71 Wheeling Rig

There probably are, but we're in the sticks and "town" is over an hour round trip for me. I'm also using this as an excuse to learn some fab skills, so I'll figure out a way to get it done at home just for the challenge.

 

Thanks, and yeah, that's really the crux of the problem. I should have gotten 16 gauge. At least this will be plenty strong when it's done.

 

16 still seems heavy, 18-20 would be my target with steel..... But hey you could throw a recovery point on the shroud somewhere...

 

I would do stich cuts at the bends, and if you have a torch set, heat it up. With what you are doing, I would not worry about hat making the metal weaker.

 

what could possibly go wrong?

 

But the grill support rods will mount to it! It needs to be STOUT.

 

.188 wall 1.5" DOM grill support rods... tied into the cage..... Think Varg.....

 

Now we're talkin'. The fan shroud should be a critical part of the chassis structure.

 

Can you post up a pic of your setup?

 

Back at it with a plan.

Time to cut a bunch of slots:


All additional folds perforated:


After some quick cleanup with the flapper wheel, it's time to fold. The small flange was super easy, but it wasn't that bad before perforating:


The real test is a larger piece. After figuring out how/where to clamp it and adding some leverage....


...it folds smooth as butter! Perforations for the win! :


When you already have a few bends in the way It takes some thought about how to clamp for the next bend:


One more to go:


Test fitting to mark the center of the fan. Seems to fit well:




I've had a cool Eastwood circle guide for years that I've never used. I figured I'd whip that out and cut the fan opening in no time. Nope, the hole in the tool was too small for the Miller plasma cutter cup so I had to grind it out with a die grinder:


Then the rod was literally 1/4" short of the radius I needed. Amazingly, I had a chunk of rusty 6mm rod in the scrap bin. With some threads added to one end, we're in business:


Tada!:


And test fitting. I need to trim some clearance for the power steering pulley nub, but it's looking good. I'm going to make a continuation piece that bolts to the bottom of the shroud and completes the circle. I also need to make some brackets for the cowl braces:

 

well done.

 

So now the question is do I weld up all the slots on the folds and grind it smooth or do I leave the slots as a conversation piece? Post folding, they are all sealed up, so it's not a functional air leakage issue.

I'm kind of inclined to leave them. It's less work and they look sort of cool.

 

I’d leave them.






Then they’d bother me, and I’d go back and weld them.

 

Hahahaha.

 

I would smooth it with a flap disc and leave it. Then make up a story about why the perfs are there. ....."it adds the flex needed for extreme trails I run"

 

I don't mind the slots.

 

And only after you've already painted it, of course.