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Another Rebirth For The 3b

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by ITLKSEZ, Dec 29, 2020.

  1. Oct 26, 2021
    Twin2

    Twin2 not him 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Virginia Beach, VA
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    for a pile of scrap metal . looks good to me . carry on :watch:
     
    FinoCJ and ITLKSEZ like this.
  2. Oct 26, 2021
    45es

    45es Active Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Naches, WA
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    It's always fun to watch your projects develop and how you accomplish the various tasks during construction. With respect to the frame construction try to do what you did using aluminum if you want a challenge.

    Many many years ago while working for Lockheed Shipbuilding, I was involved in a special project to build a transport trailer for use by NASA. The purpose of the trailer was to move satellites from their manufacturing facility to a location where the satellite would be loaded into the cargo bay of the space shuttle. My job was to determine and develop a table of weld shrinkage for every weld type that was used during of construction of the trailer. The materials ranged from large (6" x 8") heavy wall rectangular aluminum tubing to 3/16" sheeting. Welds ranged from fillets to full penetration butt and fillet welds. The trailer consisted of two sections that were the main body of the trailer and a cover which bolted to the main body creating a air tight sealed assembly. The trailer was over 100' long. Our construction tolerance that we were required to meet for this project was 0.060". That's a total of 1/16" length, width and height. We accomplish our task.
     
    47v6, wheelie, blalp! and 1 other person like this.
  3. Oct 26, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    No thanks. :D
     
  4. Oct 27, 2021
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    USA
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    I worked at a place where they made aluminum cradles for boats that would fit in airplanes to be shoved out the back and used explosive charges to detach the boat mid air and then the cradles would float to be picked up later. I didn't do the welding.. It was crazy. Whats even crazier, is that I do believe that the boats in those cradles being shoved out of the back end of an airplane were to be manned...

    They also made containment transport tubes for UF6..
     
    fhoehle, 45es and Fireball like this.
  5. Oct 27, 2021
    1947cj2a

    1947cj2a Member

    PNW
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    Nov 11, 2017
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    223
    I used to work for Art Morrison some 12 years ago. A lot of guys would just buy frame rail from us bent to their specs. we could bend 2x4x.120/.188 and 2.x3xsomething. At the time I dont think it was more then $500 for a set of loose rails. of course theres shipping, just an idea for future builds.
     
    bigjohn and ITLKSEZ like this.
  6. Oct 27, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    I try to keep my entire builds under $500 :D
     
    AKjeff likes this.
  7. Oct 27, 2021
    1947cj2a

    1947cj2a Member

    PNW
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    lol yeah there is that. you could always call them and see if they have any free things back there.
     
  8. Jan 13, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    Dragging this thread back out of the swamp…

    Life has had a lot of changes over the last year. I’m now divorced, I moved to a neighboring state into a rental with no shop or garage, and my job at the fab shop takes up a good deal of my time. I have a lot less stuff, but happiness is more abundant than I’ve ever had before. My girls are with me half the time and are in a really good place, and I found a partner in life that is beyond eager to ride shotgun on any adventure and actually encourages me to follow my drive to build weird crap! :D


    This 3B project got pushed back to a burner that is almost out of sight, but it hasn’t stopped me from continuing to collect parts for it.

    The new scope of this project has the new frame continuing to be used, but the suspension is going back to leaf springs. Not just any old leaf springs, but something I’ve wanted to try for a long time; mono leafs. And not just any old mono leafs, but these 61” monsters that came out of the rear of Mercedes Sprinter vans. They are 3” wide, 3/4” thick in the center and taper nicely to the ends. Stable, supple, and zero friction. I have three sets of these; two sets to use and one set for spares. (I only took the mains; the rest got scrapped.)

    [​IMG]

    The axles will be in the realm of Super Duty 1-tons, the tires will be these 37 inchers I picked up from work for free…

    [​IMG]

    …and they’ll go on these steelies I bought from a client today for $100. He went with beadlocks on his Comanche, and he jumped at my cash offer for his old wheels.

    [​IMG]

    I know, they’re black :sick:, but beggars can’t be choosers. Maybe I’ll get a weld-on beadlock kit down the road, and I’ll be forced to paint them an acceptable color. :sneak:
     
  9. Jan 13, 2023
    wheelie

    wheelie beeg dummy 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor

    York, PA
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    Mar 6, 2004
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    :watch:

    Sounds like you've landed safely in a good place. Happy for that.

    I'll be curious to see the mono leaf thing pan out.
     
    Ol Fogie, blalp!, 73 cj5 and 2 others like this.
  10. Jan 14, 2023
    73 cj5

    73 cj5 Not ready for the junkyard yet

    Clinton, Mississippi
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    Heck yea!
    You'd be set if you could find an SD axle with the factory E locker.

    Gonna sneak the frame into the shop and work on it after hours? :ninja:
     
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
  11. Jan 14, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    The actual “build” part of this likely won’t happen until I get into a home with an actual workspace. Might be a year or two. I’ll just keep collecting parts until then.

    Staying at work any longer than I have to isn’t fun!
     
    Ol Fogie and 73 cj5 like this.
  12. Jan 14, 2023
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    I've stolen his tubing bender so I need to get the CJ-2 cage done before he finds a place with a shop!
     
  13. Jan 14, 2023
    neohic

    neohic Gentleman Jeepist

    Woodland Park, CO
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    I’m fairly certain I know him and his truck through the power of internet magic. Glad you’re doing well! :beer:
     
    Ol Fogie, Fireball and ITLKSEZ like this.
  14. Jan 14, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    I was wondering. He’s got a Comanche club sticker on his rear window, I was curious if that was the club you were affiliated with.
    SD D60 front, shaved 14 bolt rear.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Jan 14, 2023
    neohic

    neohic Gentleman Jeepist

    Woodland Park, CO
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    Yup. He calls the truck Rocky. (y)
     
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  16. Feb 14, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    Perks of where I work…

    I took the wheels and tires in today to mount them. I had just enough spare room in the storage unit to stack these, and I wanted to make sure they were going to seat and hold air after being mounted on beadlocks their whole lives. No issues besides two stubborn beads that had to be taken up to about 45-50 psi to pop. :ninja:

    [​IMG]

    Just for comparison, here’s a 37” tire next to a 32” tire.

    [​IMG]
     
  17. Apr 9, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    This project scope has taken YET ANOTHER turn!

    I allowed the ex to use the quad for property maintenance and the 3b to plow with all winter, all while she was screwing me every possible way to Sunday. I finally had enough and went up and repo’d the quad and jeep, even though I’m further-breaking my rental agreement by storing so many vehicles here.

    Rather than do the smart thing and borrow the boss’s truck/trailer and haul it safely and reliably, I just took my chances and drove it. This thing was my DD for a segment of time in college, but it hasn’t been on the road in probably 23 years, and the tires have never seen more than a few miles of pavement. I had no idea what to expect.

    [​IMG]

    I didn’t get arrested! Aside from the worn out heim joints in the steering, the blown out rear shocks, and the exhaust leak that was suffocating me, it was surprisingly pleasant. Which got me thinking. Why not just refresh it and run it as-is? I can tow it behind the RV, so street legality isn’t an immediate issue.

    [​IMG]

    I’m going to start tearing it apart and see what it needs. I know the front axle is folding in half and the bearings are shot. I had the purchase of a D30 lined up today south of Seattle, but the guy couldn’t be bothered to answer a few basic questions or even commit to it for-sure being there after I made the 5-hour drive, so screw him. I’ll pull the D30 out and see if I can just renew the heims and wheel bearings and truss the crap out of it for the time being.

    -The shocks will get upgraded to single (bilsteins?) at all corners.
    -I’ll work on locating a D20 PTO unit to run the winch I have in storage that @tomasinator donated years ago.
    -The T18 shift tower NEEDS to be rebuilt. 3rd gear is nearly impossible to find.
    -The D20 is incredibly sloppy.
    -I might find a stock exhaust manifold and ditch the header.
    -Onboard air would be nice, but maybe later. For now I have my little pancake compressor to run off the RV generator.
    -I can’t tell if it’s charging or not.
    -It needs a spare. I have a wheel I can use, and I’ll grab a junk tire off marketplace.
    -It needs new safety harnesses and seat covers. I located what I want on Amazon.
    -5.38 gears would be great. But we’ll cross that road eventually.
    -The engine runs hot at idle, but I think I can just find a bigger radiator at pull and save and make it work.
    -The wiring is a complete mess. I might just tear it all out and start over.

    So that’s the plan this week. :D I’ll update as things progress. The ultimate goal is to (re)build it into a reliable trail jeep that will give me something to beat on while allowing me to keep the Varg for what it is… a simple ice cream getter. ;)
     
    fhoehle, Twin2, duffer and 12 others like this.
  18. Apr 9, 2023
    neohic

    neohic Gentleman Jeepist

    Woodland Park, CO
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    Mar 29, 2018
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    I love this rig! Good to see it going back into the rotation.
     
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
  19. Apr 9, 2023
    Rich M.

    Rich M. Shoe salesman 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Maryland
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    So we'll see it in August in Buena Vista?
     
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  20. Apr 9, 2023
    73 cj5

    73 cj5 Not ready for the junkyard yet

    Clinton, Mississippi
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    Awesome. If you need any fhead stuff, I have a surplus. :whistle:
     
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