I tried to reinvent the wheel today... and like many other genius ideas I have
they're epic fails...
I thought, "You know, I'll use some schedule 80 sleeves for the through-frame bracing on the crossmembers. It'll be stronger. Yea! Sweet!"
So I looked up the dimensions of the sch. 40 and sch. 80 1/2" pipe on line. That's where the thought should've died. I did it anyway, and got some sch. 80 1/2" pipe from the local steel yard... and payed out the butt for it.
Then, upon further research. I'd only be able to use at most a 7/16" through bolt with the sch. 80. I thought the sleeves would be tighter on 1/2" bolts, but they're too tight to fit the bolts. However, the sch. 40 pipe will allow a 9/16" or 5/8" bolt and be much stronger. I should've known from my engineering days that most of the load is trying to push the pipe together (won't happen) instead of trying to shear through the wall
I went out to Snoop tonight and did some more work on the t-case mount. I plasma'd out some more metal so I can tuck it higher for mock up. I need to start the through frame sleeves for the crossmember. I'm looking forward to it now that I've learned how to use a hole saw properly (step drill THEN use the hole saw
)
Big week for me, so I'm not sure when I'll be back out there. I'm keepin' my fingers crossed for Friday night
