The Frankenstein Build! LT/Expo/Trail rig..and BS

Wow

 

Amazing write up, absolutely love the bumper!

 

It definitely attracts interest where ever I go. I always see guys craning the necks to check it out. Today, when I came out of the supermaket, there was a guy laying on his back looking closely at the redhead's privates.

I had some fun with that one.

 

Nice write up man! To much work for me but it came out great.

 

Its slick!

Thank you! It's turned out good

that is hilarious haha

Thanks man. Yea..was a lot of work. Makes the 1500 bucks seem worth it to me most shops charge.

 

Bumper looks great guys! It honestly looks better than the elite! It's nice to see how you guys mounted the CBI can carrier. Seeing that should help when I get a chance to mount mine up.

 

Nice write up Monte! The bumper is badass in person! You guys pumped out a masterpiece Mega Mike

 

Funny you say that, I told mike the same thing haha. I actually had to go examine Montes up close to see what was different.

 

Looks AWESOME!!!! Finally he gets one, its been a while

 

Well..it's after the elite..haha but I do agree..looks much better. I just built off what I didn't like about mine haha

Can't believe you haven't finished that still haha

Thanks man! I'm mega myself haha

It's little things..but they add up.

Thanks man! He is a lucky dude

Haha.....maybe..

 

Any particular reason you didn't go for a sleeved spindle?

 

What d you mean? Like a double shear you mean?

I don't like how with those it puts the swing out further out on the bumper and lower.

Other then that no. Double shear is stronger but I've have no problems with mine.

 

There are kits that have a sleeve that you weld to the bumper and then drop the main spindle in to. Like this:



By welding the sleeve and not the spindle, this preserves the heat treatment of the spindle and its fatigue life.

I'm not trying to imply that you did it wrong or that I think it will fail. I'm just interested in any thoughts either way.

 

I used that exact spindle it looks like, just didn't have the sleeve. Wouldn't you still have to weld it to the sleeve anyways??

But I have never seen that done really. Not don't on mine or my dads or any other that I had seen so guess I just didn't know about it. Probably still wouldn't have used it though just cause it seems unnecessary to me.

 

Even if you weld the end of the spindle to the sleeve, the heat affected zone is going to be far from the highly stressed area on the spindle. It definitely takes up more room but I feel that its worth it.

The cyclic stresses are the concern.. which is also why I want to come up with a latching mechanism that offers some torsional support to the swingout arm. My biggest fear with this is having the whole thing fall off on the highway 5 years later.

 

Haha I doubt that would happen. Mine isn't held in with much at all and is doing just fine. It's doing great with my 35" tire and Jerry can and me driving it crazy haha

But go for it man! That's the beauty of doing your own stuff

See. You never post pictures of anything you do so no one knows this stuff...lol

But interesting. I guess I though it was just a sleeve it could slip in and out of even after it was welded.

 

Yea no way those current leafs could hold that bumper haha

 

But that is pretty common anyways. Mike had to get new ones too. And I made him out on the longer shackles because I knew it would need it

 

Yup. With everyday weight in it, it sits about 1" higher in back with 1" extended shackles. This is fine because once it is fully loaded with for an expedition it will lose that rake.

 

I do not recall this..

But okay.

Too much weight!

Like I care about weight..haha

Perfect to me.