working on the 45 rack

[65swb45]

I've only managed to squeeze in a few hours on it since I picked up the rack from Dan at the 45 run. The first order of business was to cut the tire carrier mount off of my old roll bar and weld it into the rack. I chose this location because it helps to protect the filler neck of my auxiliary gas tank [and cover my poor cutting of the bed!

 

[65swb45]

Then I fabbed up a shelf that nests inside the top of the rack and is modular. It is long enough to carry my folding chair and table, leaving them readily accessible when I reach camp.

 

[65swb45]

The shelf dresses over the top of the rack by means of a J hook that fits kinda loose to the rack but allows the shelf, once removed from the rack, to be dressed over the bedrail of the truck and used as a secondary camp table capable of supporting the campstove.

 

[65swb45]

I plan to use the FJ40 tire carrier snubbers [or FJ60 hood snubbers] to act as levelers for the shelf against the side of the bed and keep it from getting scratched.

Then I welded a couple of tabs to the left side of the rack to hang my hi-lift jack from. Got to use my nifty new handle spacer I won at Glitter Gulch, and decided to incorporate a couple of spring bushings as jack isolators because one of our club members ended up needing some of these on the Dusy, so I thought it would be a good idea to incorporate some spares into some accessory mount on the truck.

Future plans include a canopy that will reach the tailgate, a mount for my new CO2 tank, and possibly a nested toolbox.

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

Lookin good Mark.. Foot mounting pictures? how's it instal to the bed?

 

[Owyhee Jackass]

It just sits up on the bed, a piece of angle iron runs the full length of each side, and it's bolted to the top of the bed rail.

Good to see it being used, I thought you were getting rid of the antenna?

 

[IDave]

Sweet!

 

[65swb45]

It just sits up on the bed, a piece of angle iron runs the full length of each side, and it's bolted to the top of the bed rail.

Good to see it being used, I thought you were getting rid of the antenna?

The antenna isn't hooked up to anything right now, but I'm thinking about putting another one in its location. I've got to wait until I get the 4 speed tranny, the heater and my old seats back in the truck B4 I can figure out what my CB options are gonna be.

Like Dan said, the rack currently mounts to the top of the bed only. I am thinking to run two vertical tubes down from the front hoop more or less in line with the two sides of the rear window and make plates under the bed to carry the 'load' thru to the frame. THen it should serve as some sort of rollover protection.

I am thinking that I would also like to put two removable horizontal 'pegs' or sleeves about a foot and a half up from the bed, sticking out into the bed, on which I could make a toolbox that slides in and stays suspended above the bed, so that there is room to carry long loads or to lay out my bedding without having to empty out the truck in incliment weather.

I wish Simon was still around to fab this stuff up for me.

 

[kellyo]

Lookin good Mark. What is your aux. tank out of or is it custom made?

 

[65swb45]

Kelly, I used a standard issue 22 gallon aux tank for a 40. I welded one long tab across the back of the tank that matched up with with one of the bed reinforcement brackets, and welded two pieces of angle iron to the front of the tank that matched up to the factory tire carrier brackets. Sooooo.... I didn't have to do any welding on the body!

Used a 69ish FJ40 filler neck for the cutout on the side of the bed, and a modified 73 filler neck [rotated the vent return] to get the angle I needed to go from the filler neck into the tank.

Maybe I should do a full writeup on this and submit it to one of those tech contests!

 

[IDave]

Maybe I should do a full writeup on this and submit it to one of those tech contests!

Bwaaahaa.....Don't forget your $20 entrance fee......

 

[74fj40]

thats very neat looking rack!!

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

"I've got to wait until I get the 4 speed tranny, "
So will this be a column shift 4spd or floor?

 

[red66toy]

A column shift 4spd would be sweet!

 

[65swb45]

Nice try guys! I actually have the billet plate cut for the first column shift adapter sitting on the shelf, but I haven't touched it for the last six months. I'd like to get the tranny swap done in SOMETHING like a reasonable time, so I am just gonna floorshift it for now and go back to the column shift later when I can focus on doing it right, rather than just doing it quick.

There is something about spending virtually all my time at the shop working on customer's stuff that makes me think I may not even get the 4 speed in this winter at the rate I'm going!

 

[Radd Cruisers]

I wish Simon was still around to fab this stuff up for me.[/QUOTE]


Heard he was a great fabricator, sure to see him usrface one day again.

Looking good Mark.

 

[IDave]

There is something about spending virtually all my time at the shop working on customer's stuff that makes me think I may not even get the 4 speed in this winter at the rate I'm going!

You know what they say, Mark: all work and no play....

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

Can't blame us for trying!
So I guess go ahead and drill a hole in my floor huh?
Wait for my sandal wearing fab shop in Burbank to finish an unobtanium really cool retro modification then? I can do that!
I"m guessin you'll finish the 4spd column conversion before I get to puttin in the 4spd anyway!

 

[cruiserbrett]

Screw the column shift 4 speed, get that top cover plate working for one of these. Might not be too much more work. Seems like an H55F that would work with a standard one piece t-case, and a much easier top cover plate to work with....
Link:https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=68973