Project Choose Your Own Adventure

[ScottyB]

This gives me a chub. I would love to do one of these if my wife could stand to stay in it. I'm probably going to end up with an Airstream Safari before it's all over. Following.

thanks dude. one of the goals of this whole deal is to convince the rest of you that if some ham-fisted dingbat such as myself can make this work, any of you could too.

in your case, you'd probably be in great shape to do one since about 30% of my total budget has been spent on just the tools. if you have a shop, you've already won half the battle

[BLINGMW]

deep nuts

This gives me a chub

[PDenbigh]

so i've wandered into the seemingly simple task of finding 2 u-bolts and a tie plate....

the dynamic load thing is a great point, so i'm looking to find 1/2" or 9/16" bolts which are typically intended for 3500lb axles (mine is a 2000lb) and will provide a better safety buffer than the stock 5/16" bolts.

Could you get a bigger tie plate and then double the current size u-bolts on each side? So you'd have 4/side instead of 2, and 8 total instead of 4? That way you could keep the spacing and radius fixed to what already fits.

like this: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://goo.gl/photos/GPc5HUWxwDsnCt687">https://goo.gl/photos/GPc5HUWxwDsnCt687</a><!-- m -->

Peter

[ScottyB]

Could you get a bigger tie plate and then double the current size u-bolts on each side?

no can do, the leaf pack is pretty close to the end of the axle, not enough room to double up.

good news though - found the hardware i need. i was looking in the wrong places....trailer parts retailers only have the popular sizes and its typically Grade 2 or Grade 5, i had to dig through some suspension specialty stores and custom u-bolt benders but it worked. i found that the smallest bolt size i can get in Grade 8 strength is 5/8", so i'm going with that because if i'm going to bother doing this i'm going for the good stuff.

got a bead on 5/8" Grade 8 steel u-bolts in the right size and even the right length, proper sized steel tie plates, and either Grade 8 standard or Grade 9 oversize washers with the deep nuts

5/8 is twice the size of the current pig-iron-and-melted-toys 5/16 bolts. this explanation on tensile/stretch strength of Gr5 vs Gr8 stuff suggest that even at 1/4", a Grade 8 bolt will not yeild until over 4300 lbs. of pressure and won't fail until over 5000. the chart at the bottom of the page lists a 5/8 SAE Grade 8 bolt tensile fail at 36000 lbs. even if that's not completely accurate its still hilariously overkill. F YEAH if i'm gonna overdo this i'm going with the nuclear option.

i feel much more comfortable with this new hardware, to the point that i'm content to get them and then move on. thanks a ton for the head's up on this though, i think it was absolutely a proper upgrade :thumbup:

looking forward to posting a pic of the new bolts sized up next to the "Girly Man" old stuff just for the sake of a good laugh

[PDenbigh]

[5/8 SAE Grade 8 bolt tensile fail at 36000 lbs. even if that's not completely accurate its still hilariously overkill. F YEAH if i'm gonna overdo this i'm going with the nuclear option.

Yes, that will do nicely. :bow:

Glad you found an ideal solution. Adventure on!

[Jeff]

Holy shit I would think 5/8 bolts about be enough.

[Mike]

now you can launch over it!

[ScottyB]

Holy shit I would think 5/8 bolts about be enough.

hahaha yeah. i found out after i got waaaay down the rabbit hole that Grade 5 stuff in the 1/2" range is standard OEM for auto manufacturers. i is lerning!

so i pussed out, but only a little. settled on 1/2" Grade 5 because i could get them in the right size + included hardware + tie plates all from the same place for a great price since its a more sane size for that axle. out of morbid curiosity i looked under the xterra and realized it also has an axle-over-leaf orientation. took a ruler to the u-bolts and they're 1/2" also :lol: so yeah, at that point i was like...."if my 1000lb. trailer has bigger u-bolts than my damn tow vehicle then there's a possibility i may be retarded". decision sealed.

now you can launch over it!

here hold my Monster Energy hat!


anyway, glad that's done, and wow i know way more about bolts than i ever thought i would. see what i mean about teardrops? the project of 100 disciplines.

[Jeff]

Scotty knows his nuts very well.

[PDenbigh]

Finished yet? :-)

I'll just leave this here:


Nothing you haven't already seen I'm sure. I like how they used the safari rack! Judging by the centerline of the wheel, I have a good feeling that's an "Above the leaf" axle setup too.

[Jeff]

I just remembered one of my employees/coworkers builds these type of trailers. I think his are on 4X8 lowe's trailer chassis. I'll ask him how he does his when I see him next.

[ScottyB]

I'll just leave this here:

love the rack, i'll be doing something similar with side mount support but a bit more DIY for the actual rack structure. it'll probably be the final accessory project so don't hold your breath for that one too much.

judging by the wheel center, i think that's actually axle-above-leaf, and probably a not ideal move considering they only left about 1" of wheel travel before those tires make sweet love to the fenders :lol: seems most overlanders use a trailing arm setup with torsionn bars to keep their center clearance really high, and it lets them clock their ride height higher or lower with a simple torsion twist. still, looks killer.

I just remembered one of my employees/coworkers builds these type of trailers. I think his are on 4X8 lowe's trailer chassis. I'll ask him how he does his when I see him next.

4x8 was the popular DIY option for years before 5x8's starting coming out recently. its also the easiest since materials generally come in 4x8 sheets. i looked hard at those but wanted the extra width for sleep comfort (read: wife's sleep comfort aka what's yours is mine aka that means 80% of the bed).

definitely let me know if he has any pointers!

[ScottyB]

here's a shot of the new 1/2" u-bolts next to the old stock 5/16" units. the new stuff is a little less than 2x as thick but holy crap its a difference, especially in weight. the old stuff looks like a bent pencil in comparison. the threads on the new bolts are wrapped in tape currently which is why they look weird.


and here's the new tie plates. much less of a difference in thickness, only about 1mm, but again the substantial weight difference is amazing. its like holding armor plate next to a dinner plate.


everything's raw steel so its getting hit with primer and then enamel, except for the nuts and bolt threads. after its all on everything will be coated again.

[PDenbigh]

I have a good feeling that's an "Above the leaf" axle setup too

judging by the wheel center, i think that's actually axle-above-leaf

We're on the same page. Just different forms of engrish.

PS - Nice bolts!

[ScottyB]

i've been pretty diseased for the past week so playtime has been replaced with being pale and lifeless on the couch and sounding like i have emphysema.

i still managed to get out this week and put the finishing touch on the axle so i can bolt it down with the new pretty hardware. with it being a "U" channel design, when i flipped it, it meant that the U would catch any rocks/moisture. despite the thick enamel coat, one crack/chip could invite rust and potential structural failure if there's room for sitting water and mud/muck. i wasn't about to drill any drain holes in it either and compromise its strength.

i decided to fill the gap with Loctite expanding foam and will coat it with a cheap and fast latex sealer like DAP Fast N Final (tip taken from backyard foam surfboard makers) to ensure no water makes its way into the foam crevices and stays there. after that, a final coat with more black enamel spraypaint to further seal/protect and make it look nice.

a quick wipe-down and then a masking tape "form" put in place. 2 back-and-forth runs across the axle with the can and it had expanded to this in about 30 mins


after a 24hr cure i went across the top with an X-acto razor saw. very little effort to cut but its a hard foam for sure once its set. no give whatsoever.


i got overzealous and tried to trim the top after only a couple hours because i'm a dumdum and forgot the inside takes longer and i was anxious. the result was a bit like deflating a balloon as you can see. i went back and finished off the can with an second fill in this area and will trim it up this week.

[WRXtranceformed]

I used that same stuff to fill up the old line input area in the siding for the original AC lineset in our house. It's nasty man! I've still got some on my fingernails...shoulda worn gloves

[ScottyB]

...shoulda worn gloves

oh dude, i only made that mistake once :lol: gloves every time i go near one of those cans.

[CaptainHenreh]

This needs a boat on top.

[ScottyB]

This needs a boat on top.

i kind of love that, but needs more bassboat flake paint

AYYY BOYS WE LEGAL


better call it the GA DMVP. walked in with a tag form, northern tool receipt and an unsigned certificate of origin that came in the box. $12.00 later, tag in hand no further questions, good day sir.

[CaptainHenreh]

yeah well, fuck the state.