Max IV body band and winch

[blown84gt]

I know this has been covered before but thought I'd throw in my two cents worth. I searched through here and studied pictures and stuff and then I started the project. Got the front done with the winch plate, got the rear roughed in. The last picture shows the wood profile block I cut out to do the bending/forming/clamping/tack welding around to save wear and tear on the body tub. Freshly welded angle iron WILL melt the tub! I traced it off the tub and clamped it to the work table and bent around it. I was able to "pie" cut the small radius' but didn't have any luck on the corners so I wound up cutting out the entire corner so it would bend easier and pieced in some plate. I used 3/16" thick 1 1/2" x 2" angle. I need to finish weld the rear section and weld it to the front and drill all the body mount holes and prime and paint and wire up the winch and mount a larger battery. After I get this finished up I'll bend up a roll cage and make a removable rack over the engine. In case you're wondering abut the seat backs I got the wife to recover the bottoms and she hasn't finished the backs for me so I just bolted in the boards to use it for deer hunting.

So far I'm really pleased with how it's turning out!

[Mike]

That is looking really good.

[trevorakm1]

wow that looks factory, nice. I also see you went with the interco tires, how do they swim on the max IV? What size motor is in the max?

[blown84gt]

wow that looks factory, nice. I also see you went with the interco tires, how do they swim on the max IV? What size motor is in the max?

Thank you both!

They don't swim very well, best progress is at just above idle, higher rpm and the just kinda cavitate. They ride pretty rough too, I'm running a 16 Briggs right now.

[Graywalk]

Very nice work. The band, cross support and roll cage are next on my list. Yours looks very professional

[trevorakm1]

the tires do look mean though.

[Uncle Vin]

Excellent job. It does indeed look factory. That's my next mod. How exactly did you make the bends?

[Bazooo guy]

Nice job.
Did you use flatstock on the underside of the body band to sandwich the body or just bolts with washers?

[locolouie]

nice job ,it dose look professional

[blown84gt]

Thanks again for the positive comments!

As you can see from the pictures I haven't finished and only drilled a few holes so far to kinda hold things in place. When I get the back section welded up (been raining past 3 days) I'll drill the rest of the holes and I have indeed considered some flat stock underneath or at least some sections larger than flat washers though I'm not sure it's really necessary. The corner radius worked best for me by cutting out the whole corner and bending the band around the wood blocks I cut, then welding in a filler section. You can see the corners cut out in the rear pictures and the wood blocks I cut are in the last picture. The wood gives you somethng to clamp up and bend/hammer the metal around without pounding on the tub. I'll post more pictures as I finish up, hopefully this weekend.

[Bazooo guy]

I think flatstock along the sides would be strong enough and maybe at the winch plate.
I dont think the max sags in the middle like some older Argos I have seen.

[blown84gt]

I also plan to put a cross bar behind the front seat and tie it to the frame for support against body sag and also for a gun rack mount, and I'm going to put a piece of flat stock on the back edge of winch plate to tie into the front of the body like a factory winch plate with a sandwich plate behind the gas tank. Then bend up some tube for the roll cage, all with pictures of course!

[IanPNG]

How do those tires perform in deep mud, especially on steep hills?

[blown84gt]

How do those tires perform in deep mud, especially on steep hills?

That is where they excell!

While deer hunting I have climbed some muddy hills that had the old sphincter knotted up and she just kept digging. Looking at the photos you posted of the sunken Max they would be right at home in that terrain. They don't side hill very well though.

[swamp donkey]

That looks great, where in MS are you from?