I think the failure mode is the locking mechanism fails. It seems like they have incorrect and/or insufficient engagement. They appear to collapse from extended to not extended.
I think scoutingranch is heading for some "fun with Willys Tub's"!
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I think the failure mode is the locking mechanism fails. It seems like they have incorrect and/or insufficient engagement. They appear to collapse from extended to not extended.
I think scoutingranch is heading for some "fun with Willys Tub's"!
Wonder who else they made them for. I have a set I bought from NAPA, but I'm pretty sure they were made in China.
I spent hours drilling out spot welds just to get the tool box out of the cj3a...dang that was no picnic. I'm going to replace the floors as I don't know the condition of the floor where the wood is in the Y supports. Might as well go full Monty. Doing floors is no fun either. Have done many early Bronco floors so I sorta' know what to expect.
As soon as my new sheet metal arrives I'll do lay overs for mark out with the new metal, measurements and start cutting. The fitting takes forever. I reckon I'll need to support the tub to be good on the fits since the rusted supports are being removed. This stuff used to be fun...what happened?
The tool box is fun, no two ways about it. There are spot welds on top of spot welds, and every nook and cranny has one hidden. The floor isn't too bad once you lay out to what your new panels cover. If you replace the driver's floor then the passenger floor or vise versus, then the body will stay in square easier. If you purchase the entire floor board, then you will have to brace the cowl because the entire structure will be compromised during the removal and replacement. The fun part is the support that runs from the cowl down to the floor. The bottom usually rust out, so then you will have to add material. Do not bother trying to replace the whole thing, unless you really don't like yourself. Way too many spot welds, and lap welds to try and grind out in order to replace.
Man rust is such a curse! The good news is there really isn't much steel in the whole thing. It can only get so bad!
Here is one that had several floors put in it.
Nah. Nah nah. This IS fun. You've got the coolest build going. Yay for loads of sheet metal!
I here ya 5JeepsAz, I have a 1977 Chevy pickup that I bought in AZ in the late 1990's. The paint was actually worn off in several spots right down to shiny steel, from the desert sand. It came apart like a dream. Absolutely no rust. I swore I would never deal with a rusty restore again. Then I saw these Jeeps......
I would like an opinion or more. The tool box adds structural support and lateral rigidity, "I think". What if...pause...the tool box was not there. Or, the tool box once removed is not re-installed. Yes, I know the passenger seat attaches to the box but to fab up a nice clean seat attachment is no big deal for me. My reason for asking is I like the clean look and the thought of easy access to under the seat.
Good idea or not...Please advise
Good Question ...
I’m not a structural engineer, but over the years I did watch some good aerospace designers put together sophisticated designs that were rigid, rugged and light.
The tool box would model up as a rectangular box with an open top. The lid would add little rigidity to the structure, so we would omit it. If you inverted the tool box for an analytical look, the bottom of the box would correspond to the floorboard – or a piece of metal that you would add to fill in the hole.
That leaves the four sides of the tool box (inverted in our model) as stiffening structures hanging down under the seat. Do you think those four pieces of fairly thin sheet metal add any significant stiffening? I don’t think they do.
If you were really, really concerned, adding a square of angle iron (under the tub so it doesn’t show) around the perimeter of the piece of metal you are going to use in place of the tool box would more than compensate for any loss of stiffness or lateral rigidity. That’s typical engineer overkill.
My opinion, but I defer to someone who stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night…
I think considering the tool box structural is pushing it. There are quite a few running around without a tool box. The tub is not a structural body. It relies for the most part on the frame for integrity.
It would be fine with or without it.