Project "girly" jeep

So i wasnt gonna put this in adfab but since most of it is one off garage fab so i figured it was better suited for adfab than modtech.

So this all started when i put my girlfriend behind the wheel of the waggy and she rocked a wheelstand that would make any man proud :roll: So when she needed a new dd, she went out and bought a nice 2000 cherocar with a 4.0 and an aw4 trans. she then proceeded to head out and buy a d30 and 29 spline 8.25 with 4.56 gears, suffuced to say one trail of seat time has her hooked.

So the plan is as follows, three link front based off a crossmember running RE 5.5 coils and the old leaf springs and shackles out of my now scrapped wagoneer. Gonna get armored, rocker replacements, and planning on building a tire carrier and winch bumper and eventually a hybrid interior/exterior cage. Im keeping the drivetrain pretty simple, gonna run lunchbox lockers front and rear, and the sye off my old jeep.

the ride...

the shoes, 35x12.50x15 nokian vativa MT's

hdoffroad engineering frame stiffeners


drawing up and drilling the new crossmember. the new piece is 2x6x3/16 with 1/4" mounting plates




new crossmember before cleanup

i think i have to give more credit to the hobart than my skills for the decent lookin welds


finished trimmed and cleaned crossmember, going to backweld grade 8 nuts to the frame stiffeners to up the mounting points to 4 grade 8 bolts plus the 2 stock crossmember bolts for a total of six per side... should stay just fine.



Frame stiffeners are going in tomorrow along with the new crossmember, then ordering a set of steelies and link parts to finish up the suspension

Looks like a great start. Don't you just love cutting and drilling that quarter inch steel? That stuff will be there a while for sure

I'll be following this Doug and hopefully seeing it at the crawl!

FlexdXJ said:

I'll be following this Doug and hopefully seeing it at the crawl!

Click to expand...

If you don't see it at the crawl ill be in the doghouse since she's dying.to get back to the dirt, I really want it ready to shake down in may if all goes right

Welded up the passenger side stiffener today, backwelded 4 grade 8 nuts and cut pockets in the frame for them to sit in.... going to try to get the other one done tomorrow after class

Had an issue with the tip going south but I hadn't changed it since I bought the welder... so I have some cleanup to do before paint

shortxjdoug said:

If you don't see it at the crawl ill be in the doghouse since she's dying.to get back to the dirt, I really want it ready to shake down in may if all goes right

Click to expand...

Where did you find her and does she have any sisters?

FlexdXJ said:

Where did you find her and does she have any sisters?

Click to expand...

One sister and she's already married...... I'm hanging on to this one with all I got, there aren't a lot of good lookin ladies out there willing to drop their tax return on jeep parts and love it.... you shoulda seen how happy she was when we brought those tires home

I woulda been happy too! I want them!

I thought you had gotten a Wrangler from the title of this thread

I have heard many people say that using plate for your crossmember isn't going to cut it. Too much flex. Look into adding something across the top.
I used L shaped (not angle though) 1/4".

He's using 2x6x0.188" box.

That should be fine.

MoparManiac said:

He's using 2x6x0.188" box.

That should be fine.

Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking... I didn't see any plate either.

lowrange2 said:

That's what I was thinking... I didn't see any plate either.

Click to expand...

The only plate used is the 1/4 inch on the sides to mount it the xmember itself is 2x6 box

I don't see why that won't hold just fine.

shortxjdoug said:

The only plate used is the 1/4 inch on the sides to mount it the xmember itself is 2x6 box

Click to expand...

I missed the box part. That should good...

This thread brings all the win! Look out Ross, rob, and Colin......

shortxjdoug said:

One sister and she's already married...... I'm hanging on to this one with all I got, there aren't a lot of good lookin ladies out there willing to drop their tax return on jeep parts and love it.... you shoulda seen how happy she was when we brought those tires home

Click to expand...

Hold onto her Dougie! :cheers: Didn't get to talk to her at the crawl last time but she seemed pretty easy going. Enough of the Lady Talk what are her/your plans for a lift?

FlexdXJ said:

Hold onto her Dougie! :cheers: Didn't get to talk to her at the crawl last time but she seemed pretty easy going. Enough of the Lady Talk what are her/your plans for a lift?

Click to expand...

Haha actually not the same girl but this 1 is way better the other ones been long gone for sometime now

shortxjdoug said:

Haha actually not the same girl but this 1 is way better the other ones been long gone for sometime now

Click to expand...

Oh............whoops! :doh: Anywho, lift?

FlexdXJ said:

Oh............whoops! :doh: Anywho, lift?

Click to expand...

gonna use the 5.5 coils and and rear springs and shackles out of the wag, and a custom 3 link to hold it all together in the front.... should clear 35s on a full body dd just fine