Wing Nut OOA
04-21-2009, 10:26
so i couldnt fork up the 306 and pennies for the happijac system.
i was going camping friday and needed something other than the bed rail tie downs. those'r scary!
i went to the hardware store and bought this material
57" 1x2 .120 wall tubing
14" 1/4x6" flat bar: X2
27" 1/4x6" flat bar: x2
12" 1/4x1-1/4 flat bar
3/8x1" GR8 Bolt: X8 (plus lock washers & flat washers)
1/2x5" GR8 Bolt: X2 (plus lock washers & nuts)
tools needed:
Welder
C-Clamp vice grips
Torch or air grinder (for shaping the tie downs)
Angle head grinder (dressing up cuts)
Vice (bending flat bar)
Drill press
5/16 drill bit
3/8 drill bit
1/2 drill bit
3/8 NC tap
1/2" drive hand drill
*optional 3/8 drill
and appropriate hand tools for tightening all fasteners
i clamped all four peices of 6" flat bar together with the two 27" pieces as the "bread" for the two 14" pieces. make sure they're flush on one end.
drill your 8 holes with the 5/16 bit using this diagram as a reference point
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1733/nonameh.jpg
you'll have to do some guestimation on where to bend the two 27 inch pieces but you'll need the vice and the torch.
there's a picture of the mounted brackes that show how much they were bent.
drill a 5/8 or thereabouts sized hole in the end (centered and about 1" back)
then taper the ends and try to round it off so its even around the 5/8 hole.
tap the 8 holes with the 3/8 tap for the 27" peices.
the 14" peices will need drilled out to 3/8.
to ensure they will bolt up correctly keep the two halves of the 4 pieces together.
mark them which way is the front, top and right and left.
if you dont you'll never get it bolted up.
stick a bolt through each one of the holes of the 14" plate and tack weld a 3/8 washer on each one. (spacers for the ridges in the front of the bed)
weld the 1x2 to the two 14" plates.
as shown in the picture.
centered up and down and the flat bar flush with the outsides of the 1x2
the 1 1/4 flat bar bolts to the bed support NOT THE FRAME!!!
there is no frame under the very front of the bed. just those bed brackets.
figure out where those are side to side.
should be right about where two bed ribs are. i think i measured it at 52 inches. not sure.
bend the flat bar so you have 4" upright and 2" down. you'll need two of those
drill a 1/2 inch hole in the 2" side of things. (put it towards the end so its easier to drill through the bed later.
measure where these go, side to side, and weld them accordingly to the assembled 1x2 and 14" flatbar combo.
set this in the front of the bed and drill through it with the 3/8 bit. make sure you dont move it while you're drilling.
if need be you can drill a couple holes and shove bolts through them to make sure it doesnt shift.
once you've done this you'll need help getting the first bolt started, as the 27" piece is a little hard to manouver by yourself sitting in the bed.
thread one of the inside bolts in. pivot the bracket down and thread an outside bolt in.
dont tighten them. the rest should thread in easily.
i had a couple i couldnt tighten by hand but they went right in with the ratchet.
once this is tight drill through the bed and down through the bed support with the 1/2 inch bit.
bolt together with the 5 inch bolt.
all done.
i havent seen the happijac up close but from what i've seen this is MUCH MUCH stronger.
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/6330/tiedown4.jpg
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/3476/tiedown5.jpg
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/5185/tiedown6.jpg
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/4862/tiedown2.jpg
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/4052/tiedown3.jpg
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/3788/tiedown1.jpg
i was going camping friday and needed something other than the bed rail tie downs. those'r scary!
i went to the hardware store and bought this material
57" 1x2 .120 wall tubing
14" 1/4x6" flat bar: X2
27" 1/4x6" flat bar: x2
12" 1/4x1-1/4 flat bar
3/8x1" GR8 Bolt: X8 (plus lock washers & flat washers)
1/2x5" GR8 Bolt: X2 (plus lock washers & nuts)
tools needed:
Welder
C-Clamp vice grips
Torch or air grinder (for shaping the tie downs)
Angle head grinder (dressing up cuts)
Vice (bending flat bar)
Drill press
5/16 drill bit
3/8 drill bit
1/2 drill bit
3/8 NC tap
1/2" drive hand drill
*optional 3/8 drill
and appropriate hand tools for tightening all fasteners
i clamped all four peices of 6" flat bar together with the two 27" pieces as the "bread" for the two 14" pieces. make sure they're flush on one end.
drill your 8 holes with the 5/16 bit using this diagram as a reference point
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1733/nonameh.jpg
you'll have to do some guestimation on where to bend the two 27 inch pieces but you'll need the vice and the torch.
there's a picture of the mounted brackes that show how much they were bent.
drill a 5/8 or thereabouts sized hole in the end (centered and about 1" back)
then taper the ends and try to round it off so its even around the 5/8 hole.
tap the 8 holes with the 3/8 tap for the 27" peices.
the 14" peices will need drilled out to 3/8.
to ensure they will bolt up correctly keep the two halves of the 4 pieces together.
mark them which way is the front, top and right and left.
if you dont you'll never get it bolted up.
stick a bolt through each one of the holes of the 14" plate and tack weld a 3/8 washer on each one. (spacers for the ridges in the front of the bed)
weld the 1x2 to the two 14" plates.
as shown in the picture.
centered up and down and the flat bar flush with the outsides of the 1x2
the 1 1/4 flat bar bolts to the bed support NOT THE FRAME!!!
there is no frame under the very front of the bed. just those bed brackets.
figure out where those are side to side.
should be right about where two bed ribs are. i think i measured it at 52 inches. not sure.
bend the flat bar so you have 4" upright and 2" down. you'll need two of those
drill a 1/2 inch hole in the 2" side of things. (put it towards the end so its easier to drill through the bed later.
measure where these go, side to side, and weld them accordingly to the assembled 1x2 and 14" flatbar combo.
set this in the front of the bed and drill through it with the 3/8 bit. make sure you dont move it while you're drilling.
if need be you can drill a couple holes and shove bolts through them to make sure it doesnt shift.
once you've done this you'll need help getting the first bolt started, as the 27" piece is a little hard to manouver by yourself sitting in the bed.
thread one of the inside bolts in. pivot the bracket down and thread an outside bolt in.
dont tighten them. the rest should thread in easily.
i had a couple i couldnt tighten by hand but they went right in with the ratchet.
once this is tight drill through the bed and down through the bed support with the 1/2 inch bit.
bolt together with the 5 inch bolt.
all done.
i havent seen the happijac up close but from what i've seen this is MUCH MUCH stronger.
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/6330/tiedown4.jpg
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/3476/tiedown5.jpg
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/5185/tiedown6.jpg
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/4862/tiedown2.jpg
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/4052/tiedown3.jpg
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/3788/tiedown1.jpg