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Posted 7/24/2017 6:57:52 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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I placed a copy of this post here because it might be of some benefit
to someone planning, starting, or currently building a Bat Vehicle.
Here is an outstanding and VERY VALUABLE RESOURCE for very high
quality heavy duty multi-link suspension systems, axle parts, brakes,
etc., manufactured by a guy that really loves what he is doing and a
very honorable man. (My number one place to go, when I want to buy
very high quality and heavy duty multi-link suspension systems, axle
parts, and extreme duty axle and chassis mounts.
ruffstuffspecialties.com
“Lots of people ask me every day how I got into this business of
making 4x4 parts? My answer is pretty easy. I had bought a '73
land-cruiser and tried to find parts for the modifications I wanted.
They were simply not made to the standards I desired and the Customer
Service was pitiful, it was as if they were doing me a favor by
overcharging me for things I could do better, so I resurrected
Ruffstuff Specialties.
I know, resurrected Ruffstuff from what? In 1980 I had just gotten
out of the army and was going to college at NAU in Flagstaff Arizona
and in a small way mountain biking was just starting up. I had some
experience with a torch and started Ruffstuff Specialties building
Mountain Bike Framesets. I wasn't Tom Ritchey but Ruffstuff was in the
first wave. We built 17 framesets over 2 years and I was still a
student so I was essentially starving. I closed Ruffstuff afer 2 years
and 2 years later the Stump-jumper came out and that was all she
wrote! I was already a River Guide in the Grand Canyon and wasn't
about to walk away from that so I didn't go back to starving.
When we started building 4X4 Fabrication parts we were a wholesale
only shop serving about 40 4X4 shops within 100 miles. I developed our
product line directly from those shops input so we didn't start with
hit or miss stuff, it was tried and tested long before we ever opened
for retail. In fact, I was fairly satisfied with a part time wholesale
only business but things happened and we took that first step. The 2
main things were that a group of the companies I supplied got together
and asked me to go retail for name recognition so they could better
sell our parts. The other thing was my job moving to Chicago.
Happenings at the same time tied it all together and it just made
sense.
As we grew we have taken great pains to stay true to our origins, we
have never settled for "Strong Enough" and do not intend to ever take
that route. We have never been afraid to try new ideas and we have
never rushed an untested item to market. Lastly, and this is a big one
to me. We do not use YOUR money (Pre-Orders) to fund OUR R&D, how
often that happens in this business simply amazes me. In business
there is something called Risk & Reward. If I spend my money I am
entitled to a fair profit, if I spend your money to develop a product
I am entitled to nothing, I never took the risk.” Dan Fredrickson
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Posted 7/25/2017 8:15:25 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
Posts: 3,232,
Visits: 5,166
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I place a copy of this post here for anyone that may be able to use this information
Many people in todays world have never thought about mounting a tire manually. To them doing anything except taking tires to a dealer or tire shop is a foreign concept.
"so I mounted them myself the old school way by hand."
Here are the tools I used to mount my tires.
The two tire spoons were not enough to get the job done so in addition I used a couple of flat bars that I made from Dewalt flat pry bars. If you ever decide to make similar bars you will need to grind the edges all round. If you leave any non-radius edge not ground it will cut into the tire when you use it. vertigo
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Posted 7/27/2017 8:33:58 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
Posts: 3,232,
Visits: 5,166
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I placed a copy of this post here because it might be of some benefit
to someone planning, starting, or currently building a Bat Vehicle.
Here are two photo images of my finished 4-link suspension and GM 14-bolt axle. vertigo
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Posted 8/2/2017 6:16:12 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
Posts: 3,232,
Visits: 5,166
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I placed a copy of this post here because it might be of some benefit
to someone planning, starting, or currently building a Bat Vehicle.
Been researching and thinking about how to best calculate the
appropriate shock absorbers/coil over springs, etc. for the front and
rear of my Tumbler and DOJ Batmobile.
For my Tumbler and DOJ Batmobile
Rule one: The finished weight of a Bat Vehicle, my Tumbler and DOJ
Batmobile in particular, is an unknown factor needed to accurately
calculate shock and coil-over spring rates, travel, diameter, and
eight, or so, other variables.
Given, the un-certainty of the final weight I plan to use stand-in
proxy shocks while I build the rest of my Tumbler around them and the
same for my DOJ.
I know from my research that four Tumblers after being finished
required multiple trials with shock and coil-over spring combinations
before they finally got them right.
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Posted 8/2/2017 6:16:55 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
Posts: 3,232,
Visits: 5,166
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I placed a copy of this post here because it might be of some benefit
to someone planning, starting, or currently building a Bat Vehicle.
Shock Absorbers and Coil-Over Spring Calculations
There are many shock absorbers with coil-over spring plug in
calculators on line. The best I have found, so far, are related to the
Off-Road shock and spring guides.
One of the best is found at:
CRAWLpedia – The Off Road Encyclopedia
www.crawlpedia.com
Twelve Off-Road Shock Guides
Performance off-road racing shocks, like those available from King,
Fox, and Bilstein, are designed to be easily rebuilt and custom tuned.
Our Shock Valving Guide and Shock Tuning Guide explain how shock
valving works and how shims are used to adjust compression and rebound
damping.
Crawlpedia Shock Shootout:
A detailed review of every major brand of performance off-road shocks.
ORI STX Struts Guide:
A complete guide to ORI STX Struts including setup and tuning instructions.
Shock Measurement Guide:
How to properly measure for a new set of shocks, coil-overs, or struts.
Coil-over Install and Setup Guide:
This detailed guide covers how to install and setup a new set of coil-overs.
Coil-over Spring Rate Corrections:
If your coil-over spring rates are off, this guide will show you how
to fix them.
Performance Shock Valving Guide:
A thorough explanation of how shocks and their internal components work.
Performance Shock Tuning Guide:
Detailed instructions on how performance off-road racing shocks are tuned.
Shim Stack Valving Examples:
Seven sample compression and rebound shim stacks from light to firm.
Race Shock Rebuild Instructions:
How to service and rebuild King Off-Road Racing shock absorbers.
Coil-over Spring Rate Calculator:
Find the proper coil-over spring rates for your vehicle with this calculator.
Hydraulic Bump Stop Guide:
Everything you need to know about hydraulic bump stops and jounce shocks.
Shock Oil Volume Calculator:
Estimate the amount of shock oil you need to refill your performance shocks.
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Posted 8/3/2017 7:25:49 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
Posts: 3,232,
Visits: 5,166
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I placed a copy of this post here for informational and historical purposes only.
Mounted a 44" Super Swamped with a method used by some off roaders and many others to mount tires.
This is not a method recommended by anyone due to the danger and liability issues associated with the method. Most use the disclaimer: For Informational Purposes Only.
The story of my experience with this method is not a recommendation for its use. Though my experience turned out well, the method is dangerous by definition.
Used this method today to mount one of my Super Swamper tires on a test steel rim.
Tried it with the tire standing up but gas blow by prevented the bead from seating.
When I laid the tire on it's side the method worked like a charm.
Sprayed approximately 2 ounces of starter fluid past the unseated bead around inside the tire.
Waited a couple of minutes to allow the liquid starter fluid to vaporize.
Then put a wadded up piece of paper on the end of an eight foot section of old conduit.
Set the paper on fire and held the flame near the unseated bead.
Poof, as almost in slow motion the tire inflated from the expanding gases and the beads seated perfectly.
Note: One off road site reminded its viewers to make sure a valve stem was seated in the steel wheel to hold the gas pressure inside to hold the beads in place.
Many off road sites also remind their viewers to never lean over the tire/wheel and to always set off the starter fluid ignition with a flame at the end if a long piece of steel rod or pipe.
I inflated the tire to 25 PSI and took all the relevant measures to use in determining the appropriate dually spacing. vertigo
Mounting tires with starter fluid.
Here is a YouTube video for mounting the 44" inch Super Swamper with starter fluid.
Exploding Super Swamper Mount
TheJhall87
There are thousands of videos that show the starter fluid method to mount all kinds of tires on line.
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Posted 8/21/2017 7:29:58 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
Posts: 3,232,
Visits: 5,166
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Placed a copy of this post here for anyone that might be able to benefit from the technique.
Today I continued to work on building the U-shaped upper shocks and
actuators integrated mounting and frame assembly.
Specifically, on the long lead pieces and the U shaped bend.
It would take a huge hydraulic bender and very high strength dies to be able to bend 2" x 2" x 1/4" wall square tubing. Since this type of bender and dies are not available to me I am using an old school method to fabricate the U-bend. Basically I have separated the four sides and bending planes of this part. This way I only have to work with one direction of bending force at a time. I completed the upper and lower planes that included the U -Bend shape curves. For the inside and outside curves I will cut two flats 1-1/4" wide and 1/4" thick. I will then use an acetylene/Oxygen rosebud tip to heat these flats up and then work these around the inside and outside curves. Then weld these to complete the U-Bend square tubing. This method can be used for anything similar.
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Posted 8/23/2017 7:43:32 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
Posts: 3,232,
Visits: 5,166
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I placed a copy of this post here for anyone that might be able to
benefit from the technique.
The basic steps to fabricating compound, intersecting, and curving
multi-directional shapes in metal.
Study the part or collective assembly to determine the lines of forces
travel (tensile-compression-elasticity) and mark these on a drawing or
photo-image.
Make a list of those that you can separate by single directional lines of forces.
Flats and plates
Curve and radius
Methods of integrating single direction lines of forces.
Intersecting the flat directional lines of forces for two or more
pieces and welding their contact edges together.
Bending flats around a curve and welding their contact edges together.
Make a list of those that cannot be separate by single directional
lines of forces.
Spherical and semi-spherical
Compound curves and radius
Methods of integrating and shaping multi-directional curving lines of forces.
Metal stretching
Heating the metal and hammering to selectively vary thicknesses
Geometric translation into curves.
Intersecting the flat directional lines of forces for three or more
pieces and welding their contact edges together. Then blending into
multi-directional curves by adding or subtracting metal.
You can also blend the multi-directional curves by using resin, epoxy, Bondo, etc. to smooth out the welded geometric intersection. Many materials can be used to achieve tis result. Large and small parts of varying complexity can be made using this technique.
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Posted 8/24/2017 7:51:47 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
Posts: 3,232,
Visits: 5,166
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I placed a copy of this post here for the benefit anyone that might be
able to use this information in planning and/or building a Bat
Vehicle.
How about adding an afterburner cold flame special effect?
Part One
Close to an audience, you might use a cold flame special effect with
just CO2 and a red, orange, or yellow filtered high intensity flood
light inside the afterburner. (Like the hand held search lights with
1,000,000 + candlepower.) The rushing exhaust of cold liquid CO2 as it
changes to a gas and "snow or white translucent and semi-reflective
dry ice solid particles" diffuses the light into a swirling jet of
motion. Deflection tabs can a mounted inside the exhaust nozzle to
refine the shape of the exhaust gas pattern. Coupled with a recorded
jet exhaust sound effect and it appears very believable.
Best things about the cold flame special effects are no heat or burn
risk to audience, no fire hazard, and no residues left behind like
those from glitter and colored powder injectors.
Note: Touching a cold afterburner nozzle that may be below zero can
cause freeze burns.
Yes, I know you can get glitter and colored powder in bio-degradable
formulations but they can take quite a while to degrade.
vertigo
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Posted 8/24/2017 7:53:16 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
Posts: 3,232,
Visits: 5,166
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I placed a copy of this post here for the benefit anyone that might be
able to use this information in planning and/or building a Bat
Vehicle.
How about adding an afterburner cold flame special effect?
Part Two
Why CO2 is the go to gas/solid/liquid for cold flame special effects.
CO2 is normally a gas at room temperature and pressure. It has to be
stored under high pressure to make it a liquid. When you release the
pressure, the gas expands enormously and cools to make a huge white
jet that allows the carbon dioxide gas to expand, cool, and turn into
a mixture of frozen "snow or white translucent and semi-reflective dry
ice particles" and gas.
Basic Science Characteristics of Carbon Dioxide as a Liquid, Gas, or Solid.
Liquid CO2 is produced by compressing and cooling CO2 gas. This liquid
is a clear transparent fluid. Liquid CO2 cannot exist as a liquid at
atmospheric pressure. It must be pressurized above 60.4 psi to remain
as a liquid. At this pressure, Triple Point, CO2 can exist as liquid,
gas and solid. Below this pressure it will flash to a gas and solid.
More specifically, it behaves as a supercritical fluid above its
critical temperature (304.25 K, 31.10 °C, 87.98 °F) and critical
pressure (72.9 atm, 7.39 MPa, 1,071 psi), expanding to fill its
container like a gas but with a density like that of a liquid.
vertigo
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