The BAD AST Project - Faze II

[Tig]

Awesome job Mark.
Those brackets look great. The JJs are huge.
Do you have a link for them and the inserts?
Thanks man, I appreciate it.

Keep up the great work.

Sam

[astroracer]

Hey Sam,
The JJ'S are Currie stuff. http://www.currieenterprises.com/ces...s.aspx?id=1232 I did some looking around and Currie had the best prices.
Thanks for the compliment, much appreciated. I will be hauling the brackets and gussets up to Kawkawlin tomorrow morning to stick them on the housing.

[Bjkadron]

...I will be hauling the brackets and gussets up to Kawkawlin tomorrow morning to stick them on the housing.

Lick and stick works for suspension parts?

Just kidding, All your stuff looks great!

[Tig]

Hey Sam,
The JJ'S are Currie stuff. http://www.currieenterprises.com/ces...s.aspx?id=1232 I did some looking around and Currie had the best prices.
Thanks for the compliment, much appreciated. I will be hauling the brackets and gussets up to Kawkawlin tomorrow morning to stick them on the housing.

Thanks Mark, I appreciate the info/link.
No problem man, everything is really coming along quite nicely. Looking forward to your updates.

[astroracer]

Just a bit of an update. Haven't been getting a lot done because the build is to a point where things just don't go as quick. Today and last Sunday were spent working with Pat McCarthy of McCarthy Performance in Kawkawlin, MI. We have been installing the 4 link brackets on the 9" and getting it ready for narrowing. His shop is an hour and fifeteen minute drive north for me so we do as much as we can in a day. It took two full days to get all of the brackets installed but I'll tell you right now they are right and won't be falling off any time soon.
Here are a few pics from the two days we spent on the brackets.
Last Sunday we got the two sets of upper brackets installed and called it quits about 4 or so.

I had cut all of the brackets for the 3.25 dia. tube.... We had to do some "finagaling" with the two inside plates to get them on the "square" shoulder of the punkin.

This took some time as they also had to sit square and still line up with the outer plates.

We did good. After welding the bolts slide out easily.

Today was spent sticking on the lowers.

These went pretty quick compared to the uppers. No "finagaling" to do...



Here is a couple pics of the 3rd member. Yukon case and gears, TrueTrac, HD pinion support and a 1350 yoke


Things are coming together. Just slowly...
Thanks for looking
Mark

[wellis77]

Looking good Mark!

[JBCO]

Good stuff -- project is coming along!

[astroracer]

Thanks guys!
Mel was over today and we got most of the rear suspension brackets fabricated. We left them in a rough state for the mnost part. I really don't want to finish them up until I have the housing back in the shop and get it hung on the 4 link.
These are the frame brackets for the panhard bar. We still have to cut the clearance pockets (the white layout lines) for the rails but we won't do that till the rear is actually in place. Because these brackets "live" on the frame kickup the cuts need to be in the right spot to control height.

These are the housing brackets. They will be welded to the left side lower bar/shock/panhard bracket after the housing is hung.

This is the outer frame gusset for the panhard bar. It is "kind of" fit to the bottom of the rail but there is room to play. You can see my layout lines on the rail. These were laid in from the front 4 bar mounting hole to establish the panhard bar bracket location.

Here is a mock up shot of the housing bracket. The round tube will eventually pick up the housing itself to triangulate the PHB brkt.

Inside the PHB brkt is a box section to help carry the loads generated by the triangulation bar. This whole mess will be welded directly to the lower bar bracket.

We got a lot done. Mel is heading to Florida tomorrow for two weeks so I'll be going it alone for a while... Lots to do though.
I will start building the 4 link bars tomorrow. I will keep you all updated.
Thanks for looking
Mark

[linkstar69]

Great project mate. Coming from Australia I can really appreciate you designing and making your own parts. We've always had a much smaller aftermarket over here.

[irregal83]

Awesome project, great fabrication.... cant wait to see this tank on the ground!

[astroracer]

Thanks alot guys! Brisbane... wow! That's on my bucket list.
This week hasn't gotten much done in the shop. I have the 4 link bars detailed up and the material for the lower bars came in Monday. Last night after work I had an old filling replaced so I just took it easy waiting for the numb to wear off...
Tomorrow night I will get the bars cut and notched and probably weld up the lowers. The upper bars need some lathe time to open them up for the threaded bungs. I will take them up to Pat and we'll chuck them up in his big lathe. My lathes only have a 3/4" bore.
Mark

[astroracer]

I ordered the rear caliper brackets for the 9" last night from Kore 3. Tobin got them in the mail for me so they are on their way!
Thanks bud! Appreciate it!
Mark

[astroracer]

Last Saturday was spent in Kawkawlin wrapping up the housing mods. This time Pat and I finished up the narrowing, getting the bearing ends welded back on and figuring out axle lengths.
I will be ordering axles this week.

We also borrowed his neighbors lathe to bore out the upper bars to except the weld bungs I got from Currie.
Bored out bars and bungs... The upper bars are 1.5" OD

Brought everything home Saturday afternoon. Finished housing and brand new Yukon 3rd member.
I stopped at Withers steel on my way home and picked up a 24 x 36 piece of 3/8ths steel to start building a "Big Boy" welding bench. I also picked up a 4 ft piece of 1 " OD x 1/8 wall DOM for the panhard bar.
Sunday I spent hurting my back unloading all of that steel. (If you have never juggled a freshly built 3rd member you are missing out on a fun time) I got the upper bars built. Cut to length, fishmouthed and tack welded.
Fitting the bushing sleeve.

Tonight I got the lowers cut out, fishmouthed, beveled and tacked.

That's a tape measure for scale...

Tomorrow afternoon I am taking the bars out to EVI so Brett can weld them for me. I REALLY need to learn this TiG stuff better...
Thanks for looking at my junk
Mark

[wellis77]

Looking good Mark!

[Bryce]

Beefie!

[astroracer]

Beefie!

Yes they are... I think they are probably too beefy... Oh well. I know I will not have to worry about these dudes breaking. Not gonna happen. The guys at EVI liked them. Brett welded them up for me this afternoon and they look beautiful! I will get pics up later.

[astroracer]

Last night I started setting the housing up for some additional welding. I have to add the back plates to the 4 link brackets and I started fleshing out the panhard bar mount/gusset. I bent up a piece of 1 1/4 dia. dom to build the gusset. This will tie the bracket into the back of the housing to limit side/side deflection.
I will post up some pics as soon as I get a new battery for the shop camera. :(
I ordered axles from Moser this morning. I hope to have most of the rear suspension complete by Sunday afternoon.

[astroracer]

Got some work done this past weekend. We were making more brackets... Lower shock brackets and a couple of extensions that I added to the rear axle shock brackets so I can use my 6" inch travel Vari-Shocks in the rear.
We also got the rear axle mocked into place. Clamped some scrap tubing to the frame and set the axle on that to get the height established.



I cleaned up and painted the 4 link bars tonight. I used Rustoleum primer and "Hammer" gray. I think they look pretty good for a rattlecan job.

I masked off the monoballs rather than take everything apart.

I'll get some better pics when they are dry and I can lay them down.
Thanks for looking
Mark

[SecondGenFan]

The creativity here does not cease to amaze me. That thing is going to be sic! Keep your head in the project and your eye on the prize. It should get alot of double & triple looks when she rollin down the road!

[astroracer]

The creativity here does not cease to amaze me. That thing is going to be sic! Keep your head in the project and your eye on the prize. It should get alot of double & triple looks when she rollin down the road!

Thank you sir, your compliments are very much appreciated! Keeping my nose to the grindstone is the plan. I want to have BadAst drivable by the first of the year. NOT that it will be driven... First of the year here in Michigan usually means snow... But we'll see.
I got a UPS notice last night! My axles will be delivered "by end of day" TODAY! Odered them from Moser Thursday morning and they were shipped Monday afternoon!
I am going to start finishing up the welding on the chassis tonight and should be able to wrap that up tomorrow night.
I hope to have the rear suspension set up this weekend (painting the Bars so I can install the poly bushings is part of the plan). She is coming together, slowly. I am in the process of planning fuel, brake and battery lines. I need to get the chassis under the van to get the body brackets placed. That will start this weekend. Once that is done I will get a heavy coat of primer on the chassis and start building anti-roll bars. Lots to do! No lollygagging allowed!
Thanks for looking at my junk.
Mark