GHOST SHIP: Custom Chingaderas

Let me know. It’s a worthy upgrade if you wheel regularly.

 

Archive HH install today:



Pretty satisfying to get these stubborn little shits out in one piece:

 

Nice! I've got a set of these I'm working up the courage to burn onto my truck. It'll be the first real functional welding project I've done. I don't think there's really anything to screw up though, is there?

 

There isn’t really. The only thing to be careful with is setting the cam support “rings”. Because they have some adjustment designed into them, you want to make sure you allow the cam to move freely and the rings don’t block full rotation of the cam themselves. Standard fitment procedure should be taken to make sure everything fits the way it’s supposed to and then just burn it all in. They’re pretty fool proof though. The hardest thing about it is welding out of position and getting a good visual line of your work in progress.

 

Maybe start with a basic BMC first? I've got a set of fill plates as well.

 

If it’ll be your first welding job, the BMC would definitely be easier in terms of access.

 

Feedback I've got was 'slow down', and 'turn up the amperage a little' but these are strong enough I can clamp it in a vise and beat on it with a 3lb hammer without it failing. Plenty good enough for a BMC in my opinion, better than some of the chewing gum I've seen on other people's rigs.

 

Those welds look a lot better than some of my first lines so you’re definitely on the right track. My opinion is that you could use a tad more heat for better penetration. It’s less on an issue with non-structural stuff like the BMC and if you make your cuts right, all your gaps will be open corners which automatically have “penetration” built into the joint.

You should pop in to the welding thread- those guys are always willing to give feedback for people learning the skill. The more eyes you can get on your work, the more feedback, the faster you’ll improve.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/anything-welding.113957/

 

What happens when your fiberglass bedsides start aging and your tail lights no longer stay attached? You go buy a new one and have an ace fabricate new mounts to keep that $50 replacement light on there. Sergio is the man.

 

Got the stealthy pics! Haha. Always a pleasure Mike!

 

yah i had to edit the plumbers crack ones out bro... ahahhah

 

zappy zaps!

 

Bolt on sliders completed for @tacosaurus_

 

Some touch-up work on @Cambodianbreastmilk3187 ’s built third gen.

Problem:
35” tires with a JD long travel front and trimmed fenders. The tire was making contact with the front bumper tube ends which line up with stock fenders.



Solution: trim back the bumper and weld in a new cap to finish it off.



It’s about 1.75” that we removed so there’s plenty of clearance now.

 

Superb work as always @GHOST SHIP Thanks!

 

Those tail lights mounts are slick! Might need something like that myself someday

 

For the record, I didn’t make the angled gussets with the dimples. Those were made by Engage when they built @mikesdoublecab ’s truck. The “mounts” I made can’t actually be seen in any of the pictures so it was kind of misleading. So for everyone watching at home, here’s what I actually did:
The tail lights were mounted to Mike’s fiberglass bedsides. For anyone familiar with first gen tail lights, they mount with coarse thread screws to the factory sheet metal bedsides. When you make the swap to fiberglass, those same coarse screws are now biting into the glass through a tiny molded tab. With age and off road use, those tabs start to deteriorate and the screws and lights just fall out. To fix that, I made small aluminum tabs that fit behind the fiberglass and now the screws have something substantial to hold on to. The previously mentioned bed gussets had been attached to the bedsides using pop rivets so I drilled out the rivets and replaced them with bolts that are now also holding the internal aluminum tail light tabs while sandwiching the fiberglass between. If you look close at the picture, you can see the shiny new hardware.

I just wanted to clear that up so it doesn’t sound like I made those gussets. But really they’re not that hard to make and well within my abilities.

 

No work today, just enjoying the view.

 

Very good to see you getting out!

 

Finally! I haven’t left home for an intentional trip in over a year. Day rides on the scooter here and there but nothing like getting out for several days.