Ultra 4 EMC Build

[jeannies_driver]

Okay, let's try this once again :helpme:

I started this last year in hopes of making KOH 2012 but just as I started work dropped off and I was left staring at it in the garage.

My goal is to qualify in the RCQ and finish installing the bling Spyder 9's sitting in the corner. Not enough time or money to fit them in at this point.

Instead, I'm polishing turds and praying they hold up for one race....

I don't think it could be any more basic and " stock " than this build. If you're looking for awesome tech, dimple die's, roll bending and "pretty" welds it's NOT going to be in here !

Jeep has absolutely been stripped of everything, finally.

Clayton Offroad sent down some parts to help with the build. This is part of their Pro Series 3 link kit

3 link axle bridge installed

3 link cross member bolted up and final welded in place. If it moves, I'm gonna need another jeep afterwards.

Clayton Offroad Pro Series 3 link installed. I also cut off the lower control arm mount on the axle as well as the shock mounts. Mounted up some Ruff Stuff lower link mounts to hold everything in place.

Rear springs had to be ordered and are on their way.

Shocks from Profender will be ordered tomorrow most likely. 2.0" x 10" remote reservoir should help soften up the ride some.

AtoZ Fab is supplying the tube for my roll cage as well, I just need to go pick it up.

If anyone would like to help build, donate parts/sponsor, stand around and make fun You're more than welcome to come over.
( Except Andy ) :wave:

 

[sallys xj]

Im looking forward to the end result..best of luck on the build ill be following it.

 

[jeannies_driver]

Stopped by AtoZ Fab today and picked up my tubing along with some Ruff Stuff diff covers.

60' of 1.75" DOM .120 wall and 60' of 1.50" HREW .120 wall

Took a few hours to measure, measure, cut, chop and get some of it mocked up for now.

For anyone interested, the bend for the A pillar is a 43* bend, not a 45. A 45 probably fits but for me the 43* bend worked out perfect.

A good tubing notcher is somewhat expensive and after having to chop saw notch and grind the front mount I will say they are probably worth every penny. Wish I would have bought one ! Got the angle close with my hole saw but it wasn't perfect and had to make it fit more than I wanted to. My 1/2" drill hate's me right now, hopefully it will last for one more notch on the other side.

Myself and my Co-driver are both 6' tall. After adding seats, mounts and more tubing inside I feel it's just to crowded to do it properly and still have head/seat clearance. I'm copying Goatman and So Cal's idea to put it outside like an exo. I also find it weird that it's the same crappy flaking grey/silver color as well. :anon:

 

[HeavyMetal]

just cant help but try and be as cool as me can you mcguigan?????????????????

 

[sallys xj]

Love the progress...I hope to be making some head way myself as i want to be on the lake bed in the line up myself. Keep it coming

 

[jeannies_driver]

just cant help but try and be as cool as me can you mcguigan?????????????????

Those my friend are very big shoes to fill. The only difference is mine will actually be " built " while yours just get's edited. :flip off:

 

[jeannies_driver]

Not much to post. Yesterday I managed to let the smoke out of my 1/2" drill.

It did NOT like making a 1.75" hole in .120 DOM. It was however 7 years old and abused it's whole life. I spent the rest of the day running around getting a new drill and grinder.

I also picked up a 29 spline Chry 8.25 to replace the Dana 35 that was in the jeep. It will be getting 4.56 gears at some point soon.

Tossed the engine and transmission back in today while I waited for base plates to show up for the roll cage. My parts girl wasn't done work till late and she was cutting and bending them at work. Plasma cutter and 200 ton press is much easier and faster than my grinder and vice/hammer method.

 

[beakie]

nice looking build so far... and oddly enough last time I was in the garage I was smoking an older dewalt drill too. but it kept going, guess it just needed a fix.

 

[Jump This]

Looking good so far.
Are you planning on adding even more beef to the front axle?
You can't overbuild...

 

[jeannies_driver]

If time and space permit, possibly ? I've already plated the upper ball joint area and welded the tubes to the center section. I " want " to do hydro asst. and build a truss/ram mount but I need to finish everything else first. Shock mounts have to be fabbed up as well as the track bar. It has a Tera knuckle on it I want to brace up some as well if I get the chance so still lot's to do in it.

Got the roof of the cage done as well as the down tubes going inside and the base plates. I'm waiting on seats and fuel cell to show up to place everything inside and finish the cage.

Upside down welding sucks btw and the sound of melting ear wax is creepy and smells funny at the same time.

Wiring harness for the motor is partially stripped and installed. Inside harness is getting stripped as well. There's a lot of useless spaghetti in those harnesses !

Anyone have a place to get the injector harness end's ? I can get the end's themselves with pigtails just cannot find the outer plastic clip that holds them onto the injector. Every one I looked at in the junk yard was burnt/melted like mine are.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

Anyone have a place to get the injector harness end's ? I can get the end's themselves with pigtails just cannot find the outer plastic clip that holds them onto the injector. Every one I looked at in the junk yard was burnt/melted like mine are.

most of the dodge/chrysler/plymouth vehicles through the 90s used the same connectors, might help you broaden your search a bit.

 

[xcm]

EV1, low profiles. Buy at least 1 extra... for me it was a '1-go, get it right or else' affair. You didnt say what year, but the renix's can use a 7th fuel injector connector for the knock sensor. That was cooked on mine as well. They look like this:
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/4738/1000506z.jpg

http://connectorsfast.net/catalog/index.php?cPath=1&osCsid=3821de843e9f010086c10ebd4c87c2c8 They lived up to the name when i ordered a year or so ago, no email, no contact... just a box in the mail 5-6 days later.


Lovin your build, nice work schedule so far!.

 

[jeannies_driver]

Thank you, that is exactly what I am looking for. That was one huge picture, lol. I didn't understand why it was taking so long to load until I clicked it.

The jeep is a 90, Renix engine. I would add more to the first post but can't edit it ?

Fed Ex showed up again today with more parts from rockauto. I think he was a little pissed as every package he brings is either huge or weighs a lot. :smsoap: Unit bearings, Rotors, Calipers, Ball joints, Gear install kits, Bearings...

And the best package of goodness so far, seats !

EMPI suspension seats. No clue how well they are made but they look decent, are damn soft and seem to be very comfortable for the short time I sat in them. Should clean up much easier than a cloth seat for sure.

Didn't get into the garage until late this evening but got all the base plates welded down and the uprights welded to them. Now they need drilled for plates to go on the lower sides and bolted together. Dash bar, harness bar and lower B pillar cross bar all got mocked up tonight.

 

[sallys xj]

Looks great man, your knocking it out keep it up

 

[jeannies_driver]

Got a little more accomplished today but yard work got in the way of garage time !

Co-Dawg Ron took the wiring harness home with him Friday and dropped it off tonight. He had a weird twitch and was mumbling something about schematics and extra wires. This was the useless stuff he removed from the harness.

Engine in and working on the harness.

Worked on the B pillar tubing a bit tonight.

Welding was not easy tonight. Normally it wouldn't have been to bad but I got FRIED today mowing the lawn.:flame:
My knee's are apple red so wearing jeans to weld is pretty painful let alone dropping hot slag onto them as well. :wstupid:

I think tomorrow I'll just worry about filling my Argon tank and getting the plates for the front end cut while I wear ice packs taped to my legs !
I might just have to spend the day on the computer in the A/C ordering more parts as well.

 

[sallys xj]

good stuff, one of the better threads in this section. Looks great

 

[sallys xj]

Hows the build? Any updates?

 

[jeannies_driver]

Yup,

Roll cage is almost finished. rear down bars are just mocked up so we can get in and out easy. Need's door bars yet and seat mount, if I could ever get an answer on it from someone. Fuel cell getting mocked up as well.

Front end plated and completely welded together with 1/4" plate. If this comes apart we're gonna need another jeep !
Welding old galvanized steel is absolutely the worst. Even though it's " clean " there's still more there somehow.

My sunburn kept me from doing much for about 3 days, that sucked ! Went and had to get a new Argon tank, steel and parts but finally got more done yesterday and today. Motor mounts got swapped out since the old ones really weren't doing much of anything. Ron came up and went through MORE wiring as well. He can now tell where they go by taste.

My Clayton rear springs shall be here this weekend along with my Profender shocks ! :greensmok:greensmok:

Fed Ex and UPS flip quarters now to see who has to deliver the heavy parts.
I have to go be a tech nazi/marshal this weekend for the RCROCS race so I won't be doing anything more till Sunday.

 

[cal]

Looking good!

A big pain point for us is putting our seatbelts in. You need a firewall where your B pillars are, you'll have seatbelt bolts on one side of the firewall and nuts on the other, with seats and a fuel cell interfering with both. Look at it long and hard now, see if you can find a solution to make that easier before you suddenly find mounting them is a 3 acrobat job..


What answer are you looking for on a door bar and seat mounts? Who are you asking about them? i've never had tech take more than a day to get back to me on anything.

 

[jeannies_driver]

I already looked at that, kinda. I'm hoping to have my firewall rest on the brace running along the floor, the one the 2x4 is sitting on. If it won't work there it will be against the B pillar but the cell drops a few inch's there so it will be under my cross brace for the belts. I have a harness coming that can either be bolted in or wrapped around the tube and it would be above my fire wall.

There is no height specified for the fire wall " unless " it's mounted above your shoulders.

Waiting on Chris to get back to me. He's evidently been busy but is going to get me an answer tomorrow....

I'm tall and big boned and neither aid in the fitting of a wide seat in an XJ. I either need to bash in the tunnel like JS guy's do to mount my seat or notch it out and run tube there. Without it, I am losing over 6" in height and I have only 3" head clearance without a helmet on. I cannot fit in a narrow seat comfortably most times and definitely won't race in one. I like my back and hips just the way they are.

Fitting a door bar after the seats mounted is going to be fun. I have NO idea how I am going to get one in there.