Before there ever was a CentralWAbaja

[CentralWAbaja]

ALSO, I HAVE TO SAY THAT DAVE HAS BEEN AWESOME ABOUT THIS. He has offered multiple times to build us another set of arms. I am just having a hard time sending back a nice set of 3x3s for smaller ones. You all know me better then that!

[no1clyde]

I would have a hard time sending them back too. You have made good points and I know time and work are as much a problem as money and these arms do change your whole idea of a quick repair-improvement for the car. That said keep these arms for the future and have Dave build you another set to continue on with your plan

Ed

[bajaherbie]

Return 'em...

[CentralWAbaja]

I would have a hard time sending them back too. You have made good points and I know time and work are as much a problem as money and these arms do change your whole idea of a quick repair-improvement for the car. That said keep these arms for the future and have Dave build you another set to continue on with your plan

Ed

Now you are thinking like me lol

[CentralWAbaja]

[ajdenette]

You guys are getting serious!

[CentralWAbaja]

I think we want to keep the rest of our original pan as seat mounts are in as well as all of the footwell and firewall modifications, peddle mounts ect. So kinda leaning towards cutting this pan along the blue lines and the new one would cut off square like the red lines. Then persuading the new one in under the angled cuts thus having a nice long lap joint vs a but joint and gusset? We would probably remove a small section of the bottom of the tunnel to be able to weld the inside lap joint. Thoughts?

[rickosuave1987]

Some rosette welds in there would probably help too.

Looking good!

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Please don't cut until I can send you something tomorrow evening. What I have on my PC I think is a better way but my PC is in the shop and I won't get it back until tomorrow. I also have a Birthday to go to so again, it probably won't be until later in the day.

Lee

Also, welding into those corners could give you places for cracks to start... stress risers.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Woke up early and did a search for the post I mentioned above. After an hour I finally found it:

viewtopic.php?f=33&t=102603&p=724761&hi ... an#p724761

This is on shortening the pan but what is important is how he did it. The long type of cut that was made instead of shorter straight cuts is going to be much stronger. I think I might have stretched the cut longer but it is what it is here. He also staggered where the cut to the bottom of the pan is vs. the cut made on the upper part of the tunnel. This is so that all the seams/joins did not align but were staggered. Much stronger and the potential to break fully through if one part fails should be reduced. One thing I would change would be that he made straight cuts, I would put larger diameter radiuses on the intersections to reduce the stress risers he created. When done on a truck in the show "Gears" the radius was fairly generous; again, more welding area. I think he put doublers in but I don't remember seeing that part of the frame shortening process.

Straight cut frame shortening processes or adding frame stubs to a frame usually requires either boxing or doublers or both.

If you wanted to be a bit stronger then add internal doublers along the cuts so that they span both sides of the cut for additional support especially if you are going to be rough with the car. Also don't forget to add the additional ties between the pan and the torsion tube.

As far as the stress riser potential in the last post that I mentioned: the shifter/coupler hole has, as I remember, a bent flange on it. When bending metal in tight bends then the metal is stretched on the outside of the bend and compressed on the inside hence thinned out and compacting of the metal making it harder to weld and not crack later. I know you wanted to not look like you were playing with the pan number but staying about an inch away from the shifter/coupler hole might be OK.

Leather, can you add the above URL to the stickies or somewhere like that so it is easier to find please. I tried to find it once before during a debate on shortening the pan but it eluded me at that time.

Lee

[CentralWAbaja]

Lee I need to keep the VIN from my car and I really do not want to just weld it into the other rear section. We have that knotched style cut laid out on the other side. But that would be butt welding everything back together. What I am describing woukd be lap joining everything accept the bottom. I understand the stress riser concern but only if I was but welding it all back together. I don't know still scratching our heads on it a little.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I was well aware of the pan number/VIN problem which is why I mentioned the 1" away from the access hole. I am not sure if a lap weld would be that much stronger than a butt weld but the adding of seam doublers is going to help for sure. With the work being done in the tapered section, as you know the making of the cuts on both pieces is going to be difficult. Ignoring the pan's floor for a minute, could you do the notch type of cut but extend it farther forward past the bend in the tunnel? It might make the join a bit stronger and easier to do.

[mlrailguy]

The problem with lap welding is it gives moisture a place to collect

[Ol'fogasaurus]

duplicate post

[Ol'fogasaurus]

...with inside doublers also which is why I would think the butt weld with the inside or outside doubler might be stronger and not as apt to get the moisture problem as easily.