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Thinking Outside the Pit Box - Irvan-Smith Tool Organizers

Pit wagons Offer Function and Organization, and No One Does it Better than Irvan-Smith
From the January, 2013 issue of Circle Track
By Pete Epple
Photography by Courtesy Of Irvan-smith Inc.

Ctrp 1302 33 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Wagon
Things at the race track tend to get chaotic. When it gets out of hand, this chaos can lead to thousands of dollars worth of lost tools and damaged equipment, which is why proper storage is essential. Beyond that, having everything organizing in one location, especially if it’s mobile, makes life in the shop and in the pits exponentially easier.

Tool and equipment storage needs to be compact, mobile, and all-inclusive. And no one understands this better than the crew at Irvan-Smith Inc. Irvan-Smith has been servicing the racing industry for 30 years. Its pit carts and pit wagons can be found at nearly any race across the country. It offers a wide array of standard and custom pit wagons, crash carts, fuel carts, tire dollies, and just any other cart needed to transport equipment over the course of a race weekend. Beyond the carts and wagons, Irvan-Smith also has everything needed to fill them.

Ctrp 1302 34 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Specialized Compartments
Organized storage is important.... 
   
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Ctrp 1302 34 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Specialized Compartments
Organized storage is important. The crew at Irvan-Smith knows all about it, and specializes in pit carts and pit wagons.
Ctrp 1302 03 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Frame Construction
01. Each box’s frame starts... 
   
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Ctrp 1302 03 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Frame Construction
01. Each box’s frame starts on a jig. The entire box is built off of the square-tube frame, so it’s extremely important that it’s square and level.
Ctrp 1302 31 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Unassembled Parts
02. Once the frame is complete,... 
   
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Ctrp 1302 31 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Unassembled Parts
02. Once the frame is complete, the wheels and steering can be installed.
Ctrp 1302 08 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Steering System
03. The steering system is not overly complicated. A handle, which is also used to pull or push the cart, uses two tie rods to turn the wheels. Not unlike a manual steering setup from a car.
Ctrp 1302 32 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Hydraulic Disk Brakes
04.0 As pit wagons get larger,... 
   
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Ctrp 1302 32 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Hydraulic Disk Brakes
04.0 As pit wagons get larger, they get heavier.
Ctrp 1302 05 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Hand Brake
04.1 As an option, Irvan-Smith... 
   
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Ctrp 1302 05 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Hand Brake
04.1 As an option, Irvan-Smith offers many upgrades, one of which being hydraulic disc brakes.
Ctrp 1302 09 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Frame And Rolling Stock
05. With the frame and rolling... 
   
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Ctrp 1302 09 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Frame And Rolling Stock
05. With the frame and rolling stock complete, the skeleton of the box begins to take shape.
Ctrp 1302 07 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Skeleton
06. With the frame and rolling... 
   
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Ctrp 1302 07 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Skeleton
06. With the frame and rolling stock complete, the skeleton of the box begins to take shape.
Ctrp 1302 10 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Standard Small Box
07.1 Our box is the standard... 
   
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Ctrp 1302 10 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Standard Small Box
07.1 Our box is the standard small box with a toolbox.
Ctrp 1302 11 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Completed Frame
07.2 Here is the completed... 
   
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Ctrp 1302 11 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Completed Frame
07.2 Here is the completed frame before it was skinned.
Ctrp 1302 13 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Markings
08.0 Each piece of sheetmetal... 
   
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Ctrp 1302 13 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Markings
08.0 Each piece of sheetmetal is cut specifically to fit each box.
Ctrp 1302 14 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Measurements
08.1 Once measurements are... 
   
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Ctrp 1302 14 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Measurements
08.1 Once measurements are taken..
Ctrp 1302 15 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Sheetmetal Break
08.2 ... the corners are... 
   
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Ctrp 1302 15 Thinking Outside The Pit Box Irvan Smith Tool Organizers Sheetmetal Break
08.2 ... the corners are cut and each piece is bent in a sheetmetal break.
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