Fully polished TuRD

Oil pan is done, its now flat for the first 3inchs then starts sloping back. I probibly gained another 2" in uptravel. It's slightly warped but I'm going to message it with a hammer tonight and bolt it on up. Spent 7hrs welding this thing up, leak checking and repeat. I learned that i suck at sheet metal/thin metal working. Pics will come later tonight. Texting with Snowy last night he reminded me that im damn near done with this thing, last real major step is getting this steering box mount figured out, that will be the project for this week. Should be easy except for the bolt that would have to go right through the motor mount, a friend told me to make a stud out of a bolt, but im still trying to wrap my head around that. After that its the finish assembly of the front axle and get some shocks. I also will probably order my RCV birfs this week.

 

I went from this:


To this:


I should be able to turn while flexing now, and have more than 2" of up travel, I probably gained another 2.. I went to bolt up the pan, but ran out of "the right stuff" half way around the pan. I instead put some armor on my front diff. I cut up the old cover and welded it over the new cover. The land cruiser diff covers are damn near 3/16's so im not too worried about denting it up now with another layer on there.

 

Nice mod on the oil pan. That should give you the extra clearance you needed. Thinking that I will need to massage my t100 oil pan too, although not as much since I am going with links.

Also, clever idea on the diff cover

 

Hmm, there is no way i could fit a panhard under there unless i did low steer, however i also didnt push the axle as far forward as i could have.

 

Im entering into the "burn this pos to the ground" stage of the build. Im sick of working on it. The welding on the axles all done, and i have the holes drilled and one sleeve welded in for the steering box. Thr wrenching today was alot of stareing to figure out how to build the steering box mounts. Didnt take any pics as its two holes in the frame.

 

Man, it is a huge undertaking. I remember it took ZUK several months to complete his with the same set up as you. I really admire people that can tackle these projects on their own. The more I think about it, even if I was a welder, based on the number of hours I work per week I think I still would have somebody build mine. Most of the time I do not have energy to do anything when I get home from work lol. But don't give up now! You are so close from finishing it.

 

Yea i HAVE to get this done in the next week or so, not breaking it in driving 1000 miles and wheeling for a week at the end of july. Once i get this steering box mounted up i will be on the downhill side of the build. Im on month 4 now, but thats wrenching on it for 2 hrs or so 3 days a week and a full saturday. Im ordering my rcvs this week, thats the last real expensive thing to buy.

 

I know about that staring routine Put a thick plate on the front side and drill/tap the 3 holes for the Ford box.....simple ....easy....and bolt length is shorter than 1.5"......no thru the frame BS.

 

Ill only have one going through the frame. One mount hole will have a nut welded on the back side of a plate like a nutsert and one mount will be above the frame with a sleeve and boxed in with left over 3/16s square tube and plated all to hell. If i tear it off the frame im going full hydro, f it.

 

This is true. I am a welder but have zero time to commit to this type of project.

Keep after it Slander... the build can't beat you.

The smile on your face will hurt on the 1st outing... I am still awaiting my 1st outing as well.

 

It wont beat me, im just sick of working on it lol.

 

I hear that... at least you are doing all of your work.
I have been working on mine after the fact for 3.5 months and I have at least 1 month to go. This amount of time, the brackets and tower installation time, I could've/ should've done the job myself. 20/20 is a bummer sometimes.

Your build will rock for sure, no pun intended.

 

Yea now that would suck!

 

I try to avoid doing that 20/20 thing in order to avoid depression lol

 

Long hot day in the garage yesterday but i cleared a big hurdle and got this steering box mount 99% done. So time for a pic heavy update:

The challenge was the ford steering box uses 3 bolts, and with mine one mount would go through the frame, one would have to be built ontop of the frame and the other could not go through due to the motor mount on the other side, so i had to make a stud or a nutsert type setup, i went with the latter.

mount holes drilled the other day, and thats 1" round, .5" ID DOM tubeing:

I used a uni bit and a hand drill for this, worked pretty good.

Yesterday was fab day. I made the upper mount, i welded a piece of 3/16s plate under the DOM tube on top of the frame rail and the spaceing was perfect. My idea was to take some left over 1/4 wall tube and weld it right ontop of the tube, however that wasn't working so i cut it in half and welded each side on, and im going to put a plate over the top. This was was batter anyway since i have a more complete weld on that upper mount:



Next up was makeing my "nustert". I welded a nut to the backside of 3/16s plate to screw the mounting bolt into. Hindsight being what it is i should have welded a weld washer over the back side of the hole and then welded the nut to that. So fingers crossed i dont tear that out since theres no going back now.


Then that got welded to the frame. I wrapped the bottom of the plate around the bottom of the frame rail for more strength. That was a bitch with a BFH and a propane torch and that's it.



Then i built some plateing for the forward steering box mount. This was straight forward, just a plate of 3/16s with a big ass hole drilled in it and welded on.


I still have some finish welding left, like close up the holes on that upper mount and box the tube ends in.

 

so what's the plan if that nut in the back of the plate breaks off

 

Looks a hell of a lot sturdier that the typical 3 hole mount system I have to say.
Those holes still line up with the Ford Box right?

 

Going with "we will cross that bridge when we come to it" method. Or plasma cutter.... lol

They do, i had it mounted up there to line up the "nutsert" hole and used a template. I wanted to overbuild the other two "tube" mounts so the stresss is off that bottom hole with the nut.

 

Oh and rcvs just orderd....

 

Nice! Those shafts are pure beef...though they ain't cheap.

And i agree with ZUK. The mounting setup looks really sturdy.