Bucket Hooks

[rwork]

I think mine is about 1/8" thick on the top lip. I can look under the lip and see the back edge as it is just folded back 180 degrees in two 90 degree bends. Yours should be similar.

Thanks Gary. Actually mine is about a 3x2 tube. That's why I couldn't tell how thick it was, and wondered if anyone else had drilled into theirs.

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[Gary Fowler]

I had to go look again at mine. It has a 3x2 tube inside the bend also. The shell which forms the back or the bucket does look to be 1/8" as stated. I cant tell what the rectangular tube shell thickness is though without a UT thickness meter. Why didnt I keep one of those during my construction years?
That must have been my friends NH bucket that just had the bend in it like that, because I burned thru it when welding on his bucket hooks. Patched it up and got inside and ground off the dingleberry.
My LS looks to be just like yours. Look under the bucket lip and see if it doesnt have that 180 bend that is open on the back side and a piece of rectangular tubing slide up inside the bend. You should be able to feel the edge of the lip on the bend.

[toxicjeeper]

did you guys stich weld or fully weld your angle iron to the bucket. just finished this mod but used d rings.. thanks

[oldtoyboyd]

I fully welded the sides and the gave it 5 long stitch welds top and bottom.

[Gary Fowler]

I didnt add any angle to mine as I dont believe in putting a hook in the center. If I want a center lift, I just hook my chain in both side hooks and then back into the chain centering it it a Y at the center. Most of my lifts are with the chain running across the bucket and down to attachment point at each end.
As for attachment, I welded all around the 3x5 plate then plug welded each of the 4 holes that were in the plate so it is welded to the FEL in the middle of the repad also. Remember that for repad, I used a mounting plate for attaching load springs to an axle so it had 4 holes in it for U-bolt. This added extra strength to the attachment point although not really needed for strength, it does keep water from getting under the plate which could cause corrosion or freeze which could buckle the plate. If I were putting on a reinforcing bar of some sort, I would do like OLDTOYBOYD and weld the ends solid then stitchweld about 2" of weld on 12" centers on both sides of the bar with the stitches alternating so you have a weld every 6" but on opposite side. The fillet weld size should be the thickness of the material that you are putting on, i.e. 3x3x 1/4" angle would have a 1/4" fillet weld at least 2" long but not more than 3". Too much welding will cause some warpage on your bucket.