Project Ugly

[willy05tj]

after serving as a daily driver for my dad from 1990 till 2005 (530k miles on the stock drive train) i finally decided to build a dedicated trail rig.
so far:
-cut of behind b-pillar rear part of cage almost finished
-relocated gastank above frame rails (gonna redo with a fuel cell)
-one-link style rear with flipped leaf springs stretched wheel base to almost 102" (need to add limiting straps and remount shocks in better possition and find longer ones)
-welded rear diff.
-have a pair of Bride 240sx seats and a pair of 4-points that still need to be installed.
-6.5:1 kit
-rock lights

still need to finish:
-rear half of cage and gusset
-t-case cradle and flat skid
- gussset one link setup and crossmember

plans:
-rear drive disconnect lever
-scout dana 44's shaved w/ 5.38's detroit front spool rear chromoly's and ctm's
-exo-cage from b-pillar forward
-boatside the bitch
-link the front w/ ballistic fab air shocks extend the wheel base about 8" forward so i'll be at 110"
- 38.5" tsl sx, 39" pitbull rockers, or LTB 4d's
-hydro steer and high steer
-add 4" to front of frame to set the winch in and move the radiator back a few inches and install an e-fan
-plate the back half with aluminum
-ditch the front fenders

pics when i work on it again

[Bass Man]

Originally Posted by willy05tj

after serving as a daily driver for my dad from 1990 till 2005 (530k miles on the stock drive train) i finally decided to build a dedicated trail rig.
so far:
-cut of behind b-pillar rear part of cage almost finished This is known as a Targa Bar
-relocated gastank above frame rails (gonna redo with a fuel cell)I bolted my skid plate down, then used that to support my gas tank. No extra mounts!!
-one-link style rear with flipped leaf springs stretched wheel base to almost 102" (need to add limiting straps and remount shocks in better possition and find longer ones)You may want to reallllly reconsider doing that 1/4 elliptical suspention
-welded rear diff.
-have a pair of Bride 240sx seats and a pair of 4-points that still need to be installed.WRITE UP REQUIRED!!
-6.5:1 kit from low range on the way
-rock lightsHarbor frieght carries oval fog lights for $15 for everything needed to install... They are bright and they are cheap to replace(you will need to replace ANY rock light often if unprotected.)

still need to finish:
-rear half of cage and gusset I welded a stock roll bar horizontally to my stock roll bar. GREAT base to work from after you cut the rear off.
-t-case cradle and flat skid For $200, buy the Trail Tough Mighty Kong.
- gussset one link setup and crossmember

plans:
-rear drive disconnect lever You are already buy from Trail Tough, get a Mighty Kong.
-either toy's or scout dana 44's oppinions and which ever i end up going with will be built before i put them in Less expencive to build Toys. Scouts are heavy and hard to build.
-exo-cage from b-pillar forward
-boatside the bitch
-link the front w/ ballistic fab air shocks extend the wheel base about 8" forward so i'll be at 110"
- 38.5" tsl sx or 39" pitbull rockers You can't beat Rockers... You can ask anyone.
-hydro steer and high steer
-add 4" to front of frame to set the winch in and move the radiator back a few inches and install an e-fan
-plate the back half with aluminum
-ditch the front fenders

pics when i work on it again

Looks like you are doing what I did!

[mikeb273]

Where in Southern ill are you located?

Sounds like you have a lot of work to do!

[willy05tj]

bout 20 miles south of st.louis is where i live but the zuk is in baldwin

[willy05tj]

Originally Posted by Bass Man

Looks like you are doing what I did!

kinda but its gonna have enough room in the back still for a tool box and camping gear and spare parts.

[moveaside]

Originally Posted by Bass Man

Looks like you are doing what I did!

No boatsides aren't went you smash the sheet metal and cave it in Cool looking rig I bet its fun to wheel the piss out of.
Alright back on track I want to see more of this upside leaf spring setup so post some pics. Are you talking about quarter ecleptic where the leaf is upside down and cut in half??? Buy a red star man I'm curious to see what she looks like so far. Don't worry every sammy is like a girl in a bar she was a 2 at 10pm and she's a 10 at 2am. Its usually a much cheaper date. For instance Bass man is telling you those Harbor Freight light are fifteen bucks when I just bought mine for 13 bucks. Listen to some of these other guys who aren't just throwing ridiculous money at high dollar rigs like him. Can you imagine how much money he must have tied into that trailer fender for it to withstand the abuse of doubling as a RTI ramp

[Bass Man]

Originally Posted by moveaside

No boatsides aren't went you smash the sheet metal and cave it in Cool looking rig I bet its fun to wheel the piss out of.
Alright back on track I want to see more of this upside leaf spring setup so post some pics. Are you talking about quarter ecleptic where the leaf is upside down and cut in half??? Buy a red star man I'm curious to see what she looks like so far. Don't worry every sammy is like a girl in a bar she was a 2 at 10pm and she's a 10 at 2am. Its usually a much cheaper date. For instance Bass man is telling you those Harbor Freight light are fifteen bucks when I just bought mine for 13 bucks. Listen to some of these other guys who aren't just throwing ridiculous money at high dollar rigs like him. Can you imagine how much money he must have tied into that trailer fender for it to withstand the abuse of doubling as a RTI ramp

That's funny right there! lol

[willy05tj]

Originally Posted by moveaside

No boatsides aren't went you smash the sheet metal and cave it in Cool looking rig I bet its fun to wheel the piss out of.
Alright back on track I want to see more of this upside leaf spring setup so post some pics. Are you talking about quarter ecleptic where the leaf is upside down and cut in half??? Buy a red star man I'm curious to see what she looks like so far. Don't worry every sammy is like a girl in a bar she was a 2 at 10pm and she's a 10 at 2am. Its usually a much cheaper date. For instance Bass man is telling you those Harbor Freight light are fifteen bucks when I just bought mine for 13 bucks. Listen to some of these other guys who aren't just throwing ridiculous money at high dollar rigs like him. Can you imagine how much money he must have tied into that trailer fender for it to withstand the abuse of doubling as a RTI ramp

thats on the to do list with buying a new memory card for the camera.
yeah my girlfriend works at a farm store so i get them for about $10 with her discount. i have fun breaking them alot when i use to wheel my jeep.

[willy05tj]

well just got off the phone with low range the 6.5:1 kit is sending out today and should be here either friday or first of next week.
the rear disconnect i plan to order from low range when i order the twin stick on next paycheck most likely

also bass man you mentioned the mighty kong but what about the newer model? the h.d. t-case cradle w/ extra gripping power and its only $10 more. also do these come with the h.d. mount?

[Fargo33]

hey willyand mikeb, good to see a couple of so. ill. boys around here now and then! i'm on the other side of the state though! willy, i am getting all the parts collected to do my sammie build too, i am actually selling all my jeep stuff to finance, just recieved the t.t. driveline disconnect and it looks great, got the 6.5:1 gears too, sent rockrat my tracker t-case to get a shogun box and a bunch of other stuff sitting in the corner, i'm going yotas and 39'' rockers for sure though, ive got some waggy 44's with offset rear if your interested..... mikeb i just saw a picture of your tracker on here somewhere a couple days ago, looks like a rpm4x4 type rig sorry for the thread jack! post pics soon

[willy05tj]

Originally Posted by Fargo33

hey willyand mikeb, good to see a couple of so. ill. boys around here now and then! i'm on the other side of the state though! willy, i am getting all the parts collected to do my sammie build too, i am actually selling all my jeep stuff to finance, just recieved the t.t. driveline disconnect and it looks great, got the 6.5:1 gears too, sent rockrat my tracker t-case to get a shogun box and a bunch of other stuff sitting in the corner, i'm going yotas and 39'' rockers for sure though, ive got some waggy 44's with offset rear if your interested..... mikeb i just saw a picture of your tracker on here somewhere a couple days ago, looks like a rpm4x4 type rig sorry for the thread jack! post pics soon

sounds about like me with offin the heep to fund a zuk so far this has been much more of a joy to build and work on since it ain't a d.d. and my deadline is whenever i feel like finishing it up. if i wasn't convinced that toy's would work well for me i would be tempted to pick the waggy axles up. but i'm startin to think as long as i stick to a semi stock 1.3l toy's will work for me. if i go bigger engine wise, i'll just go rockwells and build a new frame and set a sami body on it and tube the fawk out of it 115"w.b. reverse 4-link front one link rear and coilovers all around and 47" ltb's probably will be my next build after the gf has the baby and she finishes college.
all this is gonna be is a trail basher that she'll drive once i build the buggy i really want. the money is even sitting in savings right now to do it but the economy sucks and got a baby on the way.

[Bass Man]

The Mighty Kong doubles as a skid plate.

[sami-stine]

Originally Posted by Bass Man

The Mighty Kong doubles as a skid plate.

but yet still wont keep the t-case from lifting out of it! we had to mod the crap out of one to keep the case in it. it not cheep and to have to work on it still hmmm i built mine for less than they want for theres.

[willy05tj]

had a little fun on new years in the zuk and ended up havin the t-case shifter pop out guess its time to order the twin stick

[willy05tj]

6.5:1 showed up today.



i have my t-case apart and sitting in the parts washer at the moment to get some build up off the case. still can't believe how good of shape it was in for the mileage everything still looked like new and no metal shavings, leaks, bearings in good shape and nothing is broken.
may put it together tonight if i head down to the shop

[Yankee Tim]

Originally Posted by Bass Man

You can't beat Rockers... You can ask anyone.

Ask me! Hands down the best DOT-Legal mud tire I've ever driven OR rode on. Unbelieveable traction and a sidewall that can take more abuse than a red-headed step son.

And the price is nice to boot.

[willy05tj]

Originally Posted by Yankee Tim

Ask me! Hands down the best DOT-Legal mud tire I've ever driven OR rode on. Unbelieveable traction and a sidewall that can take more abuse than a red-headed step son.

And the price is nice to boot.

a buddy runs them in RROCK and loves them and a guy in one of the clubs i run with has them on his scout.
i wouldn't mind running the 40" ltb's as i loved the 34" ltb's i had on my jeep.

[slickrock209]

ohh ahh new shiny parts

[mikeb273]

Originally Posted by Fargo33

hey willyand mikeb, good to see a couple of so. ill. boys around here now and then! i'm on the other side of the state though! mikeb i just saw a picture of your tracker on here somewhere a couple days ago, looks like a rpm4x4 type rig sorry for the thread jack! post pics soon

Illinois is taking this place over! I live in Eldorado so i am on the east side of the state.

My tracker was built by me and a few buddies. I didnt try to make it look like anything i had seen...just started cutting until it was how i wanted.

Sorry about the hi-jack!

[willy05tj]

6.5:1 installed today and actually is really easy to put together (even without instructions) as long as you have a pressjust remember to put all the little balls back in and don't mismatch bolts. It acts 100x better crawlin around and when gopin up ledges it usually will idle up as long as the tires were dry. Put it in two low in the shop and pressed the brakes and for the first time in its life i think it did a burnout.
I'll post up some poser pics and suspension next weekend since i left my camera at the shop.

[LittleBlackSambo]

Originally Posted by willy05tj

just remember to put all the little balls back in

actually, you want to leave one of the little balls out. if 'yer talkin big build, you should know that already.

[Bass Man]

I made 2 T-cases 2Lo in the past 3 days. The middle detent ball doesn't need to go back in.

[willy05tj]

At first i put just had the middle one in the shifters then realized i didn't have any type of 2wd high or low hold. took it out and put the the outer of the two in.

[willy05tj]

just ordered a few maintence parts from trail tough and got to thinking about t-case mounting. right now money is cheaper than fab time.
anyone have any expierence with the rock4x d.i.y. bucket?
i'll be redoing my frame mounts (factory looks way to thin for me i'm thinking 1/4" would be better) and might save some time an order the spidertrax arm to save some time aswell

[willy05tj]

one link rear with leafs upside down