rabitz
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Portland, OR.
what was the thickness of the steel you used for gusset?
-
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99 XJ DD & Weekend Warrior
- Thread starter NW99XJ
- Start date
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
I've heard of this happening to some guys... bomb proof a D30, and for some reason, shiz still breaks.... then you see the guy on 38's and his stock D30 is somehow unphased.... I dunno, From what I've learned over the years is dana 30's are "like a box of chocolates."
I used 3/16" ....sure I coulda used 1/4" but I dont think it is/was necessary.
Most of the "off the shelf" C-gussets are 3/16" as well.....
- Location
- NE Texas
I quit blaming it on the equipment :laugh:
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
I was gonna say something like It's all about WHERE you point it and HOW you go thru it..... But I didnt want to come across like I was insulting anyone's driving skills/abilities.
rabitz
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Portland, OR.
I am really enjoying every ones different builds. All so different, but the inginuity of every ones ideas, and how people every body helps out with tweaks and ideas, is really inspiring. So many examples of good craftmanship, and get er done . I am so happy that I found this forum!
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
Well i guess its been a while since I've updated my thread... with all the talking about it on the podcast,
I guess getting you guys some pics has slipped my mind a bit.
So here's whats happened over the last few months.
Went on a wheeling trip, ended up going alone, as the group I was supposed to meet, left early, or I was late, or a combination of the two.
I sort of knew the trail routes they were going to hit, so after the staging area, I went about trying to track them down.
About 3/4 of the way down the second trail I noticed the jeep wasn't turning very well.
It was taking me two, three, sometimes five attempts to make a simple corner.
I knew something was up.... so i limped my way down the rest of the trail, got to the logging road, and saw that my track bar mount had sheared almost completely off the frame. So with some quick work with a ratchet strap, I got it to where it was able to get back to the staging area.
Once down there, I did a good once over, and tightened the strap up, crossed my fingers and made the slow and death wobble filled journey home.
That was a fun drive, death wobble from hell ....more than a few times,
Got pulled over buy a state patrol saying I was doing 71 mph.... not with a sheared off track bar I wasn't!!!!!!
Since he obviously hates anyone with a lifted rig, or just hates Jeeps, either way he did the only thing left that he had the power to do after pulling someone over who called bullshit on his attempt to hand out a fraudulent ticket.... he gave me one for a fender flare violation. (middle finger salute)
FYI.... the speeding ticket probably would have been less.
I guess getting you guys some pics has slipped my mind a bit.
So here's whats happened over the last few months.
Went on a wheeling trip, ended up going alone, as the group I was supposed to meet, left early, or I was late, or a combination of the two.
I sort of knew the trail routes they were going to hit, so after the staging area, I went about trying to track them down.
About 3/4 of the way down the second trail I noticed the jeep wasn't turning very well.
It was taking me two, three, sometimes five attempts to make a simple corner.
I knew something was up.... so i limped my way down the rest of the trail, got to the logging road, and saw that my track bar mount had sheared almost completely off the frame. So with some quick work with a ratchet strap, I got it to where it was able to get back to the staging area.
Once down there, I did a good once over, and tightened the strap up, crossed my fingers and made the slow and death wobble filled journey home.
That was a fun drive, death wobble from hell ....more than a few times,
Got pulled over buy a state patrol saying I was doing 71 mph.... not with a sheared off track bar I wasn't!!!!!!
Since he obviously hates anyone with a lifted rig, or just hates Jeeps, either way he did the only thing left that he had the power to do after pulling someone over who called bullshit on his attempt to hand out a fraudulent ticket.... he gave me one for a fender flare violation. (middle finger salute)
FYI.... the speeding ticket probably would have been less.
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
Once home, I got to work right away assessing the extent of the damage.
The 1/4" thick steel gussett on the outside was completely broken in half...
There were all kinds of cracks and breaks, and obviously, the welds of the mount did not penetrate past the first layer of sheet metal.
There were signs of the pinch welds being torn right out thru the unibody/frame.
I cut all the loose stuff off....
...and began woke on getting things cleaned up and prepped for repair.
More had to be cut, holes had to be filled and ground, and all the grime, gunk, and undercoating had to be all cleaned up as well.
After that.... it sat.... for like a full month....being totally neglected.
Between this happeneing in the first place, and getting that insanely fat ticket, I was just pissed and hating life, ....AND my jeep.
After a while I finally got more motivation, finished my prep, and handed the jeep off to a buddy to help with the welding. (i prob COULD have done it, but I would rather have more "trustworthy" welds on something liek this than what I would have laid down.)
The 1/4" thick steel gussett on the outside was completely broken in half...
There were all kinds of cracks and breaks, and obviously, the welds of the mount did not penetrate past the first layer of sheet metal.
There were signs of the pinch welds being torn right out thru the unibody/frame.
I cut all the loose stuff off....
...and began woke on getting things cleaned up and prepped for repair.
More had to be cut, holes had to be filled and ground, and all the grime, gunk, and undercoating had to be all cleaned up as well.
After that.... it sat.... for like a full month....being totally neglected.
Between this happeneing in the first place, and getting that insanely fat ticket, I was just pissed and hating life, ....AND my jeep.
After a while I finally got more motivation, finished my prep, and handed the jeep off to a buddy to help with the welding. (i prob COULD have done it, but I would rather have more "trustworthy" welds on something liek this than what I would have laid down.)
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
So that was all back in May, after all the prep was done, I VERY CAREFULLY drove it sans-track-bar the few miles to my buddy Brandon's house.
(that was fun)
He's a much better welder than I am, and I would trust his work more than my own for this critical repair.
The plan: .....to re-mount the old Ruff Stuff bracket, and to reinforce the area some.
The results:
The Jeep was staged up in the driveway and he began to get to work:
The whole area was ground down and templates were starting to get drawn out:
Reinforcement plates were made, and cut out.
Swiss cheese holes make for good rosette welds.
Testing the location of the bracket...
All finished: (for now)
Brandon made short work of the project, and his work is second to none.
I cant thank him enough for the help he's provided me with his fabrication skills throughout this build. :thumbsup:
(that was fun)
He's a much better welder than I am, and I would trust his work more than my own for this critical repair.
The plan: .....to re-mount the old Ruff Stuff bracket, and to reinforce the area some.
The results:
The Jeep was staged up in the driveway and he began to get to work:
The whole area was ground down and templates were starting to get drawn out:
Reinforcement plates were made, and cut out.
Swiss cheese holes make for good rosette welds.
Testing the location of the bracket...
All finished: (for now)
Brandon made short work of the project, and his work is second to none.
I cant thank him enough for the help he's provided me with his fabrication skills throughout this build. :thumbsup:
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
Shortly after that I had the opportunity to DJ/MC an offroad event in SW Washington.
The Annual "Our Gang Offroad Show" is a lot of fun every year, and I'm glad to be apart of it.
The Annual "Our Gang Offroad Show" is a lot of fun every year, and I'm glad to be apart of it.
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
There was a critical flaw when I first did the measuring and cutting for the track bar/panhard bar.... I made it to fit, not to what it "should be" ... the results are a track bar that is shorter than my drag link... this discrepancy in length causes some minor bump steer. Nothing I cant live with for now, but it will have to be addressed in the future if I want things to be perfect. (and I do)
Shortly after the repairs (a couple weeks or so) I had the privilege of testing out the trail my buddy Mike is building in his back yard.... and when I say yard, I mean forested acreage. It was a nice little shakedown run of the repairs.
Everything seemed to be ok, so I spent some time detailing the jeep for the first time since around Thanksgiving.
Later in June I finally got another addition to my XJ reading material.
I also got my very own Hidden Wounds XJ T-Shirt in as well.
The 4th of July was right around the corner, and as usual I celebrated out nation's independence proper!
Not that many tubes this year...
Shortly after the repairs (a couple weeks or so) I had the privilege of testing out the trail my buddy Mike is building in his back yard.... and when I say yard, I mean forested acreage. It was a nice little shakedown run of the repairs.
Everything seemed to be ok, so I spent some time detailing the jeep for the first time since around Thanksgiving.
Later in June I finally got another addition to my XJ reading material.
I also got my very own Hidden Wounds XJ T-Shirt in as well.
The 4th of July was right around the corner, and as usual I celebrated out nation's independence proper!
Not that many tubes this year...
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
So after the 4th of July celebration, it was time to gear up for the offroad show season, and some big wheeling trips.
First thing was first though, the Jeep needed some love.
Had a few things to do on the list, CB repair (been an ongoing battle - can receive, but my transmissions are garbled)...ANYWAYS, I had a million things to do, and because of me being an idiot, and thinking that the annual Jolly Jeepers weekend long wheeling event (an event I make every year) was a week later than it actually was, I had zero time to accomplish 90% of it. So a mad dash to get some work done the Friday before (the day I was supposed to leave) and on top of the list were the leaf spring eye bushings....
These Procomp 3" lift Leaf Springs have done very well over the years, but they have definitely taken some abuse, and were starting to show it.
More so than the rest was the passenger side rear eye bushing. It was toast. I could hear the bolt rattling around inside the eye as I would drive or wheel, and it obviously wasnt going to get any better without replacing it.
Since I didnt know 100% for sure if a set of Daystar or Synergy Poly bushings would fit perfectly, I decided to go with a direct replacement. My local 4Wheel Parts store steeped up and got a set drop shipped over night for free, and hooked me up. They don't ordinarily stock these, so they had to be special ordered from Procomp.
Here you can see the old vs. the new:
Getting the old ones out was a major PITA.
Took over 5 hours of beating, hammering, cutting, pressing, and cussing to finally get it to come out. It actually had to be cut in half, then folded in on itself before it would even budge:
But in the end I was successful. Big thanks to Wes (92WarWagon) for the assist on this.
Once out, I cleaned up the race from any burrs or sharp edges, added a quick layer of grease, and pressed in the new ones.
It was a royal PITA to get the first one in, but oddly enough, the drivers side one went MUCH smoother.
That one took only about an hour total, INCLUDING the installation of the HD Engineering Shackle Relocation Bracket!
First thing was first though, the Jeep needed some love.
Had a few things to do on the list, CB repair (been an ongoing battle - can receive, but my transmissions are garbled)...ANYWAYS, I had a million things to do, and because of me being an idiot, and thinking that the annual Jolly Jeepers weekend long wheeling event (an event I make every year) was a week later than it actually was, I had zero time to accomplish 90% of it. So a mad dash to get some work done the Friday before (the day I was supposed to leave) and on top of the list were the leaf spring eye bushings....
These Procomp 3" lift Leaf Springs have done very well over the years, but they have definitely taken some abuse, and were starting to show it.
More so than the rest was the passenger side rear eye bushing. It was toast. I could hear the bolt rattling around inside the eye as I would drive or wheel, and it obviously wasnt going to get any better without replacing it.
Since I didnt know 100% for sure if a set of Daystar or Synergy Poly bushings would fit perfectly, I decided to go with a direct replacement. My local 4Wheel Parts store steeped up and got a set drop shipped over night for free, and hooked me up. They don't ordinarily stock these, so they had to be special ordered from Procomp.
Here you can see the old vs. the new:
Getting the old ones out was a major PITA.
Took over 5 hours of beating, hammering, cutting, pressing, and cussing to finally get it to come out. It actually had to be cut in half, then folded in on itself before it would even budge:
But in the end I was successful. Big thanks to Wes (92WarWagon) for the assist on this.
Once out, I cleaned up the race from any burrs or sharp edges, added a quick layer of grease, and pressed in the new ones.
It was a royal PITA to get the first one in, but oddly enough, the drivers side one went MUCH smoother.
That one took only about an hour total, INCLUDING the installation of the HD Engineering Shackle Relocation Bracket!
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
And speaking of said brackets....
They went in with ease, and I love how stout they are.
I do need to do some adjusting, and these brackets have plenty of room for that. The entire bracket can be flipped 180° ...there's also the various holes to adjust shackle angle, which i desperately need to do. In the above pic the jeep is not on its own weight, and not at ride height.
On the trail its a different story:
The angle is much steeper, especially when loaded....and in fact, the shackle actually bottoms out on the bracket at a certain point thru the range of motion:
This also produces one hell of a bouncy ride...
This was my ride into work the following week, it was so bouncy, I almost stopped for some motion sickness pills.
I haven't done it yet, but I will move the shackle one hole and see how it works. Then make further adjustments if necessary.
They went in with ease, and I love how stout they are.
I do need to do some adjusting, and these brackets have plenty of room for that. The entire bracket can be flipped 180° ...there's also the various holes to adjust shackle angle, which i desperately need to do. In the above pic the jeep is not on its own weight, and not at ride height.
On the trail its a different story:
The angle is much steeper, especially when loaded....and in fact, the shackle actually bottoms out on the bracket at a certain point thru the range of motion:
This also produces one hell of a bouncy ride...
This was my ride into work the following week, it was so bouncy, I almost stopped for some motion sickness pills.
I haven't done it yet, but I will move the shackle one hole and see how it works. Then make further adjustments if necessary.
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
That wheeling trip unfortunately was full of carnage.
I had a ton of fun, and the jeep did fantastic.
the views up here are to die for, and makes it hard to not go out as often as I can.
But I did manage to crack my transfer case wide open and completely grenade the DS Axle U-joint:
When it went, it took out the ears as well... total massacre.
I had a ton of fun, and the jeep did fantastic.
the views up here are to die for, and makes it hard to not go out as often as I can.
But I did manage to crack my transfer case wide open and completely grenade the DS Axle U-joint:
When it went, it took out the ears as well... total massacre.
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
There was collateral damage when the U-joint blew.
Obviously it made a huge mess:
But it also scalped the lower ball joint:
Took the grease zirk with it too...
Obviously the axle shafts could not be re-used.... So with the help of Craigslist, I procured some temporary replacements:
(Not bad for $60...) :thumbsup:
Also thru CL i managed to find a NP242J complete with the exact same slip yoke flange I have.... So it was going to be a direct bolt in.
I hit it with some simple green and a scrubby brush to clean it up, gave it a good inspection once more, and did the swap. Easy peezy.
(old broken one on the right)
I decided to take my chances and not split the case to do a full inspection.
Once installed I pulled the drain/fill plugs and started doing a visual inspection, as well as some exploration with a pic tool. All seemed fine. The chain even seemed good and tight. As it drained i noticed the fluid was dark brown, this case wasnt taken very good care of I guess....at the end of the draining, the fluid got a little sparkly. Digging around the bottom thru the drain port with my pic tool, I found the remnants of what used to be a c-clip (i think)...
All the gears that I could see looked fine, not even any stress fractures. I've since put several hundred miles on this case, and even a wheeling trip, and all seems fine. ZERO issues...... other than the speedo quitting on me a week or so later. I'll swap the sending unit from my old case, and that should take care of it!
Obviously it made a huge mess:
But it also scalped the lower ball joint:
Took the grease zirk with it too...
Obviously the axle shafts could not be re-used.... So with the help of Craigslist, I procured some temporary replacements:
(Not bad for $60...) :thumbsup:
Also thru CL i managed to find a NP242J complete with the exact same slip yoke flange I have.... So it was going to be a direct bolt in.
I hit it with some simple green and a scrubby brush to clean it up, gave it a good inspection once more, and did the swap. Easy peezy.
(old broken one on the right)
I decided to take my chances and not split the case to do a full inspection.
Once installed I pulled the drain/fill plugs and started doing a visual inspection, as well as some exploration with a pic tool. All seemed fine. The chain even seemed good and tight. As it drained i noticed the fluid was dark brown, this case wasnt taken very good care of I guess....at the end of the draining, the fluid got a little sparkly. Digging around the bottom thru the drain port with my pic tool, I found the remnants of what used to be a c-clip (i think)...
All the gears that I could see looked fine, not even any stress fractures. I've since put several hundred miles on this case, and even a wheeling trip, and all seems fine. ZERO issues...... other than the speedo quitting on me a week or so later. I'll swap the sending unit from my old case, and that should take care of it!
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
I needed to get these repairs done ASAP since I had a large Jeep show to DJ the following weekend. No time to do a shakedown run,
.....the test was a drive into work and back, I figured if it can make that journey and get me home,
it was good enough to transport me the hour drive south to the 3rd Annual Salem Jeepers Summer Jam with me and all my DJ equipment.
The show was awesome, and I had a lot of fun.
This was my third year doing this event, and I'm already looking forward to next year.
Although the Jeep (and the donor T-case) proved itself fine under load and a couple hundred road miles...
I needed to see how it would handle some trail time.
So after the show, I unloaded the DJ gear, loaded up the tools, recovery, and camping gear, and made a bee line for the mountain.
Three other XJ's made for a nice day out on the trails.
The Jeep did very well.
Although I was babying it a little bit, I wasn't playing it safe either.
I seriously just cant get enough of the spectacular views the NW has to offer.
.....the test was a drive into work and back, I figured if it can make that journey and get me home,
it was good enough to transport me the hour drive south to the 3rd Annual Salem Jeepers Summer Jam with me and all my DJ equipment.
The show was awesome, and I had a lot of fun.
This was my third year doing this event, and I'm already looking forward to next year.
Although the Jeep (and the donor T-case) proved itself fine under load and a couple hundred road miles...
I needed to see how it would handle some trail time.
So after the show, I unloaded the DJ gear, loaded up the tools, recovery, and camping gear, and made a bee line for the mountain.
Three other XJ's made for a nice day out on the trails.
The Jeep did very well.
Although I was babying it a little bit, I wasn't playing it safe either.
I seriously just cant get enough of the spectacular views the NW has to offer.
- Location
- NE Texas
Josh, Heads up.. Just a friendly reminder, DONT USE FULL-TIME 4wd in the 242, with the locker up front
Great pics! You just reminded me a camping trip in those mountains is over-due.
Great pics! You just reminded me a camping trip in those mountains is over-due.
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
Thanks Scott, yea I never use the full time option anymore anyways... super 231HD w/4:1 (maybe) is in the works....
I replaced the 242 with another one just like it for ease and speed of the swap... it's all gonna come out this winter I think.
- Location
- NE Texas
Sweet! I'm upgrading transfercases this winter also..:cheers:
- Location
- Salem, OR
NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
Re: 99 XJ DD & Weekend Warrior
Hmmm..... I might be down for this....
Yours is a manual though, right Larry?
Hmmm..... I might be down for this....
Yours is a manual though, right Larry?
