The CAT Gets a Little Closer to Buggification (no puppy pics...)

Got a lot done this last weekend & I can see light at the end of the tunnel. This all started after I was looking for more wheel base & trashed my reversed rear springs during BOTW 05. A buddy was tearing down & parting out his jeep to fund a buggy project so I fell into a sweet rear axle to build the rear suspension around.
Rear End Specs:
Terra 60 reverse cut diff.
Detroit Locker
Regeared to 5:38's to match the front (good thing to because about every other tooth in the 4:56's that came with the rear end were cracked...)
300m 35 spline axle shafts by CTM with Warn spares
Full float with Wildwood disc brakes.



The 4 link came together pretty nice IMO. I sat & pondered the geometry for hours on end followed by more hours sitting uner the rig with a tape measure. I ended up with 40" long uppers (1.25" x 280 wall, threaded for 3/4" heims) & 45" lowers (1.74" x 250 wall, RE large joints welded directly to the arms). According to the 4 link calc. I have 0 rear steer & around 80% antisquat based on a guessed at CG. These #'s should lead towards a nice predictable, well mannored rear suspension... hopefully. It looks cool sitting in the garage at least. The shocks are Rock Equipment's air shocks along with thier sway bar (I didn't want to give up stability).

Very sexxay Farmer

any pics of the upper mount on the diff?

nice fab work on the axle mounts.

Grant

I dig those calipers and disks.

Looks really good, Matt.

You guys keep raising the bar.



I'm NOT going to build a buggy.
I'm NOT going to build a buggy.
I'm NOT going to build a buggy.
I'm NOT going to build a buggy.
I'm NOT going to build a buggy.
I'm NOT going to build a buggy.
I'm NOT going to build a buggy.
I'm NOT going to build a buggy.

Hey Matt, could you snap a couple good pics of the frame-side mounts?

The rig looks impressive, as always!!!

Do those grade 8 bolts mean that the diff cover is no longer a weld on deal :laugh3:

Paul

Real men weld their diff covers shut.:gag: I still put a small bead across the bottom although I got a little nervous after inspecting Gary's 4:56 gears. Just about every other tooth on the ring gear was fractured! Although I don't suspect I'll beat on it nearly as hard as Gary did, but I've also got smaller gears (5:38's). Oh well, it's full float. If there is a problem than pull the shafts & drag my ass back to Margarita Ville.

Matt

Ok, I see 1, 2, 3, 4 RE Joints. Where did the others go?

FarmerMatt said:

Real men weld their diff covers shut.:gag: I still put a small bead across the bottom although I got a little nervous after inspecting Gary's 4:56 gears. Just about every other tooth on the ring gear was fractured! Although I don't suspect I'll beat on it nearly as hard as Gary did, but I've also got smaller gears (5:38's). Oh well, it's full float. If there is a problem than pull the shafts & drag my ass back to Margarita Ville.

Matt

Click to expand...

It looks great Matt. 35 spline 300M shafts in a full floater dana 60, I don't think you'll break if you tried. What XJ is this now, your original white one you painted yellow/green or another one? I'm confused on this, I think I remember this is a newer one. Hope to see it at Hollister this weekend please bring my tail lights with you if you come, otherwise just send them to me.
Troy

That is some really nice work there!

You said you stretched the wheelbase, where does it sit now and how is the gas tank clearance?

It's the other XJ, the CAT. Yellow and black, all tubed, real pretty.

Big Red said:

It looks great Matt. 35 spline 300M shafts in a full floater dana 60, I don't think you'll break if you tried. What XJ is this now, your original white one you painted yellow/green or another one? I'm confused on this, I think I remember this is a newer one. Hope to see it at Hollister this weekend please bring my tail lights with you if you come, otherwise just send them to me.
Troy

Click to expand...

I've still got the JD. It's been religated to general purpose trail duty / camping. My CAT is my big rock, beat on it, bitch. I got your message about the lights.

Matt

TrailHunter said:

That is some really nice work there!

You said you stretched the wheelbase, where does it sit now and how is the gas tank clearance?

Click to expand...

It ended up right about 105.5

With the XJ leafs I was about 102. With the leafs reversed it was too long. This is pretty much splitting the difference between the 2 wheelbases I had before.


Matt

Looks real nice, but zero adjustability. I hope you got it right the first time! :laugh3:
Billy

Thanks for the close-ups. Any contact between the arms and the crossmember braces when at full flex?

Looks nice Matt.

You'll dig the way that thing climbs now. Eliminating axlewrap is a beautiful thing. Airshocks are pretty cool, too.

I can't wait til we play that game on the trail, you know the one......."jump in your buddys rig and beat on it". I know which one I'm goin' for.......

Rick

VERY nice.

How much slack are you planning on the center limit strap? I haven't decided for mine and I'm running similar AS numbers, though coils not air shocks. Do you have a nitrogen kit for the airshocks? the guys I know with them had to try a lot of combinations before getting what they wanted, sure would be nice to be able to adjust out on the lakebed.

:worship: :worship: That looks simply great. :wave:

I'm redesigning my rear links this winter and i like the way you did it. Any specs or drawings about your rear crossmember? I would like to get some inspiration on how you did it, first time i see tubing on a crossmember, i like that idea. :wave:

Looks like crap!

Welds look like uke:

No leaves = No XJ so go to a buggy forum!

Doesn't this belong in the pic forum?

uke: uke:



hinkley