http://pages.prodigy.net/coolmank/pics/cmksjeep/flatxmember/flat001.jpg

It took an entire weekend to get it in and running again, but it's done.

Tera, Currie, MadCatz, and RE ain't got nuthin' on cmk when it comes to a "belly up" type skid. There is absolutely no part of the powertrain that hangs below the bottom of the frame rails now.

In order to get the powertrain that high, I had to raise the motor 1.5", shift it forward 1", crank the rear pinion angle sky high (20 degs off vert), fabricate new lower rear shock mounts, move the track bar mounts around to work with the new pinion angle, and a bazillion other small things to make it all work ... including bending the shifter into some phunky angles to clear the dash.

I can now see why those "other guys" do not offer a true "flat skid." To make a flat skid work requires a LOT of tinkering ... just some forewarning.

cm "I think I got rickets from sleeping on the floor of the shop" k

Nice, one of the guys in our club just did the same thing - here's the arcticle:
http://www.4x4wire.com/4x4/jeep/tech/frame/tjskid/

He also wound up moving the gas tank up and out of the way.

beauty job

Originally posted by oldjeep
He also wound up moving the gas tank up and out of the way.

Yulp, that's pretty much a requirement to clear the 44's cover.

Previously, I moved the gas tank up about 3" or so and fudged with the skid/mount to net me about 4" of new clearance under it. In doing so, I also moved it back by about an inch. My new skid/mount should move the leading edge of the tank back another inch or so, so I can move the axle back ANOTHER "inch or so."

Ah, the projects never end.

cmk

im doing this too along with the axle, suspension, construction

i am raising my motor 2 1/2" total (with the 2" bodylift) just made the flat tranny mount this weekend (the tranny mount is 2" above the framerails)

is it ever over ?

How about some more detail shots :D

1" body lift correct?

SWEET JOB!!!!

later :jeep:

Originally posted by Mieser
How about some more detail shots :D

1" body lift correct?

SWEET JOB!!!!

later :jeep:

Unfortunately, I'm pretty lazy and don't take many pics. I figure that if a schmo like me can figure this one out, most anyone should be able to.

Yes, 1" body lift, HD SYE, CV d-shaft, etc.

To make the 1.5" raised/1" forward motor mounts, I just welded some 1x2 rectangular tube to the bottom of an OE set of mounts and then welded some 1/2" plate to the bottom of that (with 1" offset mounting hardware) to achieve the desired effect.

The tranny mount is still a rubber TJ OE piece that gets bolted to a 1/2x4 stick of steel that spans the inside of the frame rails. The bottom of the 1/2" is flush with the bottom of the frame rails. It gets bolted to some 2x2x.250 angle pieces that sit on top of the bar and are welded to the inside of the frame rails. Countersunk and counterbored fasteners are used everywhere for that extra 1/4" of clearance.

That's the jist of the flat x-member ... pretty simple. After that, you have to reset the rear pinion angle, address the track bar (if it hits the gas tank ... mine did), fabricate new lower shock mounts as the OE ones get "sucked under" the axle tubes when you raise the pinion angle to the necessary height, and bend the tranny shifter so it doesn't hit the dash ... as well as clearancing the shifter boots and plates that seal the hole in the floor. Oh, forget about using the OE t-case shifter linkage. I had to ditch all that and am figuring something out using small heims and spherical bearings.

I also trimmed 1" off the fan shroud so that the OE fan still sits 1/2 in / 1/2 out of the shroud as is common practice. The nose of the fan clutch clears the radiator with about 1" to spare.

I'll try and snag more pics this week as I yank the tranny for a rebuild.

cmk

Very cool! Thanks for the details.

later :jeep:

good thing your running a small lift or else youd be spending the big cash on a high pinion axle. id imagine you still have some vibrations no? i tried the flat skid thing but had way to much lift to make it work. looks real good anyhow. alot flatter than any i have seen

Originally posted by yjtj
good thing your running a small lift or else youd be spending the big cash on a high pinion axle. id imagine you still have some vibrations no? i tried the flat skid thing but had way to much lift to make it work. looks real good anyhow. alot flatter than any i have seen

Yeah, 4" (versus the proposed 5.5") coils do help out a lot.

I'm still gonna' start a hunt for a HP axle as the CV joint maxes out under "minor" droop let alone "mad" droop.

Vibrations? Absolutely none. ...for the first time in a LONG time. I spent a great deal of time reworking the axle end UCA mounts to get the pinion angle cranked up to the necessary 20 degree mark (face of the yoke versus vertical). All that work was definitely worth it.

cmk

I did the same type of thing in a weekend.


http://jeep-club.irtech.com/images/bobby/gastank

http://jeep-club.irtech.com/images/bobby/tcase