I would like to get your opinions on the axle brackets, here is a few pictures, none of the brackets are welded to the diffs, just placed them where they would approx go. I plan on using stock LCAs bushings for my front and rear UCAs.

http://goexplore.ca/kaos/miscellanious/front1.jpg

http://goexplore.ca/kaos/miscellanious/front2.jpg

http://goexplore.ca/kaos/miscellanious/rear1.jpg

For the front track bar, I reused the stock track bar bushing, I cut the track bar and slid it inside a 1.5" OD 0.250" wall DOM tube, it was a tight fit. Before that, I drilled the DOM tube in many places where the DOM would contact the track bar and filled these holes with weld for a stronger mating surface. For the other end of the track bar, I will be using Poison Spyder insert and chevy TRE. Do you think this will hold? I just felt like experimenting, opinions?

http://goexplore.ca/kaos/miscellanious/trackbar.jpg

how much lift will you be running? I built a 60 last year for my XJ which is the same front suspension as the tJ. I welded my drivers side upper directly to the housing. That truss you have looks like it might interfere with your oil fan or your track bar. There is really no way to know, however, until you bolt it all together. I ran another brae from the frame end of the track bar mount to the opposite frame rail in order to breef it up a bit.

SeanP

Is that big cylinder on the spring pad a bumpstop?
If so why would you need that? There are more effective ways of setting up a bump stop thatn having a huge cylinderinside your coil.

Originally posted by SeanP
how much lift will you be running? ... That truss you have looks like it might interfere with your oil fan or your track bar. There is really no way to know, however, until you bolt it all together. I ran another brae from the frame end of the track bar mount to the opposite frame rail in order to breef it up a bit.

SeanP

I will be running about 6" suspension and 2" body, as you said, it is hard to tell if that the front brace or UCA will interfere with anything until I put the diff under the jeep... Building a track bar mount brace is a good idea, I might look into it... Thanks for the tip.

Originally posted by B.A.R.K
Is that big cylinder on the spring pad a bumpstop?
If so why would you need that? There are more effective ways of setting up a bump stop thatn having a huge cylinderinside your coil

Yes, I was planning to use that cylinder as a bumpstop, I made it tall so I can cut from it as I need to when I flex the diff under the jeep, I also thought that having that 3" cylinder as a bumpstop on the spring plate might help the coil stay in place at full stuff.

Keep 'em coming guys, I need all the help I can get...Thanks.

Originally posted by B.A.R.K
Is that big cylinder on the spring pad a bumpstop?
If so why would you need that? There are more effective ways of setting up a bump stop thatn having a huge cylinderinside your coil.

I agree, that seems a bit over kill & I guarntee one thing, it will get noisy when the spring rubs against it during articulation. I also maybe would have shortened the truss over the front pumpkin. bring that truss down so it hits the cast and run a bead on it. nice work though. :D

what's the WMS measurement are those axles?

Originally posted by P&T Jeeps


what's the WMS measurement are those axles?

The rear is full width and I shortened the front 79 housing on the driver side by 2.75" in order to run of-the-shelf dodge inner... So the front WMS is 66.5" and the rear is 65.75".

Maybe I should lowerer that front brace, just in case...

IMO I would drop the bracket on top of the pumpkin that way you could run a bead on it as P&T stated. Are you gona be fabin long arms ??? Reason being...If youre runnin the RE LA's the upper arm may not have enough reach to make it to those upper brackets at their current height.

I'm running Toy axles under my TJ so I've given much thought to the forces involved. I don't like how the front, drivers side, upper CA mount looks. The push/pull of the CA will be converted to "twist" fore and aft on the mount. The metal could fatigue over time. If the center section can't be welded to I would make a piece to bolt to your diff cover bolts at the least, and ideally somehow to the pinion area (u-bolt around the nose?)... Maybe another peice of what you are currently using (1/4" x 3"?) that runs fore to aft, bolts to the diff cover bolts the current mount plate and the pinion snout?

Hope I don't sound harsh, just trying to be helpfull. :)
Good luck!

I sure wouldn't trunst that front UCA bracket above the pumpkin. Needs some backing...like this...

http://www.tommyjeep.com/projects/2003-03-31_prorock60/images/12.jpg

As for the track bar...my guess is it is going to bend right where it joins with the 1.5" tubing...

Do it right and build a new trackbar from scratch with that .250 tubing

What type of black paint did you use, they look good. For now.

Originally posted by LUVMYTJ
IMO I would drop the bracket on top of the pumpkin that way you could run a bead on it as P&T stated. Are you gona be fabin long arms ??? Reason being...If youre runnin the RE LA's the upper arm may not have enough reach to make it to those upper brackets at their current height.

I already made the long arms (same as the RE LA design) and I am currently running them on the jeep, all I have to do is unscrew and modify the upper part of the UCAs as required, so UCA mounts height is not a problem.

All right, so... Everyone seems to think that the front brace is too weak, then, this is what I need to reinforce, I like the idea of having the brace connect to the diff cover bolts, I will try to fab something up on the weekend.

As for the paint, it is just regular shiny black rust paint, I just got a bit anxious to see the diffs in a different color than raw metal, this will motivate me work harder to get them done :p

Trac bar! Please build a new track bar...dealing with broken track bars sucks a big one!

i would add some triangular (diagonal) braces to the passenger side upper mount.

Originally posted by gumbojeepyj
i would add some triangular (diagonal) braces to the passenger side upper mount.

absolutely! I did this then tied my trackbar bracket into it. They are all triangulated and damn stout now.

SeanP

Recap:

- Better front brace
- New track bar (I guess better fix this now rather than on the trails)
- Bracing to the passenger side UCA mount.

Anything else?

Originally posted by BlueAngel
Recap:


- New track bar (I guess better fix this now rather than on the trails)


Anything else?

Bingo...cause broken track bars make it hard to wheel

One more thing...when you finish this wheel the piss out of it!!!

Agreed about the front bridge. I used 5/8" x 3.5" plate to make bridge over front and read for 4-link. First time I wheeled it, which was two weekends ago, they both twisted up very bad... but it didnt break. I'm haveing to redue both.

And for your bumpstops.

I welded a two inch pipe in center of upper coil mounts. For the rear coil mounts the pipe is about 6" long, and the front is about 5" long. They do not serve as bumpstops; my tires will hit tube fender or body first. With control of limiting straps they give me five or six inches of more axle drop.

Originally posted by JeepinAmerica.com
Agreed about the front bridge. I used 5/8" x 3.5" plate to make bridge over front and read for 4-link. First time I wheeled it, which was two weekends ago, they both twisted up very bad... but it didnt break. I'm haveing to redue both.

You can please clarify this...What plate thickness did you use in your bridges? My rear bridge is made out of 2" tube .125 wall and the front 1/4" plate. I will redo the front bridge tomorrow, I am just thinking if I should build a brace that connects to the cover bolts or just lay a bead of weld on the pumkin.

I think the track bar will be fine, but it may of been a good idea to slide the dom all the way to the end and weld it to sleeve the whole thing, Of course you would have to press the bushing out no big deal. I personally prefer using the stock ends just for the rubber bushings. I like the rubber bushings better.

I am not a big fan of the whole bridge thing either I guess lots of people do it though, I think I would of welded it directly to the housing. Though I think the bridge will be okay.

The way you have the UCAs mounted make me think you are thinking of welding your links onto those stubs. If thats the case, don't. You can find the correct dia tubing to press those bushings into or just buy sleaves machined to accept those bushings for $10 a piece. I also think those are great bushings to use in that application.

Hey, I don't know if its too late for you, but ditch the rubber bushings!!!!!!!!!on the upper fronts........... Mine are completly shot to shit! 5 days of minor wheeling and they're toast. I have a lot of flex and it really took a toll. So save the heart ache and get some jonny joints or RE Joints.
picture of RE's half ass Gay bracket kit... thats the way I feel about it now...I wish I would have just fab'd up some stuff like the rear.

Every thing I did works great after fine tuning but some stuff will change. I will use the Heim jonny joints instead of the bushings and the sway bar brackets will go verticle then angle out with a shorter disconnect bar.

because the sway bar lower brackets got hammered by rocks like this.

the rear works Perfect I would never change a thing

Some pictures of what I did yesterday...

For the track bar, I cut the DOM in half (C-shaped) and welded the shit out of the two pieces.

http://goexplore.ca/kaos/miscellanious/trackbar2.jpg

http://goexplore.ca/kaos/miscellanious/ucabrace1.jpg

http://goexplore.ca/kaos/miscellanious/ucabrace2.jpg

I lowered the front bridge as far as it goes down for extra clearance. I didn't feel comfortable welding on cast iron, so I build a rear brace for the bridge and bolted it to one of the pumpkin ribs, should be good to go now.

Originally posted by Gary E

The way you have the UCAs mounted make me think you are thinking of welding your links onto those stubs. If thats the case, don't. You can find the correct dia tubing to press those bushings into or just buy sleaves machined to accept those bushings for $10 a piece. I also think those are great bushings to use in that application.

I will most likely get some tubing and insert the stock bushings in it.

looking smooth nice fab work

plate i used was 5/8" thick, 3.5" wide. I braced it to the axle tube. It still is twisted up bad.

If you wheel you Jeep anyway like mine, your front mount will not work. The extra rear brace wouldnt stop it from twisting.

Brace your mount so it'll work/look like a C channel. Just weld a small strip of 3/8 on the bottom of the front and rear edge of your mount. that'll keep it from twisting.

Everthings lookin good.