Are you suggesting that I am too unrefined to know the fine arts?
😉
Most certainly not, my good man.
BUILD THREAD “The Juggernaut”
- Thread starter Rktpwrd
- Start date
Most certainly not, my good man.
I was just saying today how this was one of my favorite quotes from this movie.
Alright, picture and story time once again. I’ll cut to the chase, the driver’s side crossmember recess and seat mounts are completely done.
But first a little unfvckery needed to be done. One because of me, one not.
The Juggernaut has the potential to be a violent ride (in the best possible way), and I want my *ss to be securely planted at all times. So, I wanted to find a way to replace this seat stud that for whatever reason some brilliant rocket surgeon (yours truly) had cut off:
I realize one stud isn’t going to make or break it in the big scheme of things, but hey. More is more better. After seeing the underside of these mounts, I realized I could drill and tap for a new stud, because there’s a large head welded to the underside that would easily accommodate a new stud.
So, I drilled and tapped it for a matching #8 x 1.25mm thread….
…then found and used an original spare bolt that I cut the head off of. Broke out the red Loctite and set the depth the same as it’s brother.
While that was setting up, I started to evaluate the driver’s side Corbeau seat base. Unlike the passenger’s side, the driver’s has never really dropped into place nicely. It would go over the studs, but it always took some finagling to get it in there. Probably why I cut the one stud, which was stupid because I could’ve just enlarged the hole slightly.
But I digress.
The evaluation of the seat base made it clear pretty quickly why it never fit well. None of the feet for it were welded on square. Corbeau makes a helluva nice seat IMO, but their seat base manufacturing leaves a lot to be desired. Typical mass produced product thrown together by someone that doesn’t really give a sh*t. You can see it’s not a right angle between the foot and the frame in this pic:
After determining which of the 4 feet were welded on the straightest (and still tweaking it slightly), I had to entirely cut off the remaining 3 feet and pretty much start again. I did this by centering the studs in the feet holes and tightening up the nuts. Essentially using the car as the welding jig.
The front outer foot was so far out of whack the way they welded it that it had to be over bent backwards to even go over it’s stud.
So after cutting it off from the frame, I straightened it out, aligned and tightened it up where it needed to be. Compare where it’s sitting to where it was originally welded and you can see how much it was off by:
I didn’t take any pictures of their welds, but I can guarantee they didn’t look anywhere as nice as mine, and I’m not even a welder.
Another picture of how much sh*t was off by:
This weld wasn’t quite as pretty as the first one due to limited torch head access, but still easily nicer than any of theirs and very acceptable.
So that took care of the unfvcking. Finally able to tackle the last seat mount to weld on the floor. No pictures, but measure, bash, bend, weld and grind until it matched the passenger’s side inner at the same height.
Mocked up in place for fitment:
Remove it, punch spot weld holes, and reposition for the burn in.
Couple nice hot rosettes later…
Then metal finish it out and the driver’s side is done.
And the seat base? Drops in now like a glove. Even measurements to the pinch weld , and sits nice and square and level as it should.
I’m already onto the transmission tunnel phase, got the opening enlarged a bit more and am about to start mocking up the new piece with poster board, but wanted to get this update in for y’all first.
Sneak peek:
😂😂
D.
But first a little unfvckery needed to be done. One because of me, one not.
The Juggernaut has the potential to be a violent ride (in the best possible way), and I want my *ss to be securely planted at all times. So, I wanted to find a way to replace this seat stud that for whatever reason some brilliant rocket surgeon (yours truly) had cut off:
I realize one stud isn’t going to make or break it in the big scheme of things, but hey. More is more better. After seeing the underside of these mounts, I realized I could drill and tap for a new stud, because there’s a large head welded to the underside that would easily accommodate a new stud.
So, I drilled and tapped it for a matching #8 x 1.25mm thread….
…then found and used an original spare bolt that I cut the head off of. Broke out the red Loctite and set the depth the same as it’s brother.
While that was setting up, I started to evaluate the driver’s side Corbeau seat base. Unlike the passenger’s side, the driver’s has never really dropped into place nicely. It would go over the studs, but it always took some finagling to get it in there. Probably why I cut the one stud, which was stupid because I could’ve just enlarged the hole slightly.
But I digress.
The evaluation of the seat base made it clear pretty quickly why it never fit well. None of the feet for it were welded on square. Corbeau makes a helluva nice seat IMO, but their seat base manufacturing leaves a lot to be desired. Typical mass produced product thrown together by someone that doesn’t really give a sh*t. You can see it’s not a right angle between the foot and the frame in this pic:
After determining which of the 4 feet were welded on the straightest (and still tweaking it slightly), I had to entirely cut off the remaining 3 feet and pretty much start again. I did this by centering the studs in the feet holes and tightening up the nuts. Essentially using the car as the welding jig.
The front outer foot was so far out of whack the way they welded it that it had to be over bent backwards to even go over it’s stud.
So after cutting it off from the frame, I straightened it out, aligned and tightened it up where it needed to be. Compare where it’s sitting to where it was originally welded and you can see how much it was off by:
I didn’t take any pictures of their welds, but I can guarantee they didn’t look anywhere as nice as mine, and I’m not even a welder.
Another picture of how much sh*t was off by:
This weld wasn’t quite as pretty as the first one due to limited torch head access, but still easily nicer than any of theirs and very acceptable.
So that took care of the unfvcking. Finally able to tackle the last seat mount to weld on the floor. No pictures, but measure, bash, bend, weld and grind until it matched the passenger’s side inner at the same height.
Mocked up in place for fitment:
Remove it, punch spot weld holes, and reposition for the burn in.
Couple nice hot rosettes later…
Then metal finish it out and the driver’s side is done.
And the seat base? Drops in now like a glove. Even measurements to the pinch weld , and sits nice and square and level as it should.
I’m already onto the transmission tunnel phase, got the opening enlarged a bit more and am about to start mocking up the new piece with poster board, but wanted to get this update in for y’all first.
Sneak peek:
😂😂
D.
I would try and gusset that seat base. I ran one like that years ago and always thought it felt kinda weird like maybe it had a little give to it when you hit certain bumps.
Thanks, I’ll consider it. Although I don’t really think they need additional gusseting, the rear feet are already gusseted and the fronts are so low I can’t see them moving much.
Maybe the long flat span needed some angle zapped to it? Not sure as I never addressed it myself.
I don't know how THICC your dumper is but I would strongly recommend gussets on each side of those front legs.
Do something decorative.
