dirtydiesel Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I started today thinking I was going to repair some more of the rot that is endemic to my patrol, namely the chassis rails has rotted out behind the front radius arm mountings, But after i'd removed the radius arm mounting I found there was very little left of the chassis for about a foot each way! To do a proper repair would have also meant cutting the gearbox cross member mount off the chassis as well. So I had a coffee , and decided I could kill several birds with one stone. Free up the front suspension travel and relive the original gearbox cross member and the radius arm mounts of their tasks meaning that I could just cut them off and repair the chassis once i'd finished the suspension. The new cross member started off as 100x100x6 rhs. I had to cut away some of the top of the box section to clear the gearbox, but this allowed me to internally reinforce it. New and old, Cross member tacked in place with gearbox mountings either side of the bracket for the 3.0 ballistic joint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanco Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Is the new x-member going to bolt on as well, or just be welded in ? (Having a ramp has to be more of a priority when I next move house!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I'm going to watch this one with interest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtydiesel Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 Is the new x-member going to bolt on as well, or just be welded in ? I was undecided, and in an ideal world it would be bolted in, but I think that my chassis will be a lot stronger for having it fully welded in. It will mean having to split the transfer box off the gearbox if I have to remove the box for any reason. But that's not the end of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Nice to see the patrol getting some love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve b Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Top fab work as usual Dan , will you run the standard panhard rod ? Also what sort of spring/shocks? cheers Steveb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Frimodt Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Haha yeah thats one way to fix rust Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtydiesel Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 Nice to see the patrol getting some love It really needed it, the chassis is very thin behind the radius arms. Top fab work as usual Dan , will you run the standard panhard rod ? Also what sort of spring/shocks? cheers Steveb I'm going to run the stock panhard rod and my existing old man emu springs and shocks. It could do with much longer shocks but even with et-26 wheels my tyres are going to catch the spring seats so I may end up going for coilovers. I've been cycling the front axle and the factory packaging is epically tight. I'm on to about plan z for the one link design. A nice solution would have been to reuse the axle ends of the front radius arms. I had heard that the patrol arms aren't made out as nice stuff as landrover ones so I had a little play with the welder. They wouldn't mig at all without cracking immediately so I had a play with the tig, and although I managed a decent looking weld the piece of 10mm I welded on came off in 11 blows with the sledge hammer and looking at the weld it looks to have pulled a lot of impurities out of the cast arms. So that is another plan down the drain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Use Land Rover radius arms? Didn't I read somewhere that the bolt spacing is the same as Nissan at the axle end, is it that a load of carp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 I was expecting you were welding the link directly to the axle? From the ones I have seen that used the original pickups, the link ended up massive to take the bending loads. I presume you could make 3 links, 2 converging to the left and right rearward pickups and one to the top of the diff. All coming together at the same point, so still a one link, but with plenty of separation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtydiesel Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 Use Land Rover radius arms? Didn't I read somewhere that the bolt spacing is the same as Nissan at the axle end, is it that a load of carp? Patrol radius arms are the same fixing and spacing at the chassis as rovers, they're completely different at the axle end. I find it strange that rover, Toyota and Mercedes radius arms all weld really nicely but the Nissan ones don't? I was expecting you were welding the link directly to the axle? From the ones I have seen that used the original pickups, the link ended up massive to take the bending loads. I presume you could make 3 links, 2 converging to the left and right rearward pickups and one to the top of the diff. All coming together at the same point, so still a one link, but with plenty of separation? There's not a straight shot at the rear face of the axle case the track bar is in the way, there is no space above the diff or most about anywhere else for that matter, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Dan a little ot but do disco 2 arms weld ok? Looking forward to seeing the packaging. Will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtydiesel Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 Dan a little ot but do disco 2 arms weld ok? Looking forward to seeing the packaging. Will. I have welded D2 arms before with no issues. This is the starting point for the link. The tube is 35mm od 6mm wall cds Then I added the lower section of it this is 50x12 handrail Then on to the table for lots of added strength. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Nice fab table. Press brake tooling looks good Gotta love a bit of handrail as a wearing surface Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtydiesel Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 Nice fab table. Press brake tooling looks good Gotta love a bit of handrail as a wearing surface I'd love a 8x4 tee slotted table! My one is a nice size for brackets and smallish stuff its just a bit small. Another £250 or so and the pressbrake will be fully tooled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 What height works for the fabrication table? I've just aquired a steel bench I'm cleaning up for that Jon but think it's a bit low, I know it depends what your Welding bit there must be a happy average, might need to weld some feet on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtydiesel Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 Mine is just below waist height Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 I feel bad to criticise given the amount and quality of work there, but isn't that handrail below the track rod get absolutely nailed and bent upwards the first time it sees rocks? Any space for a rib along it's back? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtydiesel Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 I feel bad to criticise given the amount and quality of work there, but isn't that handrail below the track rod get absolutely nailed and bent upwards the first time it sees rocks? Any space for a rib along it's back? Criticism is good! The track bar moves in a huge arc, there's not much of its opening that isn't used when you factor in removing it. The hand rail is 12mm thick and its only unsupported for 5" or so, time will tell. I have bigger issues thought, it now handles like a tall ship! Makes a 2 door rangy look like its cornering flat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 The one at work is chest height which is pretty high, this one is just above the knee so I will suck it and see. That's a lot of welding! I'll stick my head under next time I see you and have a nose if that's OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Frimodt Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Time for an anti roll bar with disconnects then? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Time for an anti roll bar with disconnects then? That was my first thought too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Nah, he just needs to get everyone in the car to lean into the corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 That's a shame given that the suspension travel was so balanced beforehand. Is it something that changing the spring rates would address ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Nice fab work, I can't fault you for having a go. Could you raise the panhard rod for a higher roll centre? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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