Crashtd420 Posted January 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2021 All welded up.... still needs a little cleanup and I want to see if it leaks or not..... And I got the inlet cleaned up, well round.. 4 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted January 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 Got the gas tank pretty much where I want it with just a tiny bit of clearance to the crossmember.... I'll probably put a rubber pad inbetween just incase.... Frame is still lower than the gas tank.. So ground clearance should be ok.... 3 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted January 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 Front mount is going to work... tank rests on a piece of angle iron and bolts on.... I still need to clean it up .... Rear needs some work.... A simple L bracket off the frame wont work this time..... 3 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 I would also consider flipping the lower control arm so that the zerk is not pointed at the ground. You'll eventually shear it off on a speed bump. 2 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 3 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said: I would also consider flipping the lower control arm so that the zerk is not pointed at the ground. You'll eventually shear it off on a speed bump. I see your concern but then how do I grease it.... ? Maybe I'll grab some plugs for the holes.... Grease remove zerk, then install plug.... 1 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 You only need to grease it once every couple of years. It's not a metal on metal balljoint. In fact, if you grease it too often, the grease can impregnate the polyurethane and destroy it. Depending on the grease of course. 2 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2021 Made good progress today..... not much going on at work so they let me take a half day..... This is what I came up with for the rear gas tank mount..... Cleaned up the front mount and added one more support.... All bolted in.... 5 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2021 Next up was something for my muffler to hang onto..... nothing special.... 2 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 6, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2021 On more support for the exhaust... Nice and tight now..... Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 6, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2021 Now that the gas tank and muffler are in place I started on my idea to secure the front of the brake cables..... First was to bolt a removable plate to the crossmember..... This will be an anchor point for a support bar..... From there I'll run a bar up to the small crossmember holding the gas tank and exhaust mount..... This will be directly above the cable.... Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 6, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2021 From there I made a bracket that will drop down from the cross bar and hold onto the cable... Couple tabs to keep them secured to the bracket.... Drilled and bolted together.... Rough idea of what I'm trying to achieve..... They will go under the bar, still need to trim them up and locate them.... I'll probably add a support gusset when I'm done..... 1 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 7, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2021 Well I got it all together and I'm about 75% happy.... everthing worked but it actually bent the lower portion of the bracket..... so I'll probably remove the whole thing since its removable and add some overkill reinforcements..... 2 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2021 I was able to get some time to work on the brake cable bracket after work today..... After removing the bracket I added a front brace and something down the back to prevent the lower part from bending..... Still need to weld it up and clean it up but this should be strong enough now..... hopefully.... 2 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 It has been a while but I think the 520 had springs that supported the e-brake cables between the mounts. Is this bracketry because of the change of type of rear suspension? Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 9, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 Just now, Charlie69 said: It has been a while but I think the 520 had springs that supported the e-brake cables between the mounts. Is this bracketry because of the change of type of rear suspension? Yes because the gas tank moved down, it's in the way of the original path the brake cable took.... 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 It is amazing how moving one part affects so many other parts placement. I will just stay with the 720 chassis swaps and leave all the other suspension mods to the younger people. I do not think I have that much energy any more. 1 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 The more you throw at it, the crazier it gets. Maybe take a step back and see if there is a simpler way. 1 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 9, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 1 hour ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said: The more you throw at it, the crazier it gets. Maybe take a step back and see if there is a simpler way. Trust me I tried.... The only way to simplify would be to redesign that front crossmember for the suspension and raise the tank back up to where it belongs... but I'm too far in now..... Hindsight is a bitch..... I have the bracket welded up and braced up, so I'll try again to see if it works and go from there.... 2 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 Had only a little time in the garage today but I was able to get the bracket reinstalled and the cables hooked back up.... Very happy, seems like it's going to work.... Still a little more to do before I can call it good but for now I know it will function..... I'm planning to buy a couple things to finish the gas tank, while I wait for that I need to figure out where the battery is going to live.... watts link occupies it's old home.... 1 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 13, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 Wasnt overly ambitious in the garage today.... I did weld up the small cable bracket that attaches to the caliper... I had cut and rotated the tab..... I will say my welds have been looking better..... make me a little more confident going to do the final welds on everything..... 1 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 13, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 So in order to keep the battery in a similar location I had figure out a way to be able to swap the battery out without removing the bed... I had thought about cutting an access hole in the bed similar to what the gas tank has above it, but only as a last resort.... This is my current idea... Used my old battery tray.... After cutting the back edge and leaving the center. I welded on 2 hinges, and then finished cutting ... So in theory I'll be able to tilt the battery down for removal... Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 On 2/3/2021 at 11:14 AM, Crashtd420 said: Made good progress today..... not much going on at work so they let me take a half day..... This is what I came up with for the rear gas tank mount..... Cleaned up the front mount and added one more support.... All bolted in.... While the tank is well supported vertically something to think about is the horizontal component. I would be concerned that even with baffles, the liquid will surge forward when braking just like loose cargo sliding forward and hitting the cab. Liquid can't be contained and under deceleration (or acceleration) the front (or rear) of the tank becomes down and it 'falls' forwards and hammers it. At 6 pounds per US gallon and 10.8? gallons that's up to at least 60 pounds. A sudden stop is going to feel like a lot more than 60 pounds force on those spindly supports. They almost certainly will have to flex to absorb the hydraulic hammering against them and will crack. 1 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 13, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 1 hour ago, datzenmike said: While the tank is well supported vertically something to think about is the horizontal component. I would be concerned that even with baffles, the liquid will surge forward when braking just like loose cargo sliding forward and hitting the cab. Liquid can't be contained and under deceleration (or acceleration) the front (or rear) of the tank becomes down and it 'falls' forwards and hammers it. At 6 pounds per US gallon and 10.8? gallons that's up to at least 60 pounds. A sudden stop is going to feel like a lot more than 60 pounds force on those spindly supports. They almost certainly will have to flex to absorb the hydraulic hammering against them and will crack. I understand and appreciate what your saying but what I had before was actually a weaker design and it never failed in 3 years with plenty of bumps and miles.... I'm sure I can add a little more reinforcement but I do feel it's pretty solid.... 1 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 14, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2021 Started to work on an idea to add a little more reinforcement to the front gas tank mount, only got as far as bolting a plate to the crossmember .. I'm gonna do something similar to the bars holding the brake cables.... I can do the same for the rear mount except I will weld both ends since its between solid crossmembers... I'm waiting on parts I have on order to add the filler neck back into the gas tank, after I get that located I'll add the rear reinforcement... Only other thing I did today was bend a piece of metal for the battery box to reinforce the lower plate and help hold the battery.... 3 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted February 18, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2021 Got a little more work done to the battery box... Added side plates to keep the battery up and in place... Top section is welded on, lower portion bolts up... I welded a nut on the inside.... Next was figuring out placement... already changed from my original idea... ended up making a small crossmember to mount the box... Still need to get it in place and make sure everything clears the watts link, and nothing is in the way when I install and remove the battery .... I'll be adding some extra reinforcement too... 2 Quote Link to comment
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