OK I've had a couple of little projects on at my 4 days at work this week (TAFE on a Friday).
Firstly the wire rack!
The auto electrician wanted me to build a mobile rack for putting reals of wire on that he can then real out when building looms/wiring 4x4's etc.
The bars all lift out to make loading new reals of wire on nice and easy.
I went and bought some nice heavy duty castors. These are rated to take 350kg each.
Bolted them to a length of 4" flat.
And welded the flat onto the rack.
Started working out how to attach the back wheels, which my boss already had.
Drilled, bent and welded some flat with a piece of solid round bar through the middle.
Thats now gone for powder coating, so more pics when its back and fully loaded with wire being used in the fitting bay!
Next little project.
This was a very quick Thursday afternoon one.
Firstly I cut and drilled 2 lengths of 2 x 1 box section.
10 pieces of 10mm rod.
Welded all the rods in position.
Added a few more bits of box.
I added some bits of hose over the rods and positioned the new rack in position in a section of the factory/shop that we've just moved a load or engines from next to the Seriously Suzi shop.
I need to build one more to go next to it and that should be most of the display Suzuki rock sliders up off the shop floor.
Next little project was making a new bike stand for my bosses KTM after he broke the alluminium one.
Decided to make the new one out of steel.
Cut to length and cleaned up on a linishing belt
Onto the drill press.
Need to shape out the back.
So onto the milling machine.
I needed to try the newly machined piece on the bike, but that was in the other factory, so obviously I had to ride it across!
Slightly concerning when you pull the throttle back in 1st and the front wheel is instantly 3ft in the air!
Awesome fun though! I really must get another dirt bike when time and money allows.
Cut and welded on some tube.
Hole sawed a piece of checkered plate.
And welded it on the bottom.
Another job I've been working on has been wrecking our first Jimny! We've wrecked heaps of Vit's and Sierra's (SJ's) but no Jimny's.
I pulled some of the twist out of the roof using the forks to make stripping it a bit easier.
I must have stripped getting on for 10 4x4's over the years and I've decided this is the best way to strip them.
Strip out the interior, then remove the body, pressure wash everything left on the chassis and then strip whats left.
Actually surprising clean and good underneath especially considering its 15 years old. All the bolts still had different factory colored paints on them.
Seeing it like this I thought it would be awesome with a couple of seats and a roll cage on it!
My boss thought the same so we put it in the other factory in storage for now, rather than stripping it down anymore.
Seeing it sat next to the Vit got me thinking................
Comparing it to the Vit thats for wrecking the Jimny has about 100mm longer wheel base. So fitting a Vit body onto the Jimny rolling chassis would give heaps of clearance between the bulkhead and the back of the front wheels for bigger tyres. Also it would obviously have the much stronger live front axle as opposed to the weaker IFS.
Measuring wheel bases.
The Jimny wasnt much narrower, mayeb 50mm. Nothing a set of wheel spacers or rims with more negative off set wouldnt fix!
While on the subject of Suzuki's, we had some pics back from the graphic designer who is designing the graphics for Frankenzuke.
Weve asked him to combine a few of the features we like and come back to us with another design.
OK enough work nonsense time to get back to the star of this thread.......................LJ!
I brought my batteries to work to test them and see if they need replacing yet.
Loads of batteries in stock.
Including 10, 12 and 13' Optimas.
They charged up OK and were in good condition so I also brought in my other 2.
They too are in good condition.
I brought home some dummy Optimas.
These are just empty cases used for test fitting purposes.
There is room for 2 13" Optimas on their sides.
Or even the other way.
I refitted my standard battery trays and 2 of my batteries.
Found some dodgy wiring.
So I pulled it all out and measured up for new wires.
I've made up all new earth's for the engine, chassis and body using much thicker cable, with the correct terminals with 10mm holes for the battery ends and 8mm holes for the other ends, all properly crimped and heat shrunk.
No pic as yet, must have missed those.
I've decided that I will use and wear out the 4 batteries I've got first, and then buy 2 Optimas. I just couldnt justify buying 2 Optimas, even at cost price when I've got 4 perfectly good batteries that are all only a few years old.
Back to that rear door hinge that I cocked up next.............................
I hacksawed through the pin to get the 2 pieces back apart.
By clamping the pin in the vice I was ablt to turn and twist the hinge leaf back off.
And then punch out the remaining pieces.
Drilled the hinge out to 11mm this time as 10mm was too tight last time for the 10mm rod.
Welded both ends of the pin.
OK back to the storage box for the rear door......................
I bought an off cut of alluminium from the friendly Chinease guys who have moved in next door, and who build off road camper trailers.
Cut to size on the guilitine.
Took the corners out on the bandsaw.
Marked where it needed folding.
Onto the brake press for folding.
Sadly with that machine I can only bend 3 edges.
So I cut a piece of wood.
And clamped it in the wood working vice.
And with the deadblow mallet I pursuaded it to bend along my line.
Crude but effective.
Not as neat as the other folds but will have to do.
Needed to pull the corners together and weld them up next.
Not pretty, but effective and once smoothed down with a flap wheel disc in the grinder they would look good.
I brought the door back in and could start cutting the back of the drop down table to suite the new door storage box.
Marked it out.
And cut it out using the jigsaw.
Quick test fit.
(Yes I probably should have done the top cut lower so its hidden by the table.
)
Into the vice for drawer fileing all the egdes smooth.
Apologies I must have forgot to rotate this pic.
Measured, marked and clamped ready for welding.
Welded! The welds looked like pigion shit sadly.
Cant wait till I've learnt to TIG weld alluminium and can finally start turning out beautifully welded things!
I've run out of Dinitrol rust convertor so had to resort to Krust. Not good stuff but better than nothing.
I'm going to spray loads of Dinitrol cavity wax inside the door to hopefully prevent/slow down the rusting!
Spay painted any bare, cut metal.
Found some rubber blanking grommets for the holes from the old spare wheel mount and the hole from the rear wiper.
In place and working beautifully!
Decided to ditch the Toyota clips off the back of the fold down table box for something a bit stronger, not that the table has ever pulled off, but I guess it could.
In favour of Rivnuts.
And thats as far as I got.
Got some big plans in the making but cant say anything just yet.
Should have a really really really exciting update for you after tomorrow.
If things work out.
This could be the start of something amazing for me and my carear in the 4wd industry!
