Project Piss Off My Neighbors and Set My Condo on Fire

[gtxracer]

Pictures from the mockup, looks like 4" is easiest with a possible 5" if I trim the back of the link bridge. I'll trim it but I want to stick with a 4" rear stretch and take the rest out front. See for yourself...


**sorry for the crappy pics, the lighting isn't the best under the rig**










decent uptravel clearance


tank clearance looks good




I really like how these mounts came out

[PacificNWestJeeper]

Nice, it's coming along real well! It's amazing how easily those frame brackets (control arm) come off. I used an air hammer and they peeled right off, amazing they didn't come off wheeling.
I can't wait to see what you end up with on the sway bar setup. Keep going dude!

[gtxracer]

Originally Posted by PacificNWestJeeper

Nice, it's coming along real well! It's amazing how easily those frame brackets (control arm) come off. I used an air hammer and they peeled right off, amazing they didn't come off wheeling.
I can't wait to see what you end up with on the sway bar setup. Keep going dude!

Thank you, it's been a lot of work but I like it. I was surprised at the welding of the factory mounts...they looked like they were done by an entry level welder, not someone certified. I used an air hammer on my last jeep but my current air hammer is weak. I just ground down the outer edge, hit it with a hammer, then plasma'ed the rest.

Hopefully more progress tomorrow. I got a little over a week before classes start again and my time will be limited.

[Necromancer_tat]

Nice work!

[UCTJ]

Nice work Trevin glad to see things coming along.

[gtxracer]

Originally Posted by Necromancer_tat

Nice work!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by UCTJ

Nice work Trevin glad to see things coming along.

Thanks Shawn

Arms From Dirt Fab came in...glad I ordered them versus building...saved me at least two days fab time


Cut out the final link tower



Cut the frame brackets for the front


I forgot to take pics of the tacked in Poly mounts on the frame brackets. I used the 10 degree mounts on the front since the arms were shorter and it has more triangulation than the rear for the lowers.

Here's everything mocked up. Again, sorry for the crappy pics


Link tower, lots of lines and cables in the way but they're easy to manage


No weight on the oil pan, just there as a safety precaution. And yes I know I dented it...lots of stumps up here.


set to 0 degrees, everything looks good


frame side of the mounts

[gtxracer]

The coil situation...think I'm just going to move it back 3 inches but I don't like the stock mount and most of it is getting cut off anyway. Might just make a quick mount from the leftover 3x3 box.


view from the front axle...10* brackets are perfect


Here's the track bar and steering clearances. This is a 3" stretch...not a problem. Make a track bar with a bend and run the stock steering or something like it - done. But I don't like how much the steering box hangs down so I'm probably going to rotate it up.


from the other side


View from the front axle...just what I want to see

[Hickeyjones]

Your frame brackets have got me pretty motivated to link my YJ'S front end. What size box did you cut up for the base of your brackets? It seems to slip over the frame nicely.

[gtxracer]

They're 3x3.250 box. Cut off one side and now it's a frame bracket. Hard part is making sure your links are not going to end up at a bend in the frame. I wish these things had a straight frame.

[gtxracer]

I was in the garage earlier measuring and making sure I can order my upper links. I started looking the track bar and the steering box. I rotated it up...and it only moved the pitman arm 1/2" forward. Not worth the move. So I'm going to make it all work with the box in the stock location AND a flat track bar. This should be interesting...

[EricsGreen98Tj]

Glad you aint moving the location of the box. I wanna stretch the front of mine 2-3" too so Im going to see what goes on with you steering linkage. Post alot of pics involving the steering if you can.

I like the rear too man especially how well your axle fits in the cutout..

[gtxracer]

Originally Posted by EricsGreen98Tj

Glad you aint moving the location of the box. I wanna stretch the front of mine 2-3" too so Im going to see what goes on with you steering linkage. Post alot of pics involving the steering if you can.

I like the rear too man especially how well your axle fits in the cutout..

Thanks, I'm trying to make it work. I will document everything thoroughly since this seems to be a delicate and urgent issue on JF Thanks again on the rear axle, I like how it came out too. Very clean and looks like it's supposed to be there.


Got a chance to do some work today. Just ordered one of these-
http://www.hipoparts.com/products/NA...ering-Box.html



The TJ pitman arm is about 5.25" center to center, maybe a little bit more. This new pitman arm is beefier and 5" eye to eye. Should clear up a some room but have very little affect on my turning radius. For reference, the waggy pitman arm is 6" eye to eye but I would have to move the steering box. Maybe another time if I decide I want more steering.

This thing fell off...


And then I made the tube smooth


Then bud light made an appearance


It was a bit tall, 1" to be exact. This would have built in a 1" lift to the axle. I decide I didn't like that and took it down 1". Made some gussets for it while I was at it.


Cut it out with some plasma action

[gtxracer]

Cut out the spring retainer from the stock coil bucket


Lined it up, tacked it on. I want to shift it more to the outside before final welding since it will try to drive in when articulating


Then cut out the other one...


Started cutting off the other side coil bucket and my plasma stopped arcing. Hmmm....swirl ring cracked in half and disintegrated. Longevity is sending me a few more tomorrow, hope to have them by friday. Until then, I'll have to resort to my new sawzall

[climbit]

not sure if you did this, but might I reccommend moving the coils back on the axle from the stock location.

I wish I had last time I had mine out... would have saved me a ton of headaches and freed up some room.

[gtxracer]

Originally Posted by climbit

not sure if you did this, but might I reccommend moving the coils back on the axle from the stock location.

I wish I had last time I had mine out... would have saved me a ton of headaches and freed up some room.

I should have taken more pictures to show the location They're 3" back from stock right now.

[climbit]

Originally Posted by gtxracer

I should have taken more pictures to show the location They're 3" back from stock right now.

you lucky bastard thats what I wish I had done!

so what's the deal with that front part of the bucket?... seems unnecessary, unless you have some plan for it.

[gtxracer]

Originally Posted by climbit

... seems unnecessary, unless you have some plan for it.

[SLOWPOKE693]

Originally Posted by gtxracer

Track bar mounting?

[gtxracer]

Originally Posted by SLOWPOKE693

Track bar mounting?

[gtxracer]

Alright bear with me, these pictures suck due to lighting but they show what's going on.

Bolted up the steering and stuffed the suspension to show what happens and how tight it is in there. Lucky for me I have some tricks up my sleeve for the track bar and pitman arm.

steering at ride height


stuffed, notice the stock track bar mount = has to go




Started making the new track bar frame bracket. The track bar will be about 32.5" long for anyone wondering.


Came out like this so far. Today's sponsor is Blue Moon.


Mocked up. Came out well but I want it lower and think I will plate the frame at least on the outside and bottom. If not I'll design it with the same material I used for my suspension frame brackets.

[gtxracer]

Hacked off the other coil bucket on the axle and it took forever without the plasma. Took some pictures from the side so you can see why they were cut off. Overall, much easier to do it this way as long as you have a plasma cutter.




Some overall thoughts and observations from today and recently:

#1 - The rear track bar bracket is a gigantic heartless bitch. It's off...but I hate that damn thing. The stock front track bar frame bracket can eat me as well.

#2 - The passenger coil mount is perfect. It needs a little trimming but then the steering will clear it completely. The shocks will mount on the back of the new coil buckets and should come out very well.

#3 - Because of the "kick" of the pitman arm and steering box, it shoves the steering right into the track bar basically. This makes getting a billet pitman arm a very good idea. A billet arm can be bent on a press safely to have the steering pointed straight down instead of kicked back.

Ordered the last of the suspension parts from Dirt Fab today-

2 x 1-1/4 johnny joints w/jam nuts to complete the suspension
3 uppers, 1.75x.120 DOM, TIG'ed inserts
1.5x.250 track bar with TIG'ed inserts

I'll be using some Ruff Stuff 7/8" 3/4 bore heims for the track bar. I had them already and figured I'd try them out. We'll see how I like them.

For those that asked, arm lengths, eye to eye, right now:

rear lowers 31.25"
rear uppers 32.25"
front lowers 28.75" (need to check this)
front upper 28.75"

Just how I wanted it.

[CreepinYJ]

Nice work man. I like your rear brackets.

[gtxracer]

Originally Posted by CreepinYJ

Nice work man. I like your rear brackets.

Thanks. I've been thinking of marketing them. If there's enough interest I'll make a few sets. If they do very well I'll probably buy a yellow star. PM me if you or anyone else is interested.

[Necromancer_tat]

Congrats on your 3000th post! Oh yeah, Jeep mods look cool too btw...

[gtxracer]

Originally Posted by Necromancer_tat

Congrats on your 3000th post! Oh yeah, Jeep mods look cool too btw...

Thanks. Still nothing from longevity but my pitman arm got here as well as some free LCA bushings from a local Jeeper named TDW. Thanks man! Also took off the other rear frame side coil bucket and cleaned up the frame. Still need to take off the front track bar bracket and all the upper control arm brackets but those might wait until its on it's own weight. They're gonna take a while.

Did some measuring of the billet pitman arm and the stock tie rod end (TRE) to reference that you CAN get it machined or reamed out to the correct taper. It's a 1/2" threaded hole when you receive the arm but the factory TRE is slightly bigger than that making it an easy job.

5" eye to eye, 1/4"-3/8" shorter in overall length than a stock TJ pitman arm and can be bent down to clear up more space.


.55 at its widest point


.58 at TRE smallest diameter


TRE largest diameter .61