Another green laner build

Holy fabricator some job on the one-piece Les

Thanks. I did cheat a bit. That's actually the Mk3 version. I have a CNC plasma cutter so once the parts are drawn it takes seconds to cut them out. I can quickly make a part, test fit then modify the drawings and try again. It wastes a lot of metal but I have quite a bit of galv sheet I picked up cheap.

I've been thinking about jacking/recovery points. The Jimny doesn't have anywhere convenient to use a hilift jack. I'm tempted to add receiver hitch sockets to each corner, with square holes in the bumpers to access them. Normal towing receiver hitches use a pin to hold the hitch in place. This isn't convenient as the sockets will be tucked behind the bumpers. After a bit of playing on Freecad I came up with this design.
 

You can rotate the locking plate by moving the lever. Here are links to viewable 3D models:
Locked in place
Just the hitch, unlocked
Drag with your mouse to totate the view. If you drop down the objects box you can select parts of the hitch and adjust their transparency to see how it all goes together. It's just an idea at the moment and needs a bit of refinement but it should work. Opinions and ideas are welcome.

An updated version with a safety lock. In this version it is impossible to unlock the hitch if there is any load on it. The operating lever is also better protected. Reduce the opacity of the body to see the internals.

One thing I don't like with this design is that is it impossible to disassemble the mechanism it once it is welded together.

You lost me at cnc plasma I'm afraid. Looks very shiny though.

Looks a pretty neat idea.

At long last all of the structural welding is done. I just have an easy little bodywork patch left to do in the back that I missed before. I managed to do the repair next to the steering box without removing the box. Removing the pipes gave me just enough room to feed a finger sander in there to grind out the rot. I'm quite impressed with the new Norton sanding belts I've been using. I've worn out about 18 while working on the Jimny and only broken one. I only wish they wouldn't wear out so quickly. The cheaper ones break within minutes. The finger sander has been a godsend on this job. It's a 1/2" Evolution electric sander like this one . You can adjust the angle of the belt arm which is really useful for getting into tight spaces.

This weekend I may mock up the structural parts of the hitch and stick them in the press to get an idea of strength. I'm aiming for a minimum breaking strain of 4 tonnes. That sounds like a lot but it needs to survive a brisk snatch recovery with a decent safety margin.