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Chop $$$$$ once again please

P

partsbill

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Eastern NC
I read all the info on chopping the rear of an Xj and all seem to talk about the cost of @$2000. As I look at my own cherokee and wonder, all I can see is some sawzall blades, some steel and welder(which I have), and some filler and paint. Could someone who has done this please break it out for me a little more so as to prepare for the ??inevitable??

Thanks
Bill Godwin
 
Derpends on your skill and tools. Got a bender? if not thats $$ for the work. The big cost you have already ID'ed......the inevitable unexpected stuff, wiring, finishing the interior, a top, etc...



Rev
 
I think I know a weld is not as strong as a bend, but if I were to cut the roll bar for the top as well as the side supports that will probably come down like a CJ-7 for the bend vs. buy or borrow for a bender, would it still work? I'm thinking maybe 3-4 cuts then welding the cuts to make 90 degree turn.

Then the price of $1500-$2000 that I have seen quoted would be a good ways on the outer limit. I was thinking the whole job, of course for myself w/o the labor price, would be more like in the neighborhood of $250.00.

Since I'm in the dealer auto parts business, I have access to many body shops for parts and materials(such as paint work and old sheetmetal for repairs) that I'm sure will cut the cost down even more.

I'll try to keep a running tab for all's information

10.67 5-dewalt recip blades

Bill
 
I asked about cutting and welding the bars also, I had to farm out my bending. I will share with you what I was told...

-You better be a damn good welder.
-You will further the assumption that Jeepers are hillbillys.
-It will work, but, YOU BETTER BE A DAMN GOOD WELDER.

I decided that it was money well spent to have it bent, it is after all, your life on the line. Rmember you need more than just a roll bar, you need a cage. You need to re-distribute the forces that used to have the body to act upon and direct them back into the "frame". look at Goatman, OneTon, Beezil, and others to see what nees to be done.

Rev
 
"-You better be a damn good welder."

I am not!!

"-You will further the assumption that Jeepers are hillbillys."

We are, aren't we? I am anyway........

-It will work, but, YOU BETTER BE A DAMN GOOD WELDER.

I know whats needed is a cage, BUT do you put your life on the line in a factory welded XJ with no cage? At the very least, a thin sheet metal d-pillar or even a rear cab corner from a MJ should be as adequate as the factory set-up. When a cut and welded roll-bar/cage is added to that, shouldn't it be more substantial? I'm not a rockcrawler and do most of my 4-wheeling on the beach and have yet to see one flipped over or on its side on the beach. Yet I have seen many xj's with the top caved in when the vehicle is in a wreck and the top fails.

Bill
 
A cage is not necessarily needed, & in your case might not be worth the expense. When I did my chop my goal was to build more structural integrity into it than it had in stock form, without adding a cage. I knew I would eventually add a cage, but I wanted to add it to an already sound structure. I tested mine on several Hammer runs & BOTW 2 before I added an 8 point cage.
As far as cost goes, I filled a bag with $7 flappers, that was a good chunk of unexpected change.
As far as welding goes, you'll learn as you go. But learning on sheet metal is not fun.
Paul
 
Paul S said:
A cage is not necessarily needed, & in your case might not be worth the expense. When I did my chop my goal was to build more structural integrity into it than it had in stock form, without adding a cage. I knew I would eventually add a cage, but I wanted to add it to an already sound structure. I tested mine on several Hammer runs & BOTW 2 before I added an 8 point cage.
As far as cost goes, I filled a bag with $7 flappers, that was a good chunk of unexpected change.
As far as welding goes, you'll learn as you go. But learning on sheet metal is not fun.
Paul
Click to expand...

What's a $7 flapper?:confused:

I'm not trying to disagree with the statements of all that I have read about putting a cage in it or on it or around it, just if it is ACTUALLY deemed necessary to bring the XJ back to original structural integrity once it is chopped? If you take a chopped xj and add a rear cab corner of a mj to it, then you have a completed unibody to the front floor of the remaining bed. All 2.3' of it. It may make it unstable to tow a trailer behind it or put something substantial in the bed, but is it not a complete structure?
Bill
 
Perhaps i have misunderstood your project. If you are adding the back half of a MJ cab, I can see where you would be tempted to run without a cage. Anytime you cut the unibody of an XJ you need to understand that the forces that acted on that part of the body NEED to be redistributed. I am not arguing with those that have run an cut XJ without a cage, there are many, even I did for a short time. I would recommend that you still look at the works of Goatman and Beezil (before the latest cut) for ideas of what needs to be reinforced.

I stand by the cage recommendation, and always will. I will also bow out of this discussion now as you are doing something different than i thought and others will be able to give you more accurate information than I.


Good luck, take lots of pictures.
Rev
 
Rev Den said:
Perhaps i have misunderstood your project. If you are adding the back half of a MJ cab, I can see where you would be tempted to run without a cage. Anytime you cut the unibody of an XJ you need to understand that the forces that acted on that part of the body NEED to be redistributed. I am not arguing with those that have run an cut XJ without a cage, there are many, even I did for a short time. I would recommend that you still look at the works of Goatman and Beezil (before the latest cut) for ideas of what needs to be reinforced.

I stand by the cage recommendation, and always will. I will also bow out of this discussion now as you are doing something different than i thought and others will be able to give you more accurate information than I.


Good luck, take lots of pictures.
Rev
Click to expand...

I haven't changed from my initial design. I plan on doing the chop just as the red cherokee by AEV. Open back with a 2x4 box shaped roll bar. It will probably be bent by someone and finished the rest of the way by me.
Bill

and I'll try to remember to take plenty of pics.
 
partsbill said:
I haven't changed from my initial design. I plan on doing the chop just as the red cherokee by AEV. Open back with a 2x4 box shaped roll bar. It will probably be bent by someone and finished the rest of the way by me.
Bill

and I'll try to remember to take plenty of pics.
Click to expand...

I left mine open in the back, so yes, it can be done without a cage. From what you have said about your needs/wheeling, I wouldn't bother with a cage. Once you cut it up, you will have plenty of options for making it stronger than before.
Paul
 
partsbill said:
I haven't changed from my initial design. I plan on doing the chop just as the red cherokee by AEV. Open back with a 2x4 box shaped roll bar. It will probably be bent by someone and finished the rest of the way by me.
Bill

and I'll try to remember to take plenty of pics.
Click to expand...

Bent box tube... your gonna have trouble finding a shop that has a die that can bend 2x4 box.. it will be easier to just go with tube.

Hossfield makes box tube dies for there benders. They are not as common as round tub, so round tube is cheeper to get bent.

Cage it.
 
Im doin the same thing........
The wrect. tube can be formed along the roof line by applying
heat at multipule points to one side of the tube....this is refered
to as cambering.....work from yhe center out in equal areas.....IE;
Center......8".......14".......etc. If you take your time, you'll easily
achive roof line arch.(Ya do this outside of the XJ and compare it
to roof line after cooling)
As far as the rear roll bar of that red AEV XJ goes....its not tube....
its plate steel rolled, formed, welded and ground to create that
shape.......this is where your welding/fab. skills will play a role, if
you cant pull it off.....you'll have a weak bar that looks like crap!!!
I didnt wanna cut mine open till the lift was in, lifts in but now my
areas alil cramped!! Cant wait to start though....

MC
 
partsbill said:
I read all the info on chopping the rear of an Xj and all seem to talk about the cost of @$2000. As I look at my own cherokee and wonder, all I can see is some sawzall blades, some steel and welder(which I have), and some filler and paint. Could someone who has done this please break it out for me a little more so as to prepare for the ??inevitable??

Thanks
Bill Godwin
Click to expand...
I'M FINISHED!! I have completed the chop on the 93 cherokee and will soon post some pictures on a community webshots website. Sorry , I have no in process pics but will fill it in on whats where. Anyone still interested in this project?

Bill
 
Nice Job
 
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