Help, need some steel plating

[copperhead]

I need 4 steel plates, each 4" x 4" x 1/4" thick. Does anyone have anything laying around, or know of where I could go to find something like this?

 

Thanks

[Science Abuse]

I entered this thread with an answer to your question... then I read your post, and realized you want a plate of steel, not steel plating. Odly enough I have no idea where to get 1/4" sheet steel localy, just know that when you ask for steel plating you'll be refered to a proccess, not a product.

 

If you want to have it plated, I've got a phone# of a local joint.

[Tinman]

I can cut some for you on Monday if that is not too late.

[Total Sign]

Research Alloys.

[copperhead]

I can cut some for you on Monday if that is not too late.

 

I would love you for that. Sorry I didn't get those seats to you the other day, I got busy with other stuff. I'll drop them off when I pick up the plates.

 

I think you can guess what this is for Evan has some ideas how to make everything work with as little expense as possible, and maybe even be reliable AND safe, we'll see. The only thing I've bought so far is a 4.5" drop pitman arm. The only other things that we are planning on buying are some tubing to wrap around the axle housings to stiffen them, and this plating.

[Tinman]

Tubing for the axle housings? Are you planning on making some housing braces similar to what most drag cars run on the backside of a 9"

[Tractor]

I've never seen axle braces on any drag cars, but in the 4x4 truck world its common to sleeve axle tubes with heavy pipe to prevent them from bending. Normally this is done while cutting the tubes to adjust the angle of the pinion yoke without messing up the steering and alignment stuff. You just cut the axle tubes and rotate the diff up to 18 degrees and sleeve it with heavy pipe. In our case we won't be cutting the axle tubes, but instead I'll be cutting the heavy pipe in half and wrapping it around the axle tube, welding and reinstalling the perches on the top side of the tubes. This should give the tube at least twice the thickness and also spread the weight of the vehicle out over several square inches compared to just buying plate to box in the exsisting spring perches. To me this doesn't seem to solve the problem of eleminating the stress points on the axle and also adds more stuff to the bottom of the axle to get hung up on.

Doing it the way I plan will leave only the round end of the U-Bolts hanging down and there nothing to worry about.

 

I went to Tractor Supply Co up in Delware today and they have some really nice U-Bolt plates already cut and drilled so I'm gonna measure some stuff and maybe I can use those. That would save a couple hours of work and there really nicely made.

 

In my design we should be able to retain the stock swaybar and shock mounting locations and lengths. Later if he feels like it he can buy longer shocks to take full advantage of the spring over axle conversions articulation. We can also make up some sway bar quick disconnects to use before we hit the trails.

 

Evan

[Tinman]

Sounds like a good plan. I'll try to remember to ask Jimmy what shocks he used and where he got them.

 

The axle brace I was speaking of on drag cars is made from either a split piece of tubing or a channel that runs across the back of the housing from end to end. Probably not beneficial to off roading just high torque launches.

[copperhead]

Matt, looks like we won't be needing that plate. Thanks though