Let The Games Begin!

[WarPony]

SteveH, I think you will have problems with the welded angle iron.... maybe. If you are going to weld the entire length of the sections, you'll probably warp and twist the two sections. I would think it is easier to cut an 8-foot section of 2" tubing in half, weld it on and move on to the next project. I wouldn't think the cost between the two would be that much more.

[Jiminsav]

Dean, the first frame I made was steel that I welded myself..I didn't do a good job and it's not quite square, thats why I scrapped it and started over with the idea of a all wood frame..WELLLLLLLL..that didn't work out either, so I tore the frame apart, leaving the tear shape intact and dropped it on the steel frame from #1, after i squared the wheels with the tongue, SOOOOOOOOO, now I'm working on teardrop 2.5..
That the pics i have in my photo album here on Mikes forum.

[Guest]

Hey Jim,
Well maybe I'm not loosing my marbles afterall? (I doubt it)

[Scooter]

SteveH,
My outside width will be 48 inches and I'll be ordering the axle from the same place you did, so let me know how your 60 turns out and I'll keep it in mind when ordering mine. If you think about it, send me a private message in case I miss the thread post.

[David Grason]

If the angle iron is 1/4 inch thick, it's got more than enough strength for this application just as angle iron. There's absolutely no reason to double it. WarPony is right. If you try to weld full lengths, you're going to warp it. You would have to have a jig and enough clamps to hold each peice of metal the full lenth during the welding process and that's a petty tall order. I've welded trailers at times when I welded a relatively short section and I got some warpage. Don't underestimate just how quickly the metal's heating up will cause it to change shape.

[SteveH]

Scooter,

I'll let you know how it looks when I get it. I looked at the axels that Northern Tools has listed also, but they are not adjustable in ride height which I think is a good idea.

WarPony,

Yes, I think you are right in that it will warp if I get it too hot. I think I will be able to weld a short section at a time, letting it cool in between and pull it off. If not, I've waisted about $27 worth of steel.

There is another reason I want to use angle instead of square tubing. Since the Torqflex is a bolt on unit, I want to drill holes in the bottom angle and then weld in bolts from the inside before I weld the two angles together. If I use tubing, the only thing I can figure out would be to drill a large hole on the other side, large enough to get a socket thru, and then if you ever had to remove the axel for whatever reason, you would have to remove the body from the frame to get at the bolt head. Also, that would weaken the tubing as well as introduce a water entrance point.

I guess we'll see.

[SteveH]

The axel came today...looks like the sparks will be flying this weekend!

Got the steel yesterday and all cut to the appropiate lengths. I did, however, come up with a better idea on how to mount the axel. Rather than welding studs protruding from the bottom of the frame, which necesitates a fixed axel location, I'm going to drill holes in several spots and weld nuts on the inside before welding the angles together. By doing it that way, I will be able to move the axel as necessary to get the amount of tongue weight I want.

That one came to me in my sleep last night! Weird, huh?

[angib]

By doing it that way, I will be able to move the axel as necessary to get the amount of tongue weight I want.

Excellent thinking, that man! A really good idea.

Andrew

PS Don't forget to watch the fender-door clearance, so the axle can be moved. And you'll need to put in fender mounts that can be moved.

PPS Why doesn't this board have a spillchucker, as I seem to make mani spilling moose ticks hear?

[mikeschn]

Andrew,

You really think we need a spell checker?

This looks weird. Believe it or not, but you can read it. Try it:

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg.

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at

Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer inwaht oredr the ltteers in a

wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be

in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed

it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed

ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh? And yuo awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt!

Mike...

[asianflava]

Yeah but words like "grate" used in place of "great" wouldn't be fixed by the spell checker.

[D. Tillery]

Nore will it fix pour punctuation! T. Dillery

[Larry Messaros]

PPS Why doesn't this board have a spillchucker, as I seem to make mani spilling moose ticks hear?

Ok Andrew, I know that you live on the other side of the pond, but everyone knows that moose ticks can't hear!

[D. Tillery]

OK boys and girls. I think we're ruining Steve's thread here. And I am at fault too.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Steve on the phone Thursday. Since he's in San Antonio too, I can live vicariously through him until I can make the time to start my tear. From a welder's viewpoint (mine) it sounds like he's got it under control with the frame. He's overkill minded with a more than adequate tow vehicle. And anyway, when working with steel you can't really screw anything up that you can't fix and starting over is pretty cheap.

San Antonio winter (rain and 70) set in this weekend. Maybe it won't hold him back too much.

D. Tillery

[angib]

San Antonio winter (rain and 70) set in this weekend.

It rains in Texas????? :^o :^o

Is nothing that Hollywood taught me sacred?

Andrew

[McTeardrops]

Steve

I just welded a short section of angle to the tube for my axle mount. Made the mount about twelve-inches overlength to allow adjustment from calculated axle location

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v378/ ... mer4-1.jpg