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Thread: Tubular Upper Control Arms Dakota '97-03

  1. #126

    98Dak408's Avatar
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    That darn tubing notcher back-order keeps getting pushed further back. I feel I'm so close I'm chomping at the bit.

  2. #127
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    Richard I'm still in for ucas

    Mostly stock:
    Open air Cleaner
    52mm TB
    No cat, flowmaster
    Way more mods to come

  3. #128
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    I still want these

    Mostly stock:
    Open air Cleaner
    52mm TB
    No cat, flowmaster
    Way more mods to come

  4. #129

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    For some reason I don't get email notifications of these posts anymore on my regular email. It seems they go to an email I don't use anymore. ??? Edit: Just realized that it may be due to my email server screwing up. I thought I had fixed it but apparently not.

    Anyway, I have been trying to figure out the best and most accurate method of bending and notching the tubing the way I want for fitment and repeatability. I have spent a lot of time researching layout welding tables. The cheaper ones fall a little short of what I want and the more expensive ones are way out of reach. I just dropped about $3000 on a buildpro fixturing table and parts which is the lower priced of the better tables. I am waiting for it to arrive. I don't want to be hit-and-miss with these things.

  5. #130


    krs1r/t's Avatar
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  6. #131
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    We use Bluco weld tables at the shop, I’m old school though and I wasn’t very good with legos when I was a kid! so I struggle a bit when setting it up

  7. #132

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    We use Bluco weld tables at the shop, I’m old school though and I wasn’t very good with legos when I was a kid! so I struggle a bit when setting it up
    Bluco seems to be the benchmark as far as I can tell for these tables. That's one thing I've been pondering: how to record complicated set ups to repeat at a later date.

  8. #133
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    I usually take pics on my phone for a later time than I’ll you have to do is remeasure everything, if I remember right, you can take pics of what you’re trying to build , send it to the bluco guys and they make a program for you with pics on what tooling and shims to use

  9. #134

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    We don’t build any DAKOTA parts, but we build fixtures and jigs for all the parts we manufacture over and over again. They don’t change
    Duner
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  10. #135

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    We don’t build any DAKOTA parts, but we build fixtures and jigs for all the parts we manufacture over and over again. They don’t change
    I usually make a fixture for each part but space is a premium for me and storage is a bit of a problem. I'm hoping with the fixture table I can make smaller pieces of the fixture that plug into the table. In essence, the table will be the back bone. The initial reason for the table and accessories is to notch the control arm legs precisely and is indexable so I can quickly set up the right control arm leg and then the left control arm leg in a matter of minutes with minimal waste.

  11. #136
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    That’s the reason behind the tables, we made fixtures for every job, and the owner was getting pissed because we had like 100+, and they took up a bunch of room
    Attached Images Attached Images

  12. #137

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    I went with a 3' x 4' slotted Buildpro table to try out and keep costs down although it is still expensive for a small shop. I can add sides to it and it is also expandable depending upon the size of the part and table.

    https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...1&&FORM=VRDGAR

    https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...3&&FORM=VDRVRV

    When I get time I will make a caster set up for it to move around the shop. I can also set it up beside my existing welding table for a larger area such as working on a narrowed rear end or whatever.
    Last edited by 98Dak408; 03-27-2019 at 01:11 PM.

  13. #138
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    Those are cool tables, with you being able to move the panels, ours are just solid 4x8 tables and a 15x8 huge table
    https://youtu.be/B1yISwQgOe0

  14. #139

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    Those are cool tables, with you being able to move the panels, ours are just solid 4x8 tables and a 15x8 huge table
    https://youtu.be/B1yISwQgOe0
    That Bluco is some heavy duty stuff, and, expensive.

  15. #140
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    I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest, the accessories, is where they get you. It appears it would take a bin of bits and pieces to get set up.

    "Excuse me if I have some place in my mind, where I go time to time"

  16. #141

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    I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest, the accessories, is where they get you. It appears it would take a bin of bits and pieces to get set up.
    Yeah, for the last several years I've seen these table at the PRI show in Indianapolis and the FabTech show in Chicago, but shied away due to the cost. I will try to make some of my own fixtures that plug into the table.

  17. #142



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    This is why I'm waiting for Richard's control arms, they will be top notch.
    11.27 @ 118.23
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  18. #143
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    The tooling is spendy !

  19. #144


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    Quote Originally Posted by Adobedude View Post
    This is why I'm waiting for Richard's control arms, they will be top notch.
    Agreed

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  20. #145




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    Quote Originally Posted by Adobedude View Post
    This is why I'm waiting for Richard's control arms, they will be top notch.
    Double agreed, I just hope I have the money on hand when he gets these finished.
    Only thing I'm concerned about is the upper ball joint angle with how low I am. My AIM arms I had to remove the ball joints and flip the arm over as the ball joint mounting plate on the upper arm is at an angle.
    This signature has been deleted thanks to photobucket!

  21. #146
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    Quote Originally Posted by slammedR/T View Post
    Double agreed, I just hope I have the money on hand when he gets these finished.
    Only thing I'm concerned about is the upper ball joint angle with how low I am. My AIM arms I had to remove the ball joints and flip the arm over as the ball joint mounting plate on the upper arm is at an angle.
    Maybe since you've lost so much weight it won't sit as low anymore and the balljoint will be fine!

  22. #147

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    Quote Originally Posted by Adobedude View Post
    This is why I'm waiting for Richard's control arms, they will be top notch.
    Same here.

  23. #148

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    Only thing I'm concerned about is the upper ball joint angle with how low I am. My AIM arms I had to remove the ball joints and flip the arm over as the ball joint mounting plate on the upper arm is at an angle.
    You can probably check that with the stock upper a-arm since I am using those positioning dimensions. I don’t know if the other aftermarket upper a-arms all used the same angle as the stock arms but I wouldn’t count on it.

    It is my understanding that lowered lower control arms may have better ballpoint alignment with a longer upper a-arm depending upon the dimensions of the lower control arm. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lowered lower control arm to mock up from and I’m not sure if all the lowered lower control arms that may be available all used the same dimension as each other. I purposely made the jig to accommodate a longer length if I can figure out what that dimension needs to be. For instance, does it need to be a ¼” longer, or ¾” longer? I also want to finish the stock dimension arms to see if they actually sell before I put more time and money into it.

    One thing I don't understand is why a company would make a lowered lower control arm available for sale if there is no upper a-arm available for proper ballpoint alignment. ??

    I'm still waiting on the modular fixture table. According to the supplier now, it may ship in another week or two.

  24. #149
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    I’m still running the lowered djm’s in mine , but alignment was always impossible, can’t wait for these !

  25. #150

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    According to DJM their lowered lower control arms work with the OEM upper control arm.

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