69 my favourite number!
so i got the steering guard painted in the week.
first in red oxide primer.
then in black enamel.
so got it bolted on today.
i unbolted the little tin toyota guard from underneath the transfer box.
and then began measuring up for the guard im going to make.
it will protect the exhaust at the front, then the transfer box, and then the X-ENG hand brake disc at the back.
i used a straight edge to gauge where if any the bends in the sheet metal would need to be.
and found that the exhaust, gearbox cross member and handbrake disc are all virtually in line.
so the plan is is to use some thick gauge box section to space the guard down slightly off the cross member, and at the very back there will be 1 possibly 2 legs that will brace the guard back to the round chassis cross member.
the sheet metal for the guard will have a 45 degree bend front and back, with a small 20mm upstand. thinking of using 6 or 8mm plate and will probably put a load of holes in it with a 50mm hole saw.
hoping to get the steel next week.
while under there i noticed the amount of play in the output bearings, on the rear of the transfer case is getting worse.
so i will have to get the box dropped out and new bearings fitted soon.
not looking forward to lying on my back on the gravel drive, removing the box.
ive been following Sam's
drawer thread with great interest, and have been particularly impressed with Chris's idea about using electrical cable tray.
so i decided i wanted to do something similar in the back of my 70. the wooden boxes i made over the arches, have worked well in the last 6months or so that theyve been fitted. but its not always easy to get stuff in and out, and what i need is usually right at the bottom.
so how the wooden boxes looked.
emptied everything out.
unscrewed and removed all the wood.
then used a straight edge to gauge how high i can make them.
my original plan was to make 2 drawers both the same size, side by side. but that would mean having to open both back doors to open either drawer.
so then i thought about making one of the drawers smaller, so that it can be opened with only one door open.
but then i thought the other drawer might be too large, and be too heavy to open and close when full of stuff.
so i need to look into the possibility of having 3 equally sized drawers, but this will depend on how much drawer space i will loose with the bits in between the drawers that will have the bearings bolted onto, and also the alloy box section that im thinking of using between the bearings.
ive got a lovely big sheet of 6mm alloy that will go over the whole lot afterwards. some where on this the spare will have to be mounted.
i did think it might be cool to have a slide out shelf/table above the drawers, but under the main top, which would be useful when camping for cooking on.
the space ive got in the boot for the drawer unit, measures 1025mm wide, by 180mm heigh (could go more, if i like, thats just to the tops of the wheel arches) by 1080 deep. so the drawers are going to be quite deep.
