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Old 10-07-2014, 08:20 PM
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Gojeep Gojeep is offline
MetalShaper of the Month March 2015, March 2020,, June 2022,Aug 2023
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Eastern Melbourne, Australia
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First time with new steel used on the project. Starting with a fresh sheet of 2440x1220x4mm or 8'x4'x5/32"


First one done. You can just make out the slots where the supports for the welded in mounts will come through it.


Last one getting done with about half the sheet used plus some left overs which will be used for mounting brackets etc.


I just made the pattern for one side and will just flip half of them for the other side. Glad I took the time to make them as identical as possible.


Was surprised just how well it fitted first go! Wasn't sure how accurate my CAD, Cardboard Aided Design, would work on this. You can also see the other side plate, which is upside down, that it has be coated in weld through zinc rich primer to help against rusting inside the rails.


The templates were narrowed each side by the thickness of the flange, leaving a nice corner the fully weld closed. Fit well over the swaybar boss that had already been fully welded in. The other hole is for the rear shock mount bush that was drilled at a 8* angle the same as stock. I drilled these before putting them on the rails so no swarf would end up inside the rails.


The front half is going to be a lot harder as not perfectly flat like the rear. A total of 6 bends will have to be pressed in to follow the bends in the rail and the flange width changes.


To make the needed bends in the boxing plate to follow the frame shape, I just used a blunted brickies bolster and hit it between two sections of steel. Can use a piece of channel too.


The bends are following the frame shape quite well.


Can see in this shot how the edge of the cross member mount comes through the boxing plate where it will be welded and then ground smooth.
Also shows the only joint in the whole boxing plate. This shape increases the weld area and has the least amount of stress rises.


All plated up. Also seen is the front cradle mounts coming though and flush with the boxing plate, ready to be welded and then ground smooth.


This is part of the Grand Cherokee frame that has the rear shock mount in it. I was fortunate that the narrow section it sits in was similar to the width of the Willys frame. When I laid out the width of the Willys frame, I made sure it would run exactly along where this mount needed to be.


This is the hole for the shock mount in the Willys frame drilled at an 8* angle to match how it was in the Grand Cherokee.


Original shock mount was cut free with a hole saw and then welded in to the frame on both sides. Another piece of metal will be formed to support the other side of the shock eye so it will be in a double shear arrangement like the original setup.


Also finished welding in the other end of the swaybar mount.
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Marcus
aka. Gojeep
Victoria, Australia
http://willyshotrod.com

Invention is a combination of brains and materials.
The more brains you use, the less materials you need.

Last edited by Gojeep; 08-01-2017 at 02:44 AM.
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