helpppppp...

Somehow I got Fawked

I had a shop do my atlas install... THEY FAWKED UP BADDDD

Butchered my Belly... a big chuck of Atlas sits below it andI got lots of clearance between the atlass and tub. (its either clocked wrong or I have a broken engine mount sagging the whole thing. )

They destroyed my consol installling the levers. I think they are the wrong levers. Instead of calling HWD hardware to check they butcherd my console.

Pics later.

I got to redo the whole thing.

Sounds to me like they just bought your atlas FOR you :rolleyes:

If you need a new stock belly pan I have one, just pick up shipping from OR and it's yours. It is brand new.

FWIW I installed my Atlas in my driveway in less than a day by myself. The shop you chose is imcompetant.

1" body lift, stock belly pan (modification to the mount if you have a manual tranny) and the case clocked as flat as it can go (7°) it will clear the tub and the belly pan without having it "hang down".

Originally posted by TJoop
If you need a new stock belly pan I have one, just pick up shipping from OR and it's yours. It is brand new.

FWIW I installed my Atlas in my driveway in less than a day by myself. The shop you chose is imcompetant.

1" body lift, stock belly pan (modification to the mount if you have a manual tranny) and the case clocked as flat as it can go (7°) it will clear the tub and the belly pan without having it "hang down".


Gulppppp.... ahhhhh... I cross my arms and sit back and reflect on the reasons I like four wheeling.... yeppp.. thats it... in part cause of folk and their families like TJoop,!!

Yeah Ill need it. my zip is 44473, Vianna OH. Let me know what shipping is.

If anyone is closer... that has one.. let me know. Maybe it time for Belly up?

Yeah I have one inch body also

i didnt attemp the install by myself cause often I work 7 days a week. but allways 6 days and this is my only transport. Bus dont come out this far and taxi is a around $30 each way.

Sounds like you should be able clock it up at least one more bolt hole.
But more important... does it make that f@#$king noise like mine?

Originally posted by withamc
Sounds like you should be able clock it up at least one more bolt hole.
But more important... does it make that f@#$king noise like mine?

I read your other post about the noise you have. Only thing I can think of is that there is interference with the body. Might double check that. If that isn't the problem give AA a call.

No on the noise

Coachgeo,

Sorry to hear about the problems you have with your Atlas installation.

Maybe I can help you out a bit.



Here is a picture of where the studs need to be placed in order to get the minimum clocking of 7 degrees.


http://home.att.net/~email.id/atlasstuds.JPG



I am sure they are not currently in these positions as there is no way it would hang down below your skid plate if they were. (Did they actually cut a hole clear through your skid plate?)

If you pull it out, reposition the studs to match the holes in this picture and it should go up pretty close to flat for you.

You may have to bang on the floor boards a little bit with a hammer. (Dent the floor boards.)



CAUTION: Make sure when you reposition these studs that you use "RED" High Strength Loctite on them. They come from AA with Loctite film already on them, but having already been used you will have to re-applied it.



If they cut a big hole in your stock skid plate is there any chance you could just cover that hole with some welded material? Might save you the hassle of waiting for a skid to arrive.

If you go with a Belly-Up, like Tera's you will have a lot of fabricating to do. Trust me on this one.

I would be happy to share with you my experiences if you do. But don't count on it being done in your driveway in one day. It's just not possible to do it right in that time period.

I do have a lot of notes and pictures on this so let me know.



Also, if the shop that did this was that inexperienced you might want to check the adjustment of your shifter handles.

This is not complex, but it makes all the difference in the world in how easy or hard it is to shift.

Here is a picture for reference.


http://home.att.net/~email.id/atlasshifter.JPG



Do you see the black shifter arm? Notice how it is close to being parallel to the aluminum tower it is mounted to?

Put both shifters in the Neutral position and adjust the all-thread and fittings until the (black) shifter arm is as close as possible to parallel to the mounting tower.


Please not: This picture was a preliminary fit. There are several things wrong in it that you do not want to duplicate.

DO NOT allow any threads on the all-thread rod to protrude out of the fitting attached to the brass collar. THEY WILL interfere and cause difficulties sooner or later.

ALSO, The all-thread between the two fitting nipples should be covered with "heat shrink Tape". This will prevent the all-thread from coming loose. DO NOT install a locking nut. It will bind the linkage.

Hope this helps you out some.

Let me know if I can answer any questions.

Good luck.

Frank

Whats up with the 45 degree angle on the threaded rod,mine were inline .

Seems like alot of stress on those.

It looks like you have the shifters 90 degrees to the case in that pic,shouldn't they be angled to one side or the other(depending on a left or right drop)?


Rob

Frank again... UR THE MAN

Keep it comming folk...

I gotta redo this tommorow after work (about 3:00 start) and be back on road by monday morning...

Should I buy some ramps? Drive up them backward or forward?

coachgeo - if you have any lift at all you shouldn't need to lift the Jeep to work on it. That's just further you'll need to lift that 110 lb case. Even if you do, just throw the thing on a couple jackstands.

Daless2 - do you have a body lift or did that thing fit at that angle without one?

Originally posted by withamc
coachgeo - if you have any lift at all you shouldn't need to lift the Jeep to work on it. That's just further you'll need to lift that 110 lb case. Even if you do, just throw the thing on a couple jackstands............

Thanks... your points well taken.

Good Morning Jettech - Rob,

My apoligies for the delay in responding.


Yes I agree, the angle of the all-thread rods does appear to be severe, yet it shifts fine. Apparently there are several shifter kits. This one was specific for the TJ with the AX-15.

As it turned out the shifter tower did indeed need to be slanted to about 80 degrees once installed. But this was only so the shifter handles would fit nicely through the stock console cut out.



withamc -

I have a 1 in Body Lift and a Tera Belly up. Because of the Belly up I had no choice but to clock the Atlas this way.

I also had no choice but to cut and re-fabricate the floorboards some and come up with a way to handle the trans mount.

Here are a few pictures.

"Clearancing" the floorboards:

http://home.att.net/~email.id/cuts.JPG


Rather then follow the AA directions of cutting the Trans Mount I came up with a way to spacer it. There are four 1.125 inch spacers that are sandwiched between the Trans mount and the transmission case. This gives you plenty of clearance between the Atlas case and the skid plate.

http://home.att.net/~email.id/spacers.JPG



Once everything had the needed clearances, the floorboards where re-fabed using sheet metal welded in place. (Then painted.)

http://home.att.net/~email.id/welds.JPG



Here is a photo of the semi finished project. Notice how nicely the handle come through the stock console.

http://home.att.net/~email.id/console.JPG



I did not like the angle of the front axle Atlas shifter arm.

It was heated and then bent over to the right side about 2 inches to "clearance" my right leg!



If anyone has an interest, I do plan on doing a small write-up on this (Installing an Atlas on a TJ with Belly-up skid plate.) when I get some free time.

It's not too difficult but there are some time saving pointers that perhaps others might find some value in.


Frank

How difficult are they to install with an RE long arm skid and 1" body lift? I would like to get me an Atlas soon :D

Well the plan is that since I have to redo this anyway to do a belly up at the same time.

Quesion. I have one inch body lift. How much more (or total ) body lift would be needed to clear the atlas without floor modification.. Just asking cause this is an easier mod to do when it comes to tools available (no welders, snippers.. etc.)

Other option... How much drop in belly up (space down the belly up pan) would be needed to make body clearance for the atlas? If the drop is half the distance from full belly up to where the stock pan sits then an improvement has still been made. This way the body mods can be done on a differnt weekend. Or will this do it later idea not work cause u can not cut from the inside while atlas is installed?

Last option... Do a little of both... Drop the pan some and lift the body little more.

This is a daily driver so being able to spread the work out over different weekends to assure drivability to work is important. That, and I work half day on saturdays miminmal.

Yeah Frank. Im intersted in the write up.

Originally posted by marley
How difficult are they to install with an RE long arm skid and 1" body lift? I would like to get me an Atlas soon :D

Marely, It isn't hard at all. Here is what I have: '97, 4.0, ax-15, 1" body lift, 1" motor mount lift.

There are four clocking positions for the TJ Atlas. 7° is the flattest you can clock it but with the RE crossmember and 1" body lift you run into floor clearance issues. I have my Atlas clocked to 14° (second hole) and have a lot of clearance between the body and the crossmember. I didn't have to do any floor hammering, you will have to do some cutting where the shifters go through the floor.

(IF YOU HAVE AN AUTO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS)
The tranny mount plate on the crossmember will have to be relocated but it is just a matter of taking a measurement and, in my case, doing a little drilling and welding. Depends how involved you want to get with it.


Here is a before pic: (upside down :rolleyes: )

Here is a pic of the skid after the relocation of the tranny mount plate and redrilled new access holes. I ended up filling the four auto tranny mount holes and one of the manual tranny holes just so I could utilize all the mounting hardware.

Well whats the differneces in the RE pan and the terra belly up beside cut outs for the long arms?

do they both mount to the frame at the same hight... another words was TJoop getting by with the no floor trimming cause the 14degree or cause the RE skid mount sits below the frame lower than the terra that Frank (Daless2). used?

Originally posted by coachgeo
Well whats the differneces in the RE pan and the terra belly up beside cut outs for the long arms?

do they both mount to the frame at the same hight... another words was TJoop getting by with the no floor trimming cause the 14degree or cause the RE skid mount sits below the frame lower than the terra that Frank (Daless2). used?

The RE crossmember hangs 2.5" below the frame rail. Not sure on the Tera Belly Up but I think it may be tucked up to 1" more.

Ok... the RE pan sits lower so at 14 degrees you dont need body clearnceing.

Sooooo.. I willl have a pan that sits higher than that (maybe 1") so now we are back to the original quesion. What about temporarily doing more body lift... or some skid spancers down till time to cut the floor out fits the schedule?

Two?... what clock would be best for a belly up knowing you have to cut the floor boards anyway. I'm just trying to avoid taking the T-case out more than once even if I do some spacing (body or skid) on the first round of the work.

Hi Folks,

Glad TJoop jumped in here with his info on the RE long arm kit and skid plate, as I know nothing about it.


While I do not have the exact measurement, I would agree that the Tera Belly-up does indeed hang down about 1 inch below the bottom of the frame. I can go measure this if you need an accurate measurement.

I don't know if I can answer your questions on how much body lift you would need to do an Atlas without cutting. I do believe no matter what you will have to cut at least the cross member on the underside of the floor boards with any type of belly-up. The atlas is just too big and it will have to go in at 7 degrees for a belly-up.

Here is a picture of the underside of my TJ after the cuts. Please notice the rectangular section that is cut but not yet off. At a minimum this section will have to come out. On the rear of the atlas there is a bolted on housing. The shifter rods slide in and out of this housing, and it sits up very tall. I don't see any way you can get the atlas in with a belly up without at least "providing clearance" in the floor board cross member for this part of the unit.

http://www.dana60.com/daless2/bottomcut.JPG


As TJooop mentioned, if you have the 5 speed you need to address the trans mount by cutting it and also relocating the where it bolts to the skid plate. This will require some fabrication and welding.

I have another way to do this, that is quite easy and allows you to bolt the trans mount to the stock location on the skid plate with no skid plate modifications.

The reason you have to cut the mount and relocate where it bolts to the skid plate is to provide clearance between the mount and the atlas.

You can provide this same clearance by cutting four simple spacers and grinding off two lips from the trans mount.

Here is a pic of the trans mount after the lips has been ground off. (See the whitish area? I cut it off with a torch and then ground the edge smooth.


http://home.att.net/~email.id/tmount1.JPG

You need to cut four spacers out of 3/4 inch tubing. Each spacer is 1.125 inches long.

The spacers will go between the trans mount and the transmission.


http://home.att.net/~email.id/tmount2.JPG


Install like this.and the other end of the trans mount will bolt to the stock location on the skid plate.

http://home.att.net/~email.id/tmount3.JPG


coachgeo,

If you do not have access to a welder, maybe a friend can redo your floor boards for you. It's just that there is no way the atlas will fit in there without some cutting of that floorboard with a belly-up skid.

Another option is to use aluminum plate to fab up the floor cut covers and then rivet it in place. Aluminum is very easy to bend and form. You could then by a tube of "seam sealer" from the auto body shop and seal the space between the riveted aluminum and original floor boards. Just a thought for you.


While I do not know as absolute fact, simply because I haven't done one like yours, I don't think 2 inches of body lift would be enough to clearance the Atlas with a belly-up. I base this on how high my atlas was sticking through the floor. About 1 inch (estimate). But that was one inch inside the jeeps floor, after the 1.5 inch or so cross member was cut out underneath.

One other thing you need to be aware of. There is a small possibility that the front Yoke (1310) will interfere with the front driveshaft CV joint. Why? Well the front drive shaft is now shorter and when you clock it at 7 degrees you are raising the output angle.

This is a known issue. AA will tell you about it. It is represented by a "clicking or ticking" sound when you drive.

To fix it you take a very very small amount of material off the outer edges of the front yoke with a grinder.


If I were you, and had the dependencies you do on a daily driver I would take this approach.

Take your skid plate down and have a plate welled on it where they cut the hole in it for the atlas and re-use it for now.

Take the Atlas out and re-clock it to at least 14 degrees (second stud hole from the right), or even 7 degrees (first stud hole on right) which I believe you can get with the stock skid plate and a slight dent in your floor boards.

Then when you have a little more time and access to a welder you could do the belly-up the right way. For what it's worth that is what I would do. Obviously your choice to make.

It would at least get the bottom end of that very expensive Atlas on top of the skid where it belongs, and you could easily do this yourself in a day off. (easier with a friend to help.)

Have a great day,


Frank

Thaks Frank.

I'll take your sugestions under advisement with my co-pilot... pictured below

Your welcome.

By the way, Nice co-pilot!

Frank

Well I guess those of us with TF999 autos are a little less lucky than you stick owners. I just pulled my Atlas back out and reclocked as high as it would go - 14 degrees. I cut off some of the body reinforcement that Frank was talking about, but after bolting it all back together I think I might have been OK without doing that. I have no body lift and am using the stock skid for now, although I had already cut some of the reinforcement off of that when I had it installed at 23 degrees.
So coachgeo - pull it out, reclock it to 14 degrees and put it back in. Take your skid down to welding shop and have them stick some plate where they screwed it up. You'll have it back on the road in a day and this will give you time to plan what you want to do without being in such a hurry.

withamc,

Good Morning.

How did you make out with that "clickity clacking" noise you where having? Did you get it resolved?

Frank

Coach: Who did the install? There's not a lot of 4x shops here in eastern Ohio.

Originally posted by Mo
Coach: Who did the install? There's not a lot of 4x shops here in eastern Ohio.

Don't know if you want to give him a call, Coach, but Matt Peters from Peters Off Road in Salem OH did my 4.56's and lockers. Great guy too...

Originally posted by Welby


Don't know if you want to give him a call, Coach, but Matt Peters from Peters Off Road in Salem OH did my 4.56's and lockers. Great guy too...

He hasn't done any work for me, but I've heard nothing but good about this guy. Apparently he used to do some racing work (like professional stuff).

He's also a hella nice guy.

George, I'm sure you got my email. Just grab everything together that you want to do and Larry and I will help you out. The welder, torches, and tool selection aren't an issue. We've got you covered.

You just need to find a good full day off of work so we can button it up.

And to all those disbelievers out there... That was the worst install of anything I have ever seen. I know that some might exagerate a little on things, but HE IS NOT EXAGERATING. That thing is fooked up. The console is smoked, but the belly pan is repairable (big patch).

Those guys couldn't put together a two piece puzzle.

(well George, you got my first post on here)

Yeah I heard Great stuff about Peter's too. I called him for this install. He was booked and overbooked. I couldnt get in for a week at least.

I went to the only other 4wd shop in the 30 or so mile area. There is a new shop opening it sounds like though ........................
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Mats4wd...

This is being put together by (Big97TJ) who just posted up above and is going to help me out at no charge.

oh yeah

WELCOME TO THE BOARD Matt.

Thanks for your support.

Fourwheelers are never strangers to fourwheelers.. faces may change, but never strangers.

George,

Kinda funny actually. We just sell parts (to feed our habit www.mad4wd.com). It really isn't our intention to get into the installation business. We just know the predicament your in and want to help out (can't have enough buddies on the trail!!!).

It's more like....I've accumulated too many tools and want to keep them happy by being used.:)

Originally posted by big97redtj
George,

Kinda funny actually. We just sell parts (to feed our habit www.mad4wd.com). It really isn't our intention to get into the installation business. We just know the predicament your in and want to help out (can't have enough buddies on the trail!!!).

It's more like....I've accumulated too many tools and want to keep them happy by being used.:)

BWAHHAAHHHAHAHA.. Dangerouse thing to say around me.

Wait till you hear about the project I have in the works

Can you think ........MOG.........

OK.. Parts came in

Belly up and 1" engine lift from Goferit offroad

On the way to my new friends Mad4wd Parts (http://mad4wd.com) who offered to help my rig went into convulsions after hitting a road construcion bump.. ... I limped to thier house from there.

What we got done...

Remove and replace Atlas. it was clocked to completely the wrong side..

Mess with shifters.

Remove broken Nut serts.. in frame and weld nuts into the frame

cut away (hopefully) the portions of the gas tank skid that were rubbing my 44 pumpkin cover..

What we determined.

Front drive shaft slip joint broke and internal spline in the female side.. that's the vibrations.... and convulsions..

determined we got lots more to do than time

(put it back to gether with mended stock cross member..)


Drove home..

started at 4pm.. worked till 1 am

One shifter still finaky .. worried bout that..

Have to do some research on putting in with a belly up plate.

Two weeks at least before we can go at it again (job conflicts)

http://mad4wd.com/tek9.asp?pg=bad_atlas2

I dont have to say a worddddd.. this post tells of the trauma and the surgical mastery to repair the injury by my friends at www.mad4wd.com as it unfolds

Originally posted by coachgeo
http://mad4wd.com/tek9.asp?pg=bad_atlas2

I dont have to say a worddddd.. this post tells of the trauma and the surgical mastery to repair the injury by my friends at www.mad4wd.com as it unfolds

Honestly I am speechless.

Originally posted by coachgeo
http://mad4wd.com/tek9.asp?pg=bad_atlas2

I dont have to say a worddddd.. this post tells of the trauma and the surgical mastery to repair the injury by my friends at www.mad4wd.com as it unfolds

Wow that stinks have you got it fixed yet with the new skid?

Originally posted by GDGMOJO


Wow that stinks have you got it fixed yet with the new skid?

Nope the Mad4wd wrenching buddies are at a truck show peddeling their wares this weekend. (I work odd hours so only weeked wrenching occurs) So Im back on the stock belly with a little reinforcement and a gapping wound in it

I think that is the saddest thing I have ever seen.

that was horrible

:eek: I hae nothing else to say! that is the single biggest botched job that I have ever seen in my life!

I sincerely hope that you didn't pay for it.....actually, they should have to pay you. You actually could sue for damages if you wanted to.....

several comments about the web page though:
1) NEVER use the words "cheaper" to describe a product (RE on the main page)
2) the prices that I searched for are entered in as $0.00, you might want to list prices or list "call for pricing"

I am still in disbelief after seeing that job.

Originally posted by mkbruin


several comments about the web page though:
1) NEVER use the words "cheaper" to describe a product (RE on the main page)
2) the prices that I searched for are entered in as $0.00, you might want to list prices or list "call for pricing"


Thanks for the input, but as depicted on the site our prices are the cheapest not the product. Unfortunately, the software won't allow me to list call for pricing as it is database driven and is looking for a numeric field not a character field.

Sorry to chime in so late but...

HOLY SHIT THAT IS BUTCHER JOB!

Now for what I did...

Tried the belly-up route... it is a piece of junk.

I went with a 2" BL and clocked the atlas at 7 degrees. 1"
motor lift, beat the heck out of floor pan and TOTALLY FLAT piece of 1/4" steel. Heavy, but I kept bending the teraflex skid.

There were lots of little details like:

Pinion turned up so high needed to relocate lower rear shock mounts so that the shocks didn't hit coil cups.

Flat skid+Hipinion 9"+ auto trans = driveshaft VERY close to transmission pan, actually drive around with axle shifted to drive side by about 1"

Transmission mounts been through original, poly and now back to new stock one, keeps the case from moving around to much.

Slight rub of driveshaft on exhaust... also fixed by moving axle over.

My front shaft is almost horizontal, tucked way way far from rocks. my rear shaft is pointed to the sky, I grease it once a week.


Howard

Appreciate all the input... As soon as we have time again we should be able to button it up. I'm not a big fan of the 2" BL, infact I'm not an advocate of any BL.

I really don't want to have to cut the floor up, because of the winters up here. I think Ohio has stock in the Morton salt company.

Hey George, we didn't forget about you. We just have a bunch on our plate right now.

so what ever happened?

so what ever happened?

We did George a favor and undid the butchering the best we could and for what he wanted to spend. This thread is a couple of years old and we haven't talked to George in a while. Last I heard and saw he bought a MOG and sold the TJ.

You guys have come a long way from this post with your business. :smokin:

It took alot of fab work but i was able to redo my RE skid and make it flat.....

I also have the auto and no body lift.... works great now but took a long weekend to do all the fab...http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/mark%20u/20040626140735_skid1.jpg

http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/mark%20u/20040626140858_skid%203.jpg

http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/mark%20u/20040626213250_high%20atlas.JPG

http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/files/mark%20u/20040626213324_atlasa%20shifters.JPG

Looking for info on atlass 11 in 04 rubicon manual with 6" FT lift kit, any ideas??
R/T