Builds Chicago builds a 40

[Radd Cruisers]

Learned a little trick some time ago, using a torch slice of the head of the rivets then hit them head on with the torch till they are nice and red, tap out easily with a punch held by vice grips and a small 2 pound hammer.

If you have a second body helping, this process can go very quickly..

Enjoying the build....

Rob


Lemme tell you...I FAWKING HATE RIVETS! Even with the plasma it took about 1.5 hrs to hammer that crap off with a 4 LB sledge and a chisel.

 

[Mikesta]

Wow, been a while since I checked in on this... You are going to town man! Doing it right. Looking great!

 

[VETTE60]

Learned a little trick some time ago, using a torch slice of the head of the rivets then hit them head on with the torch till they are nice and red, tap out easily with a punch held by vice grips and a small 2 pound hammer.

If you have a second body helping, this process can go very quickly..

Enjoying the build....

Rob


Lemme tell you...I FAWKING HATE RIVETS! Even with the plasma it took about 1.5 hrs to hammer that crap off with a 4 LB sledge and a chisel.

I grind off the heads and use an air chisel with a pointed tip. they fly right out.

 

[GarageRat]

I use freshly sharpened drill bits and a 6.5 amp hammer drill locked out so that it doesn't hammer. Have to do maybe 4 or 5 bit steps but with the drill I use it takes maybe 5-10 minutes a rivet and once it pops the head the rest is easily hammered out. Have to resharpen the bits every other rivet or it takes forever.

Looking good man! I went through Dan for all my bracketry too, great guy with even better products.

 

[chicago]

Thanks for the tips with the rivets.
They are DONE now. THANKFULLY!
I blew a hole through the rivet head, then chiseled off the head and beat the snot out of the bracket till they came off.
Not my idea of FUN, but it HAD to be done.

Thanks for watching...Wasnt sure if anyone was still viewing as its been such a long process!

 

[spressomon]

We're here with ya to the ragged end like it or not

 

[boots4]

...Wasnt sure if anyone was still viewing as its been such a long process!

Hasn't even been a year yet on your build! This isn't long, just realistic with all the other things that go on in life.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Hasn't even been a year yet on your build! This isn't long, just realistic with all the other things that go on in life.

It would go faster if he didn't take time of to go gallivanting in the hills.

 

[chicago]

Hasn't even been a year yet on your build! This isn't long, just realistic with all the other things that go on in life.

Thanks for keeping me grounded Boots!
It FEELS like its been forever though. Ah well...either way, its all good times. Expanding my skill base, learning new things and it'll be set up JUST how I want it.

I just keep pluggin away.

How's the new digs!?

 

[chicago]

It would go faster if he didn't take time of to go gallivanting in the hills.

Gotta play a little too. Plus, this is the opportunity to FURTHER my eduction from the MASTERS!

 

[boots4]

I just keep pluggin away.

How's the new digs!?

We're loving it, thanks for asking. That's pretty much how I'm looking at the place...just plugging away at it...since there is sooooo much we want to do. Just got to take one little project at a time and finish it up. Just like the cruiser I'm sure the place will never really be done either and I'm OK with that thanks to getting that kind of experience with the cruiser. Just wanting to make it nice.

Dora will be getting some rework this month to solve some handling issues I've been wanting to fix. She need some protection again for the trip we're planning at the beginning of august.

 

[chicago]

We're loving it, thanks for asking. That's pretty much how I'm looking at the place...just plugging away at it...since there is sooooo much we want to do. Just got to take one little project at a time and finish it up. Just like the cruiser I'm sure the place will never really be done either and I'm OK with that thanks to getting that kind of experience with the cruiser. Just wanting to make it nice.

Dora will be getting some rework this month to solve some handling issues I've been wanting to fix. She need some protection again for the trip we're planning at the beginning of august.

Happy home owner.
Now the REAL fun begins. The wife will come to you and say "WE should...." which translates to YOU should!
Just got done with that for the time being myself.

Congrats on that. I saw some of the pics of the move in your build thread.

Thanks for checking up on me over here!

K

 

[TURNMEOVER]

I use a matco air hammer on my rivets. 30 sec and it is done.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Gotta play a little too. Plus, this is the opportunity to FURTHER my eduction from the MASTERS!

I kind of thought my truck served as a perfect example of what not to do.

Did the Rubicon trip change any of your ideas on how you want to build your rig?

 

[chicago]

I kind of thought my truck served as a perfect example of what not to do.

Did the Rubicon trip change any of your ideas on how you want to build your rig?

Yes and no. I now see much clearer as to why you would want to keep the COG down as much as possible. I didnt feel it in the Blotch rig like I did in your 40. However, I am also aware, as we discussed, that your springs are also pretty worn and you had quite a bit of extra weight on the roof rack which you also said changed the whole feel of the rig in off camber spots. I re considered the idea of the roof rack. I WILL be scaling down my gear as much as possible and using the roof rack for the really light stuff ONLY and when required by the trip length. It wont be a full time feature.
I had also decided to NOT run an AAL in order to keep the COG lower. If Im carrying less weight, it wont be as necessary. Another good tip that I got was to carry tools in a flat bag of sorts. That I liked too because the tool case I have been carrying is quite bulky.
Mostly LITTLE things here and there for storage.
I am feeling GREAT about the decision to run 60 axles f/r and also stretching the WB. I think that will give me a bit more comfort in off camber spots.

Thanks for having me along!
I got those pics for you in large format.

 

[rusty_tlc]

It would have been nice to have the rack empty when we were hauling fire wood to the campground.

 

[EWheeler]

Hangers

To follow up my PM:

 

[EWheeler]

More.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Funny-That threaded rod is exactly how I lined my hangers up as well.

 

[chicago]

Funny-That threaded rod is exactly how I lined my hangers up as well.

Once the rod is through, then what do you do? Did you just pics a consistent spot on both sides and measure?

Im leaving the front hangers free to adjust the shackle angle as needed. Where the shackle hangers are situated is where I want them.

Ill have pics this weekend of the rear hopefully tacked in place.
Im using the 60 series perch dimensions as E wheeler did which means that I HAD to outboard the hangers even more and gusset the piss out of it. I spent a few hours yesterday making a couple brackets to accomplish this task.

Drew, BTW...I took your advise and just BENT the hanger to accommodate the bushing. Worked pretty well. Shouldnt have any issues with it, but I do wish that it were made the right size to begin with. Ah well.