How extend wheel base

[Bartso]

hey guys i want to extend the wheel base on my SWB ute the way apparently Cheezy does it by removing the spring mounts and shock mounts and move them back not real sure on how to do this as the chassis moves up in a halve oval shape if you know what i mean and by moving them back there the spring mounts will be sitting higher than usual
2nd option is cutting the chassis and putting a piece in to extend it just behind the ute cab mount
so how should i do this

[Elmo]

buy LWB chassis

[Bartso]

don't want to extend it that much just to mid wheel base

[Elmo]

in all seriousness i have seen one where he looked to have just cut and shut a piece of RHS the same size, was a very proffesional job tho i must admit.. looked a treat, i didnt even notice how he'd done it till he showed me

[Bartso]

this seems to be the easiest way

[Elmo]

yeah thats what im thinkin too, and the beauty he had too was that cause he'd extended the chassis where the coil hats are, he incorparated long ass trailing arms and everything into the package while he was at it

[ISUZUROVER]

The usual way is to cut the chassis, make an extension section, so that the chassis will be double or triple plated where the extension is, and then reweld.

A mate had a chassis extension job done on a Land Rover by a truck place, drive in, drive out including lengthening of propshaft, brake lines, wiring and mod plate, for about $2000.

[Bartso]

yeah thats what im thinkin too, and the beauty he had too was that cause he'd extended the chassis where the coil hats are, he incorparated long ass trailing arms and everything into the package while he was at it

so i take it the extension was done just before the coil hats how did he do it have a sleave type thing or just welded plates on every side this doesn't seem to be real strong but i could be wrong

[Elmo]

all he'd done was brace it quite heavily, it seemed to be a pice of RHS in the same size as the chassis welded in place to whatever length you wanted it, i forget what his was, then welding on plate steel over top for extra strength

i just didnt notice it as im not too familiar with what patrols are supposed to look like underneath, he'd done it in a way that i thought it was std

[Bartso]

do you reckon that would flex any?

[Elmo]

i wouldnt imagine so, depend on what plate you used, i've been playing with a lot of 10mm plate while building a garage lately, and i gotta tell you, that shit is seriously stiff, but on any case, a chassis flexes a shit load when you accelerate anyways

[Tojo]

this would need to be engineered, so check with an engineer. But one way to do it is to get the back half of a chassis from the wreckers or somewhere and cut it at 45 degree angle. Cut yours at a 45 degree angle as well. Do the cuts in such a way that when you match it up its the longer length you require. ie. - cut your existing chassis after the trailing arm bracket and the donor chassis in front of the trailing arm bracket. Work out the required wheelbase you want to figure out where to do the cuts. Then it will be needed to be welded by a competant welder and then plated after welding. The plateing should be welded horizantally but not vertically and also spot welded through holes in the plateing. Most likely have the plateing on the top, bottom and outside of the chassis. One weld at a 45 degree angle with plated reinforcing will be a lot stronger than two vertical welds with a piece of rhs jammed in between. I know someone who did it this way and it worked out really well. Fully engineered with no problems at all.

[Bartso]

only prob with that is finding a chassis and i will to buy a full one so putting in a piece would be better maybe another piece of chassis

[ludacris]

Instead of cutting the chasis and lengthening it why not just cut the pieces where every thing joins and slide the whole lot back to where you would want them on the chasis then reweld.

LudaCris

[Bartso]

Instead of cutting the chasis and lengthening it why not just cut the pieces where every thing joins and slide the whole lot back to where you would want them on the chasis then reweld.

LudaCris

well i just went down to look at it and the spring mounts sit at the highest point on the chassis and moving them back will bring the spring mounts down by maybe a inch which isn't bad i will just have to get inch higher springs in the front

[Tiny]

Tube it

[Bartso]

Tube it

tube what?

[Tiny]

Tube it

tube what?

Cut the chassis off and tube the thing with some dobinson coil overs...YEEHA

[Bartso]

well that would be great but being in queensland im sure that is no way legal

[Dane]

Tojo has the best option, if you buy a chassis with a decent front end prang it will cost you stuff all. eg. 80 series straight full chassis is $600.

My 75 series has a chassis extension which is cut at 45 degrees, with a custom made chassis rail replica welded in and plated all round. Very tidy. You do it at the back of the cab where the chassis is straight and level.

[turps]

I reckon just moving the shock and coil mounts back would fix the problem. Also then you want have to worry about triming the chassi to get a better departure. Just need to get a custom tank made to mount in front of the axle somewhere. Pretty sure this is how Trent Leens is done.

[bubs]

I would do it the same way cheezy does it, or cut the entire suspension out and to it from scratch

[Bartso]

thanks guys im going to cut everythig off and weld it on down the chassis anyone know where i can get a custom fuel tank made up are they expensive

[morkz]

if you need some more advice

try speaking with cass jones in WA, he was over in melbourne lengthing somone's GQ shorty

I can find out more info but wont be till monday or so

[Bartso]

if you need some more advice

try speaking with cass jones in WA, he was over in melbourne lengthing somone's GQ shorty

I can find out more info but wont be till monday or so

that would be great thanks every bit helps

[FireTruck]

This is for a TJ Jeep, but...

On a TJ the rear coil buckets are on the front side of the chasis arc (or oval or whatever)... so when Cheezy did mine we moved the buckets etc back about 7" so they were on the rear side of the arc.

The new posi is 3" lower than the original, so I run 6" lift coils up front and 3" coils in the rear.

Works a treat, no need to extend chasis, improved departure angle.

S.

[Bartso]

so did you move the shock towers as well and panhard mount?
or did you do custom

[ludacris]

Bartso when you start grinding everything of if you go that way take it nice and slow to get it right. There is a SWB chasis for sale up this way for $400 that you could use to cut everything of then you dont have to cut your stuff of to close to the chasis. I think it is advertised in the trading post.

LudaCris

[FireTruck]

A-framed the rear (no panhard) and yes, relocated shock mounts.

Some pics on Cheezy's site I think:

www.cheezyracing.com.au

[ludacris]

A Frame sounds like an awsome Idea for you Bartso.