billet lower ears

[mobil1syn]

i am doing extend and c&t beams and would like a billet lower ear. threat gave me a price, i asked about shipping, then got an of stock response. the price was high and is a 'i dont want to sell it price'. cho had on his IG he would sell them, set i asked him about it , then he pulled the picture and hasnt responded to messages or emails. i understand the reluctance to sell them. id prefer not make them myself, does anyone know anyone who will sell them for a semi reasonable price?

[ChaseTruck754]

Geoff at Giant is typically good with stuff like this IF he makes them. Not sure if he does. I think some of the reluctance is concern for people copying them. Just a guess though.

If you're handy with a micrometer I'm sure you could have a machinist make a pair for you fairly easily. Although I'm not sure how cheap it would be.

[arse_sidewards]

It's a block with a hole in it. I think that anyone cutting and turning beams should be able to make it themselves. The reamer is under $100.

[mobil1syn]

Geoff at Giant is typically good with stuff like this IF he makes them. Not sure if he does. I think some of the reluctance is concern for people copying them. Just a guess though.

If you're handy with a micrometer I'm sure you could have a machinist make a pair for you fairly easily. Although I'm not sure how cheap it would be.

drew it up the other night, so i have that option if i decide to go that way.

It's a block with a hole in it. I think that anyone cutting and turning beams should be able to make it themselves. The reamer is under $100.

could i make one with the tools i have? sure but will it look nice like this? NO

[ChaseTruck754]

I bet I could make one look pretty close to that with hand tools... Sure my radiuses wouldn't be quite as smooth/clean, but it's just how much time do you really throw at it? For something stuck on the bottom of the beam that 99.9% of people will never see I don't need it to look perfect like Cho's. Plus half those nice, finished edges get covered in weld.

Then again this is coming from a guy who had over 30 hours of fab & welding time in just a front tow hitch/cross member...

[BDKW1]

I have a CNC mill and a tapered endmill, childsplay.

[VintageIronFab]

I’m still not sure why one of the machinists on here with a little hustle doesn’t make billet ends — like on the stock beam you measure to here, cut here and weld in and your work math wise is done. Seems easy to me.

[BDKW1]

Well, if someone wants to put in an order for 50.......

[ChaseTruck754]

Well, if someone wants to put in an order for 50.......

Exactly. Costs way more to make one at a time vs. 50-100 in a run.

[mobil1syn]

I bet I could make one look pretty close to that with hand tools... Sure my radiuses wouldn't be quite as smooth/clean, but it's just how much time do you really throw at it? For something stuck on the bottom of the beam that 99.9% of people will never see I don't need it to look perfect like Cho's. Plus half those nice, finished edges get covered in weld.

Then again this is coming from a guy who had over 30 hours of fab & welding time in just a front tow hitch/cross member...

past life i was all about the hackfab, plenty of welds cooling on the way to the dezert. now i spend money and put things in place to force myself to do things better, which have resulted in a better quality on my work. the fixturing for my extension and C&T is over kill, but it forces me to keep the quality up.

I’m still not sure why one of the machinists on here with a little hustle doesn’t make billet ends — like on the stock beam you measure to here, cut here and weld in and your work math wise is done. Seems easy to me.

last thing you want to do is give measurements like that because no matter what if the results dont work the way the end user wants, its the suppliers fault.

[mobil1syn]

holy huge picture, why cant i edit?

[arse_sidewards]

past life i was all about the hackfab, plenty of welds cooling on the way to the dezert. now i spend money and put things in place to force myself to do things better, which have resulted in a better quality on my work. the fixturing for my extension and C&T is over kill, but it forces me to keep the quality up.

I think you're conflating experience and quality. Your work got better because you gained experience and your quality standards increased accordingly. You could still hack things together now if you wanted and the results would be just as good as the stuff you build with jigs and whatnot. It would just take you longer for the same quality so you don't want to.

[mobil1syn]

nope, quality was 5th at best on the list. didnt care what it looked like, didnt care about prepping material, never painted anything, didnt care about the end result, id get annoyed it wasnt done and then it was all about getting it done as quick and as fast as possible. it was 100% mentality. experience increased the quality, but the mentality never changed and the end result reflected that. the cost difference in most builds is in the details, small stuff no one notices or sees that set the tone/mentality making things better because the builder has taken a stand on quality and fit/finish. i have little self control, so i have to force myself to keep certain standards with other things. an example is i buy the invdivdual bagged chips, they cost more money, take up more space, but if i buy a big bag i will eat the whole thing in 2 sittings.

[ChaseTruck754]

2 sittings??? You sir have some self control! I on the other hand do not.

And I like the large picture. Makes it easier to drool on your fixture and table. Love me some weld/fab porn.

[mobil1syn]

2 sittings??? You sir have some self control! I on the other hand do not.

And I like the large picture. Makes it easier to drool on your fixture and table. Love me some weld/fab porn.

well thats because i run out of salsa before chips.

table was one of the best things i bought for my garage. wife parks her car in there, so everything has to be cleared enough to get it in there at the end of the day.

[VintageIronFab]

Quality is a result of general pride and a desire to showcase to your peeps that you want a professional result. It’s my opinion to imitate success whether it’s playing football in high school, picking oil brands to how a wiring harness is assembled. I always joke WWGBD - what would Geiser Bros Do?? It’s not possible for me to spend like some millionaire and I’ll never achieve their level of quality but one can at the very least strive. You either genuinely appreciate attention to detail and quality or you don’t. The result of a professional result is not having your junk broke down all the time unless it’s unavoidable. Nothing is more annoying as I get older then to go out with poorly prepped people - I always feel like if I’m going to be with broke down broke ass vehicles I’d rather be at work making money.

[VintageIronFab]

My argument to measurements is this - 4” higher suspension on a stock assembly line frame will virtually always work the same over and over. One can make the very disingenuous argument that all broncos are different- yea that’s why Rancho sold a bunch of theirs back in the day. Again if the proper measurement is there a prescribed dimension will fit into the “prescribed hole” with no more than a little fidgeting with the caster/camber adjusters.

[VintageIronFab]

Very slick fixture btw- that’s as professional as any would find anywhere

[eoffroader]

Since you're doing this off of a jig why not place the beam so it dont have to cut the ear off at all? That's how my beams are it just takes more time to measure it up to be sure the axle goes right where it needs to in the hub

[ChaseTruck754]

Geoff at Giant just posted this on Facebook = sale on billet ears
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3711859 ... 5810663614