AEV Brute Expedition Build in Dubai
- Thread starter Oman4x4
- Start date
Oman4x4
Laurie Bridger
Been busy for a while so not much in the way of updates... but... I think we have decided on a paint colour 
Here's 3 Paint Samples - testing on the dash in various lighting conditions 1 is a custom candy red, 2 is Ferrari Rosso Fuoco and 3 is Alfa Romeo Competizione Red (from the 8C)... I'm liking number one
Here's 3 Paint Samples - testing on the dash in various lighting conditions
1 is a custom candy red, 2 is Ferrari Rosso Fuoco and 3 is Alfa Romeo Competizione Red (from the 8C)... I'm liking number one
Oman4x4
Laurie Bridger
Scott Brady
Founder
That has to be exciting, seeing the bed and cab installed. Cool project!
Oman4x4
Laurie Bridger
Thanks Scott
I'm just preparing all the suspension parts for waterjet cutting right now - it's going to be really exiting to see the axles, springs, shocks under it and the tires supporting it's weight
colodak
Adventurer
optical illusion, or is the bed not level but canted up in the back?
Comparing it to the molding on the wall, looks off. However could be that it's at an angle, so that's why it looks like that. But it does odd.
Oman4x4
Laurie Bridger
Wanted to improve the departure angle...
Just kidding. It's not quite done yet - in the pictures the bushings etc are not in place, and neither are the final cab mounts. The plan is to have the suspension done, and then set the body perfectly straight when the chassis is supporting the weight how it will naturally, rather than the stands at each end. It WILL be perfect
Oman4x4
Laurie Bridger
Long overdue for an update
Suspension parts I designed cut on the water jet...
The slots allow bending by hand tools - no need for a big machine press brake
Unfortunately waterjet place missed out 2 parts and fused 2 parts together (no idea how) so they had to be re-done, and I made some fine adjustments to the control arm mounts.
Round 2 from the water jet place
Bent to shape and a much better fit, so much so it stays in place on pressure alone. All marked up and ready to be welded tomorrow.
These are the upper control arm mounts that will be between the frame rails....
This is the most complicated one - very pleased with it - 8 folds out of one piece of metal This is the combined bracket for the rear upper control arm AND the rear trackbar. This side is the control arm side...
This side is the track bar (panhard bar) side...
In the redesign I reduced the number of joins making it easier to form the shape.
Suspension parts I designed cut on the water jet...
The slots allow bending by hand tools - no need for a big machine press brake
Unfortunately waterjet place missed out 2 parts and fused 2 parts together (no idea how) so they had to be re-done, and I made some fine adjustments to the control arm mounts.
Round 2 from the water jet place
Bent to shape and a much better fit, so much so it stays in place on pressure alone. All marked up and ready to be welded tomorrow.
These are the upper control arm mounts that will be between the frame rails....
This is the most complicated one - very pleased with it - 8 folds out of one piece of metal This is the combined bracket for the rear upper control arm AND the rear trackbar. This side is the control arm side...
This side is the track bar (panhard bar) side...
In the redesign I reduced the number of joins making it easier to form the shape.
Oman4x4
Laurie Bridger
Welding the suspension brackets on the frame
Welds have yet to be cleaned up - but still looks good. The wavey bit on the top edge is because of the slot / groove to locate the parts to each other that you'll see in previous pictures... Used a bolt with lots of nuts and washers to ensure that the gap between the two plates didn't warp in the heat of the welding.
The front control arms require bends in two different directions. Needed a way to know how much the pipe had rotated in the pipe bender so I made an iPhone holder that clamped to the tube. Worked well!
Control Arms tacked together! MetalCloak's largest Duroflex bushing rod ends and RuffStuff Specialties threaded inserts tack welded at each end. Tomorrow the ends will be seam welded. They don't look that long in these pictures, because they're so thick. Wait til you see a stock control arm next to them.
Welds have yet to be cleaned up - but still looks good. The wavey bit on the top edge is because of the slot / groove to locate the parts to each other that you'll see in previous pictures... Used a bolt with lots of nuts and washers to ensure that the gap between the two plates didn't warp in the heat of the welding.
The front control arms require bends in two different directions. Needed a way to know how much the pipe had rotated in the pipe bender so I made an iPhone holder that clamped to the tube. Worked well!
Control Arms tacked together! MetalCloak's largest Duroflex bushing rod ends and RuffStuff Specialties threaded inserts tack welded at each end. Tomorrow the ends will be seam welded. They don't look that long in these pictures, because they're so thick. Wait til you see a stock control arm next to them.
