Reply With QuoteAnything drilled through the chassis should have a steel anti-crush tube inserted. If you get some small bore steel tube insert it from the outside through a suitable size hole with a large flat washer on the bolt.
Hi Folks,
Have manufactured a bracket to support the front of the auxiliary fuel tank I am fitting to my LWB Series III. To facilitate removal of the tank if needed, I decided to bolt the bracket to a short piece of angle iron welded vertically to the chassis. The local mobile welders want $150 minimum to do the job. I can throw spoggy poop metal around with the best, but don't trust myself to do a job like this on a critical component like the main chassis member. But I'm also a bit reluctant to part with so much for about 6" of welding.
So I thought I might drill a couple 8mm holes right through the main chassis member and bolt the angle iron on. Is this likely to cause any problems?
Coop
AT REST
Anything drilled through the chassis should have a steel anti-crush tube inserted. If you get some small bore steel tube insert it from the outside through a suitable size hole with a large flat washer on the bolt.
Swaggie
SubscriberI would think a few large Riv-nuts would hold an aux tank.
I have a RRC air tank on my LH Chassis rail, held by 2 relatively small riv-nuts (4MM bolts?) and haven't moved on my trip to Cape York.
You can get up to 8MM bolts AFAIR but they are a bugger to insert with the tool.
Regards Philip A
Hmmm. Thanks, I hadn't thought of that. You look at these giant chassis members and it never occurs that you could squeeze them inwards! But I guess the walls are not that thick.Originally Posted by bee utey
I think I could achieve the same result by using another piece of angle iron on the other side. With both pieces reaching to the top and bottom plates of the chassis member, that should resist crushing well enough, don't you think?
Coop
Thanks for the suggestion Phil. I keep forgetting that these sneaky solutions exist!
Regards
Coop
AT REST
What you get with a tube installed is that the bolt clamps the inside wall of the chassis securely, resisting movement. I'd draw a picture but I haven't the time just now.
If you must use two angle iron pieces, fit crush tubes outside the chassis rails, one each top and bottom. You want any bolt holding your bits on to be done up tight enough to resist shaking loose, not just tight enough to not crush the chassis. Loose bolts are much more prone to shear off.
BTW it is possible to make a hand tool to install rivnuts, you need a lump of steel with a recess to hold the rivnut from spreading outside the chassis. Then you pull it tight with a threaded HT bolt and a well oiled nut. I did it once years ago, wasn't difficult.
Master
make a clamp for the chassi to hold tank this way no drilling jim
Found this:
Homemade Riv-nut Tool
which shows the technique that you describe, and also shows what not to do and the outcome if you ignore his advice.
Thanks, bee utey, your advice put me on the scent of this solution. Think I'll use the rivnuts- seems like the simplest method.
Regards
Coop
Thanks Jim. In this particular location there's barely enough clearance between the floor and the top of the chassis rail for this to work, but I'll bear it in mind if I need to attach things in other locations.
Regards
Coop
G'Day Folks,
Thanks to all for the discussion here about the best way to attach brackets to the chassis. I went with the Rivnut method, using 8mm steel nuts and found the installation quite easy with a good result.
I made the "anvil" of my installer from an old bracket off discarded window blinds which I hammered almost flat. It was made of steel somewhat harder than mild steel, and I left it slightly bowed so that it would force the Rivnut flange hard up against the chassis when clamped. I bought a high tensile bolt and nut and a couple washers which I greased as suggested.
The pictures show how it all worked. Clamping the "anvil" meant I could easily hold the bolt still and turn the nut, setting the Rivnut into position. When I told a local rep how I was going to set the Rivnuts (he wanted to sell me a tool) he wished me luck saying it would be hard work doing it this way. He was wrong- it was easy.
Thanks again for all your help. This could be famous last words, but I'm hoping the job will be routine from here....
Coop
LandyRivnutInstal1.jpgLandyRivnutInstal2.jpgLandyRivnutInstal3.jpgLandyRivnutInstal4.jpg
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