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Frame fastening

diluted1

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Hagerstown, MD
Hey,...

Wondering what you guys do for attaching your own crossmember, rear link member? Do you make "nut plates," cut open the frame and throw them in, or maybe integrate the "nut plate" into the stiffeners when you tack them up?

I am just curious to what everyone is doing, as I will be putting my truck under the knife soon after I move to S.C.

Thanks,
Jason
 
Depends on the load your new cross member is going to carry. Personally, If your just embarking on the long journey of major suspension mods, I'd start right off with weld-on 3/16 frame stiffeners that tie in the front LCA mounts to the front mount of the rear leaf-pack. Now you have a solid base to which you can weld control arm mounts, cross members, etc. Search "frame stiffeners" for ideas on both stiffening the frame and how people attach to them.
 
Yeah, I concur. Can't just weld in a few nut plates to hold the load of add on's, you'll rip the sheet metal out of the frame rail.
Plate the frame rails, lots of rosette welds to distribute the load.
 
Sleeves FTW!
picture.JPG

Billy
 
Plating/sleeving the frame is the first thing I am going to do and I get that. I guess I wasn't clear enough. If I were to do this and wanted to basically have a flat belly, I was wondering how everyone was bolting they're custom crossmembers to the new sleeved frame. Make any sense? Are they just sandwiching the sleeve or bolting into a welded "nutsert."

Sorry if it is confusing.

Thanks,
Jason
 
diluted1 said:
Plating/sleeving the frame is the first thing I am going to do and I get that. I guess I wasn't clear enough. If I were to do this and wanted to basically have a flat belly, I was wondering how everyone was bolting they're custom crossmembers to the new sleeved frame. Make any sense? Are they just sandwiching the sleeve or bolting into a welded "nutsert."

Sorry if it is confusing.

Thanks,
Jason

Definitely sandwich the sleeve!
Billy
 
Jeepfreak-
Thanks, that was what I was thinking... so just plasma a "slot" and slide a nutplate in you think?

98xj_87-
Conway, about 15 minutes north of north myrtle beach..

Oh,.. while you're on the thread, how liberal are the inspection stations down there? I move june 15 and need to start thinking about that.

Thanks for the info!

--Jason
 
diluted1 said:
Jeepfreak-
Thanks, that was what I was thinking... so just plasma a "slot" and slide a nutplate in you think?

confused.gif
No, like the photo above. Drill a hole through the reinforced unibody rail and insert some .250 wall (or so) tubing with an ID big enough for your desired bolt (1/2 or 9/16 if you ask me). You can weld the tube/sleeve on one side, or both sides. Then bolt up your crossmember.

Check out these threads for ideas:
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=91612
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=36273
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=40388
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=56420

HTH,
Billy
 
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