My Custom Built Trac/Torque Bar

fifesjeep

This is a pic of the Torque Bar that I made for the Jeep... Don't bust on me too hard about the internal bracing... I know I should've angled/trianglated them...
All together this probably took about 3 to 3 1/2" hours to make... The milling went fast, (The set-up/break down took the longest)... The Chop-saw cut straight and fast... the welding probably took the second longest...

Let me know you people think..

Materials Used:
1 5/8" O.D. x 1/4" thick walled Tubing
1" O.D. x Either .187" or .200" thick walled tubing
1/4" Plate Steel
1/8" Plate Steel
7018 Welding Rods

jeepsr4ever

Thats looks awesome!!

fifesjeep

Thanks man!!! It's heavy as a Bitch too... It should be able to take some serious punishment... I guess I'll find out when I slam a few Rocks off of it!!! :lo1l:

jeepsr4ever

fifesjeep wrote
Thanks man!!! It's heavy as a Bitch too... It should be able to take some serious punishment... I guess I'll find out when I slam a few Rocks off of it!!! :lo1l:

Mudrat

Specs?? As in numbers ... I'll need something for the 360+ in the CJ with 44's and a 4.56 locker :wink:

fifesjeep

Materials Used: 1.680" O.D. x 1/4" thick walled Tubing 1.050" O.D. x Either .187" or .200" thick walled tubing 1/4" Plate Steel 1/8" Plate Steel 7018 Welding Rods Grabber Green Paint The Length On the Large Diameter tubing is as follows: Top = 35 1/2" Bottom = 36 1/2" *At the end where the two larger tubes meet I cut the top of the bottom tube to where the Top tube would fit snugly into the bottom tube... Then I welded them together using 7018 Rods at 90-110amps (making sure I had decent penetration)... After both sides were welded I welded on 1/8" plates to both sides. (I would've used 1/4" but didn't feel like Cutting small pieces out of a large sheet). On the ends of the tubing I milled a notch to fit the 1.680" tubing... I Went about half-way or half the thickness of the tubing! The inside material "Supports" are as follows: 1st Support = 1 1/2" 2nd Support = 2 1/2" 3rd support = 3 1/2" *Notch the tops of the "supports" to match the radius of the larger diameter tubing... Once matched, set inside and light tap the "Supports" until they're Snug and then tacked on opposite sides and then ran the beads. The 1/4" Plates that get welded to the axle tube Didn't take much time... I measured my axle OD and then cut the plate steel a little bigger to allow it fit freely... Not snug.... The only problem that I honestly have with this is the ID of the tubing. I haven't found bushings that will just "Fit"... I had to take my older leaf pack that I had laying around and snag the larger bushings out of them... Then I had to bring the bushings to the shop and turn them down to fit... (I had to cut-up brand new BDS Bushings down to 1.200")... No biggie though, it's for a greater cause... :lo1l: Plus the BDS blue matches the Summit Stickers (Blue)... Well, maybe the BDS bushings are a little lighter if you start looking... Anyway, there are my specs... As for the fit on the Jeep... "Tight"... with these lengths etc.. the end that will be shackled will be next to the tranny... above and a little infront of the crossmember.. allowing travel/pivot etc... Hopefully those of you who are looking for a decently cheap do it yourself can use this info.

Mudrat

Well sounds like you have a shop available to "mill" and "turn" in. Since starting this new contract, I don't any more - beside some genius decided to "fix" the auto feed on the mill and now it doesn't work, or even have a handle 🙁:

fifesjeep wrote
Don't bust on me too hard about the internal bracing... I know I should've angled/trianglated them..

That's why they are also called "Ladder Bars" :mrgreen: :t:

fifesjeep

Mudrat wrote
Well sounds like you have a shop available to "mill" and "turn" in. Since starting this new contract, I don't any more - beside some genius decided to "fix" the auto feed on the mill and now it doesn't work, or even have a handle 🙁:

fifesjeep wrote
Don't bust on me too hard about the internal bracing... I know I should've angled/trianglated them..

That's why they are also called "Ladder Bars" :mrgreen: :t:

What's wrong with the auto feed... Which feed... X, Y or Z? Are you missing the plastic/brass gears?... A handle is easy to make... (where are you located at?)

Mudrat

fifesjeep wrote
What's wrong with the auto feed... Which feed... X, Y or Z? Are you missing the plastic/brass gears?... A handle is easy to make... (where are you located at?)

Y axis feed assembly was dissassembled by "Somebody" and lost some parts. Which ones I don't know - I just got the blame. I have a suspicion though - the same guy I caught trying to use an end mill as a drill bit, 'Cause it was the exact size ...'

Funny 'cause, it happened over a weekend, and I was in St. Louis (with an alibi on top of that!!), and why in the hell would I dismember a mill feed???

I live near Ft. Eustis, the office is in Norfolk, and right now I'm working in Chesapeake (BAE Shipyard). 111!!! 111!!! 111!!!

Where are you at?

fifesjeep

"I have a suspicion though - the same guy I caught trying to use an end mill as a drill bit, 'Cause it was the exact size" That's too funny... Plunging in with a 2,3 or 4 flute is alright if it's already pilot drilled... We have a few here in Norfolk that do that.... (Without the pilot hole)... Then when the hole is oversized or fugly looking... or they break the End-Mill they wonder why.... Dumb asses!!! "why in the hell would I dismember a mill feed???" You never know man, Various reasons... We had a couple $h!t themselves so we had to rob Peter to Pay Paul, (Basically). The last millwright left our shop not too long ago and I got his job added o mine because I was Mechanically Inclined so to speak... No biggie, I already fixed a bridgeport.. ball bearing lead screws etc, gibs... Lodge Shipley lathe, rapid traverse... gears... etc... Simple work once you crack them open... Only I have a problem with making the replacements parts A LOT STRONGER :mrgreen: .... [/b]

Mudrat

fifesjeep wrote
mudrat wrote
"why in the hell would I dismember a mill feed???"

You never know man, Various reasons... We had a couple $h!t themselves so we had to rob Peter to Pay Paul, (Basically). The last millwright left our shop not too long ago and I got his job added o mine because I was Mechanically Inclined so to speak... No biggie, I already fixed a bridgeport.. ball bearing lead screws etc, gibs... Lodge Shipley lathe, rapid traverse... gears... etc... Simple work once you crack them open... Only I have a problem with making the replacements parts A LOT STRONGER :mrgreen: ....
[/b]

Not my job to fix the machines... even a brand new mill has a warranty - right? (it was less than 5 months old when the turd did this to me 🙁: ) and so it still sits today, unrepaired, almost a year later (we don't do a lot of production work with it - obviously). But it just boils down to getting permission to use the thing, having someone come in on a weekend that I have off, and open the cage to get the tooling I need, so I can put a wrench over the duct tape and crank the bitch to where I need it - the issue I guess is the auto feed and a second speed gear(?) Either way it's a bitch to use the shop any more because "somebody" screwed up. I can't even get to the Plasma cutter any more :smile: :smile:

fifesjeep

"Not my job to fix the machines" I can understand that BUT, if it'll benefit you later and you'll be able to use it... More power to you.. Trust me, If I can fix something and get it working... you can bet I'll be getting my $h!t machined when I need to.. I guess it also depends on who is in-charge, how things are ran, what's important or not, money, etc etc. In my mind... every machine that is worth fixing should be fixed... Then again working in a production shop.. you need every piece of machinery available... If you need something made or whatever feel free to PM me...

Mudrat

fifesjeep wrote
Trust me, If I can fix something and get it working... you can bet I'll be getting my $h!t machined when I need to..
.. If you need something made or whatever feel free to PM me...

Well ... Where are you???

fifesjeep

Here in Norfolk... A Stone throw away

Mudrat

fifesjeep wrote
Here in Norfolk... A Stone throw away

PM sent - I work on or near NOB every day. In fact, MC and Dave got the grand tour of the base when they stopped by a couple years ago!! :t: