tube frame

My frame is shot and I was planning on repllacing it with a newer frame and boxing in the new frame so it doesn't crack and fall apart again. today I thought it might actually save time to just make up a new tube frame.

Has anyone here made up a tube frame for an early 5? Do you think it would be better to box a frame or just make a tube frame from scratch?

I'll go back to my now and see what other crazy ideas I get.

 

If your going to build a frame, start with some 2x3 .120 wall rectangular. It will make it much easier to mount and build off rather than having a tube to work from. That being said I helped Mike (runnamuk) finishing boxing a cj3b frame that he did most of the grinding a fitting on and he said it was a PIA. It will take a considerable amount of work to build a frame from scratch but I think the benefits are well worth all the work to measure and square and measure more and square more.

 

:iagree:

 

What about the weight of a tube frame versus a rectangular frame?

Boyink - I would buy one, but they run about 2000 with shipping and that simply isn't in the cards for me. I know I will pay for a welder, steel, etc but I will also gain skills I can use for many projects. Plus any reason to buy new tools is good in my book.

The time frame for this project is over the winter, so time shouldn't matter as much.

 

I dont know if building a frame is something I would want to learn on...Your going to have at least the same in it as a $2k frame by the time you purchase the tools that are going to be necessary to build one. Good thing is you'll have the tools from now on to do other projects.

A decent welder is going to run ~700 or more by the time you get a helmet/gas/clamps and other necessary stuff. Chop saws/grinders prob 150. Materials are going to be a couple 2-3 hundred. Then your going to need to fab. up spring hangers/crossmembers, engine mounts, body mounts, shock hoops or mounts. If your going tube you'll need a bender also at least 500 with a die or two.

If you do decide to go the rect. route put pieces over the joints as they are in this pic, makes the joint that much stronger



Or you can "fishmouth" the pieces to fit eachother (very strong) if I can find a pic I'll show you what I'm talking about.

 

I understand that the frame is not the project to learn on, but I don't plan on buying a welder and just hacking a frame together. My neighbor is a very good welder and he is going to help me with it. I plan on tons of practice before I do structural welds.

I understand the "fishmouth" type of reinforcement. I have seen it in several threads. I also understand why it works so well.

 

Ok good, I just didnt want you to jump into building this to learn on. I think if you take your time and are patient it will be a very rewarding project when its all said and done. As for the weight heres a site that you can plug all the material info in and it will tell you the weight to add up then you can get the diff. between the two. If you do it I'd be interested to hear the diff if its much. http://www.mesteel.com/cgi-bin/w3-m.../convert/metalcalculator/metalcalculator1.htm

 

I see you are in Michigan...and it might be more difficult, but buying someone's "project", or an otherwise decrepit JEEP, with a solid frame would be MUCH cheaper and you could put that money in other places. If you find the right deal (and don't consider your time as money), you would likely MAKE money by selling off the things you don't want/need. You could still spend considerable time and enjoyment boxing it, etc.

But, if you really want to say you built it and will enjoy spending a few hundred hours on the project, then I say go for it.

 

I do have a solid frame I can get pretty cheap. I will probably end up just boxing in the new frame, but a friend suggested a tube frame. I thought I would post up here and see if anyone else had tried it and if it was worth it or not.

I haven't ruled out either frame choice yet, still going to think about this for a while.

 

For whats its worth, I bought just the outside rails from Advance frame in Montana for $550.00. After thirty years of fighting twisted, rusted crappie Jeep Frames, this last project was going to have a tube frame from 2x4 boxed tubing. It was not so hard setting up the frame and fabing cross members and the body mounts were easy. I just compied my old frame for where everything goes and made sure everthing was square. I used stock V6 motor mounts I cut off a Jeepster (fit so good that the engine sat their on the mounts without welding and did not move as I tack welded them in). All, the spring hangers are stock Jeep parts, just make sure you have a base line that is square as a reference point to measure everythng from so all the hangers are square with the frame and each other. I have been so pleased with the way it has turned out that I will never mess around with an old frame again.

 

I have helped build two frames for people. It is pretty simple since you already have a frame to pull measurments from. We used 2x4 on one that came out pretty good, but was kinda an overkill. The second we used 2x3 and that is what I will use for any in the future. I have a buddy with one made completely from round tube and if you don't have a good place to build it and some kind of a jig to help make sure everything is right, it is nearly impossible to make it good.

 

termin8ed - you wouldn't happen to be talking about dan izzard, would you? I know he lives up by you.

 

I picked up this diagram from the net somewhere, not sure if it'll help you at all. It's supposed to be for a 55 to 71 CJ5

 

Thanks. That can't hurt.

 

Kind of got my interist on this frame thing. I too have a twisted cracked and messed up frame and body does not sit right. I thought about building it but am a little hesitant as to keeping it square and parallel?

Also I like the plan for just getting frame rails from Advanced frame works. Seems like a good price and then just weld in cross members.
Vhunter: Was that price with shipping?

Any ideas on keeping things flat,level,and square on a garage floor?

 

Man, as he always seems to do, Boyink said it better than anyone else could. Very well put!

 

Here is the link: :http://www.throttledownkustoms.com/Jeep_Frames/jeepframespage.htm

They have a standard frame rails on this page for $575.00 plus shipping to your location.

This is how I kept the frame level and square, I had two metal saw horses that I leveled up in the garage, laid the outside rails on it, and then I used to pieces of 2x4 boxed tubing laid on top of the rails and loosely clamped them. Then I squared up the rails and crossed measured them to make sure they were parallel to each other. Then I tighted up the clamps and re-measured it, then I made the rear cross member and tack welded it on, re-checked measurement again. Then I made next two cross members just like a jeep frame in the same location, and tack-welded them in, again I re-measured, checked for square ness, so what I’m saying is that every time I tack-welded something in I made sure everything was square and level, and used the back bumper as my base line. Then when everything was good I started welding them in solid. At this point the frame was solid, so I flipped it over and started putting in the spring hangers again making sure the hangers where square with the frame. The key is working slowly and keep measuring to make sure everything is square. And, the guys that I got the frame from gave me tons of advice on the phone anytime I had a question, hope this helps you fellows go and build your own frame.