I'm finally (after 6 years) going to bolt in my Alston's (weld later - maybe next spring). I have some questions about drilling the holes. Do the holes get drilled thru from one side or is it best to go at it from each side? Did anyone drill smaller pilot holes, first? Any tips and tricks would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Yes, I started with a smaller pilot hole first. I had to drill from one side only. It was a very tight fit, so you can only go from one side. You just have to make sure you go straight.

I did not drill/bolt the front p/s side mount because it was such a tight spot. I welded that area. My Alston SFC's are bolted and welded.

 

i'd say do it properly now and weld them in

 

How did you drill yours? This isn't a worn out discussion about bolting vs. welding.

 

I was lucky, I my friend and I installed them using a drive on lift where he works (Midas). We used "third-man" jacks (very tall) and another person to hold the bars in place while we drilled.

Started w/ a small bit, then went to a larger on the size of the bolts.

I only used one bolt per bracket, because we were going to weld.

Once the bolts were in, my friend welded the bars on for me.

 

Thanks TAdan. My goal here is to get the grunt work out of the way to save time/money on the future welding. After putting a trailer hitch on the wife's minivan, I'm sure I'm in for some "fun" on this project, too.