buffalob

Ditto to all the info on the DOM material...To add a bit..yes the yield and tensile strength go up a bunch for the DOM tubing, also inportant is how much the elongation percentage drops in the process as well. While this is fine where a cut and weld is in order as the loss of elongation is inconsequential, if you will be trying to bend a DOM tube there are limitations you need to be aware of. Typically to bend DOM material (lets talk rotary draw bending aka "mandrel" bending) a miniumum OD to CLR (tube outside diameter to bend centerline radius) ratio should be held at a 3XD (CLR of bend = 3X material diameter) minimum. This is to prevent the tube fracturing instead of bending. The cause of this is for the most part due to the drag induced by the internal supporting mandrel in the tube in the bending operation in concert with the poor elongation percentage in the DOM material. If the method of bending however is compression as opposed to rotary draw (this is more what a guy would have in the local fab shop or your buddy in his garage). a tighter radius would be possible as there is no mandrel in the tube in the bend process. the down side of this is that the tube will flatten more in the bend area using this method. All this being said... The DOM is stronger by far it will be available in VERY consistent dimensions that you can depend on time after time. If you are not going to bend it and you can find what you need in small quantities to suit your need and the price is right I say go for it. It is in any case overkill for your application...Sorry to hop on the soap box but tube bending applications tooling and analyisis is my day job. (overkill is my middle name too btw) This could be opening up a can of worms as there's been plenty of conversations... and arguments... over the differences of strength between DOM (drawn over mandrel) and HREW (hot rolled electric welded) tubing. While they both start life almost identical that each type starts off as a sheet, then is cut, rolled and welded back together as a tube that's where the similarities stop. The DOM starts off slightly larger in size so it can be finished by being squeezed through a die. This is a cold process so it will always be precisely the size it is required to be both inside and outside diameter. As far as actual strength, DOM is going to be almost twice the tensile strength when compared to HREW. Again, this is due to the cold process that the tubing is finished in. Then there's the applications. If you were to be building a competition rock buggy that would be taking some serious drop offs and side impacts, then one should really us DOM. For the type of offroading that most do, I'd say that HREW would be plenty strong especially if you have some good tow points that tie into the frame. DOM will be much harder to bend also. I've made bumpers out of DOM when specifically asked to do so. Otherwise, I always use HREW for bumper applications.

Ok I've been curious and have seen many posts (and afew very fine Mj's driving around the state.) can we get a colorado list member roll call? I'll start. Bob Want (aka buffalob). MJ's 88' short bed (aka Bucky) with matching trailer. 87' short bed (aka red 87') Arvada Colorado.

well as has been usual throughout the process...here now that we are at the end, I am struggling to get contact with the painter to get bolted up and done. I will be back there again this afternoon to bolt the bed back on fenders hood grill etc to drive her out of there.(unless I get ghosted a 3rd day in a row......) I dropped the bed off at his place Monday after work but he was "out" and the garage buttoned up. still have not seen the cab since the paint is on (or so I have been told). Have contacted a guy on craigs list that has a pair of perfect 91-92 doors complete with electric windows/locks outside in primer. with perfect inner panels. all the glass, wireing, trim, mirrors, weatherstripping are included. I can't get response!!!!!! why did I not find these when the painter jacked up my drivers door and hinge? I suspect that the paint (and fit) on the driver door and front fender is still lousy and that he is scrambling to get it better "fixed" before I actually see it. I really hope this guy with the doors calls me... I will take them to another body shop (a legit one) and have them shot to match. fingers and toes crossed..........

Yep I would suffer with one wiper too...(in a heartbeat) Good luck in the hunt I hope that if you are activly looking for one that you are luckier that I have been

Good luck...as in.... "not gonna happen"

Even like the color... Cool Truck

Running 285/70 R17 pro comp extreme muds on Bucky love em.... for an aggressive off road tire they have the best street manners and handling of any I have ever had. and they are not obnoxiously loud on the highway either I have them mounted on AEV pintlers running 1.50" spidertrax spacers (on the rear only). I love the combo the look and the handling. The price well......not so much. Check my thread the building of Bucky for pics. The Procomps in this size would work on your narrow rim and the over all dims are about 11 X 33

Well the rest of Bucky is now in sealer, basecoat and clear. (Not seen her yet... have family obligations today/tonight or I would already be over there..) I am taking the bed over to the painter's tomorrow after work to bolt back on the rails. Following this the runs can be wet sanded off the bed and all the clear cut and buffed on the truck. Gotta say I'm very skeptical that this is all fact and even if it is more than a little prepared to be disappointed in the quality. More than anything I just want her home so I can go on with the process from here. IF I EVER have this type of work done again I will check references demand to see completed samples etc etc.. Wish me luck for tomorrow friends. I will be sure to post up some pictures tomorrow night.

prefer the look of the pre 60' model with the split wndshield. Not as crazy also about the flat grill on the 48-49 version either. But looks like a good clean runner. I hated having to give up my 59 before the resoration process could be completed. Family first though.....

try that same search to add dealers in aditional to owners only.... and I'll bet you find 3 or 4 more of them too.

Just looked at a map...man you are out in the sticks huh?......I forget how big Texas really is. Guess I was not thinking about location....Closest I've been (for any length of time anyway) to you is probably Austin. I lived there before my folks split up in '65 and again after high scool in 76' I also bummed around College Station /Bryan a bit. My Dad went on to teach English at A&M after the split up. He was a profesor there till he passed about 12 years ago. I guess I get pretty spoiled living in a city the size of Denver when i think about it........

In my case on the drivers side the hinges themselves needed to be replaced, so getting them re welded in the correct spot on the jambs was a royal pain. Drivers door and fender off and back on 4 times in one afternoon. and once the heads start getting stripped....well you know the rest. Glad you will post the sizes will save some time, thanks.

Glad to know and will make the change...hex heads are way better in that limited access area in my opinion. Thanks for the feed back guys. B.

so just standard hex heads then?........ not low profile or anything other than standard metric fine thread hex?

Bucky had 250 k (ish) when purchased 2 years ago. Engine is original as far as I can tell. I did a full cluster swap about a year and a half ago and did not pay any attention to either the odometer that I took out or the one that went in (darn it) best guess at this point is probably 265k no photo can't prove it all talk...

Has anyone on here ever tossed the torx bolts that bolt the doors to their hinges for a different type of fastener that has an easier head to deal with( hex, allen, low head, button head.....)for ease of access and getting the doors on/off and adjusted?????? In the process of changing the hinges on the drivers door last weekend I had the door (and fender) on and off 4 times. in order to get the hinges in the correct spot to weld them in. As a result the button head torx bolts are not happy...nor am I....they are a royal pain in the @$$. I don't look forward to the process of reusing them to mount and adjust the doors after the paint is on the jams and doors. any thoughts, suggestions or similar tales of woe??? Thanks.... buffalo-b in Colorado.

the coyote and rabbit were sittin in the shade with my 3 dogs sippin margaritas. damn lazy slackers anyway (they ate all the damn lime popsicles too!)

Just a thought for you man... I called a local metal stripping joint here in the Denver area the other day.(used to be dip N strip) I used them years ago doing strip to bare metal chemical dipping (works great but would not recommend doing this with any part with a factory welded pinch seam)they also offer and I have had them do, sand, nut shell media, or even baking soda blast. I was curious how much they would charge to blast out the bed of the other bed I am working on. It has a combination of factory paint, rattle can paint, primer and a bit of old (rolled on?) bed liner material. They said they could mask it off so as to not mar or ruin the body work., and that it would run right about $ 120.00 (one and a half hours approx., straight labor). I imagine that there is a similar facility near you. I agree that it beats the crap out of 8 or so hours of sanding with a bum shoulder. you might want to check around..... And your truck is looking muy sexy btw......

Gotta say you are one of the best from scratch fabricators I have seen. In both the design and execution. You stuff is so well thought out and clean it is truly art that you have accomplished on your rig. I really hope one day to see it in person. (who knows.... My youngest sister and her husband just re-located from Portland to Spokane...might yet happen.)Amazing truck (and amazing talent) man I love looking at it.

Gotta love a product with a dinosaur on the box...... You are gonna love that $#!&.

You win Jim..... but I kin still keep the musket...right?

Never could make up my mind either...so I just flipped a coin.

Whoa hold on thar ...As I recall sir, I swapped you my old lop eared mule and a slightly (if questionably) used squaw for that bent and filty old musket. A swap is fair and square Mr. Jim (though admittedly I got the best of the deal). Gotta hand it to you for your memory too.

The SEM stuff ran I think about $ 10.00 a can. The first batch I bought was 6 cans off E-bay. You will have to check there for a baseline if nothing else. Since then I have found a high end automotive upholstery supply house here in Denver that carries the stuff. Comes in some weird and wild colors WOW!(not my cup of tea). And even though the stuff is not yet in the truck I have had to move the finished panels all over the house shed many times etc.... while Bucky has been in exile. I have picked up a nick or two...nothing major Doubt if it would happen mounted in the cab. I will for sure hit all of them with a last coat before install. I have coated EVERYTHING with at least 3 to 4 good coats. I have gone through 8 cans. Please tell me you are not going for the electric lime green LOL!!!

Momo Italian in zebrano wood, with matching shift knob