Ice house, drop down suspension question

[wallywalleye]

I would like to know how to mount steel leaf springs to an aluminum frame. I would also like to know if it would be possible to mount the tires so they would be inside the wheel wells and the leaf spring outside. So when I crank down the shack I would only need to build a wheel well big enough for the wheel only and not the spring. I want to make my shack 8 ft wide and don't want to waste interior space with large wheel wells. Any ideas and places to go to get the materials I need would be appreciated. I'm also open to suggestions on other suspension ideas if anyone has any as long as I can still keep my aluminum frame. My frame is 2x3 aluminum tube. Thanks

[wallywalleye]

Hasn't anyone built an ice house out of aluminum?

[Jeremy airjer W]

If you monted the leaf spring outboard, how would you change a tire? crawl underneath the house?

[Macgyver55]

Well you cant weld the two together so bolts are about the only alternative. They are expensive but use stainless steel bolts if possible. Anytime you connect aluminum to steel remember to use some type of insulator block or pad to prevent corrosion by electrolosis. Otherwise in short order you will have big problems.

[hawkeye43]

you make doors on the inside of of the wheel well so you can change the tire inside the house where its warm. Lot easier to do wheel bearings also. I have had 4 Houses like that and would'nt build them any other way. The big plus is that with a little planning you can set the wheels so that they would be as wide as your pickup wheels. Much easier to pull in deep snow with out having to plow roads first and one of these years we will get alot of snow again

[wallywalleye]

Hey Hawkeye, shoot me an e-mail please, I need to ask you a few questions. Like where you buy your parts to build your suspension and if you have any pics you could share would be appreciated. my email is [email protected] also your exactly right about the changing the tires from the inside, that's exactly what I'm trying to do. I was begining to wonder if I was the only one who has thought of this. It might be a big pain to do all of this but I think it will be worth it.

Thanks

[wallywalleye]

Thanks Macgyver, I have heard that before but no one has told me what to space them apart with. I'm thinking maybe a plastic washer or rubber??? I want it to last and not fall apart on me or work itself loose. If you have an idea I want to hear it.

[hawkeye43]

Also with the wheels on the inside its harder for someone the steal the wheels or the whole house.