Sheet metal help for finishing up my transmission tunnel...

[Haku]

So, I'm getting towards the last legs of finishing the current phase of my Toyota Rock Crawler build, and one of the things I kind of want to farm out to someone is finishing my transmission tunnel. I raised my drivetrain up 6", which meant I needed to cut the tranny tunnel out and redo one. Well, story short, it was one of the first jobs I did on the rig, and I have been putting it off for the last two years and just want someone to finish it up.

Here is what you would be working with as a starting point (I've gotten rid of all the sound deadener and cleaned it up to a higher degree then this picture)...
http://hld-illumination.com/haku/Pictures/index.php?cmd=image&sfpg=KlRyYW5ueS1UdW5uZWwtMS5qcGcqY2ZhNGMzNDdhNjdkO ThkMWI4OGE3YWU2Y2RiZGZjOTI

What I'm hoping for is a strong setup that seals well, but can be removed so I can work on the transmission and t-case easily. The raised area over the t-case output (on the right of the picture) can be permanently welded, but I was hoping that the rest could be easily removable with dzus fasteners or just normal fasterners (I was thinking maybe Rivenuts or something).

I'm thinking a triple shifter is also gonna happen, so it would just need one hole in the top for the transmission shifter and one for a trio of t-case shifters that would come out where the closest t-case shifter is located like this one...

http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae148/daveztoyotaparts/new%20parts/tripleshifterDavez007.jpg

At least for now that should do it, but might have a few other ideas to bounce off you if you want to take on the work. I just want to see if anyone is up to the task and what they might charge for their time. I'm happy to get materials, and I would prefer doing the work at the Club Workshop (near I-25 and 8th Ave.) since I'm doing other parts of the build there still. You would have full access to a sheet metal break/press, manual hydraulic press, hydraulic press for doing bends, and welding and plasma cutting (I might have to do the Welding/Plasma for you depending on how they feel about it there) plus a bunch more.

I can't pay a ton, but I'm willing to make it worth your while for the right person. I'll likely be working on other parts of the truck while you do the tunnel, so I would be there to lend whatever help you need too. Hoping to have it mostly ready for the Anniversary Run on March 8th, but that isn't a super hard deadline.

Just to be clear, this isn't to get ideas on how to do this job, but more to find an experienced hand that can do the work for me in exchange for payment. If this is in the wrong part of the forum, let me know and I'll move it (or ask the mods to). Feel free to contact me via PM, or just post up in here if you are interested or have questions.

Thanks,

Josh

[Brucker]

You know were I am if you want to drag it up here. With my booked schedule, I probably couldn't get to it for a while though.

What is keeping you from tackling it yourself? Worried about trying to match all the different contours? Have you thought about adding material like thin gauge square or round tubing around the entire perimeter of the hole and then building off of it so you don't have to mess with the contours? If done right it could come out clean and then the new panel could be made to be removable with help of nutzerts or cage nuts or the like.

[Haku]

Part of it is the "skill to taste" barrier i.e. I know what I want it to be, but am unsure if I have the skill to accomplish it at all, not to mention in the time frame I'm hoping for. I've tried starting this particular part several times, but have stopped in frustration. I know I can work up to that skill, but I want to go wheeling more then I want to be able to do this perfectly myself. The more I do stuff, and the more I watch people who have the knack for a skill, it becomes less worth my time to try to get good at something that I'm not naturally good at.

Part of it is the contours of the floor yes, and I've actually considered replacing the entire floor section but decided in the end that while it sounds like it would maybe make things easier, that it would just add more complexity to the project. There is a whole thread on Pirate dedicated to this particular modification, and everyone seems to come up with a different way to do it. Some do the latice of square tube or angle iron, others just make a sheet metal structure.

I have a feeling I'll have sticker shock with having anyone else do it though, so that might motivate me a little bit. I'll keep you in mind if it turns into a longer term part of the project though.

I'm gonna head out and do another part of the project today (relocating my orbital mount so I can weld in my shock towers).

[scout man]

Ill do it for $7,000. There, there is your sticker shock, now go do it! :D

[Patrolman]

I will one-up Steve and do it for $6,999. :)

[Haku]

Sold....can you get it done by tomorrow at Noon?

Thanks though. I'll still probably put it off till last thing, since its costmetic and comfort more then absolutely necessary to run it on the trail :P

Another way I've been considering is to just get some thick bendable plastic or rubber matting and bolt a strip to the floor to hold it down and then cut the holes for the shifters. It would probably work as a standby for now at least. We'll see I guess....seems to be the theme of my build.

[javaman34]

I'll do it for $6998. Can't guarantee I know what I'm doing, but I'd be willing to give it a shot. :p

[Haku]

hahaa....maybe if this goes viral it will get into the ~$150-300 I was REALLY wanting to pay for this.

[zukrider]

are you against doing it as a "cage" and skin? like Brucker was saying? or do you want a badass pressed and stamp tunnel of pure sheet?

do you want to make a center console to the dash as well, like a typical baja truck?
http://fiberwerx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/fwx_dash_tt_cc.jpg

or this

http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/4093/PreviewComp/SuperStock_4093-3330.jpg



i am very interested just for the pure fact of using REAL sheet metal tools! i honestly havent done much sheet work in like 10 years, and am by no means competent at it, but i love doing stuff like this. the cage and skin thing is more my style, and both can be removable for varying levels of repair.

also, do you have seats available for sizing? are they going to the original floor or on a "cage"?

[Haku]

I'd prefer it to be the bent metal structure rather then a cage with sheet bolted on, and yes, I would like to have it be the trophy truck style where the console goes into the dash. The one difficulty of it being like that is its a manual truck, so it can't cover up the area where the shifter is in the pictures you referenced.

My reasoning for using a sheet metal structure is mostly because of the clearance issues and fitting the seats in. The output of the t-case is under the Passenger seat a little bit, so its can be a tight fit and adding an inch of structure in that area poses a problem. This is a picture that gives you on idea of what I mean (as well as showing how close the stock stereo console is to the shifters)....

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/intrepidyota/4Runner%20minor%20repairs/P3240127Medium.jpg

I know you had asked to use the bender, so I might be willing to trade you working on my stuff in exchange for the bender use and help running it. The tunnel in the picture above is pretty close to what I was thinking, but I might still go with the triple shifter to leave some space for winch control buttons and other stuff there.

[Haku]

Oh, and yes I have seats for mockup/sizing, though only one suspension seat at the moment, but it can be switched back and forth to test fit things. At this point, since I don't plan on attaching the cab to the cage, I'll just be bolting the seats to the cab without a "cage". I'd like to keep the seats as low in the cab as possible too, so it will be as close to the floor as possible too. The seat I got was a used PRP seat, I'm not sure what model.

[zukrider]

word. i bought a bender instead of trying to loan/borrow one. a notcher to!


well i think it would work best to delete the factory stereo portion all the way to the top most of it. and take the console face all the way up to it. a small cage at the dash going down to the floor. run 14 gauge walls with a press bent bridge behind the last shifter in the pic. then from the front console face to the end of opening behind the shifter, you could use lighter gauge steel, like 16 ga. or run some aluminum. would leave a large open hole. if needed, a bridge in the middle of some 1/2" or 3/4" square with nuts tacked in.

lots of options.

[Haku]

Yeah...kind of what I was thinking too I guess. The one complication with completely deleting that stuff is there are the HVAC controls in that area too, so I have to decide whether they are worth keeping or not.

Right now its just heat or no heat, but I'd like to have AC too since I don't deal with hot summer temps very well. Might be able to figure something out where I just reach under the dash to change where the air goes, and since I can reach the heater valve under the hood, I could just turn that by hand (done it before). That would leave the whole console area for buttons and stereo maybe eventually a navigation setup or similar. I've also thought about just getting a cheap marine amp and plugging my phone into it for tunes as well, and not having a dash mounted receiver at all. That would clear up lots of room for more vehicle and accessory oriented stuff (I have a Ham Radio and CB radio, plus ignitition, start button and switches too).

[zukrider]

i like the stereo delete. but you could integrate the heat controls. shouldnt be the hardest that rigs been through!