Well I’ve been working since mid summer on this and I guess its time I post my first build here on pirate…

Started with this…
A very mild but capable rig.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/Smorr051.jpg

1996 xj 4.0 5speed.
RE 5.5 HD lift
31x10.50 TSLs
Dana 30 and Chrystler 8.25( both open )

And a basic set of tools…
HF grinder and drill, torch set and a 110 mig w/ flux cored wire loaned to me by my best friend Cory who has been helping me with this build.

So where am I going with this?

Goals for the project…

No Hack Jobs!
Needs to be built strong
Needs to be a stable and well mannered rig
Needs to be streetable
Full width
Fit 38” tires


So what will I be doing?

Stiffen the frame front to rear
Build new center crossmember
Build a custom 3 link front with a dana 44 and hysteer
Build a custom 4 link rear with a dana 60
38X16x16.5 TSL’s
H1 Beadlocks by Todd (406yj)

To begin, I started by installing some trecks frame stiffeners and then I made my own stiffeners for the front and rear… shoulda just made my own for the center too instead of buying them but as they say hind sight is 20 – 20…
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/framestiffeners_16.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0282.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0363.jpg

After getting a good base to work from I built the center crossmember and started working on the front end.
My goals for the front and rear are quite similar, keep it around the same lift as I have right now. I wanted about 12” or more of travel so this means I will be about 3-4” up and 9”+ down. After playing with the link calculator I will have the following:
Antisquat – 60%,77% or 90%
Roll Axis – 0.91*
Using 2.5” Ballistic joints and 2” x 0.25” dom for the links
The springs sit at the stock width and they are RE 5.5”lift springs.
For shocks I haven’t yet decided, but im on a budget for the time being so I’m thinking Rancho RS9000xl 14” shocks and they will be slightly outboarded for better leverage on the axle to help with unloading.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0314.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0323.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0367.jpg



I got to the point to do the UCA and Trackbar but still needed my hysteer stuff so I started working on the rear end.

Now onto the rear end…

I will have about 3-4” uptravel and 9+ downtravel like the front.
Antisquat – 77% or 99%
Roll Axis - 3*
Pinion travel Bump – 3*
Pinion travel Droop – 3*
Upper triangulation - 26* each link
Lower triangulation – 10* each link
Links are 2.5" ballistic joints and 2"x.250" dom
The springs are stock xj front springs but I may end up using 2” lift springs if its sits a bit low. Right now it is even with the frontend but I need to get them both on springs and see how it all look. They are outboarded to be even with the outside frame rail. I will take a measurement tomorrow to find the exact width. I did this so that it will give me some stability in offcamber uphill climbs, and force the front end to work harder.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0379.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0006.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0005.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0007.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0003.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0002.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0001.jpg

As of now, everything is just tacked together and will be finish welded next week.
I have still have some fishplating to do on the seams of the frame stiffeners and some more gussets to make for the link mounts. I will also be tying the truss into the diff cover bolts for increased rigidity.

Steering will also be taken care of next week.
If I use the stock pitman arm I end up with a 0* drag link. I can use a tj pitman arm which doesn’t drop so far from the steering box if I need to if I have trouble making my track bar work with a 0* drag link. My UCA will be on the passenger side thus making packaging the trackbar and UCA mounts a bit tricky. Im confident that I will be able to figure something out, just haven’t started on it yet. I also have opted to swap in a 99 durango box and eventually will be running hydro assist.

Also on the todo list is the brake and fuel lines as my suspension mounts are right in the way so I will have to make new lines front to rear as well as on the axle.

Other things that I will be eventually doing

2000lb HF winch I will be using as a suck down winch on the front end.
Full Interior Cage
Boatsides
Removable Tube Flares
Dana 300 using the 231 as a crawlbox, or atlas 4spd.
Soft top much like the stock TJ’s came with…

Looks good so far.

I am not going to be the only one to tell you that the D44 is not going to like the 38's. Carry spares. You are going to get really good at swapping out shafts on the trail. I don't even want to think about how many 44 shafts I went though.

Thank you!
Yeah thats something that is on my mind... As you said i will be carrying plenty of spares for now until somtime down the road i get tired of swapping shafts and i decide to ditch the 44.

im staying tuned. Just put these axles under my ZJ. Youve got some good plans. Anxious to see it come together.

Looks good so far..

Plan to follow your build seeing as I just bought a 96' 2 door XJ that will be getting D60's front and rear..

his geometry tured out pretty awesome... for those who say "put it where it fits and call it good" need to rethink that. with a little patience you can get good geometry under these ol unibodies...

one more forum to follow your build on... thanks nick...

nice start.



but you might want to consider making that cross member a 3 piece. that way if you need to get to the tranny you dont have to take the whole front suspension apart.

Yeah i thought about that, but as far as packaging goes, this is about the best way i could figure out how to do it and maintain a strong set up. it will be a hassle, but as far as im concerned if i need to pull the transmission whats 2 extra bolts and a couple jack stands...

for those who say "put it where it fits and call it good" need to rethink that.
.

:shaking: Rethink what? Thats the way it works just about everytime. You put it were it fits. There are several (probably thousands now) with 4 link rears in our XJs with excellent numbers. All putting things were they fit. Some dont mind hacking a big ass hole fore there skills are good enough to patch it. Others not....hench they put it were it fits.

I think your highly misunderstanding the guys that say "put it were it fits".


Nick-looking good man. I too will contibute to the "38's and a 44=boom" comments but you sound prepaired.

One thing though...I see you mentioned you'll have a full interior cage. Leading me to believe you'll have a full bodied rig. Soooooo whats with the soft top idea???

well thats a good question... i will be doing an inner cage that will fit tight against the roof and pillars. I want something that will maintain the lines of the xj so that when i do the soft top it looks like it could have been a factory option... Anyway After college i plan to cut the top off from the top of the windsheild back and down past the b-pillar and back through the hatch. i will probly use a mj tailgate, or make something for use as a tailgate, not sure yet this is a while down the road. The soft top will be secured to the cage with straps and to the body with roll seams similar to the the ones that are on the tj's tub.

As to what cory was talking about ( put it where it fits ) I have been asking some questions here and there on the forum about link design/placement and geometry numbers, and most often the responce has been put it where it fits and run it. i havent really liked that responce much because i have been trying to plan out and think about what i am doing before i start welding a bunch of shit together... i didnt want to just throw it together where it fits best and run with it because then i really wouldnt understand why my suspesion is performing a certain way. This has been a big learning experience, trying to choose where to make sacrifices in order to get the best all around performance while working around the constraints of the unibody. Through this process i have learned a lot about link placement and geometry ( still have lots to learn though... ) and im glad that i have done it this way. Yes it is more time consuming and frustrating, but in the end i think its worth it because i should have a rig that suits my needs and a much better understanding of how and why it works or maybe doesnt work. On the fab side, now i am building around these constraints and because of that i have to plan out how i will build it ( also a big learning experience ). Not to say that the put it where it fits and run with it doesnt work, or will not out perform what i am doing, i just would rather have put the thought into it, be wrong, and more importantly discover why i was wrong, than have something i know nothing about...

well thats a good question... i will be doing an inner cage that will fit tight against the roof and pillars. I want something that will maintain the lines of the xj so that when i do the soft top it looks like it could have been a factory option... Anyway After college i plan to cut the top off from the top of the windsheild back and down past the b-pillar and back through the hatch. i will probly use a mj tailgate, or make something for use as a tailgate, not sure yet this is a while down the road. The soft top will be secured to the cage with straps and to the body with roll seams similar to the the ones that are on the tj's tub.

As to what cory was talking about ( put it where it fits ) I have been asking some questions here and there on the forum about link design/placement and geometry numbers, and most often the responce has been put it where it fits and run it. i havent really liked that responce much because i have been trying to plan out and think about what i am doing before i start welding a bunch of shit together... i didnt want to just throw it together where it fits best and run with it because then i really wouldnt understand why my suspesion is performing a certain way. This has been a big learning experience, trying to choose where to make sacrifices in order to get the best all around performance while working around the constraints of the unibody. Through this process i have learned a lot about link placement and geometry ( still have lots to learn though... ) and im glad that i have done it this way. Yes it is more time consuming and frustrating, but in the end i think its worth it because i should have a rig that suits my needs and a much better understanding of how and why it works or maybe doesnt work. On the fab side, now i am building around these constraints and because of that i have to plan out how i will build it ( also a big learning experience ). Not to say that the put it where it fits and run with it doesnt work, or will not out perform what i am doing, i just would rather have put the thought into it, be wrong, and more importantly discover why i was wrong, than have something i know nothing about...

Cool sounds like a intresting chop/cover idea. The MJ gate is a popular install and looks nice. Good luck with all that.

In regards again to "Put it where it fits"....it sounds like you too where misunderstanding. Nobody is implying that you crawl under you rig with out a plan for starters, and with a tape measure in hand saying "hmmmm looks like 30 goes here and 35 looks ok on the lowers...." No. Although some have taken that litterally thats not what we mean.

In all situations where a pre fabbed chassis is given you are left with only the choice to put it where it fits. For example, tube chassis', moster trucks, crawlers are usually built with a predetermined plan on suspension placement.

So working around a prefabbed XJ frame and body built for leafs can make proper link placement difficult. Especially with diffrent lift heights and desired setups. So with a plan in hand and an idea of what you'd like, you then crawl under and carefully figure out what fits where and what will happen if you put it there. If you can cut a little something away and make it work better somewhere else....there ya go. Check your numbers/ compare/ change as needed. Either way...cutting or no cutting....your left with "put it where it fits".

Im not trying to be a dick just clarifying that were not throwing the term around as loosely as some seem to think.

Good luck with the build....though I rarely chime in on the build threads...Ill be following. Nice work so far, keep it up.

I understand, i was taking it more literly than was intended :homer:. Anyway, thanks for the clarifying things. This has been a slow build but i am finally getting to see some results. Finally putting weight on the rear springs was a big step. Speaking of which, when i did that i was able to see how much all my work on stiffening the frame has helped. I have it on 4 jackstands atm, but when i lifted the rear end up, from the rear bumper the coresponding front side came up at the same rate with the engine still in... suprised me how much of a difference all that chassis stiffening has made. Still have a lot left to do, but i will keep posting my progress.

I was refering to the people who say "dont worry about the stupid link calcs" usually followed by "put it where it fits" I dont think that can really be misunderstood, and there are some people with that responce. I'm not saying everyone who linked the rear of an xj does that, just that we didnt want to be one of those people with this build. also Nick and I are both Mechanical Engineering students so the design work and research involved has been very fun and challenging. Like Nick said, taking the time to understand all the terms and how they relate was very important to us so we know what can be changed and how it will affect performance. We are not knockin on how other people did theirs, but knowing the design aspects of this rig is very interesting to us... hence our major choice...

every custom suspension has to have compromises (or you have to start cutting things away) but knowing how best to make those compromises without sacrificing performance IMO is what seperates a good builder from just another guy on the trail... and i would like to be known someday as a good builder... take that FWIW, im not trying to step on your toes or anything GreatWhiteXJ.

Well its been a while since i last updated, been down at school so i havent had a whole lot of time to devote to the project... Cory and i did however get some work done these past few weekends and its now sitting on rubber. Found out that the trackbar uca brackets were a big pita. about the only thing that i am unhappy with is the length of the trackbar, i know that i will have soe bumpsteer issues, but it wont be seeing much high speed stuff so i think i will be able to live with it.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0480.jpg
Here you can see how tight the tolerance that i am running between my uca/trackbar mount and the tierod. This is at full lock tword the driverside which is the closest that the tierod will come to the bracket.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0479.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0478.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0009.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0010.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0011.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0012.jpg

These are the best pics i have of the UCA Frame side mount, its actually pretty beef, next time i am home, i will get some better angles to show how it is tied into the frame.
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0013.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0014.jpg

Also i think my trackbar bracket may be a bit overkill...
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0021.jpg

Finally here's the bitch sittin on 38's. 6'3" to the roof line, pretty low for an XJ on 38's...

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0029.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0030.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0028.jpg


I still have a ton of finish work to do, but the majority of the suspension work is done. Still have to finish the brake and fuel lines, Trim Fenders, mount the shocks ( Rancho RS9000xl 14" travel ) Still have the fishplating and gusseting, limit straps, remount front bumper and winch, Paint Paint and more Paint... Fab new seat mounts, and im sure im forgetting some stuff... Sure is nice having it sitting on some rubber tho!

add trim fenders to your list.

Ohh yeah here's a couple more pics of the front end all welded up sittin on springs

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0024.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0025.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0026.jpg

Once i get it outside i'll take some better pics of the front and rear end geometry and post my link calculators for anyone who wants to see the numbers

Nice fab work. I just would have considered finding another buddy with a 240 MIG welder. Its just a piece of mind thing if you're not a professional welder.

Looks really good just one small comment, you should of added some rosette holes in you huge trac-bar bracket, granted I can't see mount side of it but it would seem like it being so big it might distort a little in the center.

Have you checked to make sure your trackbar clears everything at full stuff?


For my 44 I had a tough time getting everything to clear at full stuff+turned. It looked fine at ride height, but when I did the full bump testing things hit.

i like how you tied the lower track bar mount into the control arm mount. but the track bar looks pretty short.

if you want to run it on the street comfortably, its something to think about.

i had to shorten mine like 5" from what i was previously running and now am regretting it. itll get reworked sometime soon. i want to get it closer to the length of the drag link to help with bumpsteer. mine gets too squirrley for me on the windy country back roads way more than i want it to.

is it getting hyd assist? edit: nevermind, i saw you plan on a tapped durango box in the future

Nonpointfab - If i had access to a 240 Mig i would have used it, but my welding ability gives me more peice of mind than the equipment im using. :)

JustPunchIt - I didnt add any rosettes because the plate is welded along the bottom of the frame from front to rear and didnt see any benifet from adding more weld to it further up other than around the edges. It's burned in pretty hot, as you can see it blued about 1/2" on either side of the weld through the backside of the 1/4" plate. Also the mount will be getting a couple more gussets on the passenger facing side of the plate tied into the frame to aid in spreading the load across the entire bracket.

Starboard - When i designed the uca/trackbar mount i did so at full stuff and cycled the steering lock to lock to make sure i had no clearence issues. i had to rework a few things while i did it, but as of now i have no clearence issues.

OhioZJ - Thanks! My favorite peice is the trackbar/uca mount actually. The only thing that i really dont like about my setup is the track bar length, it seems pretty short to me as well, but its the best i could do considering the joint/material selection and the steering setup that I'm running. it wont see much if any street time so im not worried about the bump steer being a big problem. Down the road when i have some more money to invest in different material/joints i may elect to change it up but as of now i dont have the time or the money to change it.

it's junk start over...:flipoff2:

comments below:

nice unibody stiffening (reminds me of the old days)
quality link design
D44=you already know what I'm gonna say
you're .250 DOM rear lowers links are going to bend; i would suggest when they do bend upgrade to .375 wall
i like your cage idea, but i would do your boatsides first and then build your cage off your boatsides if you know what i mean...basically building from the bottom up
go with an atlas 4 speed; i loved my crawl box setup simply b/c the versatility, but for a G more or so, you might as well go with an atlas simply because of the strength (ask Scott aka Brassmunkey about his 300 w/ 32spline outputs) and i believe it has an oiling problem at high speeds; mine kept puking gear oil, ATF, etc....i tried everything...
So far, your build is turning out nicely....i look forward to seeing it on the trail....

Eric:smokin:

why so many damn joints!! your shocks and drive shaft will max out before those joints will, even if you only had one on each end.. and the track bar is beefcake for sure but doesn't need those huge mofo's on the ends..

sick build so far my friend.. im gettin ready to do the same thing, 2 door on tons and 40s..

pipehitter155 - Thanks for the comments! After looking at the jeep on the ground i agree the lowers are going to get bowed at some point and when they become a problem i will upgrade then. I also agree with doing the boatsides before the cage. i will need a good solid platform to build off of and the boatsides will give me just that. Good point with the atlas, i just havent decided what im going to do yet. Its still a ways down the road and i will be doing much more reaserch in the coming months before i decide which direction to go.

OnetonXJ - This is my first experience with joint design and using any sort of misalignment joint and i didnt realize how much movement they would actually allow. I will be running a 14" travel shock with roughly 11" of that being down travel and wanted to make sure that my links had enough movement in them to allow for this. Yes i know that my shocks and my driveline are going to be my limiting factors thats why i will be running limiting straps so i dont destroy them. I bought all the joints at the same time and thats why my trackbar is so beefy... if i were to do it over again i would use hiems for the track bar, but as they say hind sight is 20-20.

I'm looking forward to seeing how you do things differently and how it works out for you.

pipehitter155 - I also agree with doing the boatsides before the cage. i will need a good solid platform to build off of and the boatsides will give me just that.


This is what I did and it actually came out halfway decent. With a 2 door as well. Mine has no windows either.

Links for reference if you want to check it out.

http://www.rockhardxj.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3010

http://www.rockhardxj.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3023

nice build ! what's the final wheelbase set at ??

nice build ! what's the final wheelbase set at ??

going off the wheel wells.... i betcha its 101"

going off the wheel wells.... i betcha its 101"

:flipoff2:

i loved my crawl box setup simply b/c the versatility, but for a G more or so, you might as well go with an atlas simply because of the strength (ask Scott aka Brassmunkey about his 300 w/ 32spline outputs) and i believe it has an oiling problem at high speeds; mine kept puking gear oil, ATF, etc....i tried everything...


My 300 has stock outputs....


That being said, I am picking up an atlas in two weeks. I actually love my crawl box, but want to try something different. Looking for something in the 4.3:1 flavor :flipoff2:

Build looks good, do your best not to rush anything because you will be looking at it 6 months after you finish saying "ughhh"

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0013.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0014.jpg



Find a way to brace your front upper link mount to something else. Mine flexed like crazy when I had it like this. There is a ton of force trying to twist and move this mount in weird directions. Brace it to the lower link mount and maybe to the floor or roll cage.

Mine came through the floor so I could watch it twist and bend, you wont know it til it rips off :flipoff2:

:flipoff2:

eat shit bum.. your the one that asked the stupid question..
:flipoff2: to you!

Calm down Francis.
Not everyone thinks that smilie is as derogatory as you do.
I figured he used it since your reply was pretty non technical and kinda smart assed, not to mention he wasn't asking you.

My 300 has stock outputs....


That being said, I am picking up an atlas in two weeks. I actually love my crawl box, but want to try something different. Looking for something in the 4.3:1 flavor :flipoff2:

Build looks good, do your best not to rush anything because you will be looking at it 6 months after you finish saying "ughhh"

my bad, i thought you had 32 spline outputs....

Calm down Francis.
Not everyone thinks that smilie is as derogatory as you do.
I figured he used it since your reply was pretty non technical and kinda smart assed, not to mention he wasn't asking you.
:D:D:D
eat shit bum.. your the one that asked the stupid question..
:flipoff2: to you!

:D I was just asking because i am building the same thing and i noticed the the draglink is not lined up ! on nicks jeep ? :confused::homer:

BrassMonkey - I will be bacing that mount a bit more, i just needed to get it trailerable down to school so i can work on it on a more consistent basis.

Jayxj96 - The wheel base in the previous pics was set at 101" However it is currently set at 102".

Also an update on the steering, by just putting in a durango box with the larger bore piston i really dont have much of a need for hydro assist. I can turn the wheel with a finger. I have not gotten an opportunity to see how it works when a tire or two is bound up against a rock or something but as of now it feels better than it did when i had the 31's. One thing that does concern me is that it seams like i need a longer pitman arm to get more motion out of the knuckles. Turning lock to lock doesnt come even close to the full range of steering that the axle is capable of. I also noticed just driving around the little bit that i did that the turning radius went to shit.

Has anyone ever had a problem with this?

Yesterday i was able to get the fenders trimmed up and flexed it out. it has a long way to go but as of now my brake lines are restricting me so until i get some longer softlines in this is the best flex shots i have. One thing i noticed and am really happy with is how much the rearend made the frontend work. i was concerned that without running a rear swaybar that the rearend would work more than the front, but because the rear springs are outboarded of the frame it forced the front end to work harder like i had planned. The rear springs have about 10-12" more seperation than the front springs. Also i did a lot of bouncing around trying to get up on the logs in 2wd and even without shocks the jeep felt really stable. The tj in the pic is Cory's who has been helping me out with this build.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/IMG_2717.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/IMG_2713.jpg

Yes man I have the same problem with my grand cherokee. I'm running a LP 44, but still the box going lock to lock doesn't even come close to the steering stops. Longer pitman arm or having the drag link mount to the high steer arm closer to the balljoint would solve it also, I'll definately be keeping an eye on your solution.

Well i think i will be searching for a new pitman arm with roughly the same drop as the stock xj one just a tad longer to get the extra motion i need. Moving the mounting point on the knuckle would work too but it would be much more involved and i dont have the equipment to build a new hysteer arm.

from what i understand how it works is this:

the pitman arm travel arc, or throw, has to match the knuckles to get the same distance throw. im not sure if im using the right terms or not. but you get the idea. i dont think getting a pitman arm with more drop will fix it. it needs to be longer to match the throw of the knuckles.

make sense?

edit: measure from the center of your balljoint out to the center of the hole your tie rod mounts in on the knuckle. that distance should be the same as the center of the holes on your pitman arm.

i was looking at your high steer arm and was thinking about changing the holes your drag link and tie rod are in. that might work. i dont know if it matters which hole either one is in or not. it might help it match the pitman arm better.

OhioZJ - Im not saying a pitman arm with more drop, im saying a longer pitman arm measured from hole to hole length wise (raidially) this will cause more travel at the knuckle. if i switch the draglink and tie rod i will have clearence issues and also make the left and right side knuckls travel at different rates due to the tie rod being at different lengths as measured from the ball joint to the tie rod end location on each steering arm.

did you ever find a pitman arm that will work better?

lookin good man.. what wheels are you using?

Says in the first post, H1 locks from 406yj.
Jeep looks nice.

fawk.. i even read the first post, fail... time for bed lol

i have H1 locks on mine but his have been re-centered to i didn't recognize um..

did you ever find a pitman arm that will work better?

I have not yet found a pitman arm, i may cut the spline side off an extra one i have and get another one off a 1 ton to match the tierod end i have and make my own, we shall see, as of now its the least of my worries. i did however get the fenders trimmed up and i am getting some longer brake lines for it. in the next couple weeks im going to get my shocks mounted, and the fish plating done. then will come paint and lots of it! I'll be sure to post up once i have something worthy of posting instead of all the little piddly bs im working on now.

Edit: Thanks for the comments all!

Well over the past couple weeks i've been able to work on the jeep here and there. while trying to get my shocks placement set up in the rear i found that i was going to be running into body clearence issues after all so i did a tuck and fold, then i was able to get my shocks placed. here are some pics of the progress. i am running 14" travel rancho rs 9000xl's and will be at 11" down travel and 3 inches up travel. i also found that i will need to run a center limit strap to keep from binding my driveshaft but still allow the axle to articulate.


Started with this
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0048.jpg

Did some cutting and folding
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0052.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0053.jpg

This is how it looks now
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0049.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0050.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0051.jpg

Full Bump
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0056.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0057.jpg

Full droop
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0058.jpg

Rear Shock Mounts
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0065.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0066.jpg

Thought i would need to cut into the body.. but i didnt need to lol. so i will put that peice back in minus the pinch seam.
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0067.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0068.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0070.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0072.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0069.jpg


I will also be reforming the caps on the bumper ends to reflect the new lines of the body and add some 1/4 plate to protect the bottom of the quarter panels and also to keep from getting hung up on them if i do get on them a bit.

Like it. I'm a bit envious of people with plasma cutters...One of these days :)

Unfortunately I don't think we have much in this area that requires much more than a lift and some 33's.

Nice build!

so ill post up a little update... we got the front shock mounts done this weekend and was able to take it on a little test drive. as suspected and as pointed out a couple times, the track bar length caused some bump steer. managable or not is up for discussion... i didnt think it was too bad but nick did lol... and the rear shock mounts are gonna have to be redone. bottomed out one too many times and ripped the tacs off one side. so we are going to move the upper mounts up a couple inches. other than that it rode pretty good. the 4.10s are a dog in 2 hi but in 4 lo its managable. nick will chime in with pics once they are uploaded.

and the plasma is actually borrowed fron the fab shop i work at... wish we had our own too... but like you said, some day...

Good luck with that little of uptravel. I wouldnt settle for anything less then 5" When I had 4" of uptravel I would bottom them out all the time. It ended up cracking the mount. Lucky only the mount cracked and it didn't destroy the shock. Now I have 8" and it helped a lot. But I also have much more body cutting.

Well as Cory said, front shock mounts are done, rears are going to be moved up about 1 inch so i should have 4" up travel in the rear. i will bump stop it so i wont be bottoming out the shocks. I'll grab some pics when i get back to the shop and i will post em up. The fronts worked out pretty well, i have 4 inches of up travel, my biggest limiting factor is trackbar clearence on my oil pan. I'm pretty happy with how it rode, bit more bump steer than i like, but i havent driven the damn thing in almost a year, so i cant really remember how the thing drove to begin with lol. I didnt take it up past about 25 yet, so we will see how it handles at speed once i get the shocks finished up.

did you ever get the steering thing figured out? im trying to find a way to get more steering out of mine. any chance you could measure the pass side hi steer arm for me. from center of ball joint to center of the first and second holes?

what brand arm is that?

thanks

I actually havent been been able to work on it since early april and i am away for an internship in topeka. The hysteer arms are balistic fab. hysteer arms. i wont be able to get a measurement for a few weeks. Pm me if you want me to take some measurements when i go back down there.

any updates on this thing? or are you out wheelin the piss out of it, and too busy to update:flipoff2:

no progress... just waiting to get back down to school to get some work done. will be back this weekend and hopefully work on it some next week.

For steering you might want to try drop pitman for any 1/2 ton with a dana 44, they are about an inch longer and drop about an inch farther than stock XJ. Mine was listed as a f150/j10/waggy 4" drop pitman

well thats good to know, i will look into it. i think i may just make a pitman arm. my pitman arm needs to be flat and not drop at all, i just need more throw. we'll see if i can find something. thanks for the heads up!

well thats good to know, i will look into it. i think i may just make a pitman arm. my pitman arm needs to be flat and not drop at all, i just need more throw. we'll see if i can find something. thanks for the heads up!

a stock waggy arm is flat, you could try one of those.

Well, we got a ton of work done over labor day. Finished the bulk of the fabrication, also finished painting and thursday we will reassemble. Here's some teaser photos. Ohh yeah i also grooved one of the TSL's.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0122.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0140.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0138.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0136.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0127.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0135.jpg

ya know its funny bc you posted pics of everything I did this weekend... what the hell did you do:flipoff2:

ya know its funny bc you posted pics of everything I did this weekend... what the hell did you do:flipoff2:

Taking bets on drank beer and supervised.

those wheels look sexy....!

Ha! Well you did make it look pretty... but yea too much beer, not enough sleep... and way way way to much overhead welding... There arent any pics of it cause it really isnt all that interesting, but i tied the Front UCA mount into the floor with a huge plate and backing plate. I also finished up all the gussets and the fishplates. Still have quite a bit to do before i can wheel it though.

Still have to:
Finish bumpstops
Limit straps
Mount front bumper and winch
Need brake lines
Mount seats
Install front lincoln locker
Install new axle seals
Grease everything


So its not much, but its enough to make a weekend or two out of.

Oh yeah thanks Ohiozj

I may have missed it, but have you thought about coil retainers in the rear? Mine used to pop out all the time and it was really annoying.

I will be working on some Coil Retainers for both the front and rear, they will probably double as my bumpstops

Are you going to tie that truss into the cover some how to prevent it from twisting front-to-back?

Here ya go, hope ya all like em....

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0149.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0154.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0153.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0156.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0152.jpg

looks awesome! i remember when mine was that shiny right after i got done building it. 2 years of driving and wheeling sure brings out alor of rust :(

again, those tires and wheels are freaking sexy.

So for the past week or so, i've tried to find someone to make a set of soft braided brake lines for the jeep and either no one wants to do the research to find the part numbers for the ends i need or they just dont do custom length lines. :mad3: Would anyone have an idea where or who i can contact to get custom brake lines made? Also, would anyone know the part numbers for the ends that i need? The ends i need are just the stock cherokee ends. The fronts require the square block at the caliper and the normal connector at the frame side. The rear requires the square block with two outlets and hole to mount to axle, and the frame end is the stock cherokee frame side connector.

Any help would be very appreciated.

How long do you need? I got mine from Poly Performance.

Im Looking for about 32-34"

Well it looks like they have up to 30"

theres a place locally by me thats a hydraulic hose company. they made my extended front lines for like 50 bucks. he tried to talk me into the stainless for more but i couldnt afford it. ill try and get the name and number and see if they can help you out....

are there any hydraulic places like that near you?

The rear requires the square block with two outlets and hole to mount to axle, and the frame end is the stock cherokee frame side connector.

Any help would be very appreciated.

are you asking what the part number for this piece is? or how to find one? i know what you need, but not the part number. its a stock rear grand cherokee brake block. its mounted on the driver side on top of the truss in this pic.


edit: found the part number (i paid around 25-30 bucks for it.)

Napa part 380-889, listed as "rear brake line with box.

Well, what i think i will be doing, is extending the hard lines that are on the jeep and run the braided soft lines i have now. I'm thinking i will connect to the factory hard line and run my soft line down my upper link in the rear, in the front i will probly just extend the hard lines and run them down to an area out of the way so i can use the braided soft lines i have currently.

Thanks for the help though!

badass jeep, exactly what im looking to do to mine! thanks for giving me some ideas lol

Well, Thank you. I have also ordered a set of soft lines from poly performance and they were really great about working with me. Also i welded up the front end and replaced some seals in the front end. Also found out my R&P are trashed as well as the bearings... Ohh yeah and the carrier is gouged pretty bad too. I will just run it as is until now to get through the break-in run if it breaks ohh well at this point. I plan on re-gearing anyway so i will probably just throw a spool in it and some 5.13's when i am able to get the funds. I'm not going to throw any more money into something im going to ditch anyway...

Notice the chipped teeth on the ring gear and the gouge on the center on the carrier...

what springs are ya runnin on the front

I am Running RE 5.5" Coils on the front and Skyjacker 2.5 " coils in the rear. I also outboarded the rear springs to give them better leverage on the axle for better uphill and off camber stability.

WTF happened to that carrier?

I have no idea, i opened up the rear axle when i bought them but not the front as i was in a hurry... rear looked great and the front looked like this... My guess is maybe a pinion shaft failure caused it??? It has those same gouges on the other reverse side of the carrier too.

Alrighty, here is a long awaited update. Brake lines are on, made a new pitman arm, got my bumpstops finished up and flexed the piss out of it. Someone also was kind enough to steel my camera from me, so these pics are from a phone and i didnt get any of the build progress, just some flex shots. After running around the yard and through the ditches i can say i am extremely happy with how it has been performing. The front and rear suspensions are very balanced and the side hill stability is phenomenal. Also i was very impressed with how soft the ride was. I even took it down some backroads and up to about 40-45mph and it drove really well minus the 5lbs of air in the tires... I'll try and grab some shots of the pitman arm and steering set up next time, i think you will find that the pitman arm is pretty interesting. I also found out today that my ps pump hates life and i will need to add an assist ram. This weekend we are going out to Flat Nasty for the break in run and i will give some more updates after.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z22/cgmrdc/img1288662581577.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z22/cgmrdc/img1288662581982.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z22/cgmrdc/img1288662581577.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z22/cgmrdc/img1288662582280.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z22/cgmrdc/img1288662583005.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z22/cgmrdc/img1288662581244.jpg
That tire is still on the ground, its at full down travel though.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z22/cgmrdc/img1288662582783.jpg

Looks great!

Well we went out to Flat Nasty this weekend, here are the results.

Friday night about 2 hours into wheeling, i spit a short side u joint cap, it clipped the ball joint and bound up which then broke the shaft. Since i didnt bring any spare's because i am currently broke and noone else had any i thought i was fucked for the weekend, but after a couple of beers and some talking about it, we decided to pull the shaft to see how bad it was... Well much to my surprise it broke of at 90* Cleanest looking break i've ever seen. so i beveled the edges and welded it back together. The next day i put a tac on all the caps to help keep them in place and tried to wheel saturday. Well it was still spitting caps so i just took it easy and when we got back to camp i fully welded the caps in it and then took on mama bear first thing sunday. i got up on mama bear and bound up the left front and..... Pow! front shaft again... I'll get some pics up once i get them from everyone, here are a few just before we loaded up on the trailer and left.

Carnage from this weekend,
5 broken short side shafts,
mine 2X and 3 dana 30 shafts - one of which exploded at the splines and cracked the carrier where the bearing is pressed on.
one bent upper control arm mount
one aussie locker in a rear dana44
one radiator
2 bent tubs
1 grill
1 hood
1 windshield frame.. No one rolled btw...
1 driveshaft which we used a highlift jack handle to sleeve and then wheeled 2 more days on... actually it didnt break again and he managed to kill a dana 30 shaft while running the hobbled together driveshaft...

Some pics, i'll try and get some more up when i get a hold of them.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/CIMG0165.jpg
Thought the hood vents would help my vapor locking issue, but i still had issues and it was only about 60* outside...

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/CIMG0167.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/CIMG0169.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/CIMG0174.jpg


http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/2.jpg
Pulling up on mama bear with a broken short side shaft.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/1.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/5.jpg
Devils Throat where i spit a cap and vapor locked again...

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/7.jpg
Pulling up on baby bear, where it started the vapor locking bs again...


Take aways from the break in run...

I need to run the rear UCA's in the upper mounting positions to lower my AS a bit, it was hopping a bit more than i would like.

I am going to be building a Dana60 for the front end, and will probly push the front end out a bit to get a bit more stretch and better aproach angles.

Front and rear bumpers are coming off and getting sold, i will build a stubby front bumper and incorporate my winch and suck down winch into it.

I will at one 4-5" fan on the inder side of the hood at each of the large vent holes to help relieve some of the underhood temperatures.

And i need a bit more uptravel as well, so i will rework the front end a bit when i do the dana 60, and i will comp cut the rear to get a bit more up travel back there.

And i will be tacking in all ujoint caps from now on...

Other things i will be working on when money is more available,

231/300 Doubler
5:13's
Cage and Chop
Rocker Replacement

looking good. whats this vapor lock your having issues with?

jeep looks awesome. nice spare tire.:laughing:

i was battling underhood temps too. i did the louver thing, hooked my snorkel back up (to avoid sucking in hot engine bay air) and added a big elec fan wired to be on all the time the ignition is on. now it runs nice and cool. oh and i threw in a new thermostat.

btw dont chop it. its a really nice looking full bodied xj, just throw a cage in and call it good. i love a nice looking full bodied rig.:smokin:

Well thanks ohiozj, the problem with the vapor locking is that if im crawling for extended periods of time or in traffic, it'll sputter and die or sometimes just die and it will not restart. If i can get it started on ether it will normally run if i keep my foot in it, so im thinking that it is Vapor Locking. I will be getting the blue tooth adapter for the OBDII port and i will monitor it better next time im out so i can see exactly whats going on with it. I will monitor fuel pressure, intake temp and engine temp, hopefully with that information i will be able to get a better gauge as to what is going on.

Also here are some pics of the shaft i broke this weekend, these old shafts are pretty soft as you can see in the break. It sheered at exactly 90* and gave us a really good base to work from to bevel it down and weld it back up.

To weld it up, i cleaned it off with some brake cleaner and ran it under the sink with soap and water. Then we beveled the shaft side to about 30* and welded the splines back onto the shaft. I used the top rack of my tool box to lay the shaft and splines on and clamped them down in order to align them. This got us within a degree and was good enough for a trail fix as it lasted all day saturday but gave way on sunday. After welding the shaft, we through the welded area into the campfire and got it glowing orange, we then quenched it in the used gear oil from the front end to infuse some carbon to the outside of the shaft in hopes that it would make it a bit stronger... dont know if it made a difference as it broke anyway.

Here are some pics of the shaft.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/10.jpg
Shaft

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/11.jpg
Splines


http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/th_VID00001.jpg (http://s681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/Wheeling%20Pictures/?action=view&current=VID00001.mp4)
Video of me breaking the welded shaft on mama bear. Break occurs at 2:01. This is also what convinced me to ditch that big ass front bumper. I had worries about it getting in the way before i went and they were confirmed on a couple of occasions.

lookin sweet man..

yay for red 2 doors =)

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii299/cherokeedude93/tater2buildup055.jpg

-That spare tire on the tailgate made me laugh so hard that my stomache hurts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-This is an absolutely sick build & u have some seriouse skills there bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Might wanna try out those RCV shafts that are a grand & dubbed "unbreakable!!"

-Dont forget to post up some action vids for us when u get goin ok!!!!!
SUBSCRIBED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :flipoff2: <<<(he's just jealouse!)

I love it! Great work! Makes me miss my old 2 door XJ. Subscribing.

Well thanks for all the kind words everybody! I have a few carnage pics from this weekend.

Broke 7 axleshafts....
3 dana 30 shortside shafts
1 Dana 44 front short side shaft 2x
1 Dana 44 Rear Alloy USA Shaft
1 Dana 44 Rear Alloy USA Shaft twisted the splines
1 Dana 44 Rear Carrier
1 Driveshaft that we used a highlift jack handle as a sleave and broke a dana 30 shaft on....
1 UCA Mount
1 Radiator
1 Hood, Grille and Tub
1 Whole side of an XJ...

Anyway onto the Pics

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/CIMG0193.jpg
Not all of the shafts, but the 44 carrier, both alloy usa shafts, a dana 30 shaft and my dana 44 front shaft.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/CIMG0183.jpg
Dana 44 Carrier

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/CIMG0179.jpg
Here is the carrier in the axle, notice how FUBAR the bearing is...

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/CIMG0175.jpg
Dana 44 Rear Alloy USA Shaft

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/CIMG0180.jpg
Same, notice the twist in the splines

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/CIMG0188.jpg
The Damage to the 44 Rear end and the body damage was result of trying to lead foot it up the entrance to proving grounds at Flat Nasty, He caught a ledge and got airborne and landed with his foot still in it, hence all the broken shiat in the rear end. He also managed to catch a tree in the process which probably saved him from rolling all the way back down. I'll post up the video when i have it. BTW he was only running 35" Dunlop Mud Rovers....

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/CIMG0187.jpg
Same

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/CIMG0189.jpg
Fell off a ledge and caught the tube which then caused all the other damage

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/CIMG0190.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/CIMG0191.jpg



Didnt get any pics of the highlift sleeve or any other breakage though.

How long do you need? I got mine from Poly Performance.


^^ !!Buy there RCV shafts for the front!! ^^

I stand by my comments when I tell people to skip over the 44 swap. :grinpimp:

Agreed, waste of time and money. its just not enough of an upgrade without dumping a ton of money into it. it'll be getting a 60 soon as i have the money. i will also be redoing some of the front end too. im going to ditch that big ass rock catch i call a center crossmember and suck it up tight inside the frame, lol that sounds kinda dirty.... and then im going to push my LCA mounts back a bit and mount them similar to the rear LCA mounts. that way i can make a flat skid as well as do a proper boat side or integrate a rocker replacement into the frame better. Im thinking i will cut the end of the frame just past the motormounts before it turns down in front of the axle centerline and use some 2x6 box tubing to continue the frame rails straight out. Should give me more room to move my steering box up as well as push the axle forward some and mount a suckdown winch. At this point these are just ideas as i have no money lol. In due time, i'll be able to "fix" it. in the mean time, im just going to grab some extra 44 shafts and flog the shit out of it, if it breaks it breaks....

Nice build man. Subscribed.

updates?

No updates as of now other than some little stuff. I am away working for the summer, but next semester there will be lots of updates, bumpers, cage, rocker replacement, possibly a doubler plus lots of wheeling! i'll post up when i get started.

What is your WMS to WMS?

standard full width 78 ford HP44 and 60 is... like 63.5" or something like that, i cant remember off the top of my head

nice jeep man, looks like mine just with a roof

wms is 69.5"

So over the last week or so Cory and I have been getting a bunch of work done. What started out as a rocker replacement spiraled into a full boatside after my gears that i ordered were delayed in getting here...


We started by cutting out the rockers similar to how Slambone as seen in his build thread http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=943385&page=3 Thanks for the inspiration!
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0264-1.jpg


http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0266-1.jpg

After we got the rockers cut out, we used some 2x6x1/4" to create the new rocker. Here you can see it clamped in place.
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0268-1.jpg

Even just tacked in its amazing how much it stiffens the side of the jeep up. Once we got to this point we were still waiting on the gears so we decided to do a full boatside. We cut the floor out where the runners would be and used some 1.5x1.5x1/8" to create the supports for the plate.
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0269-1.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0271-1.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0272-1.jpg

We then used some of the material notched out of the supports to make the mounting tabs seen here.

Finally we bolted them up and today we will be finish welding everything. Here is a few final pics of how they will look. There will have to be some trimming on the bottom of the doors to get them to fit, but overall im very happy with how these are turning out. The only thing i would do differently as of right now is we should have set the supports in so we would have a plate at 48" instead of 51... but as i've said before hindsight is 20-20, thinking hindsight might be a fitting name for this build lol.

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0275-1-1.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0276-1.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0277-1.jpg

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/nlt9cb/build%20pics/CIMG0278-1.jpg

Other Progress...

We installed the fuel tank inside the jeep so i can eventually push the rearend back some. Also i am in the process of making a new rear bumper. Installed the 5.13's and rear spool, got alloy shafts for the front end, and new spicer ball joints.

Things to come...

Going against what i really would like to do, i bought a cage and will be installing it next week sometime, this will get me by for the next couple years as i am graduating this semester and not exactly sure if i will have much access to a shop straight out of college. i need to rebuild the steering box as it is puking ps fluid from the sector shaft lower seal and rebuild the driveshafts. I still need to figure out why the jeep vapor locks on the trail. I will be wrapping the header as well as insulating the fuel line with some pipe insulation and covering it with reflective tape. I put a new fuel filter in and that seemed to help the problem but its something i've done before so im going to check the fuel pressure to see if maybe its pump related. As i lead in to earlier i will be making a new rear bumper and will also be making a new front bumper with a suckdown winch on the backside of it. The goal will be to keep everything nice and tight. Finally since the fuel tank is now in the jeep, im going to push the rearend back a few inches and increase up travel some by playing with the shock placement. I would really like to redo the front trackbar too as it is the limiting factor for uptravel in the front suspension. I would like to increase the up travel by at least 2 inches as well as lower the jeep 2inches from where it sits now. Trying to get as much done before laborday weekend. Myself and a few others will be heading out to Flat Nasty near Salem MO. for a few days. I cant wait!

Edit - Will also be making a new skid plate and pushing the front lower control arm mounts up a bit as well both frame and axle side. I will be bracing the front upper control arm mount a bit better to, i will be tying it into the cage or rockers, havent yet decided. I will also be tying the rear truss into the diff cover. Trying to focus on some of the details that i overlooked or thought i would finish but never did.

nice work on the boatsides :beer:

Nice build! Very similar to what I doing. How high is ur frame way from the ground..? I think mine is going to be about 27"

I will measure tomorrow and post up.

how thick are the skins? not sure if u finish welded everything yet but when i did my boatsides i left them out 1" more than u did so you can pivot on the rocker without hitting the body. just something to think about if your not to far.

nice build! just curious how do you guys learn to build setups like this? im capable to do work like this im just lost when it comes to setting the link bar angles and all that. i would love to build my xj like this someday and im just trying to learn as much as possible till then.

Well I don't know how they set up their jeep but if u really want to know how to set up a 4 link and how it's all works check this out and get some graph paper ready http://www.4wheeloffroad.com/techarticles/suspension/131_0307_four_link_suspension_part_2/index.html

In response to a previous post, the crossmember sits at 24", the frame at 27" and the outsides of the rockers are at 32".

I have already finish welded everything and i thought about getting into the body with the rockers sitting as they are but i like how clean they tuck up against the body. If it becomes an issue which it may, i might build a nerf bar off the side but as of now i dont have any plans in doing so.

Learning how to properly build and set up a 4 link requires a lot of research and an understanding of what you want your particular setup to do. There is a lot of great tech in this forum, you just need to search and read and search and read... This is the first suspension i have done and it definitely has its downfalls. There is a lot that i would like to do differently mainly because of lack of experience in the beginning. It takes practice. I still have a ton to learn even having done mine and helped do about 3 or 4 others. I know that there is a lot on this jeep that could be better, but considering my experience at the time and where i am currently, im proud of the work i have done and wouldnt have it any other way. I have learned a ton through doing all this work and in the future will be more fit to do better work.

Between yesterday and today i was able to get the rockers finish welded and a good start on my rear bumper. I will post some pics and a better update early next week.

Guess its time for another update...

Boatsides are done, rear bumper is all but done, still need to make the endcaps. The roll cage i ordered is from D&C off road. What a Pile of shit that thing is! I wasnt expecting much from a $600 roll cage, but wow. this thing has zero engineering in it. Its not even a good starting point, maybe a mall crawler cage on a good day... There are a total of 10 dead nodes and zero triangulation. Aside from the fact that there is no real "design" in the cage, the c pillar bars were the wrong ones, he sent me the ones for the 4 door so they had to be cut down 6"s. He forgot to send me the feet to attach it to the floor and as of 2 weeks ago said some were on the way. finally the harness bar doesnt fit, not only is it not wide enough to span the area where it is supposed to be, but the notch is about 15* off. So lesson learned, not buying "prefabbed" items anymore.

Ok rant over, shoulda known better and done more research/ built my own.

Went wheeling a week ago at flat nasty and had a kickass time. Lot of really random breakage though. The nipple that goes into the CV on the driveshaft sheered off friday night driving down to the camp ground. Fixed that and then tacoed the passenger side TRE and at the same time i ran into the issue where the jeep wont run. It seems that after working the motor hard it looses spark originally we had thought it may be vapor locking as the fuel rail was getting pretty hot. We checked for spark and had none so we thought it might be the coil getting hot. I swapped the coil out and it fired right up just to have the same damn thing happen the next day. I am going to relocate the coil to the firewall to see if that fixes my issue. I also ran the last day without a hood and had no more issues but we didnt really push it much.



Going to be headed down to smorr in a few weeks so i have some work to do and some decisions to make. I am still having trouble steering when its bound up, so im thinking about a steering assist ram, but if im going to go to all that trouble it kinda makes sense to run full hydro as it would also eliminate some of the linkage and give me a lot more steering power. Also going to need to remount the coil and run new brake lines, cracked a hardline late sunday night, luckily it was on an easy trail that we were bouncin around on and i was able to drive it back with no issues.

Thoughts?

Somethings that I am really happy with, the gearing is a lot better and the jeep is extremely stable. The suspension works well and feels soft without being to "springy" I love the boatsides, the got some use this weekend and just glided over stuff.

Here are a few pics of me going up Baby Bear.

No spark when hot? I'd put money on the CPS. Happens to every one of them when they start wearing out.

As for full hydro, I know some people that are so happy with their assist setup that they would never want full hydro. Plenty of power/response and none of the "floating" associated with full hydro.

I'll have to check that. But it runs fine warm, it starts having issues when im really working the motor, like coming up baby bear or when im trying to get up an obstacle and have to work at it for a few minutes.

I'll have to check that. But it runs fine warm, it starts having issues when im really working the motor, like coming up baby bear or when im trying to get up an obstacle and have to work at it for a few minutes.

Yup, still sounds like CPS. After you let everything cool off they tend to work fine again until getting hot. I even helped a guy on the side of the highway because of this. He got on the highway, and after a few minutes it died. Told him to wait like 10-20 minutes and it fired right up. Told him not to stop until he got it to a garage.

You can always check the little things, but I doubt it's that the coil is getting too hot.

Id put my money on the CPS as well. Mine failed 3 times while running hot. Threw a new one in and haven't had a problem since.

nice looking jeep man:smokin: lots of flex for sure ! i seem to break shit regardless of how big i go as things get stronger you will always push it harder :D but thats the fun of it :confused:

Just thought i would throw out a little teaser photo of what is to come...