Elandan frame-off renovation

[spritz]

Very interesting, doing a great job
Tim

[Tidy Tabby]

Watching this build with great interest, and hoping that I don't end up going so deep on the Transtar my daughter bought. Then again, it could probably use it...
Looking good, eager to see how it turns out.

[Franka548]

Looking good Erik.
Frank

[DeOrellana]

Originally Posted by Tidy Tabby

Watching this build with great interest, and hoping that I don't end up going so deep on the Transtar my daughter bought. Then again, it could probably use it...
Looking good, eager to see how it turns out.

If you need to do a lot of work on a vehicle rebuild, I find it's usually easier to go in deep and do it right rather than try to patch things from the outside. But you need to have the space, time, skill, and tools to do it.

[DeOrellana]

Originally Posted by Electra 225

Looking good Erik! You're doing a good systematic demo job, just be very careful. I would shore up that body beyond what is necessary before getting under it for any reason. You're probably saying "yeah duh", but I'm a "can't be too careful" kind of guy.

I think you may be a bit like me. I've had experience building a lot of things, but I can damn sure tear something apart!

Best regards,
W.D.

I think I'm a lot like you!

My motto is that any fun project starts and ends with safety. It's no fun going to the emergency ward when a project goes bad. It can easily kill your enthusiasm for the project, and if you can't enjoy it if you're dead. Even with safety precautions, you may still end up with injuries, just not as bad.

And sure, safety does take some additional time, but it's worth it. Not walking under the arm of the backhoe but instead walking around it (in case of hydraulic hose rupture). Never go beneath a hanging load. Know the difference between a temporary and a working support, etc., etc., etc. It's all about risk management, and with the right attitude it becomes second nature.

Safety tip - I put screws or nails in the boards I use as spacers between the body and the frame. That way I can maneuver them without putting my fingers at risk. The screw stick out on the side, and you grab each screw with a hand you are less likely to put your hands where they will be crushed if the body drops:

[ahicks]

I would add patience and perseverance to that list! (space, time, skill, and tools)

[DeOrellana]

Spent the day today finishing up removing the house since it was a light work day.

After I finished stacking blocks, I started pulling the frame out using the winch on the ATV.


It was slow going, making sure that everything passed without interference.


The frame slowly came out from underneath the house.


The support for the front of the body wasn't quite high enough. This is why you want to make sure you take it nice and slow!


With the front raise up higher, the wheels cleared


As the cab left the concrete slab and went onto the dirt, the ATV didn't have enough traction to pull it. Since the wheels had cleared the last obstacle, I opted for a slightly stronger pull vehicle.


And the frame is free!

I removed the dual inners and the tag wheels to make it easier to move around and work on.

And last but not least, the free standing house:

[guardrail53]

Wow, Eric! That will sure make working on the chassis a whole lot easier! Great job! Rail!

[Franka548]

Looking forward to watching your progress on the rebuild, you have done a good job on the teardown.
Frank

[GlennLever]

Frame does not look to rusted!

[DeOrellana]

Originally Posted by GlennLever

Frame does not look to rusted!

No, under the body it looked better than I thought it would. I was pleasantly surprised!

I guess things look a bit different when laying on your back having crap fall in your face and when you are standing up looking at it.

[Tidy Tabby]

Originally Posted by DeOrellana

I guess things look a bit different when laying on your back having crap fall in your face and when you are standing up looking at it.

I've heard about the weird stuff you Swede's are into...

[DeOrellana]

Next up is removing the cab from the frame. I think removing the cab will be more work than removing the house. The house was bolted on, but the cab is welded in place using a lot of little L-brackets and other strange attachments.

I'm leaving on a business trip tomorrow and will be gone for the rest of the week, so I decided to get in an hour or so of tear down this evening.

Many of the welds were the sheet metal and the frame meet have cracked.


The seal between the house and the cab was misaligned, causing water to seep into the cab structure.


Somebody at the factory thought it was a good idea to cut the supporting beam in order to install the controls for the hydraulic jacks. Not a big deal since the ends of the supporting beam are not attached to anything.


Many points of the cab are badly rusted. Here is the bottom of the door framing. This is structural rust.

Only sheet metal has been removed to this point, no supporting beams. I've always thought that there was a lot of metal drumming while driving, and now I know why!


As you can tell, it was dark by the time I remembered my camera, but here's a final shot to hold you guys over until I get back next week.

[DeOrellana]

Originally Posted by Tidy Tabby

I've heard about the weird stuff you Swede's are into...

Mög osså. De blev inte helt rätt!