It'll probably be one of the only juggys you'll see running leafs. And the whole thing started because of a cheap set of harnesses I bought off ebay, and a pair of free accord seats.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060501162519_seat.JPG

I wanted to build a seat cradle and move the gas tank back and down.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060501162832_floor2.JPG

That plan went to shit when I decided on boat sides.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060507191129_P1010849.jpg

Didn't want to start over on the cage so I tied the old one into the boat sides.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060512201247_P1010873.jpg

more to come.

The rear shackles used to attach to the rear bumper.

http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20050921053529_winch%20bumper.JPG

I choped it up and stretched the frame.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060503212538_P1010813.jpg

http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060503213717_P1010827.jpg

The new rear crossmember was a scrap yard find. I'm guessing it was a hyd. ram.

The front crossbar from boat side to boat side was VERY close to rubing the top of the t-case. I massaged it a bit for good measure.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060701234705_P1010201.jpg

The b-pillar is part of the door frame. I welded a pin to it for the door to latch on. The half doors are still fully functional (per my wife's request).
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060512201401_P1010866.jpg


Earlier my intent was to use a drop in tool box I already had.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20050921060045_deck1.JPG
But I didn't want the spare hanging off the back of the jeep, so I'm gonna build a tailgate and mount the spare on top of the deck.


I got lots of sheetmetal and tabs to mount, but this gives a decent idea of the new line.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/Russ/20060724213812_P1010361.jpg
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/Russ/20060724213732_P1010357.jpg


The garage is a damn furnace in the summer, so progress will be slow till Sept or Oct, but I'll keep updating.

the red on the cage looks good witht he black body. id keep that scheme. the cage looks sick too, and sweet job on the new b pillar. have u looked into shackle reversal?

the red on the cage looks good witht he black body. id keep that scheme. the cage looks sick too, and sweet job on the new b pillar. have u looked into shackle reversal?

Thanks, I'll probably paint everything above the tub line red again. That shit's $6/can compared to my usual Wal-mart $.93/can.

Correct me if I'm wrong but, a shackle forward climbs better, where as shackle reversal is more street friendly.

I'm digging that rear bumper; good use of angle iron.

Sweet rig.

lookin good, it'd look a hell of a lot better if you washed it:laughing:


im diggin' teh functional half doors.

Correct me if I'm wrong but, a shackle forward climbs better, where as shackle reversal is more street friendly.

This is how I feel about it.Plus with the shackles up front,when the axle drops the pinion rotates up and moves towards the driveshaft.Helping in keeping it together and with less bind on the ujoints.
With a SR the pinion rotates down and away from the driveshaft.

i like the rig it loks nice

to make it look even better:
on the picture with the door where the door curves at the bottom the tube doesnt so you could bend a piece of tube the same bend as the door notch it and then weld it in and it i'll be sealed and im sure your wife will love that if you ever go in deep water:D

Got some button head 1/4"-20's to attach the skins

The tail gate hinge is just 3/4" tube and 1/2" bolts.

LED tail lights. They're long bastards, but I wanted something slimline, and that's all I found.

LED tail lights. They're long bastards, but I wanted something slimline, and that's all I found.
where did you get the tail lights are they just third brake lights from a car??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Slimline-Red-LED-Truck-Trailer-Stop-Turn-Tail-Lights_W0QQitemZ120019038958QQihZ002QQcategoryZ337 13QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

got the tail gate skinned and the lights wired

.

those lights look really cool.

good find

tail lights mounted, and a poser shot

what leaves are you running? stock YJ's?

fronts are stock YJ w/ dual mains, rears are F250 with the shortest leaf removed.

sorry for the leaf question hijack, but do you like the spring rate in the back with the f-250's? and what is your weight sittin at? around 3800 i would guess? how far off am i? :D

Vehicle weight I belive is under 3500#s. I'll borrow a windshield and drive down to the scales later this week and let you know.

The rear springrate is actually pretty soft at 3 leafs. I'm happy with it, but I've never ran any other springs under my rig, other that stock sua.

The springs were origionaly a 4 leaf plus overload. I removed the overload leaf and moved the factory YJ spring hangers forward several inches and ran my shackles off the bumper like so.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20050921053529_winch%20bumper.JPG
It sat WAY too high so I pulled the shortest leaf and the ride height turned out even with the front.

Like any leaf setup, an anti-wrap bar is mandatory. I broke shit playing in the driveway before I put one on.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=261823&d=1157346682
I dig the tail lights, but their length and location invites bash-damage. Maybe a length of tubing down next to it?

Nice build - -:smokin:

I love this project! Great job:smokin: ! I am in the process of boat siding my cj-7 right now and was planning on doing it the same way you did:D . I was wondering if i could get some more pictures out of ya? I was trying to see if you relocated the factory body mounts or not? I can see the front one in one of the pictures but what about the middle two? I would also like to see a shoot from the front that shows what angle the new sides are at and how they look. I am waiting on bender dies to finish mine up but the sides are already cut out. Again great job. It is nice to see someone build a buggy only to replace sheet metal. Jeeps wheel good enough to most of us any where we want to go with a little driving skills:flipoff2: .



It'll probably be one of the only juggys you'll see running leafs. And the whole thing started because of a cheap set of harnesses I bought off ebay, and a pair of free accord seats.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060501162519_seat.JPG

I wanted to build a seat cradle and move the gas tank back and down.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060501162832_floor2.JPG

That plan went to shit when I decided on boat sides.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060507191129_P1010849.jpg

Didn't want to start over on the cage so I tied the old one into the boat sides.
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060512201247_P1010873.jpg

more to come.

Ya know there's these things called soap and water. If you apply them to you jeep with a rag they take the dirt off with a bit of elbow grease and a rinse.

'course I say that and I haven't washed my heep in over a year. :laughing:

Haha, I dig the Jeep plate on the Ford. :D

I was trying to see if you relocated the factory body mounts or not? I can see the front one in one of the pictures but what about the middle two?
The front body mounts under the firewall are still in their origional location and protrudes out of the boat side a couple inches. (I'll explain that in a minute). There's NO factory tub left behind the shifters so obviously no body mounts back there. The cowl was very shakey until I welded it to the boatside hoop right in front of the doors. I figure from this point on, the cowl is permanent. If it gets destroyed, I'ld rather build one from scratch, rather than replace it.

The boatsides are getting 1/8" plate all the way down to the frame. The firewall body mounts will get torched, and the tub will get hard mounted at the 1/8" plate. I'm planning out a whole new skid structure. My current crossmember is bent, and the mount at the frame rails wraps the frame which has to be redone before I can plate the boat sides. And the boatside plates have to be done before the bodymount is done.



I would also like to see a shot from the front that shows what angle the new sides are at and how they look.

http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060512200958_P1010864.jpg

does this help?

Yes, thanks alot. I have given some thought to the way i am going to make the side bars and i do not think i will bend one "hoop" like you did. The reason i want to stay away from that is two fold, tell me what you think. The first is that i am planning on cutting the rear of the frame off next(2007) winter. If i do one "hoop" i would have to redo it also:shaking: . The second is if i crush or bend it i would also have to repalce it completely. Where as if i go with one straight bar i can just replace that one bar hopfully:grinpimp: . What do you think? Are you happy with how it is holding up? Thank again for the help:D
The front body mounts under the firewall are still in their origional location and protrudes out of the boat side a couple inches. (I'll explain that in a minute). There's NO factory tub left behind the shifters so obviously no body mounts back there. The cowl was very shakey until I welded it to the boatside hoop right in front of the doors. I figure from this point on, the cowl is permanent. If it gets destroyed, I'ld rather build one from scratch, rather than replace it.

The boatsides are getting 1/8" plate all the way down to the frame. The firewall body mounts will get torched, and the tub will get hard mounted at the 1/8" plate. I'm planning out a whole new skid structure. My current crossmember is bent, and the mount at the frame rails wraps the frame which has to be redone before I can plate the boat sides. And the boatside plates have to be done before the bodymount is done.





http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/russ/20060512200958_P1010864.jpg

does this help?

nice f$#@in weld job , cool build too!

Yes, thanks alot. I have given some thought to the way i am going to make the side bars and i do not think i will bend one "hoop" like you did. The reason i want to stay away from that is two fold, tell me what you think. The first is that i am planning on cutting the rear of the frame off next(2007) winter. If i do one "hoop" i would have to redo it also:shaking: . The second is if i crush or bend it i would also have to repalce it completely. Where as if i go with one straight bar i can just replace that one bar hopfully:grinpimp: . What do you think? Are you happy with how it is holding up? Thank again for the help:D

I completely agree. If I had to start over, I probably wouldn't do hoops either. I'ld be easier to repair w/ a straight tube. I hope I never have to address that.

I doubt I'll have any issues w' it holding up. I've only got 1 ride on it since the back half and it's hard to make contact w/ the rockers now. Once I get the 1/8" plate on them, strength should be a non issue (I HOPE).

Another piece of hindsight, try to make the top of the cage rebuildable. If I fubar one of my upper hoops, replacing that one hoop would be a rediculous task. I never thought about that till a conversation I had w/ Dan Dubose at Gray Rock one weekend. Nodes are great for strength, but if you bend a tube that leads into one, can you salvage eveything else connected?

Thanks for the help! I will post up some pics when i"m done/ buy a red star.:D

Ya know there's these things called soap and water. If you apply them to you jeep with a rag they take the dirt off with a bit of elbow grease and a rinse.

'course I say that and I haven't washed my heep in over a year. :laughing:
dude, just buy more paint and paint right over that stuff....works great.....when that paint falls of with the mud, just paint again, keeps it lookin shiny and preventing rust all the time

jeez if only i could weld as clean as that. looks like perfect coins. ehh maybe by next year. nice rig

jeez if only i could weld as clean as that. looks like perfect coins. ehh maybe by next year. nice rig

Looking good. I'm impresses with your fabrication skillz.

I was really hoping this thread wouldn't get bumped. I haven't layed a finger on her since Feb. Frenzy at Gray Rock.

I'm gonna have to go chromo in the front d44. I'm ovaling the ears, inner and outter, both sides. AND, I'm still running the 2.5L and only turning 36" Iroks. :shaking:

The leaf spring have gotta go. Seems like I've been dragging shackles on everything. As per my usual "cheap bastard" style, I'm gonna build a CHEAP 4-link for the rear. Link material will be 2" square 1/4" wall, (6) poly leaf bushings, and (2) 3/4" heims so I can still adjust the pinion angle. I've got some 1.5" solid rod to make my own bungs for the threaded heims. Not sure how much further I'm gonna push the rear axle, but I want a near 90* departure angle.

But all this is on hold till I get the Windsor built and installed in my new grocery getter.

I got a few things done on Rosco lately.

I finally cashed in my prp gift certificate my brothers gave me for a wedding gift.

Toast and Buckskin, premier highback.

The mount bolts to the floor with (2) 1/2" bolts on each side. I welded a bolt into the upper harness mount. The lower harness mounts are quick release.

About 2 minutes with a 3/4" socket and the whole thing slides out the door and can sit by the camp fire.

Swaping the grill turned into more than I had anticipated.

I stole the hood and grill off a parts rig my brother bought a few weeks ago.

I didn't realize till I started the hood is shorter, and the grill is taller than a YJ.

I reused the YJ rad, switched from the clutch fan to an electric taurus fan, and mounted them seperate from the grill. I welded tabs to locate the grill.

The grill is sunk about 3-4" into the frame rails. I looks subtile from outside the jeep, but from the drive seat, it's substancial from a visibility stand point.

The taurus fan wiring is basic right now. Low speed only, which I belive will be sufficient for the 4 cyl..

Battery to a 40 amp inline fuse (which I stole off my brothers parts rig), to a 40 amp aftermarket relay($5), to the low speed wire on the fan.

The fan is grounded straight to the frame.

The low voltage power to the relay comes from the radio plug of the fuse block under the dash.
A 1/4" spade plugs into the fuse block and goes to a simple on/off toggle mounted in the dash. From the toggle switch it goes thru the firewall, thru a little 5 amp inline fuse, and into the relay.


I paid $10 for the ricer style toggle. Seemed like good insurance so I can't accidentally bump it off. And I can glance at it and know if it's on or off.
I did have to grind off a tooth to mount the cover up side down. Otherwise, with the cover closed, the fan would be OFF.

winch mounted

Looks GOOD Buba, I guess you figured that wiring out pretty easy huh?
Liking the new front view...the winch mount looks nice!!