jim65wagon said:
Sweet, sweet build. Love the dual batts and sliders. Now if I could talk you and sean into turning over your plans for the sliders and the battery install I could waste my winter not rebuilding the 65 again!
Waste away after you check your email! Hopefully, Sean won't mind that I forwarded the slider plans to you. LOL
Here are some tips that Sean passed on to me, and that Joey (the guy that fabbed the ladder sections) helped me with.
Joey changed the plans from using 1.6" OD pipe to using 1.5" OD DOM tubing. This is slightly lighter and stronger than the 1.6" OD pipe in Sean's plans.
1. Get the round tubing bent per plans and then cut to length with 5 degree angle on the end, similar to the spreader support.
2. Cut the 1.5" square tubing per plans with 5 degree angle on one end and a notch of the same diameter as your round tubing on the other. The plans call for 14 spreader supports.
3. The spreader supports are tacked to the ladder on 10" centers, beginning from the middle. Use square welding magnets to secure in place for tacking. Measure the next one again after each tack.
4. Lay ladder on comfortable welding surface and finish welding the spreader supports against the round tubing.
5. Measure and cut the 2x2 stringers per plans and cap the ends with plates and finish weld them accordingly.
6. Tack the stringers to the ladder sections' longest spreader supports and then finish weld them all.
7. Cut the 8 forward standoffs (four per side) from 2x2 stock as well. Notch them with a hand-held band saw for best results.
8. Cut two additional standoffs an extra 8 inches long each, and set aside for final assembly. These will become the rear standoffs and be attached at a higher angle than the other 4 per side.
9. From 6" x 1/4" plate, cut 8 pieces 8" long and one piece 12" long. These will become the mounting plates for the stringer standoffs.
10. While vehicle is on a lift, determine the location of each cross-member between the c-channel frame rails. IIRC, there are three between the rear edge of the front tire and the forward edge of the rear tire. Two of the small plates will straddle the front and rear crossmember on each side, and the large plate will straddle the center crossmember, as it is the largest. The front standoff will be mounted almost to the extreme forward end of the stringer in a box-frame area. Many of the plates, especially on the driver's side, will have to be adapted to fit over rivets. I used a 3/4" drill to make sufficient holes to clear the rivets. Using a 3/8" bit, drill four holes on each plate for mounting screws. (Hint: use a drill press with c-clamps to drill all four mounting holes in the 8 uniform plates simultaneously. Hold some cardboard up to the mounting locations to locate rivets and drill out rivet holes on each plate appropriately.
11. Once the rivet holes (3/4") and mounting bolt holes (3/8") are drilled, use some marking paint (we used some flourescent orange) to mark the holes to be drilled in the frame. The bottom holes can be drilled with most hand drills, but it takes time. Use a sharp bit and keep it cool while drilling. There is an art to applying the right amount of pressure and WD-40 coolant. Be patient and don't rush the holes. This is probably the longest single step in the whole install.
12. The top holes in the frame rails will need to be drilled with an angle drill, or cut with a cutting torch. We didn't have an angle drill, so we used the torch. Obviously this has its own set of risks. On the driver's side, there are brake and fuel lines and the fuel tank. It is much less complicated on the passenger side. Be sure to use a spare plate to protect the areas where the cutting torch approaches fuel and brake lines and/or the fuel tank.
13. Once the holes were drilled in the frame, we mounted the plates with 3/8" grade 8 hardware. I found this at Lowes on sale in the bulk bags. The smaller bags (two bolts each) were a rip-off, but the bulk bags with 10 bolts, 20 nuts, or 20 washers were actually on clearance and were a good deal. If some of the holes don't line up, adjust them with a zip-bit or a cutting torch. We adjusted the holes on the mounting plates, not in the frame, but using the torch through the frame hole.
14. Mark a spot on the body by the pinch-weld that corresponds to the forward end of the stringer. Measure the distance from the forward mark to the support centers. Locate the pre-notched supports on the stringers and tack and finish weld them in place.
15. Once the plates are all mounted to the frame, you are ready to tack the rock sliders to the plates. We used a pair of jack stands and shimmed them to be close to the right height. We clamped the extra mounting plates (we have two spares at this point, since we have not located the rear mount yet) to top of the stringer. These will space the slider 1/4" from the lower pinch weld to allow for slight flex without hitting the pinch-weld. Tack the first side in place.
16. Being careful to adjust the angle of the second side to match the first, follow the same procedure as in 15 above and tack the second side.
16A. Choose an appropriate location on the frame to locate the rear support on each side. Mount the final plate to this location after drilling appropriate holes for bolts and rivets.
16B. Using cardboard, mock up a support bracket with the correct angles for the 2x2 supports set aside in #8 above. Mark the 2x2 appropriately and cut the supports with a hand-held band saw or sawzall. Tack in place.
17. Un-bolt the plates and finish weld the supports to the plates.
18. From addional 1/4" plate stock, cut backing plates to be used on the inside of the frame rails. This will prevent the frame from dimpling on the lower bolt locations when the vehicle lands on the sliders. Drill corresponding holes in the plates.
19. Decide what finish you wish to use and prepare the surfaces and apply finish.
20. Mount up and you are ready for some harder core wheeling.
NOTE: I still have not finished step 16A & 16B and therefore forgot to list that step when I first posted these instructions. To prevent rust, I rattle-canned them to get me by until time I build my rear bumper, since we will finish these steps then. I'll be taking some pics of the final assembly once all of it is done.
