1. Registration trouble? Please use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom right corner of the page and your issue will be resolved.
    Dismiss Notice

Saginaw Brace

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by Boyink, Sep 17, 2005.

  1. Sep 17, 2005
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    6,197
    I'm in cleaning up and repairing the front frame rails around the *butch* saggy swap done by the PO on SSDutch. Now would be the time to add a brace.

    I know Joe runs a side to side brace on his saggy box, but don't see anyone else doing it in the picture thread.

    Is this worthwhile? Any ideas for a hardware store mount for the steering box end of the brace?
     
    Boyink, Sep 17, 2005
    #1
  2. Sep 17, 2005
    Hawk62cj5

    Hawk62cj5 Captain of OldSchool

    Brodnax Va.
    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2004
    Messages:
    694
    I think chris Insulls is braced , Im going to brace mine for sure.
     
    Hawk62cj5, Sep 17, 2005
    #2
  3. Sep 17, 2005
    mb82

    mb82 I feel great!

    Charlottesville Va
    Joined:
    Mar 17, 2003
    Messages:
    2,706
    Yeh Chris is braced. I believe he bought his though.
     
    mb82, Sep 17, 2005
    #3
  4. Sep 17, 2005
    jd7

    jd7 Sponsor

    Nacogdoches,Texas
    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2004
    Messages:
    1,745
    Mike If I had a three bolt box I might consider it. A little extra cross bracing could n't hurt depends on the box mount setup. As for the end brace, large mufflerclamp? Had a guy tell me that he used a clamp off of a galvanized cyclone fence post?
     
    jd7, Sep 17, 2005
    #4
  5. Sep 17, 2005
    Hawk62cj5

    Hawk62cj5 Captain of OldSchool

    Brodnax Va.
    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2004
    Messages:
    694
    I had some one tell me that they could see the end of the frame channel twisting when someone turned the wheel on hard surface. The brace is cheap ins , because without on board welder a frame brake could prove a problem on the trail and fatal on the road. When it comes so steering and brakes Ill add all the reducancy posible.
     
    Hawk62cj5, Sep 17, 2005
    #5
  6. Sep 17, 2005
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2002
    Messages:
    5,349
    Mike I built mine for my jeep but did not get installed for tellico do to forgetting to drill the holes in the frame before putting the springs back on. The small end of the steering box where the pitman comes out is really what you want to brace and small block Chevy rods are suppose to fit around the bottom of the steering box.
     
    Mcruff, Sep 17, 2005
    #6
  7. Sep 17, 2005
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    6,197
    OK...just back from the hardware store...the output of the box is about 2" , and these clamps are 2 3/8" but I think I can fudge it enough to work. At $0.68 it's a Dutch deal.

    For the brace arm I picked up a 3' length of 1/2" solid steel. I think all I'll need now is a hunk of angle iron from my scrap pile so the whole brace will be ~$10 if I include the cost of the paint..;)
     
    Boyink, Sep 17, 2005
    #7
  8. Sep 17, 2005
    Project71-5

    Project71-5 BACON

    Gypsum, CO
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2002
    Messages:
    897
    Heres how mine goes:

    Piece of angle iron bolted to the pass. side frame frame (boxed)
    I used 1/2 dia. 16 ga. tube from the hardware store for the side-side part. I heated on end of the tube and smashed it in the vise so it would fit between the steering box clamp.

    For the box clamp I used a small piece of rollbar tube that I had laying around. I halved it and then welded on small ears to each half of the tube. The ears have holes in them so I could bolt them onto the box. I could have used a fence post clamp but didn't like how flimsy they were.
     
    Project71-5, Sep 17, 2005
    #8
  9. Sep 17, 2005
    Ghetto Fab.

    Ghetto Fab. Member

    Atascadero, Ca.
    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2005
    Messages:
    512
    Heres a pic of mine.

    [​IMG]

    I had heard of the rod end idea, but didn't have any. I wound up using a 2" muffler clamp we had kicking around at work and some 3/4" square tube. Seems to be holding up just fine to my 36" tires and welded frontend.

    This was one of those mods that it doesn't make sense not to do it. It was very easy to make and adds another degree of insurance to your steering.

    Kevo
     
    Ghetto Fab., Sep 17, 2005
    #9
  10. Sep 17, 2005
    jcarson

    jcarson Member

    illinios
    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2005
    Messages:
    86
    how about some pics guys, im getting ready for a the big swap and i need all the advice i can get,thanks,jared
     
    jcarson, Sep 17, 2005
    #10
  11. Sep 17, 2005
    Project71-5

    Project71-5 BACON

    Gypsum, CO
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2002
    Messages:
    897
    Heres pics of mine. The angle iron part is bolted with 2 5/16 bolts on the bottom.
     
    Project71-5, Sep 17, 2005
    #11
  12. Sep 17, 2005
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    6,197
    Here's what I ended up with:

    [​IMG]

    Frame End (kinda wanted to frame these welds...they're some of my better ones...if you ignore the front edge... :rofl: Still 3 good sides out of 4.... :p !):
    [​IMG]

    Box End:
    [​IMG]

    I used some oversized washers at the box end...and it all seemed to tighten up nice.
     
    Boyink, Sep 17, 2005
    #12
  13. Sep 17, 2005
    jpflat2a

    jpflat2a what's that noise?

    Hermosa, SD
    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2003
    Messages:
    8,523
    I've run a manual 3 bolt box since 1976, no problems here.
    if I had power steering and was running the rocks, it would be a good idea.
    I've always believed you lose "feeling' thru the wheel with PS.
     
    jpflat2a, Sep 17, 2005
    #13
  14. Sep 18, 2005
    mb82

    mb82 I feel great!

    Charlottesville Va
    Joined:
    Mar 17, 2003
    Messages:
    2,706
    Thanks guys for the pics I will keep this thread for when I finally get around to working on my JEEP again :( And yeh this seems like one of those mods you do because "you might as well" Kinda like strut tower brace on Mustangs and FWD tuner cars.
     
    mb82, Sep 18, 2005
    #14
  15. Sep 18, 2005
    w3srl

    w3srl All-around swell dude Staff Member

    Port Orange, FL
    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2002
    Messages:
    4,275
    I was thinking about trying to tie my yet-unbuilt brace into the old bellcrank pivot pin from the Ross-box setup. It looked like the geometry of this would be good, and the brace itself would be lots shorter. Whadda you guys think?
     
    w3srl, Sep 18, 2005
    #15
  16. Sep 18, 2005
    ljspop

    ljspop Lurking Bronco Dude

    San Diego, CA
    Joined:
    Jan 29, 2003
    Messages:
    394
    Mike - I'm gonna revoke your booger welder card. That looks nice.
     
    ljspop, Sep 18, 2005
    #16
  17. Sep 18, 2005
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    6,197
    Hmm...you know I thought I'd need pivot points at both ends to allow for some differential in frame horn movement...I see you guys fixed the frame end. Now I wonder how much this is going to help.

    Ah well. It's done and painted. On to other things.
     
    Boyink, Sep 18, 2005
    #17
  18. Sep 19, 2005
    Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    Falcon, CO
    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2003
    Messages:
    5,470
    Mike - I don't use the brace. If you look at my pics I get around this by boxing the frame, Box is squared on the frame, and I use a C Channel across the frame horns. I don't want it to move at all as that has caused stress cracks on others setups that I have seen.

    No twist - no roll - no cracks.

    HTH
     
    Warloch, Sep 19, 2005
    #18
New Posts