I’m preparing to install the very kit. I have lots of experience in metal fabrication from both aviation and automotive. To me pilot drilling ALL of the holes first with a #40 drill bit provides a clean and straight hole. This is standard practice for aviation. The critical part isn’t pressure it’s speed of the drill. A slow small #40 plain cobalt will cut through that boron like butter but you have to look for the product. If it’s not producing chips, slow down and let the bit do the work. If it starts to smoke back off pressure and slow down. Believe it or not Boeing has a drilling certification class you have to physically pass for certain contract work. I’ve done it. Another thing is to use a low speed air drill with variable speed trigger. I believe 2100 max titanium with #40, 500 rpm if you bit size is #30. If the rivets are #10’s you should be below 350. Again this is using cobalt bits. More expensive bits do more work but heat/speed will always kill hard metal drilling. I use an air controller/regulator . It will help. If you like I can help you make a vid. You and mark have my number. Let me know.
That is great info! I actually had a little bit in the video about watching your chips but ended up cutting it out in an effort to keep it short. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
One thing that helped me with the pressure is using a long reach spreader/clamp. One side inside the pillar and then on the back of the drill to hold steady pressure. Then all you have to worry about is trigger speed. Let us know how it goes when you start drilling for the fender brace on the pillar. The boron is thicker there 😬
I hate to admit it Mike but I don’t know what titrate bits are. Drill bits are a long discussion with many conflicting views but definitely need hard bits that hold their tip well. Some guys will even buy carbide masonry bits and grind them down to a standard 135 degree tip.
Do you have any comments about chassis flex considering that the structure that keeps the rear suspension from bending upwards (the roof and "c" pillar) is removed? Since the "b" pillar is so strong, have you thought about any other material that could be added horizontally from the "b" pillar to the top of the rear suspension mounts to help offset some of the bending forces other than the aluminum structure of the bed?
I really don't. By the time you add the B pillar to fender well brace, you have a really strong channel there. for normal street driving I think that is plenty robust.
If you really wanna make it stout, like welding aluminum to steel ,use 3m panelbond. On my Mk4 I can jack up the left front ,and change the right front and left rear tire at the same time. 3 for 1 works for me 😃
