Got my eye on a couple 11" aluminum bell housings on EBay. I'll pull the trigger here short like. Had a tough time finding stock steel in the tube/pipe size I needed for the exhaust pass-through's so went back to the scrap yard. Found a perfect diameter/wall thickness chunk x 36" or so for $15. Stopped by the metal store and had them saw four 3" slices off for $10. The balance went on my stockpile with the other piece of tube I got the other day. Silver pencil, blue-tip axe, 4-1/2" grindin' rock and I'm done with that section. I clamped a piece of flat-bar across for good measure before I cut and while I welded the sections back in. Still gotta lift it up and weld out the rest. Didn't feel like takin' hotties in the chest while on my back on the creeper
I cut a couple pieces of exhaust to get me through but I'll be cutting those back when I make the bends towards the bedsides and down. I'll remount the bed when I make those pieces so it'll look just right. It sure ain't perfect but I'm SUEPR happy with the results. Still gotta get them Walker band clamps (x4). Once I'm done with all this mock-up I'll pull it all out, weld it all up and paint. Then it gets hung up on the wall with the rest of my work. I'll use the other two rings I have to do the same at the trailing arm cross member where I've already cut through. This is a big deal for me. Not many lowered trucks with pipe all the way out back! Supposed to rain tomorrow, so I'm hoping to get more done.