Figured I should post here so I can get some extra tips and pointers as I go along...
Decided to take my TJ and retire the body as well as most of the frame. Going to build it for a dual purpose trail rig but something that may also get my foot in the door with comps as well.
Here she sits right now:
Pile of tubing waiting to be bent up:
Axles. HP60 and 14 bolt. May get rid of the HP60 though in favor of a chevy 60 thats passenger drop.
This was idea number 1 for the start of the chassis, but I am still trying to decide how much of the frame I want to keep.
Rear suspension will be a double triangulated 4 link with air shocks. Front will be a 3 link w/ pan hard and air shocks.
Fuel cell will sit in the rear area. I will have enough room for a small tool box or cooler. But normally where I wheel I am close enough to the trailer if I break and need tools, so most of them stay in the truck along with the spare.
I am going to pick up some CUCV axles locally. With the budget being eaten up fairly quickly I am going to run them with the 4.56s. Hoping that the 4.56s along with the 231 crawl box and D300 should be low enough for a while (may actually like it if I get into racing).
Once I pick them I will start on the suspension and hopefully finish up for a test run in March.
Looking good bro... I know Murph, he wheels the same places my club does.
I also have the 39.5 Rockers, still haven't run them but they're going on some H1 beadlocks and then onto my MJ buggy once she's done.
Come up to Ohio and so some wheeling with us around Wellsville.
We're about 2.5 hours from Morgantown. Check out www.steelvalley4x4.net
Probably a really dumb question. I keep seeing windshield bars with a slight bend in the middle. Is that just for looks, or is there an advantage to having that over a straight bar?
Thanks for the comments. And yeah the windshield bar is for looks.
Picked up the next axles today. GM 60 and 14B. Both 4.56s, spool front, detroit rear. Chromoly shafts and drive slugs up front arleady too. I'll have some updates shortly but right now dealing with over a foot of snow in a town that is lucky to get 3" a year...
Yeah been pretty busy with other stuff so the buggy was put on hold for a little (in fact the axles are still sitting in the bed of my truck). Hope to have some updates this week as I begin to clean up and mock up the new axles.
you will be fine with a 4.0L, 231/300, 4.56 and 40's...I had an XJ w/ an AW4 and it was pretty good...i just had a few problems with the 231/300...definitely low enough...
So the first comp is May 1st.... I need to start busting my ass to get this thing done!
Today I got the axles placed under the chassis. Wheelbase is mocked up. Front is sitting at full bump, rear is about 2" below full bump right now. Also started to burn the link mounts. Hoping that by the end of the week the links will be done and on the chassis. Air shocks should be ordered this week as well. Shooting for 16" in the front, 18" in the rear.
On to some pictures.
Front end:
Rear End:
Pile of link mounts:
1.25" Heims for lowers:
7/8s heims for uppers (also a few 3/4 for the tracbar)
And the craziness going on in the small shop right now keeping me from getting my own crap done:
Went back out. Rear half the chassis is all welded up. Just need to weld the pass part of the cage but going to wait to get the seats in final before that happens.
Also made the truss for 14bolt. Used two pieces of scrap 1.75" .120 wall DOM that had the same bends, then sleeve the straight part with 1.5" .250 wall. Once I weld it on the axle I will add in gussets and extra supports.
Well today was shitty... Started to work on the buggy again and then 3 hours into it I run out of wire for the welder. Then of course it is Easter so no one local is open for more.
Got the rear close to done. The upper mounts are on. Started to make the control arms when the wire ran out.
Some pictures.
Upper Mounts
Mock up links
Making of the rear lower arms. Using 2" .250 wall DOM. Bushings on the frame end, 1.25" heims on the axle end.
Bushing end:
We all have shitty days in the shop. Mine was yesterday, broke plenty of shit and finally stopped before I fawked up anything else. Looking good though, like the beefiness.
Picture Kelly took while I was welding up the truss that I thought was pretty cool:
Picked up more wire this morning (and almost bought a new welder haha). Then finished welding the lower arms for the rear.
Gotta work on some customer vehicles for a while today then back to work on mine junk later.
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