Do you build or buy....

[UNBREAKABLE]

Just a question for y'all do you fab your own stuff or buy it....I know alot of people buy everything they need to do a project...Me personally, I build EVERYTHING I possibly can. The only thing I've had to buy are steering arms and heim joints

[toyhunter]

I try to build but am limited on tools and a budget so I get alot of parts from friends or junk yard finds

[MiniSimp]

Building what I can with what I've got.
Buying the rest.

[Weldo]

I'm building a header and an exhaust for my truck.  I cut out the header flange from a piece of 3/8" plate, and ordered a few 180 degree 1 1/2" mandrel bent tubes from JC Whitney.  It's a slow moving project, but a project none the less!

[Uncle Jesse]

Make sure to post up noteworthy projects like hand fabbing your own headers.  I'd love to see some pictures of that!

[UNBREAKABLE]

I did this

[UNBREAKABLE]

and

[Hyena]

Building what I can with what I've got.
Buying the rest.

Right on the money.  The only time my truck has been to a shop is for smog and new tires.  I try to build everything like suspension, armor, brackets, and that sorta stuff.  I don't really trust myself building my own steering, so i bought it from marlin crawler.  Me and some friends have done all thr welding on my truck except for my front shock mounts, didn't know how to weld back then.  and i will be installing my 4.7 at school with some friends by ourself, no professional help needed.  my shop teacher doesn't even know what 4.7 gearset is.

[UNBREAKABLE]

  my shop teacher doesn't even know what 4.7 gearset is.

Haha

[Weldo]

I'd also like to build a nice heavy skid plate.  The stock one is laughable, probably thinner than 16 gauge.

Make sure to post up noteworthy projects like hand fabbing your own headers. I'd love to see some pictures of that!

No problemo!  But, like I said, It's somewhat of a slow moving project, I'm waintin on a few things.

[BigMike]

Just like below Weldo's avatar, Build what you can, buy what you can't.

[mr4x42u]

yup,,,same thing..Though I have found that sometimes you can buy stuff for what it almost costs to make make..example I bought bud builts rear spring mounts..40-50 bucks or so..By the time I went and got steel,,drive time,,fuel,,time to make brackets,,,worked out to a few dollars less then buying them and having them shipped to my house,,and time saved..

[WHITE_TRASH]

I do my damndest to build everything.  There are some things that I dont build such as hi-steer but for bumpers, sliders etc.  I just cant see spending any $$ for someone else to do it for me.  A cage, Id happily spend some greenbacks on but thsts a buit different that a t-case crossmember.  If a cage fails your dead, game over.

[Skinny_Pedal]

I do my damndest to build everything.  There are some things that I dont build such as hi-steer but for bumpers, sliders etc.  I just cant see spending any $$ for someone else to do it for me.  A cage, Id happily spend some greenbacks on but thsts a buit different that a t-case crossmember.  If a cage fails your dead, game over.

u dont build hi-steer?

[BigMike]

u dont build hi-steer?

WT couldn't figure out how to use his CNC machines he has in his garage to make some nice billet arms

[Skinny_Pedal]

i know. he just flipped the stock cast arms and thats what im running

[Suprarunner]

I build everything myself... 'cept for my dual case adapter and skid, I hit up Marlin for those And hy steer... bought those suckers too.

Here's a one off custom rig we built for a customer a few months ago, believe it or not we had the whole thing done in one day! Customer loved it!!! But then again she's only 5 and gets excited over pine cones dropping...


  :

[UNBREAKABLE]

Cages aren't too bad...just alot of bending..

[toyhunter]

I build everything myself... 'cept for my dual case adapter and skid, I hit up Marlin for those And hy steer... bought those suckers too.

Here's a one off custom rig we built for a customer a few months ago, believe it or not we had the whole thing done in one day! Customer loved it!!! But then again she's only 5 and gets excited over pine cones dropping...
   :

Thats funny LOL

[UNBREAKABLE]

I like the pink wheels

[Hyena]

I would build a cage if i had a good welder, bender, and new how to bend tubing.   

[UNBREAKABLE]

I would build a cage if i had a good welder, bender, and new how to bend tubing.   

good point.

[89 toy]

build every thing.its cheaper and  you know it will fit and you can make it how you want.plus you get practice welding and fabricating

[alwayzbroken]

I try to build what I can but working two jobs at around 50 hours a week and going to college full time leaves me with no extra time. If I had to build everything myself with the limited tools and experience that I have I would never get to four wheel. There are a few friends of mine that I have do stuff for me like shim r&p s and other crappy stuff along those lines that suck to do. There is a balance between doing stuff yourself and just buying it. Some things are just not cost effective to make.

[UNBREAKABLE]

I'm suprised that anyone fessed up to buying

[abnormaltoy]

I try to build everything...within reason. What's reason? Some things are better to buy. In order to build a part like a FROR skid plate:
I'd have to buy the raw stock.
I can cut it, but, I'd still need to pay a shop to bend it. I can't bend more than maybe .080 aluminum at home.
I'd end up with a load of left over metal (left over 3/8 and 1/4 plate).
So in this case it made sense for me to buy.
I made my own frenched rear hangers, still 1/4 plate, but the left-over is only an 8' x 4" piece.
A group of friends and I have a tool pool, so I have access to welders (TIG AND MIG), plasma cutter, tubing bender, etc. I have friends that have machine shops and I know design engineers (I can bounce ideas off them).
I also bought my x-over steering, but I'm going to change over the tie rods to hex chromo. Other than the regular build I'm doing...my latest project is adapting a 5.0 Mustang throttle body to my late style intake and making a nice new fuel cell. Somewhere down the road I'm going to have a go at making some new headers (www.headersbyed.com) has some good info on header design.
My welds aren't pretty (but they hold), my ideas don't always work the 1st time (and they might not make the most sense!), but, it's so much fun to get out in the garage and make sparks fly!
Mark 

[UNBREAKABLE]

  I like building stuff. I can cut metal with fire

[rockhound]

Build what you can, leaves money to buy what you can't! 

RT, are those front hangers... shackles? How much do it drop the front spring bolt?

[Hyena]

Melting metal together witha little wire or rod kinda calms me down.  I feel so happy when i build something.

[89 toy]

  fire wrench is great i love it