First, some background on the buildup.

The tube frame is an one-off custom from the early days of rockcrawling competition. Built to factory specs, the frame was made to be a lightweight, strong replacement for stock frames in stock class rockcrawling. Well, about 6 months of R&D showed a crappy repo of a tube frame in Quadratec and tube frames outlawed from stock class competition.

What do you do with a one-off frame? build a one-off Jeep, of course. And take your sweet-ass time doing it. Moving to another state has put a serious crimp on the Jeeps progress, but it is still coming along. I get back to work on it at least once a month. Progress is slow, but steady.

The chassis is in the middle of fab, so things will be changed as they go. I have a huge backlog of pics, and I will start posting them.

This Jeep will remain street legal, and I have lots of plans on driving it.


Premise:

Inexpensive (not necessarily cheap) to build, cheap to operate. Easy to find parts. Strong enough. Not HUGE, able to fit in most parking lots and standard garages. I plan on keeping the weight below 4,000lbs. Hopefully alot below.

Stats:

Tires/Wheels:

35" Krawlers on Trailready BL's. Keeps it low and driveable, I have seen alot of success with stock-class rigs on the same tires. If it works...(Cheap-o 35's and steelies for street use)

Axles:

79 waggy front, 89 waggy rear. Alloys, longs, detroits, 4.56's, etc. Stock housings, easy to replace Light weight, 35's, should be fine.

Brakes:

No power booster would fit, not even hydroboost. Wilwood 1" masters, CNC 3/4" cutting brakes, GM metric calipers all around. Should still work OK.

Suspension:

Sprung over on 2" Wrangler BDS springs frenched 5 inches into the frame. As low as you can go with a spring over.

I know, no links. I have set up several link suspensions, and the bottom line is I can fix my entire suspension with one piece, and someone else found out the proper geometry for me. Besides, I have some tricks to make it work very well.

Motor:

97 4.0, 2003 intake modified to side draft, 95 computer, wiring and return fuel rail.

Drivetrain:

IH Scout T19w with Ford t18 input to a Texas D300. Stupid-short, shorter than the Powerglide-Atlas in the buggy. 36" driveshafts- front and rear

Body:

Yes. A full one, kinda. Rockers are the floor, body is lowered 2 inches and is 1 inch shorter. Body lines fabricated out of 3/16's and 10ga with stock soft top rails riveted to accommodate a top and doors. A full writeup will follow.

No 60's, nothing bigger than 35's. But alot of work and some cool tricks have gone into it.

What do you do when your 4.0 is 2 inches forward, raised a couple of inches, and your body is dropped?

Well, the hood no longer closes on the 90 degree elbow and there is no room for an air cleaner.

Intake modification time!!!

Start with a 2003+ intake manifold.

2 machined 1/2 inch AL plates, one for a blockoff of the original hole and one to weld to the manifold. A 2 1/2 inch (? don't remember actual size) hole saw is used on the manifold. The power brake booster vacuum port makes a convient pilot hole.

The throttle body has to be mildly modified, I think the IAC motor has to be turned 180 degrees for wiring. Security torx meet security chisel.

Resulting intake looks cool,at least. The motor has not been fired, but I dont think there should be any issues.


http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/intake/intake3.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/intake/intake2.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/intake/intake1.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/intake/intake.jpg

If you havent figured it out, I cannot leave anything alone.

How low can you go with a spring over suspension and high-steer?

Well, with 3 inches of up travel, with a little fudge room for front winch...


















http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/suspension/spring1.jpg

Right about here. The Jeep is sitting on jackstands, full weight on the suspension.

Here is the "tech" on leaf springs. We all know this, but sometimes it needs to be reinforced.

BDS 2" springs were chosen for several reasons. They have a great warranty. They have some arch so they hold up better than stock wrangler springs. Mil-wrap helps if there is breakage. And, well, I already had them.

Leaf spring suspension and front axle geometry are based on the spring being level in respect to the ground. Most stock suspensions are set up this way. Sometimes leafsprings get off-angle for whatever reason with different installations and performance suffers.

Center of gravity is a hot topic as well. The easiest way to get a better COG is to lower the weight as much as possible. This is accomplished with leaf springs by frenching them into the frame.

This is one way to make a leaf suspension as LOW as possible. Any lower and the suspension has no way to compress.

I know the shackles are big, but they need to be with the mil-wrap springs.

The shackle reversal debate is way played out. This application worked out better forward. If I hate it i will change it.

Front spring mount - The spring will be shimmed with washers. The frame has fluxuated in width and the 1/4 inch gap will help align the springs during final assembly


http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/suspension/spring2.jpg

Front shackle mount - It will be integrated into the winch mount for added strength. Cherokee (XJ) shackles.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/suspension/spring3.jpg

Rear spring mount. Gusseted into the cage, I have not made the supports for the cage yet. Much more building to go.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/suspension/spring4.jpg

Rear shackle mount. Integrated into a purdy bumper.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/suspension/spring5.jpg

Ah well. Thats my suspension. The hardest way to do a leaf spring suspension. With all this thought and effort, I could have just linked it, but I am pretty well hard-headed.

Cool build. It sounds like a similar premise to my GPW. The only problem I see is that you are not going to be able to use your brakes with dual 1" masters. I would recommend a 3/4" or 13/16" for the front and a 3/4" for the rear brakes. You are moving too much fluid with two 1.00" masters to get any sort of good hydraulic advantage.

Your dual masters have a surface area about equivalent to that of a 1-7/16" bore master cylinder with no power brakes. Just something to think about.

Cool build. It sounds like a similar premise to my GPW. The only problem I see is that you are not going to be able to use your brakes with dual 1" masters. I would recommend a 3/4" or 13/16" for the front and a 3/4" for the rear brakes. You are moving too much fluid with two 1.00" masters to get any sort of good hydraulic advantage.

You're dual masters have a surface area about equivalent to that of a 1-7/16" bore master cylinder with no power brakes. Just something to think about.

The chief reason I am using 1 inch masters is because I got them for free. They stopped the Buggy well with front and rear Toy brakes, and I am running with more leverage on the cylinders with the stock brake setup (7:1 ratio?)

I am also a little confused on the 1 7/16 master comment. I assumed on a modern dual masters with separate pistons for the front and rear brake is no different than running side-by-side single masters?? should it not act like a normal 1 inch master?

Thanks for the comments. I still have alot to learn.

The standard "dual master" uses the pressure from the front piston to engage the rear piston. Only fluid pushes the rear brake piston forward, there is no mechanical contact. Therefore a "dual" or "Tandem" master that is 1.00" dia will have the same feel as a single bore 1.00" master hooked to the same brake system.

Stock Toyotas use a dual 15/16" MC IIRC.

The leverage is more than stock. Most are setup 6:1, but I would definitely try it first.

Do you have any clearance pics, of the top of the bellhousing, firewall area?

I'm dying to do a belly up, and get the motor as high as possible (without a bodylift). My problem lies with the NP435 behind the 4.0. Its allready up and under my dash.

Awsome build also.

I'm diggin' on that intake.

Doug

Awesome build you got going on there. I like it because it is different. I run GM metric calipers on the buggy with a single 1 1/16 master and am swapping to dual 3/4 for independent braking. I too think you will need to downsize but you can always do that when everything else is done and test it out. Question, at ride height, what is the distance from the floor to the bottom of the P on the jeep stamp just behind the fenders? Again, looks great and keep up the new ideas.

No power booster would fit, not even hydroboost.

Want to bet?

Want to bet?

Not with you...

The GM hydroboost did not fit, and the vacuum booster did not have a chance. A 45 degree adapter (a la Bronco) would put the whole mess into the hood.

There is about 5 inches of space before the master hits the intake.

Awesome build you got going on there. I like it because it is different. I run GM metric calipers on the buggy with a single 1 1/16 master and am swapping to dual 3/4 for independent braking. I too think you will need to downsize but you can always do that when everything else is done and test it out. Question, at ride height, what is the distance from the floor to the bottom of the P on the jeep stamp just behind the fenders? Again, looks great and keep up the new ideas.

I will get some measurements when I get back to it. I know it is not as low as yours, but the build is in a very different direction.

Do you have any clearance pics, of the top of the bellhousing, firewall area?

I'm dying to do a belly up, and get the motor as high as possible (without a bodylift). My problem lies with the NP435 behind the 4.0. Its allready up and under my dash.

Awsome build also.

I'm diggin' on that intake.

Doug


I will get some more pics when I get back to working on it, but it is fairly major firewall surgery. I had to cut all the "humps" off of the firewall, it ends up being about 1" from the gas pedal. But I have no floors, so whats a little bit of firewall trimming?

My T19 is way up under the dash and will require a substantial "doghouse" to surround it. The shifter has a nearly 90 degree bend in it to clear the dash. It is also so far forward the D300 will need cable shifters, the Currie Twinstick I have puts the shifters completely under the dash even on the furthest "back" setting.

If you are not planning on lowering your body at the same time, the firewall cuts will not be nearly as severe.

My motor mounts are pretty slick, I will try to post them tomorrow.

Thank you all for the compliments.

gavan

My motor mounts are pretty slick, I will try to post them tomorrow.


Cool man, I hear ya on bending the shifter. I got mine almost at a 90 degrees now.

Pics of your motor mounts would be great. I see they are all tube.

Is your oil pan above the bottom of the frame "rail" also?

Doug

Cool man, I hear ya on bending the shifter. I got mine almost at a 90 degrees now.

Pics of your motor mounts would be great. I see they are all tube.

Is your oil pan above the bottom of the frame "rail" also?

Doug

Yes, the oil pan is at or above the rail Makes it kinda hard to hit it with a rock.

Our friends at JeepSpeed have found out that 4.0 mounts suck. I am hard (re: very hard) on my junk and I dont want my 4.0 breaking its mounting lugs.

So I got some Cherokee JeepSpeed Motor Mounts from MORE and went to fabing them up. Whoops, with the cherokee mounts and the lifted motor, the mounts are kinda hanging in space.

Oh well, nothing a little tube cant fix. By making the motor mounts this way, I am taking a little gem of knowledge I learned from FSAE in college and turing the motor into a little bit of a stressed member. The 700 cast iron chunk should be able to transfer some of the load from the shocks. I don's have room for a hoop over the motor, anyways.

Right sided motor mount:

Nice and easy, nothing to get in the way.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/suspension/motor1.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/suspension/motor2.jpg

Left Side:

Pain in the ass, and needs to be reworked a little. The stupid steering gets in the way. Maybe I just should not steer it?

PS - I KNOW there are holes in the frame. They are from Steering v1.0. They will be properly sleeved as soon as Steering V154.2 is finalized... no point in fixing it untill I know I don't need the holes.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/suspension/motor3.jpg

At least NOTHING should now move this motor.

Now for something fun!

I cant afford a fuel cell. Not with everything else going into this build. Besides, I have a beautiful, armored 21 gal polly tank with a modified in-tank fuel pump.

So, I capped the ends, dropped a 4 inch hole in the top of the tank, and bolted a filler to it.

I "borrowed" the fuel filler, so the fuel cell was free!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/suspension/fuel1.jpg

This is where alot of my "castoff" parts come from. In fact, the asshole is borrowing my tires for this picture.

Ah well, I guess you have to forgive friends with cool parts they are willing to share.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/suspension/buggy1.jpg

Yes, the oil pan is at or above the rail Makes it kinda hard to hit it with a rock.

I bet it'll be hard to wack it with a rock.


Nice motor mounts. I'm gonna look into raising my motor also. Maybe not as high as yours, but enuf to get a belly-up pan.

Thanks for the pics.

Doug

Well, some things take time, and some things take alot of time.

The Jeep is getting done with a glacial slowness.

Here is the firewall clearance. The t19 is very high, and the body is mounted very low. It will take some creative sheetmatal to cover this hole, but nothing too bad.

Sorry about the blurry picture, I had some idiot take the pics:flipoff2:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/jeep%202/jeep009.jpg

The teal jobbers are the cables for the cable shifter. There is no way to shift this thing - the twinsticks come up under the dash. Hello cable shifters

The motor has been a mess, but I think it is finally DONE.

With the motor raised the the body lowered, the radiator can only go in one spot. I used the original CJ rad and mounted it as high as I could - the cap is in the bulge of the CJ hood.(sorry no pics, rad is in NC, Jeep is in PA)

The upper rad hose would have to go through the a/c compressor. Since I took physics in high school, I remembered two things could not co-exist in the same space.

The Cherokee brackets I had could not simply delete the AC. I went through many, many hours of trying to figure out a way to route my accessory belt. Many borrowed brackets and new ideas in belt routing did not pan out.

I finally made my own low profile AC delete bracket with a shortened belt. Worked like a champ.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/jeep%202/jeep002.jpg

With the stock accessory drive and the moved back power steering box, the power steering lines are very short! they just go straight up. I added some slack to them to account for movement.

The intake has worked out well for packaging, I have not fired it up yet. But it sure looks cool.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/jeep%202/jeep001.jpg

The next picture really has no good value, but it shows some of the lines. Ignore the bumper jack and the 350 in the background. The hood is trimmed 4 inches. The mount on the front is for an 8274.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/jeep%202/jeep004.jpg

The rear of the Jeep has been through many re-designs. The current plan is to run some 10 ga bent to the contours of the stock body (think PSC-like corners). These will be bolted to the frame and easily removable, and reinforced with angle iron.

The design is working pretty well, and is easy to boat tail. I am looking at bringing the rear in about 4 inches on each side. It looks really good with the sides tucked in.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/jeep%202/jeep003.jpg

The wheel wells look big in the pictures, but they are just about right in person, and they should fit 37's with no modifications.

Thats about it for tonight.

No love for the asshole, maybe I should put some pics of those welds:flipoff2: or the one of it as a boat.

Wayne

When are you gonna bring that POS down here !!!

When are you gonna bring that POS down here !!!

Ask ye who posted above you about gears and lockers:evil:

Not much tech, but some pictures of the Jeep in the light. It has not been outside in 3 years. It is with me in NC now, so the progress should be alot quicker now.

The Jeep is now "Grey Ghost Primer" all over.

Left side view.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02338.jpg

Imposing front shot.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02339.jpg

Height reference. The ugly person in the picture is me and I am 5'10". The Jeep stands roughly 6'2".

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02340.jpg

Kinda hard to see, but the belly is completely flat. And it has tilt steering! Woot!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02344.jpg

Read view. Likely color scheme is Hammered Silver for the tune work and Alice Chalmers Orange for the bodywork.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02341.jpg






Lots of work to go. I am going to try to get the brakes working, motor wired and fuel lines run so I can move it.

Dude, that is one friggin SWEET ride. Awesome job. Love the stance & fab work.

as long as you have grey seats and orang pipng................:flipoff2:

Nice work, i love those tires!

as long as you have grey seats and orang pipng................:flipoff2:

I assume you are talking about Dwest's Jeep?

I love that thing. I was pretty far into my build when I saw his for the first time. My first thought was "hey! he stole alot of my ideas", followed closely by "hold on, mine has been in the garage and no one has seen it..."

I spotted for stock class for team 609 last year and I know his rig works well, too... I hope mine will do half as well.

The wifey picked the colors, I know better than to change them :flipoff2::flipoff2:

Grey seats with orange piping would look pretty pimp, though.:mr-t:

Yup, I do like your tube work better, are you going to window the front wheel well area's?

I don't think so, I am trying to keep it street legal, and I have alot of stuff left to mount to the firewall. I might if there is room, though...

I don't think so, I am trying to keep it street legal, and I have alot of stuff left to mount to the firewall. I might if there is room, though...

Do you have an idea of what it will weight when you are done?

hopefully (way) under 4000lbs... It is not a light weight build, nor was it ever meant to be.

It should be alot lighter than usual full bodied Jeeps with full armor. There are alot of things Ii would have done differently it I were making a truly light weight build.

First things first, the driveline weighs a ton. 4.0, t19 and d300 are not conducive to light weight. A shortstar (or any aluminum v6), auto and Atlas would cut a couple hundred pounds off, easy.

Also, I made the cage and frame to be durable items. There is some thicker wall (.188) DOM for the fenders and the main hoop/down bars are 2 inch DOM. The rockers are 3/16th and the back of the body is 10ga. I would venture to guess I could pull (at least) 150 lbs of steel out of the design without trying too hard.

But, this Jeep is designed to be driven in a wide variety of conditions (desert, beach, rocks, road, whatever) and stand up to the abuse. I feel the 150lbs of extra steel is worth the piece of mind that the chassis should last a long time.

I have been involved with a couple of buggy builds and most buggy chassis are, to a degree, disposable. Severe rock rash and dents from constant impacts take their toll on a chassis. I have worked to beef these areas as much as I can.

Ah well.. at least it will be "one of a kind"...

The only winch good enough for this Heep is a winch of the $100 variety. I can't spend too much money on this thing.

luckily, the friend-of-a-friend had no idea what winches are worth.

Some paint, a new high output motor and a rebuild kit makes this winch much better than new. Much thanks to Yager for help on the rebuild.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/winch1.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/winch2.jpg

The winch needs somewhere to go.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/winchmount.jpg

I popped in the turn signals to get an idea of what they look like. 8274's look sooooo good on CJ's. I don't know if I am going to paint it, I kinda like the "weathered" aluminum look.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/winchmount1.jpg

I am rebuilding the solenoid box now. I think I am going to put it under the dash to keep it clean and out of the weather.

I have been doing some work on the removable rear "quarter panels". I like the big rear LED's, the remind me of the stock CJ lights. I added a rear marker to be street legal.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/rear.jpg

The lights are just placed in for now, they are too much of a pain to mount/unmount with the grommets and I am not finished with the panels.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/rear2.jpg

Finally, the fuel tank.

There have been alot of threads about fuel cells lately. Here is my take on it.

This is the stock 20 gal fuel tank. I modified it to support an in-tank pump awhile ago and I had no reason not to use it. I was tired of the beat-up, leaking stock fill, so I capped the fill lines and added a fuel cell fill. I kept the fuel sender and pickup so the in-tank pump worked. I could not have bought a 20 ga fuel cell for the money I have into this, plus I already have the mounts!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/tank.jpg

I didn't want to deal with slip fit lines, so I had some -an fittings brazed to the lines. I had never messed with brazing, but Yager did a great job and I learned alot about the process.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/tank1.jpg

Closeup of the other side. I kept the stock rollover valves. They might be the only part of the Heep I have bought from the dealer.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/tank2.jpg

Progress is really picking up with the Jeep in NC. I am just waiting on some seats and gear sets and the thing should be driving (somewhat) soon.

i really like the simple approach to this build,looks great,leaf springs are underrated in my opinion,good looking rig,i have leafs in the rear and re longarms up front,i wouldnt change a thing:D

More pics, like what you have done here. :smokin:

I like it alot. And that winch is badass, Don't paint it whatever you do.

Looks real good. When is the first trip wheeling in her?

Thanks for all of the compliments.

Looks real good. When is the first trip wheeling in her?

Not soon enough... hopefully by 7/4, but I am sure I can blow that deadline too:shaking::shaking:

werock takes too much time... but work is going alot faster here in NC.

I was thinking about all of the ways to make a custom dash, and all of the pain-in-the-ass it brings. Then the Wifey said "why don't you use the stock dash?"

Well, it doesn't really fit without some modification (what does fit without modification?). So out comes the grinder and a junk dash.

I am pretty pleased, I might have to start cutting up my good dash. It takes alot of the structure out of the dash cutting out the angle below the steering column, but I think I can make it removable to add the rigidity.

All of my buttons and switches should work, it will make wiring the pig alot easier. And I really like the classic stock look.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/dash2.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/dash.jpg

Getting there, one step at a time.

Nice, the sender fittings fit good... :smokin:

Nice, the sender fittings fit good... :smokin:

Now they fit good. The stock sending unit is keyed so it fits in two directions. The other direction puts the fittings into the side of the tank. So I took the sending unit apart, rewired it and flipped the fuel level sending, and put it back in. Now the fuel level works correctly (backwards) and the AN fittings stick out of the back of the tank. If there is a way to make it stupidly hard, I am all over it.

I have gotten a couple of PM's about the LED's.

The big rectangular ones in the back are usually used on car carriers. I got them from here

http://www.delcity.net/delcity/servlet/catalog?parentid=790500&page=1

The ones in the grill are clear and light up amber. I got them from here.

http://www.empirechromeshop.com/c-516-4-round-led-lights.aspx

I hope this helps.

Well, I had an offer from a nice person to shove my Jeep in thier garage for awhile, so I jumped on it before they could renig.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0152.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0153.jpg

Sometimes progress is taking a couple of steps backwards. I am removing the axle for (hopefully!) the final time to stuff it with gears and lockers, and truss the thing.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0154.jpg

Here she is, tucked in for (hopefully) the beginning of the end of a 3 year project.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0156.jpg

Got some good solid progress done today.

I am making the center console out of a 14 ga top because the cutting brakes and cable shifters need to be mounted to it and it needs to be sturdy. It also helps stiffen up the firewall and gives my tuffy a great place to mount.

First step: Mounting flanges. Riveted to the firewall and rosette welded (temp) to the center cross tube. 10 inches wide to match the Tuffy.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0159.jpg

Second step: Bend the top piece. This is cut and bent for the sides to slip into so the only thing you see is the nice bent top. Careful cutting and measuring and it slips over the shifter nice and easy.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0160.jpg

A side shot with the Tuffy installed.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0162.jpg

Third step: Mount the shifters. The twinstick is a cable shifted unit from NorthwestFab. Nice unit. The hole will be covered with a supplied boot, but it is not shown for the picture.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0163.jpg

Fourth step: Finish the firewall and mound some flanges to put the sides of the console. The firewall was pretty chopped up to raise the motor and drop the body, so some added metal fills the holes.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0165.jpg

Thats as far as we got today.

Nice job on the build. Simple is good.

Gaven let me know when you want me to push that outside and make room for your car... :D j/k

yeah yeah yeah

I think I found someone to buy the Miata for parts, I am not sure it is worth 2grand+ to fix it

I can get this project back on track if I can get my gear vendor to call me back.

and I think I can still work on the Heep with a broken foot.

Well, progress has been steady with a broken foot, but not much pic-worthy.

We did get the rear end just about done, just waiting to final weld the rear spring perches, dependent on driveline angles.

Chevy Metric calipers. Chevy K1500 discs. Speedway brackets. TNT customs modified rear axle truss. Custom spring plates. Rock crusher diff cover. What you can't see is the 4.88 gearset and Detroit locker.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/gavan-RD44-1.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/gavan-RD44-2.jpg

Should have some pics of it sitting outside soon.

Back on its wheels!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0229.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0220.jpg

Jeep for comparisons sake is some piece of junk on 38.5's:flipoff2:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0214.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0216.jpg

good ground clearance!! (cable shifter hanging down)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0224.jpg

I am working on wiring and plumbing now, but it is getting very, very close!!!

coming up very cool!

Its funny how it all starts out so innicently and the next thing you know you are three years into "quick and easy" build. Good job and way to stick with it. I see way too many threads that start all bad ass and abruptly end on page 4 or 9 or 12 with "I had to sell this so I could do something different".

Yeah, it has been a struggle.

A couple of moves, working on it in three different states, 4 different garages and 2 driveways.

Luckily i have a VERY understanding wife and a decent job to pay for it all.




Lots of work done today, and it promises to be a good weekend.

I may be jinxing myself, but I may be able to get it running (not done, of course) for the VA tech memorial ride at big dogs.

3 years eh? Damn man that's going to be a fun ride when you're done.

I spent a year and half on mine and it was just a mild rebuild.

subscribed!

any updates

Lots of stuff getting done, but nothing that photographs well :)

It is running! Lots of hours with electrical troubleshooting (I havent run the motor in 3.5 years) and she runs like a champ, even with the modified intake. I posted a couple of pics here

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=697805

Running it meant alot of wiring and pluming, which is a whole bunch of work, but it does not take good pics!

I got the brake lines mostly done today, and I will finish them up soon.

Exhaust is scheduled for later in the week.

Mockup/spare driveshafts are ready, I will be installing them soon.

Lots of stuff getting done. It is even starting to look like a Jeep again.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02589.jpg

The windshield is removable, I pressed out the stock pins and replaced them with bolts. I threw on the door to look at clearances with the seats and the "body", and everything looks good. Lots of room inside with the doors closed while sitting in the seats. I was a little worried with the full cage and racing seats, but everything it turning out OK.

Hard doors/half doors will not work, but i really dont care. The doors for the occasional snow/bad weather runs. The top should fit, too.

very clean, do you have closer shots of the windshield bolts? I need to make mine a bit easier to remove, so that woudl work. I was debatinga pin and clip.

I got the seats from a friend of mine. Payment for alot of work and a broken finger, but I would do it again any time. Never make a "If we place for the season..." bet in rockcrawling... a couple of people rolled, we did well, and we ended up third in werock east for the season.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02599.jpg

PRP Competition Highbacks. I let the wife pick the colors, I think she did pretty well. Grey tweed center, black tweed outers, orange piping and a black vinyl back. I am not a huge guy, but these are just on the brink of being too small. But they feel very secure!

I got them from Poly Performance, they are great to deal with. Of course, they arn't a stock color combo, (Maybe they should be!) and they took a long time to get here. Not unexpected, but something to look out for.

Lots of interior work! I am the first to admit that my skills lack here, but I have a friend that does pretty damn good work. I had alot of help for this.

Passenger floor.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02605.jpg

Drivers floor is similar. Outer floor is 3/16's, and is the top of the rockers. Inner wedge is 10ga, and the outer floor is 10ga. There will be some light gauge AL filler panels going from the floor the the console. With the panels and console removed, the tranny/t-case will be able to be pulled from the inside with a cherry picker. All of the tranny bolts can be reached from the inside of the cab. Clutch changes should take about 2-3 easy hours.... I hated trying to take out the tranny in the stock Jeep. Think Van doghouse.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02604.jpg

Tuffy is mounted, I think it looks great with the center console. NWF cable shifters are mounted (loosely), cutting brakes go next to them. Very easy to reach everything from the drivers seat. You can shift anything you need to while fully belted. I think this is often overlooked, you have to be comfortable on the trail.

The interior without the tuffy mounted

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02593.jpg

The cutting brake is just sitting there for now, it needs to be mounted under the console. The boot on the cutting brake is from a d300 twinstick adapter, I think they are from the original D18 twinsticks too. It works well on the cutting brakes.

Drivers side with the seat mounted.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02600.jpg

Yes, it is a tilt column. Again, comfort is key. It will have a quick disconnect steering wheel, but I am keeping the stock wheel. Dash is coming together well, I am trying to keep it as stock as possible. I love stock Jeep dashes, so classic.

Switches to the left of the column are for the engine fan and the winch. The fan is thematically controlled, but can be shut off for water crossings. The winch controls (Winch on/off and momentary in/out) are mounted there so they can be used either sitting in the Jeep or standing beside it.

Not pictured here is the heater. The heater is a small hotrod style heater that mounts over the console under the dash. It barely fits there, but hell, barely is good enough. It spits out some good heat, too. It was a requirement of the wife, and heat is always a good thing.

There are cupholders bolted to the dash. You cant go all day on the trail without them. They are old windshield mounted CJ cupholders, and made of steel. They had to find a place on this build.

The glove box is fully functional as well.

The shocks are 2.0 Fox's pressurized to 200psi of nitrogen They lifted the Jeep 1-1.5 inches, which I am not wild about, but I can life with. It actually helps out my front uptravel alot, so it is a mixed blessing.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02590.jpg

Here are the rear mounts. They are from speedway, and for roundy-round cars. They need a touch more grinding to clearance them under flex, but nothing too bad. They dont look that beefy, but we have had good luck with them on the buggy.

Other side.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02591.jpg


They work out well in the front, too.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02596.jpg

You can see the Timbren bumps in the picture, too. This gives me about 5 inches of up travel, versus my old 3 inches.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/suspension/spring1.jpg

The steering v1 did not turn out so good, the frame flexed around the box a good bit. I bought a clamp to make a brace, and I plated the other side of the frame.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02597.jpg

Plating the frame took away 95-99% of the flex. I will to the brace for the extra insurance, but I was very happy with the plate on the other side of the frame.

The last pic shows some of the braking system. The brakes are plumbed with steel line to -3 an tube nuts, and bulkhead fittings. The bulkhead fittings are secured to the frame with welded on washers, an awesome tip from Yager, who admittedly stole the idea from roundy-round guys. No ideas are truly new, are they?

Here is an older pic of my brake masters.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/intake/intake3.jpg

Dual 1 inch wilwood calipers with a custom bias adapter machined to fit in the stock pedal. It sounds good, but bias adapters are pretty simple. A couple of pieces of 1 inch AL solid stock drilled and tapped to fit on the treaded ends of the calipers, with a bushing made to fit a bolt through them and the stock pedal.

I set it up for neutral balance for testing.

The front brakes are standard GM calipers and rotors.

The rear brakes are GM metric calipers with 89 k1500 rotors

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/gavan-RD44-1.jpg

Alot of math with billavista's spreadsheet shows the everything actually works out very well, the metric rear calipers are smaller than the front standard calipers for about a 60/40 F/R braking split and the 7:1 stock brake pedal provides plenty of leverage.

The brakes are firm, but they stop well with moderate effort and can lock up all four easily.

The rear cutting brakes are 3/4 bore and work well too. The smaller bore helps out your poor arms - they cant generate as much force as your legs.

The stock brake light switch was retained and works well.

The clutch is a stock hydraulic setup modified to work with a braided line, and works great. I got it from Parts Mike, I highly recommend those guys.

Front and rear driveshafts are installed. They are both front pencil shafts from CJ's, the front shaft is from a t5/d300 setup and the rear is from a th400/quadratrac setup. The rear has a CV setup, and was shortened 3 inches and sleeved with .120 wall chromo - it might hold up OK after all.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02594.jpg

Rear with the driveshaft installed. All of the clearances look really good.

The belly is still flat with the exhaust and the driveshafts installed. Skidplate is not too far away. It might be HDPE for something different.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02595.jpg

The exhaust is a little different in it's mounting, but it is working well. I made a downpipe off of the stock 4.0 header to a flex adapter from Jegs, kinda like this one

http://himni-racing.com/images/Exhaust%20flex.jpg

and after that it is more or less firmly mounted to the frame, with a little bit of slop in the holes to allow for a little bit of movement.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02592.jpg

The cat is a generic 2 1/4, and the muffler is a Hushpower II. A little expensive, but it is a double wall stainless muffler, and it is tough. I have heard alot of mixed reviews on this muffler, but with the cat the 4.0 sounds great. Distinctive, but not lout at all. Sitting in the cab, the whirring of the motor/accessories is louder than the exhaust note. I have been on the trail with some pretty obnoxious exhausts, and I did not want to be one of "those guys".

The battery is a XS Power 925 cranking amp AGM construction battery. It is tiny, but it spins over the motor quick and can handle the winch, so I cant complain. The custom machined spacer is not staying :shaking:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02602.jpg

The tray is big enough for two of these or an Optima if the capacity becomes a problem.

The passenger seat mount will hinge up to get to the battery tray. The battery is relocated mostly for weight transfer. There is not much weight back there!



Finally, a gratuitous front shot. Just because I like 8247's on CJ's...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02598.jpg

very clean, do you have closer shots of the windshield bolts? I need to make mine a bit easier to remove, so that woudl work. I was debatinga pin and clip.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02589-1.jpg

Close up of the original. Torx bolts replaced with tapered head phillips head bolts.

Pin ground down, gouged with a plasma cutter and driven out with a punch, replaced with a bolt.

The two allen head cap screws below the hinge bolt the cowl to the roll bar, to give the windshield more support.

I recommend using OEM hinges for this, the aftermarket hinges do not impress me with their construction, and would probably bend/distort while pounding the pin out.

So when you gonna have the hot babe in a bikini model the heep so you can get the views count up?:flipoff2::grinpimp:

So when you gonna have the hot babe in a bikini model the heep so you can get the views count up?:flipoff2::grinpimp:

Wife says she is busy and it is raining...

Nice gratuitus brick shot ! Don't you have a wall that needs em back ?

man they are some nice hinges.... :flipoff2:

Nice gratuitus brick shot ! Don't you have a wall that needs em back ?

man they are some nice hinges.... :flipoff2:


If only I had a small dump truck to move them around my yard....

I had the idea a long time ago. Just because you had already done it and happened to have a plasma cutter and a large vice to help with the process...:shaking:

:flipoff2:

Well, I have had it out in the real world, and for the most part, I am pretty happy. I took it to URE for a shakedown run.

No pics, but some observations:

1. It rides really, really nice. 99 inch wheelbase and stock valve'd 2.0 FOX shocks charged to 180 PSI nitrogen. Along with progressive timbren bumps in the front. I am sure it wont win any desert whoop contests, but for a good old leaf sprung CJ it kicks ass.

2. Damn transfercase pops out of 2-lo-rear. Time for detent springs.

3. It feels light, and the 4.0 feels like a monster in this very light Jeep. Any worries I had about the 4.0 running poorly as a side draft are gone.

4. Stock CJ pencil shafts are good mock ups but do not last long as trail shafts. A quick call to Tom Woods solved all that mess. I would post pics, but 2 joint 1310 shafts are pretty damn boring.

Just a teaser shot of the interior.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/20081111-Gavan006.jpg

The passenger seat is just sitting there, but the drivers is mounted. I am working on placing the tabs for the Crow 3 inch 5 point harnesses. The seats are PRP Hi-Backs.

The Tuffy is mounted and integrated into the center console.

The NWF cable twinstick is in its permeant spot, and is very good for grabbing when you are belted in with a five point harness.

I am working on mounting the cutting brake next to the shifters, under the console panel. I modified the shifter to take a D18 twin stick boot, they look pretty good.

Sheet aluminum is going to cover the area between the console and the floor to cover the tranny opening.

Getting there...



Yes, there is tilt steering and cupholders. We cant all be uncivilized...

Working on skinning the rear.

The work is coming together VERY nicely, and it would be at all but a standstill without Yager's help.

First piece is the rear firewall.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/20081111-Gavan005.jpg

The firewall goes from mid point on the cage (also a nice five point harness mount bar) to below the seats. It is folded so there is an approx. 5 inch strip going under the seat and a 2 inch strip under the Tuffy. This makes the firewall stronger and makes a nice place to transition the interior to the firewall.

On the back side of the firewall there is a piece of 1.5 inch AL angle riveted as a flange. From this flange there is the beginning of the gear box.

I am making a box under the floorboards to hold all the four wheeling crap (axleshafts, u joints, tools, straps, chains, shackles, etc, etc...) relatively water proof and out of the way. The top will have a lid that will be flush with the top of the fuel tank, and the tank will have a cover that will make the back of the CJ into a small pickup truck. This will be for either camping gear, coolers, puppy dog or a combination of all three.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/20081111-Gavan011.jpg

View looking down on the beginning of the box.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/20081111-Gavan008.jpg

3/4 view showing the side of the box, and the fuel tank that will be covered.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/20081111-Gavan009.jpg

fenderwell view.

The entire box is going to be lined in polyurethane (maybe new high pressure RhinoLining..) and the back of the firewall outside of the box is going to have pieces of mudflap riveted to them for noise, temperature and impact protection.

In case you are wondering why all the work to nicely skin the rear, I do plan on making it street legal. The rear quarter panels are removable and are made to hold the top, and the doors mount as well.

I guess I just cant decide.

Buggy?

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSCF0215.jpg

Jeep?

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02589.jpg



A handful of bolts pulls the rear quarters with the lights and top mounts (pretty much everything you usually break...) and 2 pins seperate the windshield hinge so the entire windwhield can be removed.

To hell with armoring them or beating them in. I will just leave them at camp.

imo i like the jeep look more. It's coming together nicely though, that rear box is awesome, very clean. I have a yj that i don't think id do links on for a very long time, leaves are underrated.

Not much tech, but its orange now.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02826.jpg


http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02827.jpg

And some urban crawling. Playing around in the back yard. We might as well, we are taking down the retaining wall and re grading it soon anyways.

Walked up the wall like it wasnt there. And the wife was worried.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02837.jpg

I got the Crow racing harnesses installed. I am not too pleased with the height of the pass through hole in the back of the seat, and they dont feel right over the top of the seat. Ah well.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02878.jpg

I also got the passenger side seat mount done. I made the cross members a little too narrow for the PRP seats, I had other seats in mind when I designed it. Some angle and tube took care of that, and there is alot of room under the seat to store stuff. I am happy.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02877.jpg

I am just about done with the center console. I mounted the cutting brakes under the cover to lower the height of the handles and used a D18 Twinstick boot to cover the hole. They are very easy to reach while I am belted into the seats, and save alot of room on the top of the console.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02875.jpg

With the twin stick from NWF and the cutting brakes, there is not alot of room under the cover, but it should be OK. Everything is essentially solidly mounted, and I am not worried about drivetrain movement. There is a good half inch of space around there, anyways.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02888.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02876.jpg

It turned out really nice, I like it!

Very simple and clean, glad to finally see you get to enjoy it! :smokin:

Now for the skid plate. the entire assembly is made from 1/4 inch plate, with 3/4 bolts to attach it. The rear section (under the transfercase) is very well supported. It butts up on the cross member and the rear edge has a 45 degree bend to help with both the rigidity and not getting caught up on rocks when going backwards.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02885.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02884.jpg

This is a good shot of the rear of the skid. It takes alot of force to make an approx. 30 inch 45 degree bend in .25!!:eek:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02886.jpg

2 quick notes: Yes, I know the bolt heads stick down. I have decided to cut a piece of HDPE to cover the skid and save the bolts. I have tried counter sunk bolts and button heads, and they just always seem to be too big of a pain in the ass. They get all ground up and there is no chance of getting the hex head into them. I hope these big bolts with some HDPE protection will make taking them off easy.

The diamond welded on the skid is to provide just a litttttttle bit more room for the xfer case. It is welded back as a diamond to save weight, material and provide a drain. Will work? no clue.

I took the front oil pan skid directly from out friends? with TJ's. It is almost a dead ringer for the TJ oil pan guards, but it is the same drivetrain, so eh, I guess it should work OK.

Front Mount

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02881.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02879.jpg

In the rear it just mounts to the back part of the skid plate.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02882.jpg

I need to weld some ribs to it to make it stronger, but I think it is a good start.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02887.jpg

So, there it is. Nice and flat, and way up there. Keep in mind it will be about 3/8ths thicker with the HDPE, but I have the room to spare, and it will be flat. Should help with sliding off of rocks.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02883.jpg

nice job on the skid...

How are you bending the 1/4" plate?Press?

How are you bending the 1/4" plate?Press?

The two 45 degree bends in the narrower oil pan skid were just about everything a "normal" press brake had - as in extension handle on a 20 ton bottle jack.

The long piece was done by a friend in a very medieval looking device. It brings up a big blade then drops it on the metal. It took three times, and it was just about at capacity.

I have been working on the rear of the Jeep for awhile, and everything is coming together.

First piece of the puzzle is the tailgate. I had no idea that a tail gate would ever work on the Jeep again, but I actually surprised myself. A couple of measurements and a cutoff wheel sectioned my tailgate quite nicely.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03047.jpg

I cut a piece of 11ga for the bottom and welded it in. It is always enjoyable to weld sheet metal, but this project turned out OK.

Mocked up, with the rear quarters ratchet strapped in place:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03045.jpg

Yager helped with the hinges, just simple tube with a bolt. But it works out well, the tail gate hinges to 90 degrees with the cables attached and a full 18 with the cables off. Plus, it is easily removable.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03060.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03061.jpg

I am not done with the inner panels, but I left enough of the stock sheet metal to use the original hatches.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03062.jpg

Skinning the rear floor has proven a hand full, but again it is turing out very nice. Lots of thanks to Yager again, it would look much, much crappier without his influence.

First order was setting the rear firewall. It is all made of .090 aluminum. The firewall doubles as the floor under the seats and the support for the rear box.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03055.jpg

Not too many pictures of the construction, but some pictures of the somewhat completed product. I still need to get a bunch of fasteners from mc-master carr, along with bulb seal and latches, but one thing at a time.

The cap for the fuel call sits above the area for the floor, so I drilled a hole and dimple-died it. It now has the pirate stamp of coolness :flipoff2:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03057.jpg

Keep in mind everything is held together with a minimum amount of clecos, and the panels have a nice warp to them from the bead rolling. It will all straighten out with a proper amount of rivets.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03058.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03059.jpg

and a shot with the tailgate closed. Should be a good place for the dog to sit.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03056.jpg

The rear piece of the floor will bolt on for easy access to the fuel cell and rear wiring. It will be held in place with bolts and clip nuts.

The front piece is a cover for the storage box. The box fills the rest of the space under the floor that is not fuel cell. With some compression latches and bulb seals it should be a relatively water resistant place to store tools and other jeep "stuff".

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03063.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03064.jpg

a couple final shots for tonight. I had the 7 ball from the old CJ, and wifey got me the 2 and 4 balls to keep the shifters in order for me. 2 on the rear output, and 4 on the front output.

Works for me!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03054.jpg

Finally a parting shot of what it will look like with lights and stuff. That it the factory fender flare, i really like how it looks. This was before the quarters were bolted on, they are held in place with ratchet straps.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03051.jpg

and from a little farther away

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03050.jpg

Some day it will be done.... :shaking:

More updates...

Front lights are done. I got little lights from GenRight, nice little units. Fit on the grill shell well.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03127.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03125.jpg

A couple of detail shots of the windshield frame hinge. I originally used bolts, but these old chevy disc brake caliper sliding pins work just as well, if not better.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03130.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03129.jpg

And the inside of the hinge. The original knobs do not fit, but 3/4 inch bolts work just fine.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03128.jpg

The back floor is mostly done, top hinges nicely, just need to put the latches in it.

Someone put a mutt on it, though

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03121.jpg

Getting there, slowly.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC03122.jpg

Looks good. I like it better without the rear fender flare. Nice work though on your CJ.

awesome build it looks great!

i was wondering what model timbrens did you use, and can you post some more shots of them?

thanks

awesome build it looks great!

i was wondering what model timbrens did you use, and can you post some more shots of them?

thanks

Thanks! 6 years... its almost done

I think they are A515-65's, I have four of the same for all four corners.

There is a huge selection of springs, I stared at the sepc sheet online untill I found something I thought would work well for me. You need to take into account suspension travel, spring height, compressed height, and the weight of your rig. These guys to compress a bunch, so you need to account for that, too. They arn't like regular bumps that pretty much stop axle movement.

I used Double Convolution springs, they worked out well for my required height.

Specs are here

http://www.timbren.com/aeon-double-convolution-springs.htm

There is alot of good info on their site, alot of good stuff you usually have to pry teeth for. I dont remember where I ordered them, but you can order them from any better truck parts store by just the Timbren number.

A couple more pics of the front, I have not gotten around to mounting the rear yet.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02596.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/DSC02597.jpg

I can say that Timbrens in the front, air shocks, suspension seats and a spring over make leaves just about a comfortable as they can get.

Prepping the Jeep for one final off road trip, Moab, then stripping the wheels/tires/axles and transmission/xfer and going in another direction.

I love the Jeep for what it is, but I kind of failed on my design goals. I wanted a Jeep that was good off road and on road, that I could beat on as much as I wanted and still drive home.

I ended up with a Jeep that was the letter definition of street legal, but not really "fun" to drive. Poor fuel economy, geared way too low, just feels like you are driving a tractor on the street. The seats are comfortable, the ride is OK, it just doesnt feel like it wants to be on the street.

I also ended up with a Jeep that was just OK off road. Maybe I am spoiled working on comp rigs and wheeling with the 37"+ crowd, but I could just keep up. Not really excel or do great, just kind of make do, and that is not really what I wanted with a full tube frame Jeep chassis.

I will post some pictures of wheeling it on the trip, then start a new thread with the "upgrades", to put it mildly.

My CJ-10 build is going well, and it should be much nicer to drive on the street/mild trails, so that opens up the CJ-7 to greater things.

Plus, I am stuck in Houston for the next couple years, and 4 wheeling is a little limited, so why not start building it again??

This is about all I have been able to do down here:flipoff2:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/IMG_20101003_155348.jpg

can you get a sound cllip of your exhaust? that's the setup i want to run and haven't been able to find one

can you get a sound cllip of your exhaust? that's the setup i want to run and haven't been able to find one

I will see if I can shoot a video in Moab. I think it sounds great, not too loud, but distinctive.

So you wanted a rig that handled like a sports car on the street and could spank any trail in the country...and that did not happen. Surprising.:flipoff2:

Good luck with the new build...and the Houston heat.

So you wanted a rig that handled like a sports car on the street and could spank any trail in the country...and that did not happen. Surprising.:flipoff2:

Good luck with the new build...and the Houston heat.

I would have settled for a rig that handled like a beat up pickup truck on the street and could at least try any trail in the country.

I was young and idealistic. Now I am older and dumber. The new build will probably suck too:flipoff2:

90 degrees today, are you getting snow??

90 degrees today, are you getting snow??

YES!


Fucking April 1st and we got an inch. It melted by noon, but still dampened my spirits this morning.

Be well.

are you going to sell the frame ??? if so how much

YES!


Fucking April 1st and we got an inch. It melted by noon, but still dampened my spirits this morning.

Be well.

Hey you got in inch.....wahha.....we got 14.5 inches in Maine..on april 1st....worst joke ever..:flipoff2:

are you going to sell the frame ??? if so how much

I am going to keep the frame/chassis. I am selling just the suspension, axles, wheels and tires.

Requiem:

Fully enjoyed beating the everliving shit out of this thing for a week in Moab. Everything I wanted it to do it did in comfort and style, for the most part.

We did Pritchett Caynon, Gold Bar Rim, Golden Spike, Poison Spider Mesa, Steel Bender and some stuff in BFE.

At the entrance to Helldorado at BFE, some poor planning put my right tire at full lock in an undercut and took out the stub and shaft in one stab of the gas. Not a big deal, it is a 44, and this crap is to be expected. Stabbed in the spare, cranked out the steering stops a bit, and had no more problems from it for the rest of the week.

In Pritchett Canyon a TJ we were with lost the entire left side rear control arm mounts rendering his rear axle useless. We did not have an on board welder, nor could we find anyone coming through with one, so we rednecked it up with a tow strap, his winch, and some ratchet straps. I was the only one left with a well functioning winch, the other rig having a front winch mainly for a suckdown winch.

The Jeep and the 8247 performed excellently until Yellow Hill, a long pull for the now crippled front wheel drive only TJ. The TJ is a heavy thing, 5k+ easy, not the easiest thing for my 3500ish pound CJ to manhandle. The front wheels ended up cocked, steering box went in bypass, and the 20 mins we had the CJ on high idle to help out the 8247 was enough to melt the plastic power steering pump reservoir, ruin the fluid, and get bits of plastic stuck in the gearbox. Flushing out the system and replacing the pump got it back to about 80% for the rest of the weekend, with some occasional dead spots in the box and some very loud protests from the pump. Full hydro is now in the works:shaking:

The long wheelbase and low COG of the Jeep makes it a natural climber. I never felt tippy on the steep Moab hillclimbs, and only occasionally had to do a "moab bump". I even accidentally hit Launchpad in 2wd... and nearly made it.

It all held together, and did a bunch of "4+" trails with no real issues. Not too bad for spare parts a pile of tube welded up by an amateur.

I love the lines, love the interior, love the 4.0, love the winch, love the transmission.

The Krawlers did excellent. They would grip and climb when other tires would just spin and need a bump.

Axles, wheels, tires, suspension, transmission and transfercase should be sold, getting replaced with ruffstuff housed Toy axles, 40 competition Maxxis Creepy Crawlers, 17 inch dual beadlock Trailreadys and an Atlas 5.0. I want the strength of 1 ton axles with the weight of 44s, and the Toy stuff should fit the bill. I have some tricks up my sleeve to make them last.

Some parting shots before it is torn down:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/2011-04-22_13-30-20_474.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/2011-04-24_16-48-18_43.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/2011-04-24_13-16-39_159.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/2011-04-28_18-35-31_129.jpg

Ian ripped his CA mount off?? That must have been fun. Did he fix it and get back on the trail the next day?

BTW, I am proud to have done 2/3 of the cages in that picture.

Ian ripped his CA mount off?? That must have been fun. Did he fix it and get back on the trail the next day?

BTW, I am proud to have done 2/3 of the cages in that picture.

Oh yeah, it was ugly too. Actually ripped the mount off of the frame, welds held great even though frame failed. We took a day off to lick our wounds and enjoy the hot tub, but a rental garage, 110 welder with .035 flux core wire on max setting that occasionally blew the fuse for the entire garage, a heavy angle steel drop from a local supply house, a couple grinders and determination, along with liberal application of A-Team theme music and he was back, stronger than he was before the break.

Zach did the YJ and TJ cages, but I am "proud" to say I boogered my own cage together:flipoff2: Luckily we did not have to test any of them:flipoff2::flipoff2:

Found another good pic!

Didn't realize this was your rig, its pretty sweet...

Really like the sound of the new parts list...:smokin:

Thanks! Not too many people go the toy axle/Jeep route, I think it will turn out well. This thing is my wheeler, which is why the Tug is the "daily driver".

I really liked your rig on the 35 Krawlers, I'll be kind of sad to see it stripped down. The new build plan looks exciting though.

What are you doing to help the 8" ring gear survive? Have you thought about using FJ80 outers and FJ60 centers?

I really liked your rig on the 35 Krawlers, I'll be kind of sad to see it stripped down. The new build plan looks exciting though.

What are you doing to help the 8" ring gear survive? Have you thought about using FJ80 outers and FJ60 centers?

Thanks, I liked it on 35s too, but I had a nearly free set of competition 40s fall in my lap, I had to do something with them.

Front is a high pinion Toy 8 inch, all of the looking/searching shows this is probably the strongest stock front axle. The high pinion gears are a little stronger for a front application, and I think that the high pinion overcomes the FJ60 center section strength, and it will package tighter. We only broke 2 centers in the front of the competition buggy, one from a loosened crush sleeve, fixed with a solid spacer, and one when the brake caliper came loose and jammed in the rim. Something was going to brake there. Of course it is stuffed with longfields. I would like to go with Landcruiser outers, but I have a one-off kunckle reinforcement bracket that should help the minitruck stuff out a lot.

Rear will be a FJ62 center section/full float spindles from a front axle. I have a set of drive flanges for it as well. A low pinion Toy 9.5 with full float 30 spline 300M axles should be pretty beefy.

The biggest thing is getting away from leaf springs, the first thing I hit in Moab, and the last thing I scraped down every single dropoff!

Front is a high pinion Toy 8 inch, all of the looking/searching shows this is probably the strongest stock front axle. The high pinion gears are a little stronger for a front application, and I think that the high pinion overcomes the FJ60 center section strength, and it will package tighter. We only broke 2 centers in the front of the competition buggy, one from a loosened crush sleeve, fixed with a solid spacer, and one when the brake caliper came loose and jammed in the rim. Something was going to brake there. Of course it is stuffed with longfields. I would like to go with Landcruiser outers, but I have a one-off kunckle reinforcement bracket that should help the minitruck stuff out a lot.

Rear will be a FJ62 center section/full float spindles from a front axle. I have a set of drive flanges for it as well. A low pinion Toy 9.5 with full float 30 spline 300M axles should be pretty beefy.

Have you seen the 100% Toyota 1 ton axle that was made? I can't remember who made it but I'm sure I could find it on here again. He used the FJ80 outers and the 9.5 FJ62 center section which is another option for you if you start grenading the front axle too much. Looks like it will be very interesting to watch. :smokin:

Of course, be prepared for everyone to give you shit about putting import axles under your domestic Jeep :flipoff2:

I have seen that build, it turned into a nice axle. I am pretty tired of my low pinion D44 hanging out there in the middle of nowhere, and there is not a high pinion 9.5, unfortunately. I thought of running the center section real high and running a reverse angle on the driveshaft, but I was worried about vibes. I wanna go fast with this setup. I also have some doubts with the FJ80 kunckle design, and the minitruck stuff has more aftermarket options. Not too many people are breaking minitruck longs on a regular basis.

I am prepared for the shit, I just want to keep the weight down. I have a d60 on my other Jeep, and it is HEAVY! I should be able to drop 400 lbs from a regular d60/14b setup, if not more. I loved how my sub 4k Jeep did in Moab.

Have you seen the 100% Toyota 1 ton axle that was made? :smokin:

Sweet axle built by JJ3

1ton toy front....80/9.5
(http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=761670)

I wanna go fast with this setup. I also have some doubts with the FJ80 kunckle design, and the minitruck stuff has more aftermarket options.

what about Billybobs fj80 knuckles?

who's running a fj80 front axle, and who wants to? (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=797055)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_0UeDtG_3E_o/TVm_ZY9nuZI/AAAAAAAAKYE/leyxqxjINx8/s640/P1000801.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_0UeDtG_3E_o/TVm_a7WrbzI/AAAAAAAAKYM/87E8xY3ZlSM/s640/P1000802.JPG


Edit: fixed link

HOLY HELL I had not seen those. A million times better than the normal 2 bolt knuckle.

Those are officially next on the list. I have a one off machined upper/lower steering arm set that uses all 8 bolts and spreads the stress over the entire knuckle instead of leveraging it just off the top bearing, but if I keep blowing minitruck longs, I will give them a call and run the 80 birfs!!

Not Holy Hell...

Holy Hell Fire!!! :smokin:













:laughing:

Needs more bolts to hold the steering arm on. :flipoff2:

Actually, that level of bling almost makes me want to trade my D60 in on a Yota axle.

I almost forgot, someone asked about how the exhaust sounded. Not the best video in the world, and most of the noise comes from the power steering pump that wanted to commit suicide, but proof that the Jeep moves and you can hear the exhaust a little as well.

YouTube - ‪Gavan crossing Golden Crack - Moab, UT‬‏ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A44EfcZqxRY)

I think I did golden crack in rear wheel low by accident... forgot to engage the front. Did not slow me down much!!!

Any updates on this? I know you've been focused on the DD tug.

Toyota thirds with 4.88s and ARB/Detroit, Longfields, Atlas 5.0 transfer case, full hydro steering and a couple more goodies are sitting on the garage floor waiting for me to finish the tug and swap an manual transmission in the Excursion.

It is sitting on 40s now, though. Guess that is an update! I thought I had some pics, but I dont see them.

so much for low and small tires huh? Now post up some pics or I'll steal your rig for myself. :D

so much for low and small tires huh?

40s are the new 35s. Everyone knows that:flipoff2:

I am trying to lower it another 2 inches to make up for the larger tires. Besides, it is hard to say no to free.

No, No, No. 37's are the new 35 and 40's are the new 37. Duh!! :D

Do you have any more pics of how you did your floor? I'm in ned of more ideas to "borrow" for mine. I'd also like to see those cable shifters for your D300. With the way mine is sitting I'm not 100% sure how ergonomic they'll be once I get the chairs back in.

Any pics of your axles? I like the toyota route as well.

Here are some pics of the axle I am raping for parts.

You can see it behind the CJ-10s drivetrain. The elusive driver drop minitruck axle. (we made it..)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/2011-07-12_19-33-25_952.jpg

AGR double ended ram, 4.88s, Detroit, solid spacer for the crush sleeve, high pinion housing, blah blah blah

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/2011-09-04_14-59-21_377.jpg

What makes this one really special is we fabricated C-knuckles that go around the Toy knuckle. They bolt with the factory style ARP bolts to the top and bottom of the knuckle, and distribute steering forces over the entire thing. This, hopefully, gets rid of the nasty Toyota habit of breaking the steering arms off. There are the 6 bolt knuckles, and the 5 bolt modified knuckles, but this uses all 8, and spreads the load between both trunnion bearings.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/2011-09-04_14-59-12_830.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gyoung13/2011-09-04_14-59-46_944.jpg

It worked on out comp buggy with 40 inch tires filled with 200 pounds of weight, so I hope it will continue to work for me.

I had these, and I am kind of attached to the history, but if I were doing bling Toy axles from scratch, I would call up Hellfire and get some of the FJ80 knuckles. The beef in those things make mine look like chicken steak.

http://hellfirefabworks.com/fj80hsu/

Nice job mister.:smokin:

Nice job mister.:smokin:

Thanks! I will be calling you after awhile to get some custom inners.


I am also planning on making a full float rear axle with a 9.25 chunk and mini outers with drive flanges. Will the custom length axle shafts be able to be used as rear full float axles as well?