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Begining of a dovetail...

Willis

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Hoquiam, WA
Did this Labor Day weekend with the help of a friend:

Cut it off:
dovetail01.jpg


Putting it back on, 4 inches inward:
dovetail02.jpg


dovetail03.jpg


Here we welded in some 1x1 to add some rigidity. There is still a lot more I need to add to get the strength back.
dovetail04.jpg
 
Passenger protection:
dovetail09.jpg


I opened up each wheelwell a bit cause I'm moving my axle back a few inches and I want to clear 35s with the least lift possible. Those are very worn 32s with 3" of lift.
dovetail10.jpg


Had to make some mud flaps to stay legal for the drive home:
dovetail11.jpg


dovetail12.jpg


Still lots of work to do, but it's a start! It will get oval LEDs and a lot more sheet metal thrown at it before too long...

Steve
 
The mudflaps are temporary, but a removable version will be made in the future. This thing will be getting an exo/inner cage combination and some tire coverage will be built in.

The purpose is more "why not?" I see so many people adding all this steel and plastic to the fenders for protection, I thought "why not just move them in and out of the way?". There is less to get hung up on, and less to hit. I added the extra steel more to box it all in, but that is still a long way off. It's still the begining stages here. Plus, I wanted to open the fenders up to move the axle back. After doing all the inner fender cutting, it really wasn't that much harder to do this.
 
You just couldn't go all the way, huh! Should have just flatbedded it ;)

That looks like a good start - what are you going to do for the wheelwells and the old cargo window pinch seam...

How long until it can hit the trail?

Matt
 
I understand your thought on this by tucking everything in a little I like it and I under stand that you are making the flairs/mudflap removable but my Question is you keep referring to this as a dove tail but not to the extent of the procees.... Why didnt you make it a full dove tail, and do you see any more allowable flex from what you already had.... I really do like the TJ gas filler neck that you incorperated in the project... Ohhhh and while Im here has anyone ever made a XJ dove tail to the full extent? pics maybe..
 
XTrmXJ said:
I understand your thought on this by tucking everything in a little I like it and I under stand that you are making the flairs/mudflap removable but my Question is you keep referring to this as a dove tail but not to the extent of the procees.... Why didnt you make it a full dove tail, and do you see any more allowable flex from what you already had.... I really do like the TJ gas filler neck that you incorperated in the project... Ohhhh and while Im here has anyone ever made a XJ dove tail to the full extent? pics maybe..

is the "full extent" measured in inches or metric units???

Looks groovy, Willis.
 
what rear window is that?



just curious, you was worried about breaking the law so you added mud flaps but you didnt run with blinkers/brake lights? :D just messin...


looks awesome
 
looking good, keep us updated w/pics
 
Matt said:
You just couldn't go all the way, huh! Should have just flatbedded it ;)

That looks like a good start - what are you going to do for the wheelwells and the old cargo window pinch seam...

How long until it can hit the trail?

Matt

Believe me, I thought flat bed. I just didn't want to be like someone else in this area :D

The pinch seams will all be boxed in around the windows and cut off next to the tail lights. I'm not sure what to do with the one on the bottom yet.

It's probably not going to be trail ready until next summer. I need to build my axles before I can put on my 35s.

mission-inc said:
Is that a porsche 356? :loveu:

Nope, I think its a 50 Chevy or Ford or Merc or something old and bubbly. This was done at a friend's house, that's their project.

XTrmXJ said:
I understand your thought on this by tucking everything in a little I like it and I under stand that you are making the flairs/mudflap removable but my Question is you keep referring to this as a dove tail but not to the extent of the procees.... Why didnt you make it a full dove tail, and do you see any more allowable flex from what you already had.... I really do like the TJ gas filler neck that you incorperated in the project... Ohhhh and while Im here has anyone ever made a XJ dove tail to the full extent? pics maybe..

Guess I don't know what you mean by "full extent". Are you refering to how far in the sides go? I took each side in 4 inches. My original plan was to take it in 8 inches on each side. When I had the sides cut off, I took them in even with the shackle boxes. The panel behind the MJ cab is so short, taking them in 8" sure looked odd. It was way too much angle. So we just kept backing them out until it looked good. The other concideration was how to make a filler neck. With the driver's side taken in much more, some serious re-working of the fuel filler would be needed. As is, that took up most of our time. The passenger side was easy-squeezy. The filler hose goes through the frame, so we'd have had to cut the floor inside the frame and reroute the hose up and over the frame rail since the filler neck would have been right above the frame rail. Only taking it in 4 inches allowed us to reshape the filler neck and keep the stock hoses, just cut them shorter.

This hasn't allowed for more flex or anything, but since I am moving my axle backward, it has allowed me to cut my fenders open more for larger tires.

hpi_jeep said:
what rear window is that?

just curious, you was worried about breaking the law so you added mud flaps but you didnt run with blinkers/brake lights? :D just messin...

looks awesome

The rear of the cab was done with a Comanche cab. See this thread for info:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22917

The stock lights went back on for the trip home, but that bulge on the inside will be cut off, and oval LEDs will be added.

Thanks for all the comments!

Steve
 
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