BBR's '88 Ranger. A semi-serious race truck build.

[BBR]

I decided I wanted to learn to tig weld. So a while back, I picked up a welder at HFT and yesterday I bought a cart for it. One step closer to really screwing stuff up. Haha.

[BBR]

Mostly welded in. I am going to have to drop the gas tank to get to some of it.
Not bad for an old blind land surveyor. Haha.

[BBR]

Sawed the truck in half again. Haha.

[DanStokes]

[QUOTE=BBR;n1371703]Sawed the truck in half again. Haha. /QUOTE]

Looks great! And you're right - that really does give you a lot of room.

[BBR]

Shackles finally arrived! When the springs are loaded, they are almost flat. That puts the shackle at a backward angle up closer to the frame. I believe this will work in my favor to allow plenty of rear extension.

[Captain]

Looking GOOD

[DanStokes]

Your welds aren't nearly shitty enough. Are you just trying to make me look like the hack I am?

[BBR]

Time to start building the 9"!

[BBR]

I got started on the 9" yesterday. In the past I've used my big pipe cutter to cut the tubes. I must be cutting where the old shock mounts or leaf spring perches were welded on because this time it's been considerably harder to cut.

[BBR]

Ah crap. Got one side cut off and started on the other. Then I looked at my housing ends and realized they do not fit lile I was thinking.

I thought the step on them slipped into the housing tube. Nope. It is designed to butt weld to the tube. This means my first cut was too long. I ended ip just chopping the ends with the chop saw.

I am going to try to design something for the 3d printer to index the ends on the tube somewhat accurately.

[Captain]

Every Project,
Past History/Experience will NOT
Guarantee Future Success.
Something or Someone throws a
New Variant into the Formula.

Dan and Dave will testify about it,
In the Government, this is the phrase,
"Unexpected Developmental Technologies have Cause Significant
Delays & Cost Over Runs !! These are to be Expected in Projects of This Magnitude!"

Feel free to use this quote for your
"Family Treasurer" questioning the most resent Credit Card Bill......

[BBR]

Now, if I was doing this for a living, I'd spring for a narrowing kit, but dang they are proud of those kits!

I do have a bar that is sufficiently straight that I can use, so I think I might try to make pucks on the 3d printer that fit the bar, the center and the housing ends.

I figure they will be fine for single use.