Dirty_Vinylpusher

Right so I decided to have another go at making some shocks.
I made an attempt a while back which you can see [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_9370461/mpage_8/key_/tm.htm]HERE[/link] but nothing really came of it as I couldn't get the welds tight enough.

However, after seeing how Da Mad Maori made his for his Hummer project, and given that I now have a lathe, I thought I'd get to it again.
Unfortunately I didn't have any decent struts left, as I for some reason had cut them all in half last time....


Not to worry, as I've got about 10 of these massive springs I scored recently, and all I needed now was a suitable piece of tubing.






After a bit of rummaging around I found this old lawnmower handle which is millimeter perfect for the springs.







Rubber grommets stuck in to washers for the end.










Spring and tube









Washer welded to the end of the tube









Made the one on the left from the one of the right










It goes on there













Welded on and machined off








Large nut and piece of pipe for the other end











Nut welded on











Fits snugly over the end of the tube (not welded on as yet)









Bolt for the end plug









This is as far as I got today as I got sidetracked with cleaning the lathe.

Jgilk1

i shall see how things go lol


1. i don't see any holes in the piston for fluid transfer
2. that lower seal you got there imho isn't going to keep the shock from leaking
3.there is no replaceable seal for the piston.... ie you will have to replace the entire piston/rod when you rebuild


just things to look @


next is creating a grove in the oil side end cap to help seal it with an o-ring
as well as using materials that arent going to rust in the internal ie ss and aliminum

Dirty_Vinylpusher

You know I'm getting a bit tired of your endless criticizm of everyone's projects around here.
We're all feeling out way through this and just having a go at building stuff, and we like to share pictures of our progress to help eachother along with ideas and advice.
When someone (in this case you) keeps making remarks about how everyone should do things differently and how it's not gonna work, without actually bringing anything if their own to the party, it's easy to dismiss their comments after a while.

I'm obviously aware of all the things you listed, and well, it's clearly not finished yet.
I don't know how things work in your wonderful world, but in my shed I build something, then I build it again, and probably a third time before I get it right.
Unless I actually start turning my ideas in to a prototype, I don't know if it's going to work.
Plus I enjoy spending a whole day making something like this, regardless if it turns out any good or not.

I'm not building a space shuttle here - just something to drive around a bit with in the park.

Jgilk1

i don't mean to be rude or shoot down any 1's ideas or work but rather intuitive as to how it will actually work or function... with the specific design...

i completely understand understand the idea of sharing information and design... but i would like to give "criticism" that will push the ideas in the direction of functioning properly...

im sorry i will no longer offer advice.... im sorry my posts sound as though im putting negative advice out there or trying to sound like an ******* :'(

savagecommander

is that spring out of a tercel? looks pretty beefy...

can your lathe cut threads? you could make them threaded, and if you made a cap that screws on the end and toss an O-ring on it that might solve any possible leaking issues. just wondering, why welding over brazing?

Dirty_Vinylpusher

The spring is actually from a bus/coach seat backrest recliner mechanism.
Got about 10 of them from the scrapyard a while back.


Yes I could cut threads on the lathe if I got the correct cutting tool for it.
But the pipe I'm using here is too big to fit through the centre hole in the chuck - it's only a baby lathe.
I could maybe weld a cap on the end to hold it with a live centre or something like that.



Welding over brazing....because I've got a welder.
Don't know anything about brazing.
What do you need... like a blowtorch or oxy or something?

savagecommander

ive dont it with just mapp- i asked cuz it looks like youre turning down the welds, and seems to me youd have less to turn with brazing. just a thought...

Dirty_Vinylpusher

Sorry what?
Could you rephrase that....?
[&:]







Yeah unfortunately I've only got an ARC welder and it's a bit clumsy for stuff like this.
Plus I'm not a very good welder.




When I bought it I didn't know I was gonna start doing this sort of stuff - I just wanted a welder and thought that ARC would be the easiest.
No need for gas or anything like that, just buy new sticks for it.

One day I'll get a MIG or TIG, but for now I'm battling along with this one.
Cheers.

mradlin

Cool project, I can't wait to see tghe finished result in action. [8D]

da mad maori

MAPP gas is gas that plumbers use.. you can get it at Bunnings.... theres propane or mapp.. each use a different torch

Dirty_Vinylpusher

Ah right cheers.

savagecommander

well, i wouldnt really say its "plumbers" gas, buti use it for cages and what not. then again, i dont have a welder, otherwise id prolly be using that.

Dirty_Vinylpusher

Is this the stuff you're talking about?
That looks too easy to use.
I'm getting me some of them magic sticks for sure!!


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jijW310xvp4[/youtube]

Lars from Norway

Wow! That is surely magic!

savagecommander

i use that stuff on the aluminum- it also works on non magnetic stainless steel- i used that stuff to put a new mount on a pipe of mine. works just that easy too....

for steel i use harris safety silver. you have to get it almost red hot, but if you get a good bond youll bend the rod before you break the bond.

Dirty_Vinylpusher

AU$50 for 12 sticks and a stainless steel wire brush.


Sounds pretty good to me.

Jgilk1

thats a really good price if it "welds" aliminum with out the rolls of "quarters" lol