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MISSION: no more rear body flex

xj9140

xj9140

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Sacramento, CA
cuzins118.jpg


I am sick and tired of my rear hatch flexing all over the place. It's a '91.
Driving down the freeway I can look back and the hatch is moving all over the place. I found some cracks in it too.
My solution involves plasma cutting some ten or twelve gauge sheet. I will first need to make a template out of plywood or something. 4x8 sheet is enough. I wouldn't have a problem adding maybe 50 lbs, but that would be maximum. I should only need to bend it twice. The sheet will be completely stitch welded to the body. Inside and out.

I am still debating

1. Keeping the rear hatch?
2. Thickness of sheet metal?
3. What shape/how big to cut the access holes?
4. Flux core, or should I buy some gas and a regulator?
5. rear window? Slider?
 
what are you doing with said 4x8?
are you replacing the hatch?
are you doing frame stiffiners?
are you plating the frame front to back?

sounds like you have an idea of what your talking about, if you want feedback we may need some of that idea too.
 
xj9140 said:
I plan to cut this shape out, bend it twice, and weld the thing in place. I am figuring it will need ten lbs of wire? Then later cut some access holes. Hell, maybe even add a window.
hatch.jpg


Whats a 4x8 of .125 weigh? Like 100 lbs?
Click to expand...
Sounds like you "wore" out your jeep.
 
10 lbs of wire? Thats a bunch...If anything adding the extra weight of the plate would just make it want to move more. And raising it would suck! Lose the windshield mirror, problem solved... Just kidding
 
bdiamond said:
10 lbs of wire? Thats a bunch...If anything adding the extra weight of the plate would just make it want to move more. And raising it would suck! Lose the windshield mirror, problem solved... Just kidding
Click to expand...

The sheet will be fully welded to the body. I have not decided if I am going to keep the hatch skin or not. Did I say ten lbs of wire, I meant two, two lbs spools. Tomorrow I will be calling around for prices and weights of sheet and making a template out of something.
 
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Wouldn't it be easier just to add a rollbar hoop out the back attach to the inside of the body to stiffen it all up that way? Give you some protection in a roll too. Weigh less and be quicker. The problem is not the hatch but the body flexing.
 
Gojeep said:
Wouldn't it be easier just to add a rollbar hoop out the back attach to the inside of the body to stiffen it all up that way? Give you some protection in a roll too. Weigh less and be quicker. The problem is not the hatch but the body flexing.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking!!!!:thumbup:
 
That much weight at the extreme ends of vehicles will wreak havoc on the handling. Like gojeep said a simple loop would be more than enough.

Found this...
Gage Reference Uncoated
Gage No
Thickness (Inches)
Lb per Sq Ft
Nominal
Tolerance Range
10
.1345
.1405 to .1285
5.48695​

Your looking at 9 sq. ft. or so minimum...
 
4x8 1/4 inch weighs 323 pounds. I used around 2 pounds (don't know for sure) of wire to do my HD frame stiffeners with they're multitude of plug welds so 10 is a ton.


I re read and you wrote 1/8 inch.... so half the 1/4 inch weight. oops.

I think my brain is going soggy on me.
 
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Have you tried checking the latch and hinges for wear/adjustment? Hate to see you go through all that work if its something like this...Ive seen worn out or loose strikers do this, and one that even wore through all the fiberglass at bottom of the hatch making the latch itself loose. Also, maybe check floorpans, rockers, and the unibody for rust, cracks, and damage. This can really weaken things up...
 
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not sure what you use your jeep for, but are talking about welding this huge piece directly to the body itself? thus losing all access to the back of the vehicle.

just an idea, but grab the lighter 10g frame stiffiners by the NAXJA sponsors, and then get a hole saw and put some tube through the 'frame' from one side to the other and weld those in too. light, simple, solves problem and you can still use the rear of your Jeep.

or as above, bend in a hoop from one wheel well to the other, and sandwich it with some plates through the roof of the rig. mucho stiffiness.
 
id say just get some stiffeners, etc if you dont have that

also check the striker for the wear/condition or even adjust it and weather stripping and the hinge.

IIRC 97 and up have STEEL hatch, so you might can get that instead?
 
If I recall, the hatches are not interchangeable.
 
97XJ2 said:
If I recall, the hatches are not interchangeable.
Click to expand...
That is correct.

Simply making the hatch stronger will do NOTHING to keep it from "flexing." That's the entire unibody doing that, the hatch/opening is just the least reinforced section of the Jeep, so everything is transfered back there.

This is a solution is search of a real problem in search of a better solution. Save your time and money and build some frame plates or better yet a roll hoop that ties in the rear leaf spring perches. That will do far more than your plan AND let you keep the access to the rear cargo area.

-----Matt-----
 
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