New Out Riggers

[captlou]

Has anyone fabricated their own out riggers and if so what steel did you use ?The width of mine are 5”.I know I can buy brand new ones but I’m wanting to save money. Some pictures would be nice too. Thx

[Bubba L]

On our 55 the outriggers were 4”. I used purlins. There’s nothing wrong with making your own if you can find the material. Look on our thread on or about post #16. It may help. Good luck

[captlou]

Yeah mine are 5” I was hoping to use purlin but not available in 5”, and c channel is 6.7 pounds a foot in the thinnest thickness I can buy in 5”.

[blickcd]

My solution was to leave the rotted outrigger in place and repair it. I cut a piece of 16 gauge steel in roughly the shape of an outrigger, temporarily clamped it to the remains, and welded it in place.

I welded in about six places, beads about 1.5" long, on the inside of the oval cutout. I used an AC stick welder, 6013 electrodes at 60 amps. The results are not pretty, but are solid. A mig would probably be a little easier to manage.

Sorry, no pics.

[Aerowood]

I made all of mine, but I have the equipment to do so.

[captlou]

I thought about that, I have all the equipment to do it that way. I’m going to evaluate that option, the worst part of my out riggers is the bottom lip that the belly pan is going to attach to.

[57Vintage]

Suggest if yo're going to repair existing or replace outriggers, run that bottom lip all the way up the outer curve. Its seems very common for the outer edge of the outrigger to wear through the aluminum belly pan with time. It would also give you additional area to rivet on the belly pan curve.

I didn't think of this early enough so ended up making an aluminum piece to continue the lip. (frame already painted)



photo- frame upside down on rotisserie

[Sneakinup]

I bought a 4' x 8' sheet of 16 gauge steel and had a local machine shop cut out about 20 flat outriggers which I then attached to the existing ones after grinding out and removing the cancer (rust.) All in all, they cost me less than $6.00 each, and I had a 4' x 4' piece of sheet metal left over for other projects.

I drilled holes in them to puddle weld, and also ran the weld around the rounded edge. Treated them twice with OSPHO, then sealed with a spray on rubber coating and the bottom edges of the outrigger were covered in aluminum foil tape before the skins were put back on. It's never going anywhere... at least not in my lifetime.

[blickcd]

My repair job was a lot like Sneakinup's. For the lip at the bottom, I just had a 90 degree bend that was facing the opposite way of the outrigger's rotted flange.

You then drill a new hole in the wrap, adjacent to the existing one, and through the flange of new metal, so you can pop rivet it in place.

[Sneakinup]

I forgot to add that on the outriggers that were completely rusted off the at the bottom, that I welded on a 90 degree angle for attaching the skins.