So my 14 bolt is in love with my gas tank after I extended the wheelbase using the XJ springs in the rear. I have been debating a fuel cell, but loosing too much space is an issue on a YJ :grin: Blue Torch makes a sweet custom tank as well, but I wanted to keep cost low, since am saving for a new front axle.

Plan is to use stock tank moved up in the tub, so will loose about 7X20 space in the back, not bad, and will still allow me to mount a rear seat higher, and plenty of space for my junk. Things that will be on the way are the crossmember, and body mounts. Plan is to move half way up and build a box, similar to Nasvik's setup (www.jeepshots.com). very helpful write-up.

So started the chop chop, lots of pics to show the process, I had no idea what I was getting myself into ;) I ended up having to remove the rear bumper that has brackets for rear springs (ended up welding extra bracing), air tank, clean, wirebrush and paint tank skid, etc.

Starting point:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankstart.jpg

There is little clearance between the top of the axle and gas tank (about 3-4 inches) after I pushed the rear axle back:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankstart2.jpg

Tank and axle met, and started "self clearing" at drops, so I had to wheel very carefully, and was worried I would end up cracking the tank apart:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankself.jpg

Started by disconnecting fuel lines, and electrical line for the fuel pump. You can also see the crorssmember that is in the way. I had to remove the air tank I had from my OBA as well, that was a pretty good spot, so gotta figure out a new sport for it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankcrossmember.jpg


Chop Chop, used a sawzall, and a grinder and cutting well (the grinder worked sweet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankchop.jpg

The main pain was cutting the crossmember, since it will be in the way of the tank. , a plasma would have been sweet, but just took more time with the sawzall, portable bandsaw and grinder.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankcrossmember2.jpg

Yo!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankin.jpg

After cutting the crossmember, mocked up the stock skid back in place. I want to keep the bottom open so any fumes (gas or exhaust) stay outside\bottom of the rig.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankskid.jpg

The clearance is sweet, and I will loose about 6-7" height by 20 wide cargo space, not a bad compromise, plus keep my current gas capacity, and will stay much lower and out of the way than a fuel cell, and for a lot le$$.

the clearance is killer:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankclearance.jpg

Stil in progress, planning to finish it up soon, need to build a new crossmember, and box enclosure for tank.

lookin good man, always look forward to reading your write ups, very detailed and helpful. Keep up the good work.

lookin good man, always look forward to reading your write ups, very detailed and helpful. Keep up the good work.

x2

Yo!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankin.jpg



I think this is the first pic I've seen of somebody wearing their rig.:flipoff2:

Excellent write-up.

Looks sweet, keep us posted.

Awesome write-up. This is in the works for my rig and gives me an idea of what to expect... Big thank you for taking the time to pist pics and such.

Thnaks guys, will keep it coming, I am kinda going slow and taking my time on the additional projects, but if you do not have to deal with the bumper and air tank relocation, etc, could go much faster.

I am trying to come up with an idea for the crossmember, (post up suggestions) will possibly be like Nasvik's (tube), but am still thinking if I should build it square and have holes so I could mount my shocks or longer ones in a " / \ " fashion. Nedd to move bumpstops as well, this never ends, hahah :D

Geber, good work. Please update with shots of lower skid and upper box totally welded down.

No luck on the front 60 yet eh?

-Joe

Looks very similar to what I did two years ago. I moved my stock TJ tank up flush with the frame rails and boxed in the top. Total PITA, but mine turned out good. These pics are from a while ago. Skid is 3/16"
http://abusiveoffroad.com/storage/images/projects/gas_tank_relocation/done_bottom.jpg

http://abusiveoffroad.com/storage/images/projects/gas_tank_relocation/done_inside_1.jpg
The inside is 1/8" with an angle iron frame. The top is bolted down so I can remove it. No gas fumes at all.

My only concern is going to be if I have enough clearance to put a 14 bolt under there with a BTF truss and four link, AND move the axle back ~10". I just don't think it is going to work so I'll probably have to scrap all of this.

Joe, the D60 fairy may be coming around this week, keeping my fingers crossed, may happen :)

4x4not, it should work, I ballparked mine so I can go in that direction, I have a BTF truss in my garage boxed up. Clearance wise you may be able to get away... I am planning to reinforce the inside of the skid instead of adding another layer at the bottom. I think with the bumpstops it is very unlikely I will hit it that high.

Made some progress yesterday, and finished the rear bumper and shackle mount beefup.

Built a crossmember with some DOM 1.75, so came out pretty beefy, so should work well. I played around with some positions to install it, and decided to mount it a bit more to the rear, under the gas tank, so it could also work as a protection for the tank.

Poor man's moveable welding table:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tanktable.jpg

mocked up in position:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankmember.jpg

Welding from the top of the tub makes it much easier:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankweld.jpg

in!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/memberweld.jpg

I ended up deciding on attaching the tank to the tub rather than the frame, which will some, but not a lot of movement, and the tank will be strapped to the old skid, more pics to come.

Joe!


picked up this beauty this weekend, 79 Ford 60 :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/60lift.jpg

Oh sure, take the easy way of moving it :flipoff2: , I spent a week at the Chiropractor after finding mine ...

Let the games begin!! :grinpimp:

-Joe

you picked a front 60 up fully assembled??? good lord... I did what Geberhard did and used a lift... we moved just the bare housing around by hand and it still took 2 people... looks like another 1 ton yj build :smokin:

Used two guys and STILL spent the week getting re-adjusted. The BEST is seeing someone at "the Pick-Your-Part all you can carry for $10" day...Saw a guy with a 14B over his shoulders...!!

picked up this beauty this weekend, 79 Ford 60 :)

Congrats Gui! I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to find one. :D

Darn, my back is broken just shifting the mosnter around from under the rig. We used a cherry picker to load and unload that puppy, movingit around just plain sucks, the cherry picker paid for itself, hehe :)

The 60 build will take some time, unless I sell my 44 first to help finance the project ;)

Rented a u-haul trailer, worked out prety good, was just wandering why at the gas pumps in the area they had a bottle of vaseline by the pump, must be the gas prices... or cheap date spots in the area :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/60gas.jpg

Did U Get A Deal On The 60

I wish I had. I have been looking for a 78-79 for a long time, so ended up paying more than I had in mind, but oh well, expensivepile of steel :) I did come across some godo deals, but all 80's or 90's Ford, so would have to resize long side, or outboard springs... Starting to save for parts and build this one slowly :)

Looks very similar to what I did two years ago. I moved my stock TJ tank up flush with the frame rails and boxed in the top. Total PITA, but mine turned out good. These pics are from a while ago. Skid is 3/16"
http://abusiveoffroad.com/storage/images/projects/gas_tank_relocation/done_bottom.jpg

http://abusiveoffroad.com/storage/images/projects/gas_tank_relocation/done_inside_1.jpg
The inside is 1/8" with an angle iron frame. The top is bolted down so I can remove it. No gas fumes at all.

My only concern is going to be if I have enough clearance to put a 14 bolt under there with a BTF truss and four link, AND move the axle back ~10". I just don't think it is going to work so I'll probably have to scrap all of this.

How many gallons?

How many gallons?

He says he used the stock tank, so I'm guessing 20.

I recently did this on a friend's rig. I used square tube to mount everything off of the frame.
http://abendig.com/gallery/albums/YJGasTankRaise/IMG_2457.sized.jpg
I still need to make a panel to cover up the front of it all
http://abendig.com/gallery/albums/YJGasTankRaise/IMG_2464.sized.jpg
Lots of room now
http://abendig.com/gallery/albums/YJGasTankRaise/IMG_2447.sized.jpg
http://abendig.com/gallery/albums/YJGasTankRaise/IMG_2244.sized.jpg
http://abendig.com/gallery/albums/YJGasTankRaise/IMG_2247.sized.jpg
http://abendig.com/gallery/albums/YJGasTankRaise/IMG_2250.sized.jpg

Nice! I ended up moving my mounts to the frame as well, two pieces of DOM to support the tank skid moved up. I still need to build an enclusure as well, was trying to see if I woudl luck out and find a military granade or rocket launcher box big enough :)

It is coming along. I ended up moving the gas tank a bit higher yesterday, so will see where it will end up seating in the end. I have a BTF 4 link truss which may be in the rig in the future, so wanted to account for the espace in case I go in that direction. Bumper back on, and leafs mounted back so the rig is out of the jackstands ;)

painted:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankmemberdone.jpg

tank mocked up in position (higher) will actually be slightly lower.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/tankmembdone.jpg

I still need to figure out the gas filler, may end up doing in a similar location as a TJ, since the current setup is too level and needs to be a bit higher to avoid slushing. I also hate the YJ filler cap behind the plate, so possibly use that location for the air quick disconnect..

So for box enclosure, I am loking into sometjing about 20 (or 22) by 36 X 8 (up to 10). Would be cool to find a military ammo box, anyone knows where I cna find one about that size? Or maybe two or three I could put side by side that could cover that length?

Hey Gui try Doms Surplus in Livermore. They used to have a lot of military surplus stuff. Hmmm my Xj sure could use a dana 44 front:smokin: :D

Jeff

Jeff! Cool, I will check on that, thanks for the lead!! I will keep ya posted on the 44!

Gui

Here is a photochop mock up with a US military medical box, this one may just work :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/1tankdnrearmock.jpg

Nice write up! Thank you. I'm in the process of raising my gas tank also. My plan is to just pad the front half of the enclosure and build a padded upright to use as a seat. It should actually be similar to the same height as the stock seat. Then I will just tie belts to the enclosure frame.

I'm a little further behind in the process, tank and floor came out last night, but I got distracted with cutting out the rear most crossmember and mocking up my rear spring mounts. Hopefully I'll get the frame for the tank built this weekend.

Nice, feel free to post up. Plan is to do more work, I am hoping to have the gas tank back this eve :)

Gui

Hey Gerberhard: Do you have a part # or source for that medical case? I'm looking for a case for the back of mine that is slightly less than 36" wide, less than 20" deep and less than 10" tall. And doesn't cost me half a kidney!

Hey Gerberhard: Do you have a part # or source for that medical case? I'm looking for a case for the back of mine that is slightly less than 36" wide, less than 20" deep and less than 10" tall. And doesn't cost me half a kidney!

http://www2.northerntool.com/product/5823_5823.htm This one might be too deep.

http://www.armysurpluswarehouse.com/categoryDetail.cfm?catagory=10&start=6


It is a start anyway to give you an idea. I used one in the back of my Scout that worked out great for tools, etc.

Thanks mtroy. I actually found both of those pages last night. Unless I can find something better soon, I think I'm going with one of those 81mm rocket boxes. They are cheap and should hold plenty of tools.

I also found what I think is the same medical chest gerberhard had. It is the perfect size except it is about 1" too tall! Maybe I can get this to work though. Anyway, I'll stop hijacking this thread now :D

The clearance is sweet, and I will loose about 6-7" height by 20 wide cargo space, not a bad compromise, plus keep my current gas capacity, and will stay much lower and out of the way than a fuel cell, and for a lot le$$.


That's the same reasons why I also decided to keep mine and raise it up, but mine drops down from under the jeep. I used the stock TJ filler cap at almost the same spot as factory, but it took some creative work with the hoses to route them, especially that the rear cage was connected to the frame in the back.

Your project is looking good so far, what wheelbase you're aiming for?

If you plan on putting the rear seat above the lifted tank, not much headroom left, probably ok for kids or a dog :D

Any Updates, In Need Ideas

Tank is about done, for the cover, ended up getting a custom steel cover (Thansk Mark!!). I did a TJ gas filler on the driver's side, so no need to have three hands to fill up gas behind the license plate, argh. Will post pis of the completed setup when I get a chance.

Here is the "box", and I welded a channela cross for some added strength. It will have support brackets on the tub forming a sideways "H" to help support weight. I gotta figure out the rear seat mount brackets.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/1tankcover.jpg

very nice.....i have been wondering if anyone had done that type of relocation here lately....

GUI, did u move your rear flare back or is it in factory location aslo did u say u were planning on keeping a rear seat? thanks

Chase, the rear flare is a TJ, I moved back minimally, about an inch or so, I had to trim the heck out of the inside, so the tire will not rub, more trimming to come :) The rear seat mounts I still need to rig up, basically I moved the tank a lot up (more than originally planned) planning ahead for teh future linking and truss, Teh seat will be about 7-8 inches higher than stock position possibly...

The seat will be about 7-8 inches higher than stock position possibly...

Would that be considered stadium seating? :D

gui, thanKs for the answer im about a month away on my buildup. i was going to use a rci2161 just like everyone else, but im going to try this 1st. 2 more quick questions, did all the factory lines stretch to the new location and a stupid question is, is the front 60 for the tj, tyj, ot wj?

Would that be considered stadium seating? :D

Lol! Gotta get a high seat for kids on the rocks :D Higher thrills!

The setup is mainly done, I finished adding the support brackets to the tub, and decided on using straps as a secondary support to keep the tank in place in the event of a side roll, etc ;)

Some updated pics :) Got sidetracked shaving the 14 bolt.

tank in, strapped down. I think these straps will work much better than the flimsy old thin stock metal ones:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/tankstrapped.jpg

box painted up and in:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/tankfinished.jpg

I forgot to take pics of the filler cut in progress, but basically came out in a position similar to a TJ, measured and marked the position, and went to town with a sawzall. I had to do some more internal cutting between the wheel well and tub, but overall came out great, and got rid of the old setup behind the license plate that annoyed me. Will use that for an air hose from the OBA :D The Tj filler worked out good, was tricky to get the hoses across from tank and keep them level. My concern was if the tank would fill at the gas pump, and regurgitate the gas, or would slush up when driving sideways, no issues at all. Also made the rig even more TJ wannabe :flipoff2:.

For the lines, I was able to use and re route the old ones, only had to get one a bit longer (return), but the stocks could have worked by slightly rerouting the hard lines.

Here is a pic showing the filler:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/tjfiller.jpg

Nice work! That came out great. Do you have a better picture of the gas tank inlet. I'm doing this swap on a CJ, with the tank inlet on the passenger side and want to see if the TJ filler neck will work on mine. Worst case I guess I'll have to pick up a YJ tank.

I understand the distractions :shaking: I keep getting distracted by setting up my suspension. But now I'm waiting on parts, so hopefully I'll finish raising my tank.

Thanks

Don

I forgot to take pics of the filler cut in progress, but basically came out in a position similar to a TJ, measured and marked the position, and went to town with a sawzall. I had to do some more internal cutting between the wheel well and tub, but overall came out great, and got rid of the old setup behind the license plate that annoyed me. Will use that for an air hose from the OBA :D The Tj filler worked out good, was tricky to get the hoses across from tank and keep them level. My concern was if the tank would fill at the gas pump, and regurgitate the gas, or would slush up when driving sideways, no issues at all.


Hmmm...I had not thought of having to keep the filler hose higher than the tank. Makes sense. I would not think it has to be MUCH higher, though.

Looks good.

I will try finding better pics. I think you will have no issues on the passenger side, it is just on teh driver's sdie taht is a bit tighter with teh YJ tank. I had to make a hole for the hoses on a tight spot, then more time to deal with the tub sheetmetal. I think if I had done passenger side would have saved a lot of time. Teh TJ filler should fit, I saw a thread someplace around here with a pic of a YJ filler on the passenger side, can not find it now...

Did not have to go much higher, but you need to leave the hose in an angle, so the gas will not kick back as you are filling up. I tried with the straight line level first, and the gas was taking its time going down, I moved the hoses around, cut, etc, and they worked up fine, just took some time playing with the hose :D

Looks Sweet, Nice Diff Cover

how much space did you end up losing in the trunk area once u were all said and done? and do u have and pics from the bottom of the jeep? awesome tech by the way Gui.....keep em comin....

I originally was planning to loose about 20" X 6" with the tank moderately up. I ended up moving a bit more, so no need to worry in the future if I 4 use the BTF truss and 4 link, and went to about 20" X 9.5" if I am not mistaken with all said and done and cover in place. I have about an extra inch on the cover since I trussed the box underneath so it can support more weight, and could have gotten away with less, but this way I am confident the tank is nice and safe :)

Gui, any more shots? Such as a finished picture from underneath etc? Finished support/truss?

Joe,

I will snap some more pics from the bottom, took some last week, but they came out dark and blurry, will try snapping some outside.

Gui

Joe,

Here are some pics, I was not able to download the final pics (othermemory card) but this give an idea on teh setup. To recap, I used the old stock skid as the "craddle" for the tank like you mentioned.

Picture showing the two tube crossmembers:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/crossmembers.jpg

I originally planned to drill through the skid\craddle to the tubes directly, but with the frame twisting and flexing, I think the holes woudl start stripping eventually. The stock setup uses two thin metal straps on top of the tank. I went to teh hardware store, and got some thick metal pipe type straps, which will allow some slight flex, and at the same time spread the load. These straps are about 4 times thicker, and held the craddle extremely well.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/crosstraps.jpg


Pic during the mockup:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/geberhard/jeep%20projects/gas%20tank/crossmock.jpg

I will load the final pics as soon as I have a chance, The straps are painted now, and I used two ratchet straps to hold the tank to teh craddle, allowing some needed movement. The setup came out great overall.

Gui

Thanks for remembering Gui, gives me some good starting points, but wouldnt bitch if ya had more pics heh. Oh, I was looking at the Surplus army store last night, found "An Aluminum Medical chest", might be a great cover for your tank if you can figure out wa clean way to attach the alum to steel etc.

As always, more shots are welcome :)

-Joe

Joe,

cool, found that chest online as well, seems could work. I got the box in and done, so am going to stay with it for now. I will post pics up as soon as I get a chance, been slaving getting the 60 torn up :) BTW, am looking for a 60 Ford driver's side knuckel is you know any leads :)

Thanks!

Pictures are muuccch better on this computer :) Thanks again Gui! Is there any reason you didnt put it behind the seats as opposed to at the tailgate?

-Joe

Joe, with the setup right now, it is still possible to rig up a low profile seat in the back, and have some foot space. I thought about behind the seats, would be nice for weight distribution, but would kill that foot space option. Plus the space is perfect for a cooler, etc. I may end up putting a seat there to see how it will work out, hehe :) Stadium chairs!!

Where did you find your TJ filler neck parts? Do you happen to have any part numbers?

I've got the tank in. I used 1.5" square tube for the tank supports. I'm not using the skid plate for a cradle, the tube seems to support the tank well. I'm using 2" nylon straps to hold the tank, hopefully these don't chafe too much over time. The new crossmember, 2 supports and the bottom of my bumper all lay on the same plane, so I'm planning to attach a piece of 1/8" steel making the whole rear belly section completely flat and protected.

Now I just need to plumb the filler. Any help would be great to save me from having to explain what I'm doing to the parts counter monkey and have him look at me like an idiot.

Thanks!

Don

Where did you find your TJ filler neck parts? Do you happen to have any part numbers?

I've got the tank in. I used 1.5" square tube for the tank supports. I'm not using the skid plate for a cradle, the tube seems to support the tank well. I'm using 2" nylon straps to hold the tank, hopefully these don't chafe too much over time. The new crossmember, 2 supports and the bottom of my bumper all lay on the same plane, so I'm planning to attach a piece of 1/8" steel making the whole rear belly section completely flat and protected.

Now I just need to plumb the filler. Any help would be great to save me from having to explain what I'm doing to the parts counter monkey and have him look at me like an idiot.

Thanks!

Don

Answered my own question :D

Dealer part numbers and prices:

Filler tube - 52100495AK - $65.40
Filler Neck - 52127675AD - $15.20

Wholesalemopar.com

Filler Neck - $9.50
Filler Tube - $40.88
Fuel Cap - $9.94

Don,

Thansk for the info! Sorry for not getting back sooner. Some parts are available via omix-ada. As far as filler tubes, it will depend on teh position of your tank, so if you get stock, you may need to cut them to fit. I ended up being able to re-use my YJ hoses, and had to cut them slightly and r-route, but worked great.

would you mind posting some pics on the inside? More from the drivers seat point of view and so fourth?

Did you ever get the seat brackets in there or did you just say fawk it?

Greg, I will try snapping some pics. I have not needed the rear seat yet, so will wait on the mounts for some time, but should be pretty straight forward,

My plan is to make the seat sit flush on top of the tank, so will lower the mount brackets and gain a couple inches on the seat height.

Gui

Greg, I will try snapping some pics. I have not needed the rear seat yet, so will wait on the mounts for some time, but should be pretty straight forward,

My plan is to make the seat sit flush on top of the tank, so will lower the mount brackets and gain a couple inches on the seat height.

Gui

From the looks of the position of the tank, you may be moving the seat back a good foot or so too? or were you going to just put it in the same spot. I know when I start this project I am going to take advantage of the opertunity and turn the back seat around so that it faces the rear along with weld in a bung into the roll bar to facilitate the rear seatbelts up top and bottom.

Can't wait to see those pics.

i'm a little late on my stretch. if ya'll could post pics of your seat mounts it will sure help. this thread saved me from buying a fuel cell and losing a spot for the kids. thanks:)

bump for a great write up that just saved me an a$$ ton this summer!:D

did you end up putting the rear seat back in? If so, is it still possible for someone to sit there.

I installed teh rera seat last wekend, and it was ok for a kid or a shorter person. Looking back I shoudl have gone a bit lower on the tank and woudl not be an issue. I may rewqork the setup sometime soon, as space in teh back of teh rig having a kid is premium :) I still have plenty of space for cooler, parts, etc, and teh rear wheel fenders work great.

have any pictures of it reinstalled. Some good shots of the mounts would be perfect

No pics, I ened up removing it again, and installing the baby car seat. Teh car seat was in teh perfect spot, I ended up mounting a few brackets to the box so the car seat straps would mount well, and worked great! I may be redoing my tank setup in order to recoup some of the intarnal real state space I gave up. Will need space for two car seats in the back sometime in the near future :D