On Tue, 2 Mar 2010 18:25:38 -0800 (PST), mark
wrote:

On Mar 2, 4:38*pm, " wrote:
On Feb 28, 2:52*pm, mark wrote:

My original jeep CJ-7 frame has rusted out and I was thinking of
building a new one from aluminum. Would 2 X 4 X 1/4 *wall (if that is
even available) box tubing have the equivalent strength of the stock
1/8" wall steel frame? I would like aluminum because it will last
forever, no need of any paints etc..., very easy to work with and
cheaper than building a steel one and having it galvanized. My second
choice would be stainless 1/8" box tubing.

How old is your jeep? *And after you put a new frame in it, how long
will you want to keep it? * The thought being that the original frame
lasted X years. *How long you want to keep it might be less than X
years.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Dan

It is 25 year old now and I want to rebuild it. I have been down the
road of sand blasting, metal prep, epoxy paints, polyurethane coatings
and as far as I am concerned nothing lasts when the roads are salted
in the winter and you live on an island surrounded by salt water. If I
am going to rebuild it and pass it down to my kids someday I am going
to do it in a way that it will last and not need to be done again. I
already have a fiberglass body. I have built aluminum aquaculture
cranes, and boats which see much more stress than a jeep frame will
ever see. If my original question was if you can build aluminum cranes
I can only imagine what the answers would be. As for the torsional
flexing, I don't think that exists, sure a frame by itself will flex
but when bolted to a body how could it flex and all body seems and
lines remain constant. A fiberglass body has no flex and it is bolted
to the frame. For the last 10 years my original frame has been so thin
you could break through it with a hammer in places and it is still
holding up, a 1/4" wall aluminum box frame has to be stronger than
that.


A non-rusting jeep at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16916080@N05/3359404548/

I've seen these things up close and they are as pretty as the picture.


John D.
(johnbslocombatgmaildotcom)