SWEET! build 
would it be posible to use a mig welder ?
would it be posible to use a mig welder ?
Wedge/Tube Tunnel backcountry sled lots of pics
- Thread starter NINJIN
- Start date
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NINJIN
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SWEET! build
would it be posible to use a mig welder ?
I dont think i would ever do it with a mig welder. For one thing at least with the .5inch tube its very difficult to get perfect tube fits as I have had to notch all the tube by hand with a die grinder. So its very nice to use the tig welder with a pedal to be able to very heat to fill bigger gaps without blowing threw. Also with the pedal you can slowly taper the heat of at the end of the welds and keeps it from leaving a little dimple at the end. I just don't think you would be able to get good penetration with the mig and not have it blow holes in the tube. Also with the tig I use the high frequency start so you don't end up with scratch start marks all over everything. I am certainly no professional on this. I am just a 21 year old going to school for mechanical engineering. Its just my opinion on it from my experiences and talking to a guy I know that builds nasty asphalt sleds with chro-moly and sometimes ti chassis's.
Thanks everyone for all the comments on this thing. As I said i am only 21 years old, I am trying to get an early start on some intense sled projects lol. This very much has been an experiment for me and there are plenty of things I will do different the next time around. Also I have a limited budget being in college. In hindsight I could have just bought a VE tunnel to replace my mangled one and have been done with it, but i think i will really have something special and very unique. I will take great pride in being able to say yeah, I built this sled, the tunnel, trailing arms, radius rods, steering post and built the engine.
Sorry this was long. Thanks again all. There will be plenty more to come as soon as I get home from school again.
My motivation came from spending alot of time in this guys shop. Builds amazing stuff http://pcsperformance.com/
Very cool. There are a lot of machines on the hill that are built by mastercard. Not that that's bad, but nowhere near as neat as one off customs.
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NINJIN
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thanks!
yeah i hope it will be awesome to ride. Should be. I need to get my hands on some scales to weigh it when its all said and done. I dont really want to make any guesses on what it will weigh. I just know it will be quite alot less then stock.
Its absolutely killing me being away at school and not being able to be at my shop 4+ hours a day working on it. Hopefully will get to go home this weekend to get more done and take alot of pics.
thanks again everyone
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NINJIN
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alot more pics 10-24-09
Got a bunch done today....Made steering posts and trailing arms for myne and my buddies sled with him helping out a ton. Really happy with how everything was turning out. Got the skid almost all together for final assembly. Got a piece of aluminum bent up for the inside of the tunnel, still need to trim it a lot. At the end of a 15 hour day at it i got it sitting on the ground with the front and rear suspension in.
Got a bunch done today....Made steering posts and trailing arms for myne and my buddies sled with him helping out a ton. Really happy with how everything was turning out. Got the skid almost all together for final assembly. Got a piece of aluminum bent up for the inside of the tunnel, still need to trim it a lot. At the end of a 15 hour day at it i got it sitting on the ground with the front and rear suspension in.
Very nice work ninjin, where did you get the Tapered Pieces you welded to the end of the control rods and the end of the trailing arms that the Heim Joints thread in to?
Good Job, Wildcard28
Good Job, Wildcard28
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NINJIN
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yeah that is where I got them have gotten all the chromoly and stuff there....
Awesome. Makes me want to go fire up my welder. Very cool.
Sled is looking great! The pics got me off my *** finally, as I am building up one also. I am a bit behind you (quite a bit), I just got the peices cut to graft onto the bulkhead. I was going for a straight steer tube as well, but was going to cut the welds on the pitman arm, and stop bracket to reuse them, I think I'll just go your route now, lot easier! Keep posting the pics!
sweet,looking forward to more progress...Im impressed
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NINJIN
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be prepared to spend alot of time with it lol I probably have a solid day worth of just welding in what you see I have done. But well worth it nonetheless
Yeah it worked out pretty decent just cutting it up a couple of inches from the bottom support. Then weld the tube on. Then put in the notcher and leveled the arm with the notcher and cut the notch for the t top. Still got to put some small gussets on the t post.
Thanks its flattering all the comments i have gotten on this thing.....
What type of filler rod are you using?
If you have access to a little drill/mill, use a 1/2 inche endmill, and cut the fish mouths with that.
What percentage of weight drop, would you expect from a tube chassis, versus a stock one?
Looking good.
If you have access to a little drill/mill, use a 1/2 inche endmill, and cut the fish mouths with that.
What percentage of weight drop, would you expect from a tube chassis, versus a stock one?
Looking good.
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NINJIN
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er70-s2 same thing most use for regular carbon steel.
Yeah i wish i had a mill cause that is certainly what i would have done to notch the tubes.
dont know about an exact percentage, i think i will be loosing somewhere in the neighborhood of 25-30lbs just in the tunnel compared to the stock tunnel. Lost over 10 lbs with the chrom front suspension. Lb or so in the steering post. Pipes are suposed to be 8 lbs lighter then the single. Oil delete, lexan hood was nearly 20lbs off from the stock hood. PLastic skiis are obviously alot lighter then the metal stock ones. The new skid is 15 lbs lighter then the previous 133.5 skid. The stock xlt sks was rated at 497lbs so by those estimates on weight loss could put it at 400lbs or so. True test is when it gets put on a scale all together....
Usually its not only about the weight loss - it is but it isn't. Yes tube chassis' are lighter, but they are so much stronger as well. When I stand on mine, there is absolutely no flex in the running boards. They are so much more responsive to the touch, because they don't flex at all either. You lean and it leans - you carve, it carves, etc. The power is usually transferred a little better as well, since the bulkhead does not twist and flex as much, keeping things better aligned.
I think I dropped about 15 lbs off the chassis, but like Ninjin, I removed the oil injection, lighter parts, drilled some holes, mesh hood, etc etc etc. My sled weighs 487 lbs full of gas, ready to ride.
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NINJIN
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yeah you a very rite, its not just being light, its also the strength. Even with the small 1/2 tube i am using it is extremly rugged.
some food for thought.....
4130 has a yield strength of 70-85,000 psi and a tensile strength of 85-110,000psi
6061 aluminum has a yield strength of 35,000psi and 45,000psi tensile strength
1020 carbon steel has a yield strength of 35,000psi and a 55,000psi tensile strength.
just shows the huge strength advantage the chromoly has.
That sled will be sweet when its finished! Good job.........
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