6th gen Comp truck... tube started

[Boof]

Who would have thought a office boy could bend tube like that! Looking good Gaz!

Bwahahahahaha cheers mate from one office boy to another

[Bull]

Whoa..... suddenly you've decided to tube frame and link the rear? Nice! Starting to almost look like a comp truck now!

Thanks for the pics. Your 'bending looks very stylish. I like how the first tube capped the entire end of the chassis rail and the main hoop follows the..... interesting shape of the Hilux rear firewall but do you think it's going to kiss the cab? Might be just the pics, but it only looks about an inch away.

Looking forward to see what you do with the rest. The main hoop looks too low for full exo so I guess you're running a hole saw into the cab, following the inside of the roof and down the A pillar?

Rego's out the window so I guess the doors are out the window now too?

Mate of mine is chomping at the bit to build a Hilux for Performance 2WD (the old class 5) for AORC. I've referred him to this thread a few times on the cheapest way to start the process but he seems intent on purchasing a real pretty silver SR extra cab V6/5 speed auto from a car yard. $18,000 asking price is a bit of a waste when you're going to "hack it pieces".

Looking forward to more progress....

[Boof]

Cheers bull, the hoop is close to the cab but shouldnt hit once everything is all braced up and in position. The plan is an exo but I do need to work out the best way to do it and that is causing a few issues at the moment. I like the idea of going through the cab but the whole point of the exo is to protect the roof and outershell, so will need to do some more thinking. The full doors will go on at this stage until they dont open anymore, and then when I get sick of jumping in and out the window I will look into it

As for your mate imo he is mad 18k could have him the rig nearly built if he did the work himself

[awsumdc]

Very nice Boof, but we're feeling left out at RST

[Boof]

Yeh sorry Wyatt havent had the time will get it done shortly

[jop]

Boof - just booked the tickets to TT10 and bought last years vid to remind me, see ya there

If you hear something about a triton from the crowd, you know who it wil be

[Boof]

Cheers Jop hopefully we will get there, its going to be a hard slog but so long as I keep motivated we should make it

[Boof]

Small update it will now have full hydro steer, should also have some new pics up after this weekend,

[Monster Rides]

Small update it will now have full hydro steer, should also have some new pics up after this weekend,

Good Stuff Boof.

Looking forward to some update pics after the weekend.

Cheers
Matt

[Boof]

Sneak peek of where its at after tonights work, pulled the pin early as the wife is away and I am looking after the kids.

The sliders that Dan and Pete helped with last week, they arent completed 100% yet and will have 4 stays back to the chassis when done.





The start of the front bar



As the truck sat this afternoon.



The joys of trying to hold things in place to level on your own, note all the straps and cable ties.



As far as I got tonight the lower hoop is what I am thinking of doing with the wing then coming off that and meeting the top bar, any thoughts appreciated. I will have to get a set of LF 240s to see what they look like as I think the 170s look too small ??



Its nice and tight up front

[Hilux Max]

someones been a busy boy......

i see you cut the front of the chassis rails for the tube bar...i thought it stuck out bit too much.

i agree with your ideas for the front bar with angled bits coming up from the lower hoop to meet the upper wings....and yes, u will need 240's...anything smaller will look gay imo.

good progress

[Boof]

Ok had another big day in the shed today and now I have hit a wall and need some help. Basically I am not 100% happy with the exo brace and am thinking I may redo it, the pics dont show just how bad it looks, there are just so many damn angles on this pos cab.

Heres the pics.

Front bar still deciding if I should do a top hoop or not.





The side bars

[Boof]

The problem now is that the pos has such huge guards and front area it really looks susceptible to damage. I really want to stay away from the top bar and ladder style as although its strong imo it looks crap, does anyone have any ideas?

The start of the exo

[lmichie]

Could you bring a bar up along the lower edge of the indicator and then along the guard to the A-pillar bar. At least it would sort of follow the lines of the truck.

[Boof]

Yeh but the problem with that is it has no strength without the ladder style bars and just becomes something to cause extra damage

[Brookster]

I'm really glad that I'm not the only one who designs as they build (although I design and build houses and renos etc..; not comp trucks). I take my hat off to you Boof; the truck looks great.

With your last query; could you run a hoop raked back around the grill outline with side bars just below the top of the side guards; if the hoop was reasonably tall it would offer some protection to the bonnet and tops of guards in a roll-over. The lower side rails would detract less from the line of the guards. But what do I know; I build houses!

Btw, are you going to go with the turquoise or white; Mmaxx has made it clear that he thinks the turquoise is 'Gay'. Mmaxx thinks a lot of things are 'Gay'; perhaps we should start calling him Eric Cartman who also thinks everything is 'gay'.

[rodw]

Boof, it is looking great. If I had not had a couple of glasses of refreshment tonight, I might be able to offer some advice but it probably wouldn't help you much at this time of night!

I might be prepared to swap my 240's for your 170's mate. The 240's are really a bit to big for my bar. Maybe I coul drop down and check them for size tomorrow and see what we both reckon.

[Boof]

Yeh Rod might be worth a look if you get the time

[Hilux Max]

I'm really glad that I'm not the only one who designs as they build (although I design and build houses and renos etc..; not comp trucks). I take my hat off to you Boof; the truck looks great.

With your last query; could you run a hoop raked back around the grill outline with side bars just below the top of the side guards; if the hoop was reasonably tall it would offer some protection to the bonnet and tops of guards in a roll-over. The lower side rails would detract less from the line of the guards. But what do I know; I build houses!

Btw, are you going to go with the turquoise or white; Mmaxx has made it clear that he thinks the turquoise is 'Gay'. Mmaxx thinks a lot of things are 'Gay'; perhaps we should start calling him Eric Cartman who also thinks everything is 'gay'.

Boofs truck is green not turquoise...bit of a difference.......

bar work wise...I think you wont have much of a choice boof and have to do the ladder bar design thingy for the exo cage mate.....you'll need the extra strength.

it'll look ok when its all done....

[Bull]

...there are just so many damn angles on this pos cab.

That's for sure. They make it harder and harder for us with each new model.

I see you're putting in a lot of time on the bender, trying to follow the cab, but if you're after strength I reckon you'd be better off straighter and further from the sheetmetal to allow for deflection of an inch or two.
I'd also put a spreader at the base of the windscreen or those side rails won't do much.
Seeing as you're solid mounting to the chassis, how about bracing the side rails directly to the front shock towers? Then you'd need a brace between the shock towers to tie it together. Not quite sure how your engine/radiator/fan setup is.
You still got the radiator in the front?