Rear buggy design?

[jeepxj86]

I am looking for opinions on my design for the rear of my xj. The jeep isnt a road vechile and looks arent a concern for me. I am wondering if i going to be using enough support to jeep the rear tied together.
I know the bashing is about to hit me like a ton of bricks, but i appreciate the suggestions.

I have braced the unibody to the exo, seen here.


Unirail brace ( it will be welded on )


This is my plan

[vetteboy79]

What do you have on the remainder of the frame rails for bracing?

I would recommend connecting that coil mount section down to something else...I realize you've got it braced to the cage but that's still a large amount of unsupported unibody rail.

I think you need to clean some garbage out of the rig and then post some more pics so we can see a bigger picture of what you're planning on doing.

[jeepxj86]

Originally Posted by vetteboy79

What do you have on the remainder of the frame rails for bracing?

I would recommend connecting that coil mount section down to something else...I realize you've got it braced to the cage but that's still a large amount of unsupported unibody rail.

I think you need to clean some garbage out of the rig and then post some more pics so we can see a bigger picture of what you're planning on doing.

This is actually the first of any unirail bracing it has ( i know it will need more )but it is only being used for the cage mount in this location. There will be another of the same design at the rear for the 3/4 eliptical i have for it. As for the garbage, i know

Here are some pictures of the brace.

[vetteboy79]

Ah...I looked at that and figured it was an upper coil mount for a rear link suspension. I see what you've got now.

The 1/4 ellip will take a lot of stress off the back half of the frame for sure.

wait....
edit: 3/4 ellip? Why?

[jeepxj86]

Originally Posted by vetteboy79

wait....
edit: 3/4 ellip? Why?

Its being given to me by a friend, off his old project. I am cheap, what can i say.

[Goatman]

What's a unirail?


My XJ's have a frame.........it just happens to be hard mounted to the body, but it is a frame, it runs from the front bumper clear to the back bumper.


Sorry, I can't see enough of what you're doing to comment.

[ashmanjeepXJ]

How do the sliders tie into the frame?

Your B-hoop and C- hoop have no X brace in the cab. Its completely open front to back and is not a strong design.

Its ugly

I would cut off your rear tube and start over on the rear, raise the gas tank and build around that. Start with a rear hoop kinda like the top of a truck bed, tie it into the rear bumper then into the C-hoop.

[jeepxj86]

Originally Posted by ashmanjeepXJ

How do the sliders tie into the frame?

Your B-hoop and C- hoop have no X brace in the cab. Its completely open front to back and is not a strong design.

Its ugly

I would cut off your rear tube and start over on the rear, raise the gas tank and build around that. Start with a rear hoop kinda like the top of a truck bed, tie it into the rear bumper then into the C-hoop.

The sliders are gusseted to the rail.
I thought the cross brace in the cab and the rear would be a given to anyone. I guess i was wrong. Maybe i should have supplied more information.
As for it being ugly, i wasnt trying to make it qualify for a fashion show.

[Goatman]

I don't get why you're going outside of the body lines on the C pillar, and then inside for the D pillar. The D pillar takes quite a bit of abuse, it's what usually hits and scrapes down the rocks. It's nice to have it positioned so it keeps the rocks off the rest of the structure......and it needs to be strong enough.

I don't like the lines you outlined with tape, that looks pretty useless to me....and while you might not be going for a beauty contest, it doesn't have to be real unpleasant to look at. I'd run the bar from the top of the C pillar where it connects to the C down bar down to the back corner of what will be your bumper. Then run from that bar down to reinforce your spring or shock mount or whatever that short piece of frame reinforcement is. Hard really to get ideas from what you've shown so far.

A very good rule of thumb to use in cage building is to create as many nodes as possible, where multiple tubes come together at one point. You can build a cage with virtually no dead end bars, meaning a bar that intersects another bar in the middle. Try to make as many tubes as possible connect where other tubes are coming together.

[jeepxj86]

Goatman, i appreciate the information which you gave. I cut out what i had and went in this direction. The tube on the rear bumper is center above the rear shackle mount. As i said before there is going to be a 3/4 elipitical mounted. It will be tied to the rear bumper and the forward unirail mount which i made. I didnt mention before but the tank will be mounted in the rear and wheelbase is going to be stretched another 5". this will put the rear of my tire inline with the old rear shackle mount. I hope these pictures explain things a little better.

[Little Mike]

Looking like there is going to be a lot more strenght in this design. Makes it a lot easier to see whats going on with the stuff out of the backaswell. Is there any plans to bring the gastank up, and out of the way? Fuelcell maybe?

[jeepxj86]

Originally Posted by Little Mike

Looking like there is going to be a lot more strenght in this design. Makes it a lot easier to see whats going on with the stuff out of the backaswell. Is there any plans to bring the gastank up, and out of the way? Fuelcell maybe?

The tank is going to be mounted up and the axle moved back another 5". That is going to set the rear of the tire inline with the old factory shackle hanger.

[Goatman]

What you've drawn this time looks like it will be much stronger, and it looks better.

Good luck with your project........

[wheelchairman]

how many times did you rebend the top right tube in the last pic? It looks totally crooked and its cut so what are your plans there? Just reconnect it or cut it out and start over?

[jeepxj86]

Originally Posted by wheelchairman

how many times did you rebend the top right tube in the last pic? It looks totally crooked and its cut so what are your plans there? Just reconnect it or cut it out and start over?

That is part of the old exo, when it was full bodied. The rear is going to be about 6-8" narrower per side, so it is no longer being used.