[axle bender]

I had a hard time coming up with a name for my project, until it dawned on me this thing is eating up money lake a shredder eats paper so SHREDDER it is.

We picked this up a couple years ago 98 TJ 4 "lift 33 10.50 tires.

It didn't take me long to figure out I wanted lockers, my last 4x had welded diffs front and rear and well every one says to build it the way you want it the first time and the lockers and gears cost about the dame for a d44 compared to d60 so what the heck.

Build start date 9-2011 the original plan:
1 tons gears and lockers
40" tires with bead locks
double triangulated rear
3 link front
hydro assist
coil overs front
coils rear
stretch the wb a little
keep it low with a flat skid and nothing hanging down (even the link mounts)
After i got it back on the road a cage would be next then some corner guards.


Latest plan as of 3-30-11
Gonna go full hydro steering
wheel base 108-110 undecided
frame height 22" belly height 21.5"
14" ORI's all the way around

I ended up finding a D60 rear with 5.13 gears, ARB and disc breaks for $800. With the WMS that i wanted 66" so it came home with me.
Then a 88 ford front 60 was found from a dually with single rear wheel hubs, from what i figured out if i cut 2 1/8" off the passenger side that will put it at 67" WMS perfect!
While my dad was here visiting we built the frond end what a great project for father and son, before he arrived I was able to get it cut down and the knuckle welded on.

Went with 4340 axles throughout and 35 sp outers, ARB, 5.13 rears, king pin rebuild kits, new discs and calipers, was gonna run the factory knuckles now I'm gonna beef them up first.

I ended up buying a set of 40" BFG km2's slightly used from a local guy.

 

[axle bender]

Once the front axle was done a pile of parts appeared on the side of the house, ya the cutting torch had a mind of it's own.

So i built s new rear frame with 2x4 box tube and 1/4 " plate that i had bent.

 

[matts88yj]

Nice work! I wish mine was that clean before I started working on it! Seems like no matter how much I pressure wash it before I always miss a spot underneath and of course that's right where I need to work.

Looks like it will be a very clean build!

 

[axle bender]

I decided having the trani mount on the skid was a bad thing so i built a cross member for the trani mount 2x2 sq tube, frenched in 1 x 1/2" flat bar for cv clearance, boxed it all in.
Crossmember will also provide strength for the skid.

My original plan was to get some steel wheels for cheep and then weld on some bead locks, I have had experience with bead locks before not home made ones manufactured ones and they were always leaking a royal pain in the *** and buy the time you add up the cost with time you are getting close to aluminum bead locks any way so i finally decided to pull the trigger on some wheels, I tried to get walker evens but they were on BO for a couple months so polly performance cut me a deal on some racelines.

 

[axle bender]

Well time to buy more goodies.
All rod ends from ruff stuff, 1.25 3/4 shank lowers, 7/8 uppers on the rear,1.25 for the front upper,7/8 for the track bar. This 1.25's are huge.

Built a press break

Air over hydro cylinder for a tube gender to be built at some time.

Balistic fab cover and cross over steer kit.

Then i started on the truss for the rear axle,Ya thats right thoes are dimple dies.

 

[axle bender]

Then it was time to start on the rear 4 link, my plan from the start has been to build it with a flush with frame belly and a smooth transition from belly to link mounts, nothing hanging down to snag on rocks. This has proven to be a major pain it the rear but so far doable. first I built a cross member just about like the trani mount,the skid plate will be supported by it and it's smooth to the links. After many hours on the 4 link calculator and measuring this is what i came up with.

Upper mounts

Truss mounts

 

[axle bender]

 

[UCTJ]

Cool. Ive seen PVC used for similulated links before but not angle iron. Nice work on the backhalf and the crossmember.

 

[Dookey]

Cool. Ive seen PVC used for similulated links before

That's what all the cool kids are doing. :flipoff2:

 

[mallard15]

Looks great man. Can't wait to see it finished.

 

[axle bender]

Thanks for the complements guys, this is my first real build so any suggestions would be great.

I'M trying to keep it low with 5" of bump and not cut the tub up to much, gotta leave room for the family.The way it sits now the truss will clear the tub buy a 1/2" at full bump.


Sense the 4 link got finished It was time to start on the fuel cell, even though the rci is a pretty good fit I wanted some thing to fit in a specific location. I could have modified the rci to fit but in my opinion the rci is a little to thin walled for our application and I wanted to keep the weight as low as possible.

So i built my own fuel cell, 1/8" aluminum, 1 1/2" lower that the rci, 1 gal more than the rci (the rci is only 14 gal if you do the math) and it's just the way i want it.
The cost well probably about the same as the rci around 200.00 + about 50.00 for fuel lines and connectors.

Started on the bed for the cell first,1/8" plate dimpled.

I built a cross member support of sorts out of 1/2 x1/2 angle that goes from frame and stops 4 " short on the passenger side then turn and goes to the rear bumper this leaves a channel for the exhaust to run also has a noch for the pumpkin to clear.

 

[axle bender]

Time to build the fuel cell.

I reused the factory fuel tank straps just had to modify them a bit.

I bought some weather seal from NAPA that worked out perfect, It's got enough give that the tank can move around separate from the body and the passenger compartment will still remain sealed.

Also bought some 1/4" thick belting from grainger with a real low durometer for the tank to sit on so the frame can flex around with out flexing the tank.

 

[billybadass411]

Smart.

 

[jalbrecht42]

Lots of neat/clean work. I like it. So does the tailgate still open with the filler neck like that? It's hard to tell, but it looks like you fill it through a hole in the tailgate... ? More pics please

 

[miguelitojeep]

wow. clean garage and clean work!! Very nice work. Cant wait to see it finished.

 

[cowmooflage]

very clean

 

[geberhard]

Very cool! Dig the cell and craddle! How are you dimpling?

 

[axle bender]

Lots of neat/clean work. I like it. So does the tailgate still open with the filler neck like that? It's hard to tell, but it looks like you fill it through a hole in the tailgate... ? More pics please

The tail gate is still in factory condition, you just half to open the tailgate to fill it up.
The filler neck cap clears the tail gate latch mechanism cover buy 1/4"

 

[axle bender]

Thanks guys for the kudos, so far i have built this all buy my self in my small 2 peanut car garage with no fancy tools or equipment.

Believe it or not i made my dimple dies at home with what i could find around the garage, 2 of them are made with 1/2" plate and some tube the other one is a combination of big eye bolts and a tube adaptor. I know its poor boy redneck and the dimples aren't quite perfect but hay it was cheep (free), it works, and i'll probably wont use them agin when this project is done.

 

[DutchVDub]

That looks good man, excellent work so far.