. side dash? Complete with a custom spot for the MSD box.
All those wires that are useless will be out of there.
Who knows, once the aluminum dash is back in there, some tube work for that may also just be around the corner

Oops, got to go, I hear my Sazall calling me.

 

[Maniak]

Maniak, this is for you, but like shawn said, I have more on this subject.

Thanks.. Now I get it.. between this, your toilet paper tube post and what I found on Pirate it all makes sense..

Now I can maybe start trying to use round tube....

~Mark

 

[rookieshooter]

Finally got the other side done. Would have liked it a little better if it was perfectly symmetrical on both sides, but both sides had it's own unique problems to get around.

The area of the dash that I took out will be finished off with some tubes later.
Be nice to now to move the passenger side A pillar part of the cage right up against the the the new smaller dash. This would give the passenger all kinds of room to get in.
Then do the same on the left side of the aluminum dash with the gauges.
Then I could move that vertical part of the cage about 8" forward.
Next would be some horizontal tubing to tie the aluminum dash into. This way I could get rid of that stock deteriorating dash all together.
Plus not only would that tie in more to the cage for a real buggy look, it would just look plain Cool IMO.
I think I have around 14 points that the cage attaches directly to the frame or body.

 

[MrQ]

 

[rookieshooter]

Thanks

Now this is just clouds in my Coffee for now, but what I see is removing every thing, except the Powder coated aluminum diamond plate with gauges and then form a complete 1/2" tubed dash from Pillar to Pillar encompassing the dash.
Then finish off in either metal or aluminum. If I use aluminum I may leave it un-painted.
It would form something of a monocoque construction with the the various sections of panels with plenty of evenly spaced rivets no matter what type of metal.
Something along the lines of how I did the transmission hump.

Then go into doing the complete tubed front part and trashing the radiator support.
Now as if that's not enough, a small exo skeleton that would connect to the rear bumper and then follow the tubed fender well, turn down and connect to slider or even continue and use the exo as a slider. I would also have supports running from the exo, penetrate the stock sheet metal rear fender and connect to interior cage/coilover supports.

If I did do all the above, it would be rather iexpensive way to really make this into a more unified all tubed construction. Then the exposed sheet metal is nothing more then to hold paint.

 

[rookieshooter]

Starting to Demo the dash.
Glad to get rid if that eye sore of a padded dash. Those cracks were a pain to try to fix.

Removed the Cowl, if that's what you call it?

Starting to cut anything and everything that is not functional.
I've also removed the adjustable heat vents. I'll try to re-use them later. The one going to the pass. side has the duct work removed due to the cage support going to coilover hoops. There just wont be a vent there. But I will still have all defrost and bottom vents.

Pass. side is blocked off and more metal around the middle vent has been removed. The reason it's removed is because I'm going to move the whole dash to wards windshield.

Now comes the fun part of figuring this thing out
The square tubing is going to be the main structural support going from pillar to pillar.
The tubing is going to follow the curvature of the cowl. When done the cowl will be sanded and painted Black.

Here is how I'm following the curve by using clamps and drilling with self tapping sheet metal screws up from bottom through a flange that is on the cowl and into the tubing and then working my way around the curve.

Here is the bottom side with the screws going through the curved flange of the cowl. The flange has a step down and came in perfect for attaching the main brace.
Once this is in place then the dash will be framed out in the square tubing and welded together.
Then metal or aluminum skin.
This dash will be Mega strong by the time I have it all tied into the pillars and cage supports.

 

[rookieshooter]

While I'm addressing the heater area of the build, I would like to dispel the popular notion by many, judging by the number one question I get asked in the Winter..."Isn't that a cold truck to drive."
Then I have to give the same responce...
But contrary, it is the opposite that is true. Once the the rear bulkhead,rear Lexan window and those tight fitting vinyl windows are in, it's toastally warm. Remember the CFMs of the blower motor, coupled with the BTUs of the heater coil has not decreased with the shrinking of the cab. In fact it gets too warm.
The only area I do not like and this is also when it was in stock trim, is the fact that it never really defrosts the driver side window as well as the passenger side.
It is always the lower left hand side that will keep ice and snow there limiting my vision even when on full defrost.
So now is the time to fix that problem, either by dampening the air to the passenger side which would give me more velocity on the driver side or adding an additional vent that directs the air to that spot. I'm favoring an added duct vent that directly blows to that area.
In fact there were times that I have even put a deflector on dash to try to accomplish this.
This high humidity East coast air, even in the Winter time makes for some tough defrosting of the windshield.
And about those vinyl windows, I really don't like un-snapping them in the Winter, there just too hard to snap back in once it really gets cold, no big deal when It's above freezing.

Now since the only insulation is in the roof, I may foam the inside of those doors, many many hours went into making them so light weight, that I can pick them up with one finger. The foam would be two fold, one it would help in the road noise and two, the blower motor would even be on less.

You ought to see how my Volt meter takes a drastic dive when the blower motor is on. There is nothing, even including having all my auxiliary lights on that takes such a voltage drop.

 

[shawn.m]

dont worry my chop top b2 makes up for your warm vehicle. As I do not have a rear bulkhead. It is COLD

 

[shawn.m]

well cold to us Californians

sorry back on topic. so are you going to Dzuz fasten the rear fenders? It wouldn't take much with your plan of rear bars. Think of rock crawling with no front or rear fenders!

 

[rookieshooter]

you know your killing me with all your ideas.

 

[shawn.m]

I can live vicariously through your MIG gun:bsnicker:

 

[rookieshooter]

The cowl is now reinforced with the heavy wall tubing.
Sanding and painted Satin black later.
The ends will be later tired into the Pillars.

Cut in the new defrost hole so I won't have that dead spot with no circulation anymore.
My plan is to build out of sheet metal, a miniature hood scoop over hole to direct air straight at the windshield.

Duct work courtesy of Rancho/Hoover
I'll put some duct sealer at the point of transition.
The problem was there was no way to get the duct work over to the spot in the limited space that was available
In mechanical engineering lingo there is a word for running one duct inside another, but my ever forgetting memory just can't come up with it.
Think it starts with a (C) ha ha.
At any rate to remedy the problem, I drilled a 1.75" hole in the defrost duct at the large part and then one hole through the panel duct at both ends.
There is still plenty of air coming out of vent when switched over to panel air.

And here it is exiting the panel duct.
Those red wires are grounding wires, I know should have used green LOL.
I'm big on more grounds the better.

And finally up through the cowl.
This is a good pic of the main structural beam ha ha.

And here it is starting to take shape.
Believe me there was a lot of cutting of sheet metal involved in pushing the aluminum dash to meet up with the square tubing.
The tubed skeleton will be built around the center piece, which is the gauge panel.
Still much much fabricating of the steel skeleton with many angled frames tieing into structural cage tubing and then skinning it all in.
I'm shooting for a Race car ****pit look which is all work and no play.
Good by all that deteriorating foam covering or whatever it was made out of.

BTW, Cool pics of the snow.

 

[MrQ]

You know, every time I see this thread pop up in my inbox, I keep saying to myself, "What has he done NOW??"

It's looking good.