Always shocks people how massive a good log splitter has to be. Brought a trailered one back from Austria 20 years ago and she splits everything. Diesel operated rated at 35 tonnes or so. This is looking to be a veritable beast too!!
If they’re built right they don’t have to be that massive though. My 50 ton splitter is only 5 1/2’ long, is run by a 5hp Predator engine and will split up to a 24” stick. I pull it around with my 4 wheeler. My ram is a lot shorter than his but bigger around. The only wood I have trouble with is stuff like big maple with a lot of knots in it. I rebuilt it though because when I got it the wedge was on the ram and the plate was on the back so when I split it the wood would fall at my feet. I reversed it and put the wedge on the back so that when I split the wood it would fall off the end.
There you go with the mad max designs again love it great designs,I would suggest making the splitting heads removable between 2 way and 4 way or even a eye hitch on it too for towing a trailer behide it too great quality work
engineers poem - 'yes the heart of fabricating something is the experience of the skills you need to create the parts of it but also the thought that goes into the order to do it that not only increases accuracy but also changes the amount of time it takes'
Very interesting seeing a log splitter designed and made. Years ago, I knew a woodcutter who had a log splitter. His splitter would split the log into six pieces, all in one go, so it made his job a lot easier than splitting the logs by hand like he used to do before he got the splitter.
Good to see you here Matty, I was gonna mention on your last video to check out Olly as you said you were considering making a line borer and his home built one would be a good one for some inspiration ?
Fantastic CAD. I’ve used a VR headset which really helps seeing prototypes working at scale. Less mistakes when engineering. Love the power of hydraulic rams 👌🏻
I really enjoy looking at your videos, my friend. I can't work anymore I am disabled but I like what you show. You know what you are talking about and are a craftsman. And I like your shop, man. Thank you for sharing this, my friend. Antoine.
Hey olly love that splitter. I hope the tractor has assister rams on the hydraulics😂 by the time it's finished your gonna need them. I think the big advantage you will have the way you are building the splitter will save a lot of unnecessary cutting on the logs. Superman would have job stopping that when she's pushing hard cool as cannot wait for part two hope we can see it in action.😁❤Ruth
Very nice!! I've seen someone else in the last few months converting his homemade log splitter over to being able to split logs into 4. In the end he went for a removable pair of horizontal blades so that he didn't loose the ability to just split the wood in half. If you go down that route there's also nothing stopping you from making another removable splitter that mould be designed to split wood into 6 pieces..... just right if you do some really large trunks. Looking forward to the next video 😊👍👍👍👍
Interesting as always Ollie. A block splitter? Nah, THIS is a block splitter, mate. (shades of Crocodile Dundee.) My god mate, what a block splitter. When you make a block splitter the blocks must quake in fear. Haha. Now, the next thing is, have we got a tractor big enough to carry it around. I have a 40 tonne hydraulic splitter so on that scale I guess yours is a 200 tonne splitter. All jokes aside, nice job and well engineered as always Ollie. Keep them coming. Really appreciate your efforts mate. I like your work. Cheers, Bruce.
Very interesting project, gives us an insight into your engineering brain. The log splitter looks very substantial, which I personally think is the best way to go for longevity. Looking forward to the next installment. Keep safe and well 👍
It’s a beast. Brilliantly work. Ever thought of getting a tool cart with all your often needed tools? Just push the whole lot to whichever spot you’re working. You must be knackered going backwards and forwards all day to get a pair of pliers!!
Big bit of a machine, I made one from scrap material that was lying about and have split knotted oak with it, I think you could sheer steal beams with your design or even make it into some form of horizontal press and super log splitter. You make good videos keep them coming.
Another great video Oliver, looking forward to part 2. Your press brake must have some power behind it to bend thick plate like it did. I too like to use 3D CAD, I’m a bit older than you but find it’s a great tool to visualise a project before I start to cut metal. Keep up the great work.
Super work as usual. Nice to see you using 3D CAD modeling, it's the way to go for sure. I'm a retired electrical engineer and self-learning Fusion 360 at the moment. 😊
Your going to need a big old tractor working hard to pump enough oil to cycle that ram at a reasonable work rate!! You might consider doing what I did and making splitter PTO powered with its own tank and gearbox&pump. That was my answer to cycling a big ram, not using much fuel ( DB 995 runs it fine). HTH PS: A big table was another good addition to mine
Thanks for bringing us along for the build .. super creative and functional tool build .. consider cutting holes in the I-beam with your torch.. it will remain plenty strong enough and lighten the project
If you clamp the end of the cylinder you will bend the rod eventually , only use the ram on its original mounting points I speak from experience as I made one exactly the same many years ago,and bent the rod, good videos keep up the great work
I built 2 of them years ago from scratch. Only had a lathe and a dc welder. Ram, pump and motor were supplied by the owners. Make sure you anchor the front end of the ram to the beam or it can buckle the rod. I learnt the hard way on the first one.😊
Beautifully executed. Computers have certainly made some things easier. A technical drawing guy could have spent days mapping out that lot. In the end it still requires a skilled fabricator to put it all together. Certainly should split a few logs.
Love your posts i don't no whetheryou follow Cutting edge Engineering Australia but they do a simular thing to yourself. Keep up the good work and looking forward to your next post 👍👍
Ollie what a robust long lasting piece of kit that will be, I think that I would be inclined to consider fitting fitting some heavy duty caster wheel to it for ease of moving it around when off tractor, Somerset Mike.
Previous comments are spot on about ONLY having 2 points of contact for the ram. Rear one and then the one for the push plate slide unit. Do not secure the front of the ram to the I beam.
if the ol blade gets blunt on the chop saw , you can sharpen it no problem , take the blade of then get angle grinder , dont grind the teeth its the piece behind the the tooth ,dont have to take much off ,try it did mine worked a treat , love your videos great stuff ,regards from Essex
Think I'm too old to learn CAD, I'll just have to stick to drawing on the back of an old envelope ! Looking like a useful splitter, really hope you're gonna put some sort of table or guides on it to stop the split sections falling to the ground, it's a pain having to double handle stuff all the time.
You may actually want a hydraulic loading cradle for large rounds that you roll up to the splitter. Mine is trailer mounted but not a lot taller than yours will be and that would be a very nice addition. Funny how your mind gets to designing things to make a job easier as you’re doing it!
Looks good, with a hydraulic ram that big you'd need at least 30mm flat on top of section for wear & to stop it warping splitting knotted timber Keep up the good work i really enjoy your channel
Make sdditional blades that drop over the welded on blade allowing you to easily remove to sharpen. Or to swap between a single blade and multiple wing blades depending on the size of the log your splitting Since its on the 3 point mount. Make it so you can mount it upside down to allow you to operate it like a backhoe from the driver seat by backing the tractor and lowering the splitter over the logs on the ground. A plate to pin to the splitter 3 point to allow you to mount it on a skid steer also jaws down.
I have seen designs like this where the splitter blade is removable and you can make several types. Single blade, crossed blades, six pointed star, and even some that have an internal four and external eight blades so you can split huge logs. You might put on some small wheels to make it easy to move when not attached to the tractor.
Makes my splitter look like a toy and it’s not even finished yet. I have a question. I’m a total nine when it comes to welding but I noticed that you kept using a thermometer. Why are you checking the temperature??
Made a similar splitter years ago not as big but instead of retaining the cylinder body I made a guide that the rod pushes the log with to stop any unwanted movement of the rod
Would you need to sharpen the blade? Then it should be removable, but the forces required to split the wood might shear bolts, but if there is so much force then a shear bolt is better than a bent ram or blown seals. Damn that is some rabbit hole to go down! It is a bit bigger than I though it was going to be!
I'd definitely include some sort of cross cutter. Unless you are cutting saplings or burning wood in a skip, cut once and get manageable pieces or allow for changing blades or inserting a cross piece. Versatile is easier to do first and adding and it later is a pain
I have to say that my favorite part is seeing the proper PPE for every job. I wish I'd known about/used the EP sooner cause tinnitus stinks. Also, what is the fresh/filtered air rig you are using when welding? Asking as it seems less unwieldy than some of the stuff I've been able to find locally.
Yes, I didn’t used to wear EP at my old job and my hearing has suffered. I wear them for every noisy job now. I’m in this career for a long time so I try to project my eyes, ears and lungs the best I can. It’s a 3m adflo system that feeds filtered air into my welding mask.
Looks great. I would however cut your wedge at an angle, Ive built quite a few for sale and our farm and the angled wedge seems to start the split on one edge as opposed to a flat on the log, much the same way you would mill a piece of metal, Come in from one side to start and carry on, easier on all your equipment, Love your one off fabrication,
That is one hefty log splitter. Should consider a gusset going from the TPL tube down to the end of the web on that beam. As it sits all of your force will be taken up by those two cheeks, right across that radius where it turns upwards. A gusset going from that piece of tube down onto the web will add quite a lot of stiffness to that part, which will be good both for when it's being used but also when it's being transported. That is going to be quite a lot of weight to be bouncing behind a tractor.
if your thinking of holding the ram solid at the end of the cylinder and fitting some kind free floating push plate on the end of the rod theres a chance over time that the rod will bend (yes i know its a big bugger) better just to have a sliding push plate mounted to the rsj . PS is it going on the te20😂🌳
Hi Oliver brilliant video I was amazed at the size of the log splitter until I read some other comments. One question why did you need to use a temperature sensor (at least I think it was a temperature sensor) on the welds you made fitting the reinforcing sections. Ho I was also impressed with your CAD skills no end to your talents.
That's one hell of a splitter (will be when it's finished) One question.. will it have it's own oil tank and pump, or will it run from the back of a tractor? It'll need to be a fairly decent sized tractor or will empty the oil reservoir from a little tractor!
Awesome job thk q ...you may need the power of that ram if u got some notty oak lol lol I do more lathe and milling work than fabrication ..I do envy u a little bit with that plasma table and brake press nice tools to have for your line of work...I guess u could cut a plate out to fit over the ram similar to those tph brackets just a thought ..
Always shocks people how massive a good log splitter has to be. Brought a trailered one back from Austria 20 years ago and she splits everything. Diesel operated rated at 35 tonnes or so. This is looking to be a veritable beast too!!
If they’re built right they don’t have to be that massive though. My 50 ton splitter is only 5 1/2’ long, is run by a 5hp Predator engine and will split up to a 24” stick. I pull it around with my 4 wheeler. My ram is a lot shorter than his but bigger around. The only wood I have trouble with is stuff like big maple with a lot of knots in it. I rebuilt it though because when I got it the wedge was on the ram and the plate was on the back so when I split it the wood would fall at my feet. I reversed it and put the wedge on the back so that when I split the wood it would fall off the end.
My first thought was, " This is huge" The plate is very thick. Monster dog.
Proper British Log Splitter. Can't wait to see the final result. Cheers
I could sit and watch these types of projects/videos all day absolutely love them.
Biggest 3Point Hitch mount I’ve ever seen. You really tackle big jobs. I split 16” diameter rounds on my splitter. Yours will easily split 36” rounds.
There you go with the mad max designs again love it great designs,I would suggest making the splitting heads removable between 2 way and 4 way or even a eye hitch on it too for towing a trailer behide it too great quality work
Nice bit of welding there Oliver. Well done on that pin fit.
engineers poem - 'yes the heart of fabricating something is the experience of the skills you need to create the parts of it but also the thought that goes into the order to do it that not only increases accuracy but also changes the amount of time it takes'
Very interesting seeing a log splitter designed and made. Years ago, I knew a woodcutter who had a log splitter. His splitter would split the log into six pieces, all in one go, so it made his job a lot easier than splitting the logs by hand like he used to do before he got the splitter.
What a beast of a splitter, cant wait to see tge rest. Great job mate.
Gday, I’ve been using Fusion360 and that’s been a learning curve, this is definitely going to be an industrial wood splitter, great job mate, cheers
Good to see you here Matty, I was gonna mention on your last video to check out Olly as you said you were considering making a line borer and his home built one would be a good one for some inspiration ?
Is that what you use to draw things for your 3d printer matty?
@@snowballengineering I do, then export as a STL file to Cura for slicing
Blown away by your skills! You make everything look so easy! Just amazing! Thank you!
Nice work. We shared this video on our homemade tools forum this week 😎
Thank you!
Can’t wait till you split some hard wood …We could use that one in Australia’s for our winters 🎉
Fantastic CAD. I’ve used a VR headset which really helps seeing prototypes working at scale. Less mistakes when engineering. Love the power of hydraulic rams 👌🏻
Looks like it will be a beast.
I really enjoy looking at your videos, my friend.
I can't work anymore I am disabled but I like what you show.
You know what you are talking about and are a craftsman.
And I like your shop, man.
Thank you for sharing this, my friend.
Antoine.
Hey olly love that splitter. I hope the tractor has assister rams on the hydraulics😂 by the time it's finished your gonna need them. I think the big advantage you will have the way you are building the splitter will save a lot of unnecessary cutting on the logs. Superman would have job stopping that when she's pushing hard cool as cannot wait for part two hope we can see it in action.😁❤Ruth
Very nice!! I've seen someone else in the last few months converting his homemade log splitter over to being able to split logs into 4. In the end he went for a removable pair of horizontal blades so that he didn't loose the ability to just split the wood in half. If you go down that route there's also nothing stopping you from making another removable splitter that mould be designed to split wood into 6 pieces..... just right if you do some really large trunks. Looking forward to the next video 😊👍👍👍👍
Interesting as always Ollie.
A block splitter? Nah, THIS is a block splitter, mate. (shades of Crocodile Dundee.)
My god mate, what a block splitter. When you make a block splitter the blocks must quake in fear. Haha.
Now, the next thing is, have we got a tractor big enough to carry it around.
I have a 40 tonne hydraulic splitter so on that scale I guess yours is a 200 tonne splitter.
All jokes aside, nice job and well engineered as always Ollie. Keep them coming. Really appreciate your efforts mate. I like your work.
Cheers, Bruce.
Looks good! Maybe cut some fork pocket holes in the web of that big beam so you can move it about?
Good idea
Ótimo trabalho. muito inteligente a tecnologia e o o profissional. Abraços do velho professor do Brasil. Parabéns!
Very interesting project, gives us an insight into your engineering brain. The log splitter looks very substantial, which I personally think is the best way to go for longevity. Looking forward to the next installment. Keep safe and well 👍
Makes my splitter look like a child's toy. I believe you could crush cars with that, very nice.
It’s a beast. Brilliantly work. Ever thought of getting a tool cart with all your often needed tools? Just push the whole lot to whichever spot you’re working. You must be knackered going backwards and forwards all day to get a pair of pliers!!
Excellent work 👍👍👍. Thank you for sharing. Be safe 🇨🇦
Big bit of a machine, I made one from scrap material that was lying about and have split knotted oak with it, I think you could sheer steal beams with your design or even make it into some form of horizontal press and super log splitter. You make good videos keep them coming.
Another quality job from snowball, such a talented young man, keep the videos coming
That's what I like to see, proper steel for a proper job. Looking forward to seeing part two. Cheers
You'll struggle to find a log big enough! Made a fair job of that👌👌
A beast of a log splitter! 👍🏻
Definitely removable splitting head so you can sharpen / change split patterns / etc. with ease.
Another great video Oliver, looking forward to part 2. Your press brake must have some power behind it to bend thick plate like it did. I too like to use 3D CAD, I’m a bit older than you but find it’s a great tool to visualise a project before I start to cut metal. Keep up the great work.
Super work as usual. Nice to see you using 3D CAD modeling, it's the way to go for sure. I'm a retired electrical engineer and self-learning Fusion 360 at the moment. 😊
Your going to need a big old tractor working hard to pump enough oil to cycle that ram at a reasonable work rate!! You might consider doing what I did and making splitter PTO powered with its own tank and gearbox&pump.
That was my answer to cycling a big ram, not using much fuel ( DB 995 runs it fine). HTH
PS: A big table was another good addition to mine
Good stuff Oliver..I look forward to your videos. You do interesting work and you come across good on youtube .Keep up the good work mate.
Thanks for bringing us along for the build .. super creative and functional tool build .. consider cutting holes in the I-beam with your torch.. it will remain plenty strong enough and lighten the project
What a great build and a beast of a log splitter young man. That thing will split some chunky logs or you could adapt it to bend some chunky steel!
If you clamp the end of the cylinder you will bend the rod eventually , only use the ram on its original mounting points
I speak from experience as I made one exactly the same many years ago,and bent the rod, good videos keep up the great work
I built 2 of them years ago from scratch. Only had a lathe and a dc welder. Ram, pump and motor were supplied by the owners. Make sure you anchor the front end of the ram to the beam or it can buckle the rod. I learnt the hard way on the first one.😊
Beautifully executed. Computers have certainly made some things easier. A technical drawing guy could have spent days mapping out that lot. In the end it still requires a skilled fabricator to put it all together. Certainly should split a few logs.
Love it , can't wait for part 2, these would sell like hot cakes...
Love your posts i don't no whetheryou follow Cutting edge Engineering Australia but they do a simular thing to yourself. Keep up the good work and looking forward to your next post 👍👍
Excellent job and channel, looking forward to see your channel grow
Thank you!
Excellent work good sir. That’s going to be a fair bit of tackle.
Holy splinters, nice build !!
Ich sehe die Sorgfalt bei jedem Arbeitsschritt und bei jedem Job, und das gefällt mir sehr gut. :D
Ollie what a robust long lasting piece of kit that will be, I think that I would be inclined to consider fitting fitting some heavy duty caster wheel to it for ease of moving it around when off tractor, Somerset Mike.
Another awesome video, keep up the awesome work.
Thanks! Will do!
Forget the logs, you'll be able to split cars in half with that thing 😂. What a beast!!
Looking good Houston
She’s gonna be a beast!
Amazing work as always. keep up the great work. 👍
Previous comments are spot on about ONLY having 2 points of contact for the ram. Rear one and then the one for the push plate slide unit. Do not secure the front of the ram to the I beam.
Handy weekend project although your average DIYer might struggle with your dimensions .😊
if the ol blade gets blunt on the chop saw , you can sharpen it no problem , take the blade of then get angle grinder , dont grind the teeth its the piece behind the the tooth ,dont have to take much off ,try it did mine worked a treat , love your videos great stuff ,regards from Essex
Excellent work, I just wish I could weld half as good as you.
Just a hobbyists but man i would love to weld of steel that thick all the time.
Nice shop
Thanks for another amazing video
What a log splitter,on its side to nip the tree off,nice job stay safe .
Think I'm too old to learn CAD, I'll just have to stick to drawing on the back of an old envelope !
Looking like a useful splitter, really hope you're gonna put some sort of table or guides on it to stop the split sections falling to the ground, it's a pain having to double handle stuff all the time.
Yes, that’s the plan. Still to be designed 😆
You may actually want a hydraulic loading cradle for large rounds that you roll up to the splitter. Mine is trailer mounted but not a lot taller than yours will be and that would be a very nice addition. Funny how your mind gets to designing things to make a job easier as you’re doing it!
Repair paltisers is what you’re best at from what I remember ~ following Doberman 😂
I’m designing a single column forging press in a similar fashion cheers for this vid really going to help with my production
I’ve built similar one in the past but the was similar to your size but the webbing was to thin it flexed like mad
Looks good, with a hydraulic ram that big you'd need at least 30mm flat on top of section for wear & to stop it warping splitting knotted timber
Keep up the good work i really enjoy your channel
Make sdditional blades that drop over the welded on blade allowing you to easily remove to sharpen. Or to swap between a single blade and multiple wing blades depending on the size of the log your splitting
Since its on the 3 point mount. Make it so you can mount it upside down to allow you to operate it like a backhoe from the driver seat by backing the tractor and lowering the splitter over the logs on the ground. A plate to pin to the splitter 3 point to allow you to mount it on a skid steer also jaws down.
I have seen designs like this where the splitter blade is removable and you can make several types. Single blade, crossed blades, six pointed star, and even some that have an internal four and external eight blades so you can split huge logs. You might put on some small wheels to make it easy to move when not attached to the tractor.
What temperatures are you looking for between passes when your welding? Interested in the theory behind what your doing.
Nice job. I think you'll need a road wheel on the end so you can stèer your tractor on the way to the jobsite. haha.
It will be going on a big tractor, don’t worry 😆
Great video!
Makes my splitter look like a toy and it’s not even finished yet. I have a question. I’m a total nine when it comes to welding but I noticed that you kept using a thermometer. Why are you checking the temperature??
Made a similar splitter years ago not as big but instead of retaining the cylinder body I made a guide that the rod pushes the log with to stop any unwanted movement of the rod
Eagerly waiting for the completion....
Great work! Keep them coming! Thanks for sharing! 👌👍
1:30 i would make a sledge to follow the "i" beam to suport the piston push end and avoid lateral tension on it. It will be a monster 😮
You deserve a lot more subs!
Thanks! Only been on UA-cam 6 months so not doing too badly so far.
Would love to see what the tonnage is after it’s built, I’m sure it’s well over 35 ton force
Very nice job looks like it will split some big log's.
Would you need to sharpen the blade? Then it should be removable, but the forces required to split the wood might shear bolts, but if there is so much force then a shear bolt is better than a bent ram or blown seals. Damn that is some rabbit hole to go down!
It is a bit bigger than I though it was going to be!
I'd definitely include some sort of cross cutter. Unless you are cutting saplings or burning wood in a skip, cut once and get manageable pieces or allow for changing blades or inserting a cross piece. Versatile is easier to do first and adding and it later is a pain
Nice work.
You are a fantastic builder. Cheers🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺
I have to say that my favorite part is seeing the proper PPE for every job. I wish I'd known about/used the EP sooner cause tinnitus stinks.
Also, what is the fresh/filtered air rig you are using when welding? Asking as it seems less unwieldy than some of the stuff I've been able to find locally.
Yes, I didn’t used to wear EP at my old job and my hearing has suffered. I wear them for every noisy job now. I’m in this career for a long time so I try to project my eyes, ears and lungs the best I can.
It’s a 3m adflo system that feeds filtered air into my welding mask.
@@snowballengineering Thanks! I'll have to go look for that now online, since I haven't seen anything 3m locally.
Great work. Cheers n beers.
You might want to put some feet off of the lower link points to stop it falling over when its not hitch to a tractor,great machine.👍
Monster Splitter ...it would be interesting to see this apparatus manupulus
Excellent job..
Looks great. I would however cut your wedge at an angle, Ive built quite a few for sale and our farm and the angled wedge seems to start the split on one edge as opposed to a flat on the log, much the same way you would mill a piece of metal, Come in from one side to start and carry on, easier on all your equipment, Love your one off fabrication,
Хорошие видосы получаются, спасибо!
That is one hefty log splitter.
Should consider a gusset going from the TPL tube down to the end of the web on that beam.
As it sits all of your force will be taken up by those two cheeks, right across that radius where it turns upwards.
A gusset going from that piece of tube down onto the web will add quite a lot of stiffness to that part, which will be good both for when it's being used but also when it's being transported.
That is going to be quite a lot of weight to be bouncing behind a tractor.
Oliver, I'm curious what settings/wire/gas you use you're mig welding thick stuff like that. The welds look really nice.
Do you plan to include a log lifter?
A simple swinging boom with a cable and scissor pinch
Or a side table with a ram.
Watchweswork sent me over.
Hope you like the channel 👍🏻
if your thinking of holding the ram solid at the end of the cylinder and fitting some kind free floating push plate on the end of the rod theres a chance over time that the rod will bend (yes i know its a big bugger) better just to have a sliding push plate mounted to the rsj . PS is it going on the te20😂🌳
Hi Oliver brilliant video I was amazed at the size of the log splitter until I read some other comments. One question why did you need to use a temperature sensor (at least I think it was a temperature sensor) on the welds you made fitting the reinforcing sections. Ho I was also impressed with your CAD skills no end to your talents.
Super work as always. I can’t find part 2 though?😢
I haven’t made a part 2 yet that’s why. 😆
When I see beams on site, they have corners cut off the stiffeners which I assume are for expansion when welding. Why aren't they needed all the time?
A good work but why dont you repare the hose pack of your welding machine?
nice work will be a bit heavy for my massey 135
when bending on the press do you know how far to go or just do a bit then check and redo if needed?
Yes, I do a test press first and I also have previous press settings written down from other jobs to give me an idea before I start
hi there looks real good . john
That's one hell of a splitter (will be when it's finished) One question.. will it have it's own oil tank and pump, or will it run from the back of a tractor? It'll need to be a fairly decent sized tractor or will empty the oil reservoir from a little tractor!
Plan is to run it off a tractor. Will probably have to run it off one of the modern tractors though to have enough flow
Came from Watch Wes Work :) Subscribed :)
Welcome aboard!
Awesome job thk q ...you may need the power of that ram if u got some notty oak lol lol I do more lathe and milling work than fabrication ..I do envy u a little bit with that plasma table and brake press nice tools to have for your line of work...I guess u could cut a plate out to fit over the ram similar to those tph brackets just a thought ..