County rear x member, from scratch..

[long stroke]

Hi all:)
We have been planning on making a new rear-cross member for the county for a while now;)
The one on it now is pretty well rusted out and a couple of weeks ago we bent it trying to get up a hill we shouldn't have tried:angel:
Plans are to build a whole new rear x member, wheel carrier and tow-bar system then get it hot dipped galvernized;)

Dad started on it today...

tacked togethor...
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/825.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/826.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/827.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/828.jpg

In the first/second pic you can see a square marked out on the bar that is where we plan to have a toung stile hitch-towbar;)
Also plans are to have rear 1/4 bumperetts to protect the pannels:)

TIM.

[Slunnie]

Jeez, you guys dont stuff around! Love the work.

What thickness metal is it? Looks a hell of a lot thicker than standard!

[long stroke]

Jeez, you guys dont stuff around! Love the work.

What thickness metal is it? Looks a hell of a lot thicker than standard!

Thanks Simon:)
Yep it's alot thicker then standard a combination of 4 and 6mm plate, going to be heavy but strong:eek:
we got 55kgs of plate for $50 from the recyclers:cool:

TIM.

[Slunnie]

Thanks Simon:)
Yep it's alot thicker then standard a combination of 4 and 6mm plate, going to be heavy but strong:eek:
we got 55kgs of plate for $50 from the recyclers:cool:

TIM.
Nice! Thatll laugh in the face of physical mischief!!! :D


Recyclers! I should check that out..... thats smart, one hell of a bargain.

[long stroke]

Nice! Thatll laugh in the face of physical mischief!!! :D


Recyclers! I should check that out..... thats smart, one hell of a bargain.

They had all sorts of steel there, box section alloy, inch thick plate:eek:
Steel is $1 a kg:cool: (sell and Parker recyclers)

TIM.

[long stroke]

Small update..
Started on the towbar sleeve, dad couldn't find any box section to suit so he just bought some 8mm thick angle, trimmed it down and welded it togethor:cool:
The tow-bar toung fits perfect, just have to make a toung with about a 6" drop so the trailer sits level with the car, something similar to a d2 one;)
Pics...

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/696.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/697.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/698.jpg

Just have to drill a hole for the pin then weld it in to the bar!

square cut out in the cross member to fit the tow-bar..
Gotta love the plasma cutter:cool:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/699.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/700.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/701.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/702.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/703.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/704.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/705.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/706.jpg

Might get more done tomorrow, but we have to many projects going at the one time:D

CHEERS TIM.

[EchiDna]

good work so far, engineering needed for the tow bar?

now about all those milk crates... you got two choices - make me a new cross member for free or I makes some calls :)

















j/k!!

[spudboy]

Very impressive!

How thick is the original x-member steel? 2mm? It's going to be 10x stronger :D

[long stroke]

good work so far, engineering needed for the tow bar?

now about all those milk crates... you got two choices - make me a new cross member for free or I makes some calls















j/k!!



Not shore if the tow-bar will need engineering;)
Milk crates- dads been an x milko for about 2 weeks, forgot to take them back to the depot:angel:

TIM.

[long stroke]

Very impressive!

How thick is the original x-member steel? 2mm? It's going to be 10x stronger :D

Yep prob about 2mm:eek:
Strong:cool:

TIM.

[long stroke]

Dad got a little more done during the week..

All welded up with a couple of supports, the tow-bar welded in, back welded on etc etc

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/437.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/438.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/439.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/440.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/05/441.jpg

Thats about all we can do before we remove the old rear x member and get a new fuel tank;)

CHEERS TIM.

[roverrescue]

... thats some serious undercut on the manufactured receiver welds. Probably wont ever cause a problem but I wouldnt be showing an engineer that photo if it is getting a ticket ;)

I wish scrappy steel was only $1/kg up this way...

S

[Randylandy]

... thats some serious undercut on the manufactured receiver welds. Probably wont ever cause a problem but I wouldnt be showing an engineer that photo if it is getting a ticket



Nothing that a bit of paint cant hide:angel:. Well done Tim and Co watching with intrest as will be doing simmila in next few days.

[lokka]

Looks good Tim and once mick see's this thread he will want me to make a similar one for his county which is what i suggested to do anyways :D

[long stroke]

Looks good Tim and once mick see's this thread he will want me to make a similar one for his county which is what i suggested to do anyways :D

lol:D

[long stroke]

Well we got started on removing the old rusted rear cross member on sunday, got abit done, but didn't get it off until lunch time today:eek:
It turned out to be not as badly rusted as first thought, but anyway...

As i may have mensioned already, the exsisting fuel tank has had it, so while we are at it we are going to replace the tank with a 98 defender unit:)

Tank removed.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1342.jpg

The reason why we are replacing the x member..

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1343.jpg

We gave up trying to remove it in one peice so decided to just hack the hell out of it:twisted:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1344.jpg




Half the bar thrown to one side

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1345.jpg

Slowly getting there

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1346.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1347.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1348.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1349.jpg

The chassis is in very good nick!!
No rust on the outside and only a tiny bit of surface on the inside:cool:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1350.jpg

Ready to start bolting to..

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1351.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1352.jpg

It is quite a mission of a job to remove with only an angle grinder, if the plasma cutter wasn't playing up it would have only taken a couple of hours:mad:

Dummy fit with two X member to body tabs tacked on..

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1353.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1354.jpg

The mounting bracket/plates that will bolt through crush tubes in the chassis tacked on..

Don't worry about the tacks the welder wasn't feeding properly:angel:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1355.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1356.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1357.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1358.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1359.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1360.jpg



All the X member to body tabs fitted.
And the bar mounted in position with all the mounting brackets tacked on..

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1361.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1362.jpg

Thats about it for now, next we have to drill the holes in the chassis, weld crush tubes in, make/buy then fit some sort of recovery points, highlift jacking positions, side/wing guards, possibly some tube rapping around to keep them tree's and banks away from the body work:D
Make and fit spare wheel carrier, make some fuel tank mouning tabs seeing we cut the other's off in anger:twisted:
etc, etc..

CHEERS TIM.

[long stroke]

Here are a couple more pics..

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1210.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1211.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/1212.jpg

Havn't got much more done but we have been working on it, having troubles with drilling holes:twisted:

Anyhow, tomorrow we will finnish drilling the holes and muck around with strengthning the mounting points and fitting the fuel tank;)

CHEERS TIM.

[long stroke]

Got it mounted on friday after a big rush as usuall..

Pics..

Fuel tank mounts tacked on..

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/919.jpg

Mounting arms that run back to a crush tubed hole tacked on.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/920.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/921.jpg

Fuel tank mounts with captive bolts..

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/922.jpg

Ready to bolt on.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/923.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/924.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/925.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/926.jpg

Crush tubes tacked in..

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/927.jpg

Still got alot more to do before it gets a lick of paint..

CHEERS TIM.

[long stroke]

Well, while the county's out of action (broken crown wheel and pinion) we decided to rip the bar off again and grind it back, weld a few more things up and get it ready for galvernizing sometime soon.

Almost shiny again..

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/12/855.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/12/856.jpg

Dad also welded the mount for a spare wheel carrier on.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/12/857.jpg

It still needs abit more work then she will be ready...

CHEERS TIM.

[Benny_IIA]

Looking good tim :BigThumb:

[long stroke]

We got it galed last week:cool:
It's taken a while to get it to this stage:eek: still got to do the wheel carrier, side protection and recovery points....to many other projects in the way:angel:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/02/447.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/03/1534.jpg

We also got another new fuel tank after destroying the last one within a week of fitment:eek:
This one is brand spankin and is all in and workin:cool:

Better build a bash plate for it:D

CHEERS TIM.

[Didge]

Thanks Tim, great photos and details you've provided. Gives me some inspiration. BTW, what's one of those littl plasma cutters worth? I've sort of got access to an oxy set without bottles but that set of yours looks pretty impressive,
cheers gerald

[banjo]

Is it bolted on now ,do you have some more finished pics..looks awesome..

[long stroke]

Thanks Tim, great photos and details you've provided. Gives me some inspiration. BTW, what's one of those littl plasma cutters worth? I've sort of got access to an oxy set without bottles but that set of yours looks pretty impressive,
cheers gerald

Hi there Gerald:)
The plasma cutter cost us about $350-400 off ebay (can't remember properly:angel:) but we have since had toubles with it, the high frequency isn't working for some reason, so no go:(
I'm sure it isn't much, just gotta get around to having a look at it.
It's awesome when it's working though:cool:



Is it bolted on now ,do you have some more finished pics..looks awesome..

Thanks Banjo:)
Yep it's bolted on, i'll get some pic's up soon.....

CHEERS TIM.

[Didge]

Thanks Tm, I'll have to get one of them when I can slip it past the accountant/ minister of war and finance. It'll have to be a "must have" tool to get approval I reckon. makes hiring oxy bottles for around $200pa a bit redundant.
cheers Gerald

[scott oz]

:angel:



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/03/1534.jpg

CHEERS TIM.
Great job,

Just wondering the arms/straps with the U bolting to the chasie why that solution rather than just the bracket and bolt straight through the chasie

[long stroke]

Great job,

Just wondering the arms/straps with the U bolting to the chasie why that solution rather than just the bracket and bolt straight through the chasie

Hi there Scott:)
We thought we might as well fit the arm straps seeing there is a crush tubed hole about 300mm or so back from the rear of the chassis, the stronger and more mounting points the better in our opinion:D

CHEERS TIM.