MAIDEN Build. 46' IH Rat Truck

[clamor]

I'm not gonna lie...after a long weekend of being on call, that step by step of precise metal fitting, welding and finishing made my morning.
-Chaz

 

[IRON MAIDEN]

I'm not gonna lie...after a long weekend of being on call, that step by step of precise metal fitting, welding and finishing made my morning.
-Chaz

Haha. It's fun and time consuming for sure. I think they will look pretty nice when I grind em' all smooth. I never planned on going into this much work on these mounts, but when I smoothed out the back of the frame and held up the mounts...... it just didn't look right all opened up the way they were. So I went nuts with the cutting disc and welder. Now soon the grinding disc and flap disc. I woke up this morning to rain and had to scramble to clean up out there. I had left tools and other junk scattered all over from my weekend of work so I just spent my morning trying to get cleaned up. I'll try to get them cleaned up and post some pics asap. Thanks though. I feel like I'm doing ok for an amateur.

 

[SugarRay8]

You’re doing great, nothing amateur about it, well maybe leaving the tools outside.

 

[IRON MAIDEN]

It was more of a bonehead move than anything. Got caught up in this spring like weather we have been enjoying and didn't bother looking at the weather report. Anyway, was able to get them cleaned up and ready for the final welds. I don't plan on grinding the last welds down so I'm gonna let my buddy have at em' so they look good. I'm still too inconsistant and will screw them up. ; )

 

[bob w]

Just weld the darn things. Your welding and all your other work looks excellent.

 

[SugarRay8]

Just weld the darn things. Your welding and all your other work looks excellent.

^^^What he said^^^

 

[earthman]

X3 [cl

 

[Jimmy Wallbanger]

I was gonna ask if your buddy the pro welder was doing those beads cause they look great

 

[IRON MAIDEN]

He did some and I did some. I'm sure you can tell whos is whos ; )
I'm a great tack welder ; )

 

[IRON MAIDEN]

Got the mounts finished off today. Also filled in all the holes on the back of the frame from the aftermarket bumper that was on the truck. I'm stoked on how they came out. Now I need to get the bed back on and get the thing tilting ; )

 

[IRON MAIDEN]

 

[IRON MAIDEN]

Good day today. Made some good progress. The bed frame is finish welded and fits great. We had to make a couple adjustments along the way but it ended up exactly as I hoped. Everything is square and level. Not sure how that happened!!! We have the bed clamped to the frame right now just so we can position the rear back in the truck but it seems to be right where it needs to be welded or bolted in place. I have some channel I bought to use as the crossmembers for the wood planks. As it sits, they will allow the wood to just clear the humps in the truck frame and be level in the the bed sides. Again, not sure how that happened ; ) Believe me, i was scratching my head all day as we were doing this and it ened up dead on. I need to find some bolt on rubber pads for the front of the bed frame to rest on. I spaced it off the frame 1/2" so I hope i can find some this size. We scrambled to get it back on the truck after we pulled it all off to finish weld it. Gotta tell you, my buddy and I were grinning ear to ear when we tilted it up the first time. You have to love when a plan comes together like you invisioned it in your head. Kids were less impressed by our mini achievement. They said cool and ran back off to play???? Oh well, I bet they brag about what I created to their friends at some point in their life ; )

Lining up the frame for the crossmember that will support the rear mounts.

Tacked in but I didn't like how it sat. Plus there was little room for the fastener under the frame. So we ended up cutting it back out and moving it.

Relocated crossmember and welds finished off.

A look at my converted HD shackle hangers/spring hangers. Now bed mounts/pivots.

 

[IRON MAIDEN]

All bolted and clamped in and ready for its fiirst tilt.....

 

[IRON MAIDEN]

 

[Tim...Ok]

looks great, that'll come in really handy for haulin gravel

 

[IRON MAIDEN]

Actually, it will be to make those inboard brakes easier to deal with. And to show off the IRS.

 

[rainman]

Could put an actuator on it raise it to automatically!!

 

[earthman]

More nice work

 

[Snake Farm]

Ooooh, like'n the tilt bed![cl[cl[cl

 

[Sam_Fear]

That's great!