D.I.Y. Car Trailer Do-Over!

I got these pieces of channel from a friend. Just needed some cutting and welding to match the other parts.
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A little 3lb persuasion and a C-clamp and the heavy flange came right into place.
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I guess I can still see good enough to weld, until the cold fogs everything up.
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Then I cleaned up all the flame cut parts I got from a friend and welded them together.
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Of course, then I had to do it all over again. You can see the massive 18" snow fall they predicted for my area.
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Next step is to clean up the back of the trailer frame and get these pieces welded and gusseted in place. Once I flip the trailer back over, they will be covered in the dreaded Diamond Plate.
Thanks for looking.
 
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Today I got the back of the trailer cleaned up and built up to take the new Dove Tails. eventually the entire deck will be widened almost a foot. So I had to move the doves tails out to where the new edge of the deck will be.
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They look almost too low to the ground. Like too much angle.
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But in reality, with a string line, the are in the same plane as both axles. The next picture is upside down to get a better idea of the angle.
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I might still cut about 1/4" a notch and bring them up a tad before welding on the dreaded diamond plate.
More deck plating is needed, so I guess my garden tool shed will have to sacrifice it's ramp for the trailer project.
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I did find a guy in Reno that has Diamond plate for sale in all sizes and shapes. I'm looking to get 4 - 6in. wide pieces 8 Ft long for the extra width of the trailer deck. @Stakebed Joe must think I died and went to heaven

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rocket said:
Today I got the back of the trailer cleaned up and built up to take the new Dove Tails. eventually the entire deck will be widened almost a foot. So I had to move the doves tails out to where the new edge of the deck will be.
View attachment 158734View attachment 158735
They look almost too low to the ground. Like too much angle.
View attachment 158736
But in reality, with a string line, the are in the same plane as both axles. The next picture is upside down to get a better idea of the angle.
View attachment 158738
I might still cut about 1/4" a notch and bring them up a tad before welding on the dreaded diamond plate.
More deck plating is needed, so I guess my garden tool shed will have to sacrifice it's ramp for the trailer project.
View attachment 158739
I did find a guy in Reno that has Diamond plate for sale in all sizes and shapes. I'm looking to get 4 - 6in. wide pieces 8 Ft long for the extra width of the trailer deck. @Stakebed Joe must think I died and went to heaven

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
View attachment 158740
Click to expand...
I think your version of heaven will be unlimited steel, welding wire and projects.
 
Mrs. Google says, "all the smoke" is most often used to mean ready to take on any challenge. It is the same as saying “Bring it on!” ... don't run from competition, run towards it.

So maybe the mochine was telling you in some postmodern terminology to get ready for the, wait for it, grind!
 
5JeepsAz said:
Mrs. Google says, "all the smoke" is most often used to mean ready to take on any challenge. It is the same as saying “Bring it on!” ... don't run from competition, run towards it.

So maybe the mochine was telling you in some postmodern terminology to get ready for the, wait for it, grind!
Click to expand...
don't run from competition, run towards it.

Is that like the military training you to "Run Towards the Gunfire"?:cool:
 
rocket said:
don't run from competition, run towards it.

Is that like the military training you to "Run Towards the Gunfire"?:cool:
Click to expand...
Your the racer, but it seems like once you get out in front, you run away from it? In any case, surely more to grind before this thing is road worthy. Question. Is it going to be paint matched to a vehicle, and if so, what's your way of doing that one?
 
With the combination of having two colds/flu bugs with the same symptoms back-to-back, and the snow and rain, I haven't done much in the shop in a month. I finally felt good enough to today to cutout the axle clearance recesses in the frame rails. I laid out the axle centers and area I wanted to cut. Then un-bolted all the shackles and moved the axles out of the way.
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Next I will cut lengths of 1/4" by 2" flat stock and weld it back in. This will give me an extra inch or axle clearance and if a shackle or spring should break the axle will be restrained. I stopped by Tractor Supply, and they had their Tractor, Truck and Implement Oil Based Enamel paint on sale for $54.00 a gallon so they got my money instead of Home Depot and Rust-Oleum.
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Once I get the last welding done, I'll clean up with Lap Sanding disc and get some paint on the frame under and around the axles and springs. I got new Shackles, bolts and equalizers for when it finally goes together.

I've been having some EVAP issues with a couple of our more modern cars, usually gas caps. But sometimes Vacuum leaks can be a bear to find. My son told me about a Mason Jar EVAP Smoke Tester he saw on U-Tube. So I made one today. Short big mouth jar with an old solder gun in the middle with air inlet and smoke outlet. Soak a rag in Baby oil or Mineral oil and the jar fills with smoke. Low Volume/Low Pressure air, either regulated from compressor or even a bicycle pump pushes the smoke out the outlet and into the vacuum port of the engine spreading it throughout the EVAP system, making it easy to find the leaks. When I get a chance to try it I'll post results.
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I've got another project coming up. My 12-year-old grandson asked for a Propane Forge for Christmas. I bought him a 50 LB anvil and a 3 LB short handle sledge hammer. A few day ago, I found a forge here in town that a father / son built while streaming Forged in Fire. The son is now off to college and the fire brick and mortar are starting to crack. I got the forge with 2 burners hoses, a pair of heavy welding gloves, a nice set of tongs and a nice leather apron for a C note.
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When we tried to move it, it started to fall apart, so I figured it would be easier to just take it completely apart for transport in the bed of my truck. I guess I could mortar it back together and encase it in Diamond Plate. I know how to do that. ;)

The idea all along is to cut open a large industrial O2 bottle, or maybe a 100lb propane tank into a 24" tube and line it with Ceramic Wool and 3,000 degree mortar. With wool and mortar lined doors hinged on each end and the propane burners mounted on the top. 4 - 3/4" pipe couplings welded to the bottom with 36" pipes screwed in make it the right height and portable.


 
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Ok mr Rocket man.
Would you please take a break and entertain us with a photo of Makayla's "First Day" on snow Skis. ?
I can't remember her age, but what a treat for her. Her dad, Jon, is going to have a good ski-bunnie in no time. hahaha
I've been in "heaven-on-earth" skiing with my only grand child, Layla, the 6-yr old ski bunnie (and on skis).

The Smoker is cool, and I've never smoke tested an evap system yet. That would be a new frontier for Greaser.
Speaking of Grease: I haven't cleaned the engine bay of my cj-7 since the 2023 RFTH weekend.
and
It is good to hear you are feeling like you've kicked the crud again.
Geeze, does the trailer weigh more than the Willys ?
What to do:
Trailer a Willys
or
Flat tow a Willys

It is a real toss up., but i guess for the "Long-Towing" (not long covid) maybe the trailer is best, and saves the hastle of towing lights and such.
 
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I guess at some point, I may have to create a FB account. :(
No, I wasn't able to 'see' the video's, and thank you for posting them Rodney.

The DIY "Do-Over" on the trailer is coming along nicely.
I liked your weld beads on the Dove Tails. No clean-up grinding necessary. :)
And too, Cudo's on re-furbing the commentator on the grinder to give it a "second" or "fourth" life. LoL (the smoker).

So, I went out today, and bolted the top back down on the cj-7, and put the air cleaner back on an it fired up like it thought we were headed out. Ha, near April Fools. Think I'll bust it out maybe this weekend and let it run for a short sprint. That amc 304 simply amazes me.
As I was laying under it today, I was amazed at all of the patching performed over the years, and the linkeage I had fabbed up when I has installed the T-18 way back in 1983. Maybe because I am still running the original clutch and disc, I haven't abused it enough. hahaha
In actuality, the gearing of the 6:1 low winds up being very easy on clutches, because not much slipping required to move slow.

That RED tractor paint is going to look pretty sharp and "Newish". You'll have a happy trailer and tow-ee.
Once completed you may not have to carry Three Spares. :)
 
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