NCCherokee
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Anderson, SC
I've got TNT center stiffeners that I installed about 10 years ago when they were the only thing on the market.
I am welding in Ares Fab front frame stiffeners this week, and starting to think about wrapping this job up, and how to tie the front stiffeners into the middle stiffeners.
Both are 3/16" thick, but there is about an inch gap where they meet, and I'm wondering if this "hinge" point is going to be a failure point down the road. The TNT end right at the old LCA mounts, the Ares cover up the LCA mounts, but with a little gap.
I'm planning to fishplate them in some way on the side and bottom, as the Ares plates wrap around the bottom as well. However, should I fill in the 1" gap with a small piece of steel and butt weld the two stiffeners together, and also to the frame, or just plate over it and call it good?
I have looked at numerous builds and write ups over the past two weeks, and have not specifically seen where someone addressed tying the stiffeners together, especially from two different manufacturers.
I am welding in Ares Fab front frame stiffeners this week, and starting to think about wrapping this job up, and how to tie the front stiffeners into the middle stiffeners.
Both are 3/16" thick, but there is about an inch gap where they meet, and I'm wondering if this "hinge" point is going to be a failure point down the road. The TNT end right at the old LCA mounts, the Ares cover up the LCA mounts, but with a little gap.
I'm planning to fishplate them in some way on the side and bottom, as the Ares plates wrap around the bottom as well. However, should I fill in the 1" gap with a small piece of steel and butt weld the two stiffeners together, and also to the frame, or just plate over it and call it good?
I have looked at numerous builds and write ups over the past two weeks, and have not specifically seen where someone addressed tying the stiffeners together, especially from two different manufacturers.