General Tech What did you work on Today?

[zmotorsports]

I haven’t been in the shop much over the past ten days or so but I had to get my wife’s car serviced yesterday morning so we could bring dinner in to my in-laws in the afternoon.

For starters I was able to try out my new GRYPMAT that I received from my Secret Santa last week on another forum that I belong to. I think I’ll like these.

I racked the Acura so I could drain fluids and rotate tires.

While fluids were draining I fabricated a small shelf for my battery chargers to get them up off if my drawers and make them a bit more tidy looking. This was the last shop related item on my white board at this time and I wanted it complete before the end of the year.

Once again, I utilized scrap metal from my supply so zero out of pocket cost on the shelf.

After finishing the shelf installation, filling the car with fluids, torqued the wheels on, vacuumed and wiped the interior down I swept up the shop and gave it a good cleaning so it was ready to go into 2020.

Before closing up the shop I stopped at the door and looked around at just how far it has come over the past couple of years since constructing it. I think it is ready for the new year.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe and prosperous New Year and is able to get quality time in their shops working on projects in 2020.

Mike

 

[rholbrook]

Tell us about the two pictures on the wall from the magazines

 

[zmotorsports]

Tell us about the two pictures on the wall from the magazines

January 1997 when my 1940 Street Rod/race car was featured in Street Rodder magazine and Jan/Feb 2010 issue when a couple of our sand toys were featured in Sand Sports magazine.

Mike

 

[moab_cj5]

I had a few projects I wanted to complete on Saturday. The first was getting my wheel spacers off my Land Cruiser so I can service the parking brake and run the truck without them to see if I like the feel and hopefully eliminate my tire rubbing issue until I can convince my wife I NEED a new suspension on the truck. I tried removing them a couple of months ago, but gave up when they wouldn't budge and I didn't have time to really fight them. I did buy a slide hammer and axle puller at that time, but the puller wouldnt reach the studs over the hub, so I knew I needed to build my own attachment for the slide hammer.

Spacer unbolted but firmly adhered to the hub:


I dug into my scrap metal and found some pieces that would work for my homemade puller. I had previously bent these tabs for some other project, but the holes were too small to fit over the studs, so I grabbed my stepped bit and opened them up a bit.


I attached them to the spacer, then held a piece of angle iron over them and tack welded them together.


I pulled it off and threw it back in the vice to finish welding it together. Don't judge my crappy welds, they don't have to be pretty to work...


Once it cooled off, I found the center and drilled a hole for the slide hammer to attach, then gave it a go on the drivers side. 2 or 3 hits and the spacer came off! I was stoked!




I moved to the passenger side with high hopes it would come right off too. Alas, it was not going to be so easy... I tried 10 slides with the hammer without budging the spacer. I hit it with PB blaster, swore a whole lot, gave it a minute to penetrate, then grabbed a pitman arm puller from my tool box and tried constant pressure. I stacked some scrap metal and pinned it against the axe shaft so I could spread the point load and avoid damaging the axle shaft.


All that managed to do was bend the angle iron. I pulled it off and grabbed some more scrap angle iron and welded it on the inside of my new tool to reinforce the center section. After more swearing and a bit of time for the metal to cool, I drilled the center hole in the newly added material and went back to work. I sprayed a bit more PB Blaster on it, then went at it with the slide hammer again. With no progress still, I laid into it with a tapestry of profanity that is likely still lingering over the Great Salt Lake.

Feeling frustrated, i grabbed my small sledge and starting hitting the outside of my tool to see if rotational force could break it loose. A few strikes and then a few on the end to maybe get it started, I hit it again with the slide hammer. I noticed 1/16th in of progress and had renewed hope! I took the tool off and put it on 2 different studs and repeated the blows. I also started using the handle of the slide hammer as a puller, tightening it against the axle before sliding the hammer out with both hands. After slow progress, the damn thing FINALLY broke loose and slid off.


It was a freaking chore, but it's done. IF i decide to put the spacers back on, I will clean them up really well and coat the hub in antisieze to make it easier to get them off next time.

As for homemade tools, they don't have to be pretty to work...

 

[moab_cj5]

My next project on the Cruiser was figuring out the air leak to the rear locker. I started by buying everything (I thought) I would need to get it repaired from @cruiseroutfit at Cruiser Outfitters. Best customer service around!


First, the easy diagnosis, the airline. I ran a new line from the compressor to the locker quick and dirty to see if that was the problem... Nope, that would have been too easy. Into the diff I went.

After asking some friends lots of questions (thanks again for the help!) I pulled the axles out. I drained the fluid and then pulled the 3rd.




It was very evident where the leak was, the copper line had made contact with the ring gear.




This was the only part I hadn't bought, so my progress stopped dead in its tracks.


I'll pick this up today and hopefully have it back together tonight, being careful not to crush the new copper line when I install it to avoid the same outcome.

 

[Gawynz]

My brother blew up a manual hub in his jeep last fall while spinning up a slick hill. He picked up a set of Yukon drive flanges for his Dana 60 with 30 spline outers. The first side swapped out easy as expected, but when swapping out the broken hub side we found it wasn't just the hub... Not only did it destroy the outer but it swelled/oblonged the spindle simultaneously breaking the outer spindle nut and stretching the spindle lock washer and inner nut around the spindle to the point they had to be cut out.

 

[mbryson]

I haven’t been in the shop much over the past ten days or so but I had to get my wife’s car serviced yesterday morning so we could bring dinner in to my in-laws in the afternoon.

For starters I was able to try out my new GRYPMAT that I received from my Secret Santa last week on another forum that I belong to. I think I’ll like these.

....

Santa brought me one of those. Looking forward to using it! It looks very handy.


I didn't do this today but this was completed late last week.

Nice that I can get to the backyard and move my trailer around. I'm not in "love" with the angle that I'm parking my trailer on at this time but when we do final grade this spring, I'll have them move any/all extra fill to this area and make a much better transition to the natural landscape. Probably needs at least 3-4 dump truck loads of dirt there to fill and then a good coating of gravel over the top.

In the 2nd pic, you can see the base of the 10x16 garden shed I'll be working on (apparently in the snow?) the next couple days. Thanks to all for the deals on materials to build. I should only need to pay retail for shed siding. After doing the base by hand/impact driver, I bought a compressor/framing nail gun to finish the rest with some birthday cash. I think I'll get a bit of use out of both going fwd. I'll have a couple of rooms in the new house to do some work in and a garage to put together.

 

[Greg]

My brother blew up a manual hub in his jeep last fall while spinning up a slick hill. He picked up a set of Yukon drive flanges for his Dana 60 with 30 spline outers. The first side swapped out easy as expected, but when swapping out the broken hub side we found it wasn't just the hub... Not only did it destroy the outer but it swelled/oblonged the spindle simultaneously breaking the outer spindle nut and stretching the spindle lock washer and inner nut around the spindle to the point they had to be cut out.

View attachment 124256

Is he running a Detroit locker in the front by chance? If so, you'll probably want to do more disassembly and diagnosis. It seems that the shock loading from the shaft exploding will destroy the Detroit locker, too. Just ask @Shawn .... he's been there, done that. IIRC he replaced the shaft, thinking the vehicle was good to go and didn't realize it was broken until the next trail run.

 

[glockman]

Found these at nps.
Scratch finding the 10mm off the list.

 

[Jinx]

Is he running a Detroit locker in the front by chance? If so, you'll probably want to do more disassembly and diagnosis. It seems that the shock loading from the shaft exploding will destroy the Detroit locker, too. Just ask @Shawn .... he's been there, done that. IIRC he replaced the shaft, thinking the vehicle was good to go and didn't realize it was broken until the next trail run.

x2 it is worth checking out.

Greg-
We both watched that happen, (the day I met you!)

 

[Gawynz]

@Greg and @Jinx, he's running an ARB up front, thanks for the advise we'll look into it.

 

[Hickey]

We spent Sunday at our property celebrating the New Year with a sacrifice to the pagan gods. Also, we did some kayaking and high class cooking.

https://www.facebook.com/1527589265/posts/10220914185914222

 

[zmotorsports]

That looks like a fun filled day Jeremy.

Mike

 

[jeeper]

It’s dark and cold outside.. but I finished.

Now I just have to rip out the 6’ tall cinder block wall behind it

I am actually a little under impressed with the gates. They have about 6 inches of wiggle I can get out of them at the latch side. Instead of letting them sag and rest on the ground, I made the latches hold them in the air a tiny bit to keep it square. I may add a cable across the back to stiffen them up.

 

[Pile of parts]

Nice job. I'd like to see details on how you did your removable center post.

 

[skippy]

I got my fuel cell and seat mounted on new years day. Its finally starting to look like a car

 

[XJEEPER]

I have a LIfetime plastic shed that has ZERO capacity for the shelves it came with so I made a free standing shelf rack (thanks for the metal @Cody )

Trying out the new Fab Squares:

View attachment 122326

After paint:
View attachment 122325

and in place:
View attachment 122327

I need to fab some shelves for my shed as well. BTW, Lifetime makes aluminum corner caps that snap over the shed corners where they ultimately split open. Just contact their Customer Service dept and give them the shed model and they send the corners to you for FREE!

 

[Gravy]

@skippy are those Jesse's Hummer portals? They look rad!

 

[Bart]

Wow, that is looking great Ryan.

 

[skippy]

@skippy are those Jesse's Hummer portals? They look rad!

yes they are JHF portals (aka hummv 12k portal boxes)