What tubing for DIY tuber?

[Nazhuret]

As per topic.

What tubing is the go to for making a custom body?
In all of the youtubes and everything I can’t get a straight answer to what the basic material is.

Not interested in torch or solder or welding discussions.

Just... what the heck tube does everyone use and where do you get it?

Thanks.

[themountain]

Brake line maybe ??

[AnimalHippie]

I used 3/16" brake line for my truggy cage. Worked out really good. My buddy Tig welded it all together for me. You can also braze it together with silver solder. Some guys use stainless steel rod or tube or plain steel rod. The brake line is the cheapest way to go and if you brace it correctly you don't have to worry about bending it when your rig takes a tumble. Here's a pic of mine. It's still holding strong after a year of some hard crawling and big falls. Good luck with yours!

[Lashlee]

I've made some bumpers, cages and roll bars out of solid 3/16" rod and will make the next round out of 3/16" brake line. Most of the brake lines are coated which is one extra step to clean off but you can weld or solder it together. My solid rod cage on the back my Enduro has taken quite a few hits without much damage. Some of the guys I crawl with are into the rock racing or rock bouncing and only use solid rod for their cages, so it depends on your intent and skill set. Soldering is cheaper and easier than welding, but each has it's own learning curve.

[MAC FAB]

1. Sorry, but to answer your question, are you going to braze or weld it together? Wall thickness issue here. 2. What scale/tire size is your rig going to be? That will dictate what sized tubing to go with. 3. How do you intend to drive the completed rig? Cautiously or with total disregard to big, long tumbles and roll overs? Once you've answered that, your selection is easier.

That said, I would lean towards stainless tubing, stiffer than steel, which can be purchased (if it exists near you) at your local industrial hose/hydraulics parts and repair store if you don't have an industrial metal supplier near you. Forklift repair, farming equipment repair, auto parts store...... 1.9 rig would get 3/16" tube, scales to 1-7/8", 1/4" on a 2.2 rig, scaling 2". Braze it so you can run say 22 ga. ~.030" wall thickness. Keeps the weight down. If you intend to weld it, that now changes the skills required on connecting the thin wall material, which I'm sure you are aware of per your comment in the op. The easiest route is 3/16" rod, welded. Perhaps metal coat hangers welded as well, they'd be fairly stiff for a 1.9 rig.

[ferp420]

Break line is cheap and easy to get also i use scrap steel from wire racks or grills old shopin carts or anything that uses solid rod usualy scrap is free if you ask nicely
I get stainless tube on ebay too but i mostly use that for links and braces

A mix of solid rod and break line would be best in my opinion

[Nazhuret]

Thanks for the thoughts!

I’m going to be silver solder brazing.

Drive type is going to be “basher crawling”, if that makes sense.
Chilling with friends and trying stuff. Trying to learn to drive right but not afraid of tumbles from either not knowing what I’m doing or just actively doing dumb stuff I know I probably can’t pull off at my current skill set.

Not afraid to tear it down again or do repairs, as needed.

Likely stick with roughly 1/10 scale.

Sounds like stainless tubes for the win. I’d rather not have to deal with stripping the galvanization of that type of tubing.

Thanks again!

Originally Posted by MAC FAB

1. Sorry, but to answer your question, are you going to braze or weld it together? Wall thickness issue here. 2. What scale/tire size is your rig going to be? That will dictate what sized tubing to go with. 3. How do you intend to drive the completed rig? Cautiously or with total disregard to big, long tumbles and roll overs? Once you've answered that, your selection is easier.

That said, I would lean towards stainless tubing, stiffer than steel, which can be purchased (if it exists near you) at your local industrial hose/hydraulics parts and repair store if you don't have an industrial metal supplier near you. Forklift repair, farming equipment repair, auto parts store...... 1.9 rig would get 3/16" tube, scales to 1-7/8", 1/4" on a 2.2 rig, scaling 2". Braze it so you can run say 22 ga. ~.030" wall thickness. Keeps the weight down. If you intend to weld it, that now changes the skills required on connecting the thin wall material, which I'm sure you are aware of per your comment in the op. The easiest route is 3/16" rod, welded. Perhaps metal coat hangers welded as well, they'd be fairly stiff for a 1.9 rig.

[Gula]

There is also brake line without the galvanized coating, just a brown coat.

[ferp420]

Originally Posted by Nazhuret

Thanks for the thoughts!

I’m going to be silver solder brazing.

Drive type is going to be “basher crawling”, if that makes sense.
Chilling with friends and trying stuff. Trying to learn to drive right but not afraid of tumbles from either not knowing what I’m doing or just actively doing dumb stuff I know I probably can’t pull off at my current skill set.

Not afraid to tear it down again or do repairs, as needed.

Likely stick with roughly 1/10 scale.

Sounds like stainless tubes for the win. I’d rather not have to deal with stripping the galvanization of that type of tubing.

Thanks again!

Paint dosent stick to Stainless steal vary good and it will discolor from being brazed up not that thats a problem just something to think about and stainless is brittle it dosent bend as easy and has a tendency to snap and crack were as steel just bends when smacked on the rocks again not a big deal

You can buy uncoated break line on ebay for cheap

I highly suggest using solid rod for your main structure like frame rails and bumpers and atleast one main hoop over the pasenger compartment just to keep everything from bending beyond repair in my opinion some solid rod will save weight because it dosent need as much bracing

[crawlinwithacat]

Originally Posted by Gula

There is also brake line without the galvanized coating, just a brown coat.

^Yeah you gotta watch out for that one. I didn't go with brake line because I could never figure out if the stuff I was looking at was galvanized or not.

3/16 steel rod is what I like. Rigid enough to be strong in a tumble and yet not too heavy. Albeit it is solid so weight comes into play but that's a given.

"in my opinion some solid rod will save weight because it dosent need as much bracing" Absolutely agree there ferp

[Szczerba]

Stockcarsteel sells 3/16 DOM 1020 0.035” ID (ID taps 3mm too) steel tube (and other tube sizes too)

Been using it for almost ten years on tons of builds. MIG welding.
Some recent work.

[ferp420]

Dom is the sherbert but its not cheap its not exspensive ether the shipping is what kills it for me

[xxlostonexx]

Originally Posted by Szczerba

Stockcarsteel sells 3/16 DOM 1020 0.035” ID (ID taps 3mm too) steel tube (and other tube sizes too)

Been using it for almost ten years on tons of builds. MIG welding.
Some recent work.

what he said...brakeline works. but has that coating on it you have to grind off, its toxic.

i got a 4'-0" piece shipped in a week for 20 bucks.

[itr1275]

Maybe a crazy question, but why not use aluminum tube? It's available the the HW/hobby store, light weight, easy to braze and cheap. However, if it gets bent you can have a hard time just banging it out.



Does it bend or crack too easily?

[Lashlee]

For me, the brake line option is about as easy as it gets, without some of the downfalls of aluminum. I'm not sure that aluminum would really save weight, which is usually the main reason for using it. I haven't looked into brazing aluminum, but it might require some different flux/solder, etc...