Great Dane excavating co.

[modelman]

Sorry cooper-just ignore that last post. I thought the front was the back and the back was the front and oh well; I'm going back to sleep.

[Cooper]

Lol modelman, my fault for having the pics different orientations!!!

So I'm starting on steering cylinders. Settled on 1/4" shafts and I D .375 cylinder. Looking at steves ,ihbuilder, post of cutting more threads on rodends. I gained a little more wiggle room and also cut out the swivel on one rodend. They are just pressed in and I will do same for the end of cylinder tube. Gives me more room for inlet and outlet oil fittings.

[Cooper]

Got the rough length of cylinders. The shaft is short in pic, keeping everything long till I can get the swivel bearing on cylinder finalized. And to figure out how/where to have oil inlet/exit ports. They are going to be the hard part. Hats off to you guys working on small stuff!! 1/4" id cutting internal grooves for the orings is about my limit. And I know for some of you that may be big stuff!!!

[Cooper]

Got it figured out



Have to trim other cylinder down and then both are to working stroke. Still have to make small blocks for m5 hose fittings. I figured out how to run lines, both will work with normal hose fittings and I don't need to make any hard lines. Guess that's next.

[RCP57]

Very nice! What pump are you planning to run?

[Cooper]

If it were just the lift cylinders I was going to use the small one I have from the failed dump truck hoist project. That is the smaller one from rc4wd. It has been my testing pump and probably will stay a test pump. I'm gong to bite the bullet and order premacon planetary pump and also a two valve block. I don't want to spend the bean but they have the most reliable pumps in my opinion. With steering being hydro the pump will be running all the time while in motion.

[Cooper]

I know I said I wasn't going to make hardliners for the steering cylinders,,,,, but,,,, I did! Couple of distractions leading to soldering wrong lines in wrong places. And thought I was off on oil ports as air was escaping inside cylinder. Found out it was bypassing through the screw threads holding piston to shaft. A little bit of Teflon to seal and no leaks. On final assembly I'll use thread lock and let dry.

[Mikem]

When you solder the cylinders together what solder do you use ? Mike

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by Mikem

When you solder the cylinders together what solder do you use ? Mike

Just cheep stuff. Radio shack solder. But,,, I know from past experiences,, I should have brazed the end caps on first. Reason for that would be I could use regular solder on tubeing without the risk of other joints coming loose. As I did place some heat block (wet paper towels) around areas I didn't want to desolder. For me heating such small pieces it's pointless to use silver solder with a little higher melting point then using lesser solder on next parts. I got a big torch and I just end up going past the correct temp on areas I shouldn't. Another words , I don't really know what I'm doing

[Cooper]

Mike, staybrite on left. I used that on ends because I thought it was higher melting temp but I don't think it's any better than silver. Silver solder in middle and cheep RadioShack stuff on left I used for hose fittings and tubeing.

[JAMMER]

Hi Cooper there is a special sealant that is used on hydraulics and I will go out in my garage tommorow and get the maker name and the product number, it works real good. Ed

[Cooper]

Thanks Ed.

Well got the other cylinder done and,,,,,, well the presser test was good. I was playing around with the air, extending and retracting. I was just using the air nozzle and have a small brass tube hooked up to it that I can squeeze into the hose. As long as I keep hand tension on it , it stays put. But the trigger on the nozzle isn't too precise and it's all on or all off. Really gets the rod to slam in and out. I was trying to be gentile but I hit the trigger and blew the back right off!!! Well it handled the pressure well but not the sudden impact!!! Was being too lazy to actually hook up the pump and fill with oil!! Well looking back its good and bad. Bad that I have to resolder the back onto the cylinder but good (I guess) that a weak spot showed up now and not later /

[bigford]

you going to have two steer cylinders cross feed to steer?

[JAMMER]

Hello Cooper the sealant is Devcon Permatex Part number PT 54550 or 54540 The hydraulic shops use this . I had to go direct to Permatex to get some and when I did the mice person that answered me said you should find were you live and she said that she would send me some. But to my amazement it wasn't one of those little tubes but one of those large bottles and no charge. Ed

[Cooper]

Thanks Ed, I know I can get some of this locally. have to get some hydraulic oil for 1:1 machines and take a backhoe cylinder in to dealer for repairs, when there I'll pick some of that up.

A little dab of that on bolt holding piston on will seal threads , lock them, and also seal between piston and shaft. Perfect!!! Thanks.

[Cooper]

Well long day , I'm down in Florida, temps are 60ish, was wanting 70s but it's better than home have a few pics from before I left



Went with springs in rear shocks and installed a small breather hole.

Also installed swivel bearings in top and bottom of shocks for the little bit of articulation.





Downtown Disney is a walk away and I may have to get a Lego crane to pass the time in hotel

[bigford]

beth know your posting pics? should'nt you two be getting mani/pedi's together?

[Cooper]

Completely collapsed suspension


A little squatting


Completely unloaded


Max articulation


I have a little too much travel in suspension. I'm going to make some internal spacers to limit travel. But at max articulation nothing hits so it will just get better.

[bigford]

wow that thing is getting LARGE!!!. what is the gap between tires and ground clearance

[Cooper]

Mark,


That's a 123 block, back has about 2-1/2" ground clearance. Front has more like 3"


I used bushings inside the springs to limit compression resulting in travel limits. Different size bushings can be arranged to get exactly amount needed. The pic has ones installed in spring and a couple laying there to choose from.