PIG + Chebby Avalanche Trim =?

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Come on Hamma give us some pictures of the body now that you are nearly done with all that fun stuff. Or did I miss a page somewhere that you've already taken some pictures?

Z
 
Much like Henry Ford, he'll need to blow out a wall of the basement to get it outside for photos.
 
Front :PIG: Links

Uppers are 1 3/4" 1/4" wall X 17" long
Lowers are 2" 1/4" wall X 29 1/2" long
I'm using 3/4" cromo heims @ the axle & J.Joints @ the frame ends. I'm not really :D about the length of the uppers but because of the location of the motor mounts I couldn't get them any longer :frown:
I'll reassemble the links, then locate the panhard w/ the load of vehicle compressing the suspension.
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Come on Hamma give us some pictures of the body now that you are nearly done with all that fun stuff. Or did I miss a page somewhere that you've already taken some pictures?

Z

I've seen it in person. It's very very impressive.
 
I've seen it in person. It's very very impressive.

:clap: Thanks Marshall. I'll get to the body pics soon - suspension pics are way better :bounce2:

Got the weight of the :pig: settling the coils. I'll bolt up my bumper & 8274 for a more accurate height. Panhard will be next, then my part is done. I'll have the limiting straps installed later.
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Panhard Bracket:

Got the 1st one burned in. The other one is u-shaped & wraps around the frame on 3 sides. Oh yeah, it's 3/8" plate w/ 3/4" bolts :D. I learned the hard way to make these brackets stout :doh: I'll also run a bead down the insides of each of the factory motor mounts.
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Hamma, if you don't mind me asking, where are getting your inspiration from ? Seems quite the pro go. Did you research your suspension layout? Looks to me like you picked up a Doctorate in Southern Engineering, I am very impressed!
 
Hamma, if you don't mind me asking, where are getting your inspiration from ? Seems quite the pro go. Did you research your suspension layout? Looks to me like you picked up a Doctorate in Southern Engineering, I am very impressed!

Thanks Rich! I owe a lot of credit to Gordofab Engineering - if it weren't for him showin me the ropes in metal fab, I'd still be sayin to myself "leafs springs are good, live with it" :rolleyes: But there's plenty of inspiration around to keep my me, my welder & plasma fired up about building. From you guys on MUD/ PBB, attending club meetings & visiting local shops, I get a plethora of ideas to expand upon.
The suspension part is just a replica of a stock TJ's except I triangulated my rear links whereas a TJ uses a panhard in the rear. As for the research part, I've already built my 40 w/ a link suspension, but this time I wanted to construct this :pig: a little different. I wanted a true 4 link front, so that meant new headers. That was the biggest difference in design. Same coil retainers on both rigs except the front uppers are different. When this :pig: is all said & done, I'll compare both suspensions & decide which works the best, then take that into my next buildup. Or, just do something totally different, who knows...... ;p
 
Finished adding the other panhard frame bracket. I've already started on the axle bracket. I'm debating on the bracing design which'll be simple & beefy. Looks like I'll hafta utilize my diff cover for the hydro ram. I had originally planned on having the panhard on top of the housing to free up space for the ram location. Due to the bend & length of the panhard & I didn't feel like cutting it down so :meh: it'll work out just fine the way it is.
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Axle Panhard Bracket:

Still hafta box this in & figure if I want to weld a 3/4" nut on the backside or leave access for a non-welded on bolt :meh: I'm gonna fab up the steering, then do some small stuff before I tackle the custom axle shafts as I still hafta order spare shafts.
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Finished it up :bounce: I used 1/4" plate w/ 3/16" boxed on the sides. I decided to weld one of those 3/4" nuts that have a slight coning at the end in which the last few threads have a very tight tolerance.
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Steering Mocked Up Booty Style:

I've already begun to "machine" the pitman & high steer arm for 3/4" X 16" bolts. Still hafta do the knuckles though. All steering connections will have double shear mounts, along w/ gussets, just as I did on my 40 ;p I picked up a used Dynatrac steering arm off Ebay years ago & the pitman is a 4" drop from a YJ. Link material will be 1 1/2" X 1/4" wall DOM & joints will be same as I used on all the axle link ends - 3/4" cromo's. Regarding the hydro ram, it looks like the location of the mount will be better situated over the panhard bracket on the axle, due to more space & it'll clear the panhard downswing.
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Dana 60 Knuckle Reinforcing:

Not that the stock D60 knuckles really need beefing, but I thought I'd show a pic of the one's I'll use on my next build. I originally fortified these for this project, but I decided they'd be better suited for my next build & I'm also very conscious about weight now thanks to a few of you :lol: I talked to the guys at Mild To Wild 4X4 Customs & they'll have some scales to weigh this :pig: when I take it to them for wiring, driveshafts, etc. to *finish the build later.
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Hey, I was biting my tongue anyway....but since you said it again... ;)

I need to introduce you to my friend "Solidworks".
With the time you have invested in cutting pieces, you could have drawn your own knuckle and had it machined out for you. Not only would it look great, but it would allow you to do a stress analysis on it. And you can't say you don't know CAD...
 
Hey, I was biting my tongue anyway....but since you said it again... ;)

I need to introduce you to my friend "Solidworks".
With the time you have invested in cutting pieces, you could have drawn your own knuckle and had it machined out for you. Not only would it look great, but it would allow you to do a stress analysis on it. And you can't say you don't know CAD...

I ain't got time for all that McCoin, I do this to get away from the puter. Thanks for the tip though! Can we see some pics of the laser cut brackets on yer rig you've designed? :D These brackets aren't rocket science & although they may take a while to create, it's time/ $$$ better spent fitting things up my way. A quick cardboard cutout, trace to metal, etch out w/ plasma, level out w/ grinder & done! I dont' have the time to take all the exact measurements, draw 'em up & forward to some CNC shop & wait for them to charge me $$$ on a bracket I can crank out in a fraction of the total time. Maybe if I had a team/ CNC machine & was a company making multiple brackets for public sale, it'd be totally different, but this is one off stuff that won't be constructed again the same exact way. Hey, I just thought of a name for my garage ---> Simplefab :lol:
 
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And take lots of pictures of the body and outside and quit being stingy with the piggy porn.
 
Knuckle Dbl. Shear:

And take lots of pictures of the body and outside and quit being stingy with the piggy porn.

Hey Binks you gonna rebuild that motor of chat it up here??? :lol:

Just as the title states.... I scored the section that'll wrap to match the curvature of the knuckle & I'll box in the sides. I figured I could make a more accurate curve w/ the scoring & use heat & a dolly rather than trying to set up a jig on my press that wouldn't deform the other straight section meh: I'll also preheat the areas on the knuckles before welding. I'm doing 4 of these cuz I gotta have spares. After these, I'll knock out the pitman & high steer arm.
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Knuckle Reinf. Plates:

Using 1/8" mat'l. on the sides (1/4" bent on the top), I have the all the pieces cut & test fit. I'll tack each of the assys. together, fully weld from the inside, then preheat the areas & finally burn them in. I'll let y'all figure out how the pieces will fit on the knuckle ;p
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