DIY Bolt-On Frame Plates for Sliders

This is EXACTLY the point of this thread! Carry on.

If any of this leads to a sweet solution, I'll put it in the CAD file so everyone can bask in the glow of crowdsourced knowledge.

 

Unfortunately, those holes only go through one layer of the frame...which is two layers at that point.

 

Yes, what you just said. That's my whole plan.

 

I think I'm pickin up what your layin down here and it's sounding like a really good idea, can't wait to see the finished results and then build them and go

 

I just got the plates cut today and they fit my DCSB.
I forgot to take a picture with the sliders on the truck, but there is more to come.

 

I like the clamp idea instead of drilling holes into the bottom of the frame. If you use a fine thread bolt, the clamping force should be strong enough to keep it from becoming a shearing force.

 

Looks awesome! Way to get in there and handle business. You had those files for, what, a day? I appreciate the enthusiasm.

 

Yeah, drilling my frame is a no-no for me. Bolts are strongest in shear and I think this will be a mostly shear situation (I'm NOT an engineer so I may be completely wrong. ). I think an important factor in this equation is the spacer between the two plates where the bolt is clamping. I think the spacer needs to be attached to one of the 'L' plates. I would weld the spacer to one of the 'L' plates rather than using washers.

 

Hate the be the bearer of bad news, but you're wrong about the shear vs. tension thing.

For instance a 5/8" ASTM A325 Bolt has a capacity of 13,500lbs in tension and 3,680lbs in shear (when you have a slotted hole). The shear value changes depending on your configuration.

And yes, I'm an engineer.

 

Haha...Okay. So, does that take into account the threads?

My engineering ends with 'this honkin big bolt ought to do it!'. I'm only joking a little tiny bit.

 

You have several different conditions that affect shear.

- Slip critical connection
- Bearing-type connection with threads included in the shear plane
- Bearing-type connection with threads excluded from the shear plane
- Standard round hole (d + 1/8")
- Long-slotted holes normal to load direction
- Long-or short-slotted hole normal to load direction
- Oversize round holes
- Short slotted holes
- Single shear
- Double shear

For instance the bolt that you have in the bottom flange of your frame plate would be considered a Long-slotted hole in a slip critical connection. Slip critical means that the shear is resisted by the compression of the two faces you're joining. If you had a threaded hole you would have a bearing type connection.

Slip critical - The nut loosens and the plates can move

Bearing type - The bolt loosens, but the plates don't slide

To answer your question, the threads do not come into play for shear strength with your configuration. If you had a bearing-type connection the threads do play a part.

 

I'll give you my standard response for situations where I don't understand what's going on:

"Screw you, Jerk!"






Seriously, though. Thanks for the good info.

 

I would change the design of the clamp pictured tho. Something more like this so that most of the clamping force would be applied to the frame instead of just the clamp.


but I'm not an engineer, just a machinist

 

Ah, haven't been keeping up

 

Yeah, I saw that. I hope we can work out a set for RC and DCLB in the future.

 

Were any modifications required at all to make it work on a DCSB? I was waiting on you before I pulled the trigger on mine.

 

The email I got said they fit perfectly.

 

Got some work done this weekend. Went slowly...as usual. I put gussets on the legs where they meet the frame plate, fought with feeding issues with my welder (spool didn't want to unwind cleanly), and got the step section pretty much finished on one slider.


Laser cutting is your friend! I would have never made anything like this if I had to cut this out by hand. I would have had square tubing sliders for sure. I got all of this cut out of 1/8" steel (including the steel) for $105. FYI


Fitting it together. The braces you see are both to support the length of steel where rocks are likely to hit as well as line up the three main pieces of the step. I designed in tabs on the braces and slots on the three main steel pieces. It worked really well.


A little blurry but you get the idea. This is with the step completed...but only tack welded together.


Top side tacked together.

This was a hugely time consuming process. That is a LOT of inches of weld to lay down...then grind down. I got it all ground down but apparently didn't get a photo. I'll have that photo next time I go up and work.

I heard a saying once that went something like, "You're either a welder or a grinder". Meaning, if you're not a good welder, you're going to do a lot of grinding. Well, I'm certainly a grinder.

It's coming along...even if very slowly, so I'm pumped about that! I should have an entire weekend to work next time...hopefully next weekend.

 

Finally got around to working on the sliders
here are some pictures (sorry for the crappy quality)

 

It could be a possibility in the future. I'd only get about 2.5 gallons worth of capacity out of both sides. But as of now I don't even have a compressor, hopefully soon.